Ron, I am sure you will get additional, better responses, but here is what I have been told.
Raise the front of the car up so the bleed area is the highest point. From there, I have had two different methods proposed to me.
One, from Robert at R2Racing,is to remove the bleed valve, on a cold engine, and squeeze the upper radiator hose. With your other hand, seal the hole and release the hose. That creates a vacuum that will pull water into the system. Release the seal as you squeeze the hose, reseal it as you release and repeat until there is no more air in the system. This relies on having a small hole in the thermostat so all of the air can bleed out of the block, I think.
The other is to raise the front and start the engine, get the thermostat open and bleed air out of the valve, as you stated. The only thing I have added is raising the front of the car.
I have done both systems with yet a third one of putting my mouth over the filler and blowing into it to force water through the system and air out the bleeder valve. This method requires two people.
Big Dog