In learning any skill, one must master the basics before moving to advanced work. Learning to use EagleEyes or CameraMouse is no different. Students learn the basics of using assistive technology before moving on to more advanced academic work. With the help of teacher Maureen Gates, students in the Campus School work through a number of computer programs that teach them the basics of using EagleEyes or CameraMouse. Programs like the choice board teach students they can control outcomes with their movements. This is a particularly exciting realization for disabled children who have never been able to move anything in the physical world, no less cyberspace. Once students master using EagleEyes or CameraMouse to control the mouse pointer, they can begin their adventures in the academic world.

After warming up on Eye Painting or Shooting the Aliens games many students work with a choice board to select a preferred activity. This is often called the "I want board." (pictured below) The choice board illustrates how students learn to control the mouse pointer. Students can "click" on parts of the board by holding the mouse pointer over a given section of the board. First, a student must hold the pointer on the green "I want" section. After activating the "I want" button, students must activate an activity by holding the pointer on the corresponding box. The student then gets to play whatever game is pictured or written in the box.

Initially, students are limited to two choices: one that the child enjoys and one that is less desirable. A limited offering allows students to easily understand they are controlling the outcome. After a while, the preferred activity is moved to a new location to ensure the student is understanding the relationship between selecting the box and the resulting activity. In this manner the child is empowered to take control of the mouse pointer, and the session. Eventually students develop reliable skills controlling the mouse pointer with programs like the choice boards. Students develop such facility using EagleEyes or CameraMouse until they are capable of using the technologies to participate in an educational context. Ultimately, the skills developed using choice boards allow students to communicate and participate in ways previously impossible.