What is the Difference Between Core, Activity, and Pages in the ECO?
What is Core?
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What is an Activity?
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What are Pages?
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Core and Activities
The Eco has two kinds of vocabulary stored in the main overlay, Core vocabulary and Activity vocabulary. Core vocabulary is stored under icons on the main part of your overlay (rows and columns).
In general, Core vocabulary is made up of words that you use everyday to make sentences. Nouns, pronouns, verbs, and words like, "it," "and," "about," "the" can be found here. Core vocabulary is stored under single icons or icon sequences and can be accessed with one, two or three-hit sequences.
You can modify Core vocabulary by selecting one of the following options in your Toolbox.
Activities
The top row of the communication screen is always the Activity Row. Activities allow you to access words that are centered around a particular theme. Each User Area has its own Activities You can access your Core vocabulary from any Activity. Activities are meant to contain single-hit vocabulary that enhances your Core vocabulary, rather than duplicating or replacing it. You can create your own Activities for areas of your life where you would like to be able to participate in conversation quickly and easily.
The Activity keys can contain almost any kind of vocabulary. For example, vocabulary that you use in your job or in school, or when ordering in a restaurant can be stored under Activity keys.
Activities can be modified by selecting the appropriate Activitiy tools in the Toolbox.
Pages
Custom pages are special-interest screens that are part of your overlay or that you create yourself. The Eco has pre-programmed custom pages already stored in it. The most common pre-programmed page is called the Pages page. It is already linked to several other very useful pages.
You can see these pages in the PAGE MENU or modify these pages by selecting one of the following tools in the Toolbox.
Perhaps you would like a custom page that allows you to play a game or sing songs. You can dedicate each key on your keyboard to a single move in a game or a single song. Custom pages can be created for the all keyboard sizes. Custom pages do not have an Activity Row, and each key on the page is a single activation key. There is no sequencing. You can think of a custom page as one big single activity.
Before you create a custom page, think about what you are going to want on it. You will need to be able to move from your custom page to other overlays. You might need an OK key and/or a CANCEL key. Where will you put GO TO MINSPEAK or STOP? Will you need a key for "I need help"? You might want to write down the different keys that you will need before you begin to create the custom page. Once you have created a custom page, the Eco automatically places it in the PAGE MENU in the Toolbox. You might want to store the PAGE MENU on your Minspeak overlay or under an icon sequence so that you can go to your custom pages easily. If you only use one custom page most of the time, you might want to store just that page under an icon sequence on your Minspeak keyboard. When you create a custom page you will use the CREATE PAGE key in the Toolbox. To modify or change an already created Page, use the MODIFY PAGE key in the Toolbox.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are doing a lot of storing, shut the device Off periodically to save your work, then turn it back On. You should also save the Vantage/Vanguard memory to a flash disk or digital card after you have made significant changes.