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Creating Home Grids is a great way to assign or link several activities for ease of student access.  It allows you to have an opening screen that links to several different grids.  You can use a home grid for thematic units or for individual student work.  Here is how...

Skill Level Intermediate...

1. Create a new grid set by Opening the Template - Blank grid-nonsending
2. Go into edit mode to add cells (You could have one at the top that says "Brandon's Work" with three below "Reading" "Math" "Writing" Or you could have a thematic unit "Spring" with several cells to link to various activities.

3.  Once you have added the cells, text, and pictures - Save the home grid...we will return to link specific grids after we have followed step four.(There are two steps to Linking grids---A forward Link from the home page to the specific grids and a Backward link from the specific grid back to home grid. We need to do the Backward link first and save before we link forward.)

4.  Go to the specific grids you plan to link the the home grid...one at a time, go the the last page of each grid set to link it back to the home grid.  You can create a cell that says "home grid" or simply link the home grid to the arrow that would typically return them to the title page.  This is how you do the link....go to 'cell properties' of the cell you with to link. Click on the 'Open Grid' tab-select 'move to the grid.' Click on the arrow to the right to browse to the home grid you created.  Once you select the home grid, it is linked. You will need to 'save as' since you have made changes and the grid is now linked to the home grid.

5.  Now, you are ready to link the Home grid to the specific grids.  Open the Home grid. Go to the cell properties of the first cell "Reading" Under 'Open Grid' select 'Move to the grid' and go to the arrow to the right to 'Choose grid'  This allows you to browse your clicker grids and select a grid.  The grid is now linked.  You can follow this same process to link a "Math" and "Writing" grid. 

If this seems laborious, join the advacned Clicker webinar on Feb 16 t 3:30 and I will be demonstrating how easy this is.  I will also be demonstrating this at the hands-on Advanced Clicker class in Federal Way on Feb 23rd.

Look under the Literacy Tools for supports on how to create talking books with PowerPoint.  A free way to creat switch accessible books using either your own pictures and recorded voice or using pictures and downloads from the internet.  There are also some templates and books to download that are ready for use.

Here is another resource for creating powerpoint books - template downloads for Deaf and low vision.

http://www.med.unc.edu/ahs/clds 
on the left there will be a link to Switch accessible powerpoint templates.

The direct link to the template is:

http://www.med.unc.edu/ahs/clds/resources/deaf-blind-model-classroom-resources/switch-accessible-powerpoint-book-templates-for-students-with-significant-disabilities-including-deaf-blindness

Great info Kristin.  Thanks.

Great info Kristin.  Thanks.

I have received several emails with questions regarding the Two Choice Template in Classroom Suite. Specifically, how to add lables to pictures.  By default this template is set up to only show the pictures, not the text lables.  If you would like to show the word with the picture you must do the following:

With the customize window open, go the the far right tab, labled "More Options"
Select Show Text Lables. 
This will cause text labels to show on all 5 problems.

A common error is to look for "show text lable" in the area at the bottom of the window...which is also titled "more options"  Make sure to go to the "more options" which is the tab at the top far right.

If you are having difficulty with the synthecisized voice in Classroom Suite when creating new activities, consider downloading the updates by going to www.intellitools.com/  Under Free downloads, click on classroom Suite 4.2 Patch.

Here are some resources to game additional practical knowlege of Classroom Suite.
SETBC:  www.setbc.org/

Atomic Learning:  atomiclearning.com

Cambium Learning technologies  http://www.intellitool.com/
Tech Support: 1-800-547-6747
My experience with Cambium's tech support has been positive...a live person in minutes to answer your questions.

Feel free to contact SETC for a custom webinar for your district.

When you first install and use Classroom Suite 4, the program opens to the Administrator Screen.  Once you have set up user files for students and assigned published activities, you may want to change the initial sign in screen to go directly to the users page.  From there a student can click on individual folders to sign in and complete activities without the teacher or therapist having to sign out of the administrator area.
The directions are simple and are as follows:

1.  Click on Teacher Options
2.  Click on Administrator Options at the bottom left of window
3.  De-select "Program Opens with Selected User Sign in

Exit Classroom suite and re-open.  You should find yourself at the sign in page that holds all users.

NOTE:  Classroom Suite Classes will be held in Spokane on March 2nd and in Federal Way on March 3rd.  New participants will be eligible for a free copy of the Classroom Suite Software-up to two per district.

Do they have a hard line in the house? I think netzero offers 10 hrs a month for free, my freewireless ISP (http://www.myfreewirelessisp.com) unlimited access, Dialup for free, (http://www.dialupforfree.com) unlimited access, Juno also offers a 10 hour monthly limit for free, (http://www.juno.com/start/landing.do?page=www/free/index) these are a few that i have found. I do not know how reliable the unlimited ones are but I am sure that the netzero and Juno work well. Be sure to check about over usage charges. If I find more I will post them here for you. Good luck :-) and happy surfing!

wow, great, i will share these with the family.  any ideas on internet access?????