Using the Alphasmart

Using the NEO by AlphaSmart Writing Has Never Been So Much Fun!!!

Why use a NEO? 1. It’s easy to use! 2. It’s affordable! 3. It’s lightweight and easily transportable. 4. It’s flexible (you can write anywhere). 5. It can be used individually or shared to complete a project!

Looking at the NEO: The keyboard is like the one on your computer with a few extras.

How to find Help quickly: Turn the NEO over and look on the back!

Working with the NEO Turn the NEO on and press the File 1 key to open that file. (File 1 will be for our brainstorming session.) Type a heading: My Favorite Places > press enter Type the name of a specific place > press tab Type something positive relating to this place > press tab Type something negative relating to this place > press enter Now follow these directions to add two more places. Remember to tab between the place, positive and negative comments.

Editing Text To make changes to your text, use the arrow keys to get to the location your desire to make the change. To delete text, use the backspace key. Choose one place from your list that is your favorite. (File 1 is saved automatically!!)

Open File 2 Type the title: My Favorite Place > press enter Type: according to (your name)>press enter Type: where your favorite place is located (short answer)> press enter Type: why your favorite place is your favorite (short answer) > press enter Type: when you go to your favorite place (short answer) > press enter Type: who will be at your favorite place (short answer) > press enter Type: how you will get to your favorite place (short answer) > press enter Turn off your NEO and wait for instructions.

Moving Between Files Now, turn it back on. What did you notice? Reread File 1 and File 2. Do you see any new ideas to write about your favorite place? Open File 3. Free writing period – Write about your favorite place - do NOT stop typing and do NOT worry about spelling and punctuation!!

Moving within the file HOME key – (on the top row) – will return you to the beginning of your current file. END key – (on the top row) – this key will position your cursor at the end of your file. Hold down the command key while you use the arrow keys, you can move to the beginning or end of a line or up or down the entire window.

Sending files to the computer 1. Plug the cable into a USB port on your computer (it may be on the back) 2. Open the document on your computer where you want the text to go (Word, PowerPoint, etc.) 3. Open the file on the Neo containing the text to be sent (File 1). 4. Plug the smaller end of the cable into your NEO (on the top of the NEO) 5. The first time you connect to a computer you may be prompted to answer a few questions. 6. Once the NEO screen says: Attached to PC, …… press the send key on your NEO. 7. Edit and format the text (if you wish.) 8. SAVE your document.

Sending File 2 1. Open PowerPoint > select Blank Presentation > OK 2. Choose a box > OK 3. Be sure you are in Outline View 4. Click beside the first slide in the outline view > Open File 2 on your NEO > connect the cable > Press SEND 5. Notice that “according to …” is on Slide 2 when it should really be on Slide 1 beneath “My Favorite Places.” To fix this, place your cursor in front of “according” in the Outline View and press tab. This will let the computer know that the phrase belongs on the first Slide. 6. In PowerPoint, apply a background, add animation and slide transitions > SAVE Sending to Excel Open an Excel document > Open File 1 on the NEO > press SEND Notice how your Brainstorming topics were sent into specific cells.

Open File 4 You will be writing a story here. Type the title: A Day at My Favorite Place Press the File 3 key. Using the arrows is one way to find text, but there are other ways. Press the gray FIND key > type: favorite (or another word that you know is in your free writing) > enter If this was not the text you wanted, press the command + G keys to see if there are more instances of the word where. When the text is located, you can copy it by holding down the shift key and using the arrow keys to move to the end of the text to be copied, then release the shift key. Press command or control key and the C key to copy the text. Press the File 4 key to return to the story. At the end of the title, press ENTER. Press command or control + V to paste the text into your story. Once the text is pasted, you can edit the text or add to it.

To move text within a story, follow the steps to select the text (highlight) and use the command/control key + X to cut. Then, command/control key + V to paste it where you want it.

Write a story about a day at your favorite place.

Spell Check Press the spell check key. I=ignore C=context E=edit Esc=exit

To change the size font: Press the 3 keys in the lower left corner (ctrl-option- cmd) and F at the same time. Use your arrow keys to the size font you want and press enter.

To use the calculator: Press the Applets key. (A SmartApplet is a mini- application that you can load on a NEO. Move the cursor in front of the calculator option and press enter. Use + to add, - to subtract, * or x to multiply, and / to divide.

To change back to word processing from calculator: Press the applets key; use the arrow keys until AlphaWordPlus is chosen and press enter

There are eight workspaces available to enter text (Files 1-8.) Text is saved automatically when entered in a file. In addition to this, you may name your file to insure it is saved even if the workspace is used again.

To name a file, press ctrl+S then type the name for the file and press enter.

To find a file, press ctrl+F. You will see a list of files (including Files 1-8.) Use the arrow keys to find the one you want and press enter. The file will be opened in the first empty file (1-8.) If there are no empty files, it will open it in File 1. If the document in File 1 has been named, it will automatically open the selected file in File 1. If the document in File 1 has not been named, you will be asked if you would like to keep the current file (yes or No.) If Yes, you will be asked to enter a Name for the document. If No, the document will be discarded and your selected file will replace it.

To open a new file (where one already exists), press ctrl+N. If the document in the file has not been named, you will be asked if you would like to keep the current file (yes or No.) If Yes, you will be asked to enter a Name for the document. If No, the document will be discarded and your selected file will replace it.

To clear a file, press clear file key. This removes an unnamed file or closes a named file.

To delete a file, is to remove a named file. If the file is open (you see it on the screen), press option+cmd+clear file. If you are viewing the file in a list (ctrl+F), arrow to the file to be deleted and press ctrl+clear file.

Sending all files to one document You can send all files from the NEO into the same word processing document. Open a word processing document on your computer > make sure the cable is connected to the NEO > type a title in your document (such as brainstorming) > Open File 1 > press SEND > after the text is in the document, press ENTER > add your next title > press ENTER > Hold down the command + File 2 > ENTER > title > ENTER > hold down the command key and press File 3 > format or edit text > save.

Bonus keyboard options (Option + Cmd + K) Keyboard layout Auto Repeat, Sticky Keys, Show Marks Set the speed of sending text Where to get ideas: AlphaSmart Website http://www.alphasmart.com

Solutions:

Integration ideas,

lesson plans and

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Support: User Guide and more

NEOS --Word Processing --Moving from file to file --Saving and Opening --beaming

My name is ______. I like ______.

Add “really” by using arrow keys and going back. Copy and paste name as the title. Use the “find” key and find the word “like” and delete >replace with “enjoy”.

Name file > save it > close it. Open >beam to neighbor. Demonstrate file transfer onto PowerPoint.