NCDesk Mail Basics

Getting to Know NCDesk Mail

Many adults and students have email accounts that allow them to send messages,
files, and photographs worldwide in a very short amount of time. For many of us, it
would be hard to imagine life without email.

One of the competencies of the Computer Skills Standard Course of Study states,
the learner will “Identify, discuss, and use online collaborative tools (e.g., email,
surveys, videoconferencing) to collect data for content area assignments/projects.”

To demonstrate your knowledge and skills, you will be given performance based
problems on addressing, attaching files, and sending email to a recipient. The
NCDesk software has an email application that simulates tasks handled by an email
application.

Menu • Toolbar Test Directions

or Question

Active Window
(title bar iscontains:
Email Header dark)
sender • recipient(s) • subject

Body or Message

Previous • Next
Moves backward or
forward in the test

Wake County Public School System • NC Test of Computer Skills Training • Fall 2005
Working with NCDesk Mail
On the test, NCDesk Mail problems will require you to address an email, write a
brief message, attach a file, and “send” the email.

Menu • Toolbar
send • attach • unattach

Header contains:
-who the email is from (sender)
-who the email is for (recipient)
-who else might receive a copy (cc)
-what the email is about (subject)

attached file

Body or Message

Addressing NCDesk Mail Messages

You may be asked to address an email to a particular recipient. Remember that all
email addresses are composed of a username and host or domain name. An
example would be:
shrek@ogremail.com
Shrek is the username in this example. Usernames can be nicknames, initials, or
real names. Ogremail is an example of a host or domain name. This refers to the
service or computer that acts as an electronic mailbox. The ampersand (@) is
keyed in the middle with no spaces and means “at.”

The subject is usually a short phrase to let the recipient know what the email is
about or contains.

The body or message may be short or long, depending on the sender.

Wake County Public School System • NC Test of Computer Skills Training • Fall 2005
Sending Attachments in NCDesk Mail

One task you may be asked to perform using NCDesk Mail, is to send an
attachment, or a separate document or file with your message. An example
attachment may be a digital photo, a Word document, a small executable program
file, just to name a few.

There are 3 ways to “attach” a file:

1. Click on the Paper Clip icon;
2. Go to Attachments->Attach
file or
3. Press Ctrl-A

A dialog box will appear with a list

of “attachments.” Click on the
appropriate attachment, then click
on the “Attach” button.

Sample NCDesk Mail Problems

Start the NCDesk application and click on the “Mail” button. Perform each task below. When
you have completed a task, notify your teacher before going on to the next one.

1. To gather research for your Social Studies report, you have decided to email the
Governor for information. Address the email to governor@state.nc.us and make the
subject of the message, History of the Executive Mansion.

2. You are working on a PowerPoint presentation with a classmate. In order to complete it,
you will attach the file, Presentation.ppt to the email. Address the email to
bestbuddy@aol.com, and add the subject line, presentation.

3. Send your grandma your latest school picture, picture.jpg. Grandma’s email address is
granny@hotmail.com. Don’t forget to send a carbon copy to your Great Aunt Frieda,
whose address is frieda@netzero.com.

Wake County Public School System • NC Test of Computer Skills Training • Fall 2005
Wake County Public School System • NC Test of Computer Skills Training • Fall 2005