Alphasmart NEO2 SmartApplet Firmware update

RESOURCE GUIDE
for use with 2Know!
Important!
This booklet contains
your 2Know! Toolbar
Installation CD
Inside:
Free Online Training......................................... 3
Support by Phone and Web.............................. 3
2Know! Toolbar Key Tasks................................ 4
Renaissance Receiver Key Tasks ................... 14
Frequently Asked Questions........................... 15
More About the Receiver................................ 18
2Know! Toolbar Installation CD...................... 19

Dear Educator/Administrator,
Congratulations! You have taken a positive step toward
accelerating learning by purchasing a NEO 2™ SmartOption
Mobile Lab. With a NEO 2 SmartOption Mobile Lab, you can
provide students with the advanced technology they need for
essential practice in reading and language arts, science, math,
keyboarding, even social studies. NEO 2 truly is the laptop
solution you can use all day, every day in your classroom.
As you know, NEO 2 includes the 2Know! classroom response
system for daily assessment of student understanding. As you
begin implementing NEO 2 for informative assessment, this
booklet will be your handy resource guide. You’ll find
information about free training and support, tips for accessing
downloadable content, plus software and hardware key tasks,
frequently asked questions, and more.
We would love to hear about your success using NEO 2 in the
classroom. You can email your stories to
[e-mail] or mail them to
Renaissance Learning
Attn: Beth Bergmans
350 W. Burnsville Parkway
Suite 435
Burnsville, MN 55337 USA
We look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Beth Bergmans
NEO Product Line Manager
Renaissance Learning

FREE ONLINE TRAINING
3
. . . . .
F REE O NLINE T RAINING
Every NEO 2 includes free online training for 2Know!, NEO 2’s
classroom response system. Visit www.renlearn.com/profdevel
and click Professional Development, then Webinars, then
2Know!. The list of Webinars will include online installation
and setup training for the 2Know!™ classroom response system
as well as other training opportunities.
S UPPORT BY P HONE AND W EB
Phone
•US: [phone]
•UK: 0870 120 0718
•Europe, Middle East, and
Africa: [phone]
Email
•US: [email protected] (general inquiries) or
[email protected] (technical inquiries)
•UK, Europe, Middle East, and Africa:
[email protected]
Web
•US: www.renlearn.com
•UK: www.alphasmart.co.uk
•Europe, Middle East, and Africa: www.alphasmart.eu

KEY TASKS—THE 2KNOW! TOOLBAR
Install the 2Know! Toolbar
4
. . . . .
In Canada, Asia/Pacific, or Latin America, contact your local
reseller. If you do not have a local reseller, email Technical
Support at [e-mail].
In the online Knowledge Base, you can search through technical
support information and find detailed, step-by-step answers to
questions you may have about NEO 2. Visit
support.renlearn.com/techkb to access the Knowledge Base.
K EY T ASKS —T HE 2K NOW ! T OOLBAR
Install the 2Know! Toolbar
Windows Installation
1. Insert the CD from the back of this booklet into your
computer and view the contents of the CD. Double-click the
2Know!_Toolbar_2.0_Win.msi file on the CD. The
installation wizard will open.
2. Click Next > on the Welcome panel of the wizard.
3. Note the installation location and click Next >.
4. Click Install.
5. If you want to start the 2Know! Toolbar right away, check
the Launch 2Know! Toolbar box.
6. Click Finish to complete the installation.
7. A message may appear to tell you that you must restart
your computer for the configuration changes to take effect.
Click Yes to restart now or No to restart later.
8. Connect the Renaissance Receiver to your computer and
set the Receiver name. (See the NEO 2 Quick Guide or
other NEO materials you received.)

KEY TASKS—THE 2KNOW! TOOLBAR
Install the 2Know! Toolbar
5
. . . . .
9. Make sure that neither AccelTest™ nor the Renaissance
Responder program are running. Then, start the 2Know!
Toolbar by clicking StartPrograms2Know!
Toolbar2Know! Toolbar.
10. Read the license; then, check the I agree box and click OK
to start the program.
Macintosh Installation
1. Insert the CD from the back of this booklet into your
computer and view the contents of the CD. Double-click
2Know! Toolbar Installer on the CD.
2. Enter the administrator user name and password for the
computer and click OK. (You must have rights that allow
you to install software.)
3. Click Install in the installation assistant. The program will
be installed. (If the computer must be restarted after
installation, the program will notify you; click OK.)
4. When the installation is finished, click Restart if the
computer must be restarted. If not, click Quit.
5. Connect the Renaissance Receiver to your computer and
set the Receiver name. (See the NEO 2 Quick Guide or the
NEO materials you received.)
6. Open the Applications folder on the computer’s hard drive.
Then, open the 2Know! Toolbar folder. Double-click
2Know! Toolbar.
7. Read the license; then, check the I agree box and click OK
to start the program.

KEY TASKS—THE 2KNOW! TOOLBAR
Get Ready for the Session
6
. . . . .
Get Ready for the Session
Make sure the Renaissance Receiver is connected to your
computer and set the Receiver name. Make sure that neither
AccelTest nor the Renaissance Responder program are running.
Then, start the 2Know! Toolbar.
Windows: Click Start Programs 2Know! Toolbar 
2Know! Toolbar.
Macintosh: Open the Applications folder on the computer’s
hard drive. Open the 2Know! Toolbar folder, and double-
click 2Know! Toolbar.
Start the Session
1. Ask participants to turn on their NEO 2 laptops.
2. Participants press applets, press Lto scroll down to the
Responder SmartApplet, and then press enter.
3. Participants highlight the
correct Receiver/Network
name and press enter.
(Participants who have
connected to a Receiver
before can simply confirm
that they want to stay
connected.) The toolbar
shows you how many
participants have connected A.
A

KEY TASKS—THE 2KNOW! TOOLBAR
Ask the Questions
7
. . . . .
Ask the Questions
1. Ask or show participants
the question. Then, press
or click T/F for true/false
A, ABC for multiple-
choice B, or 123 for
numeric response C.
2. Ask participants to choose
or enter their responses
and then press enter.
3. Watch the toolbar to see
the percentage of
participants who’ve
responded to the question
D.
4. Press or click Graph Eto
see a graph that shows the
responses the participants
chose. (For more
information, see the next section.)
5. Press or click Stop Fwhen you want to stop accepting
responses.
A
BC
E
D
F

KEY TASKS—THE 2KNOW! TOOLBAR
Use the Graph
8
. . . . .
Use the Graph
Note: If you are projecting the toolbar and participants can see
it, you may want to wait until after all participants have
responded before you display the graph.
A
D
FE
C
B
A
C
D
FE
AThe bars show you how many
participants chose each answer.
BFor numeric-response
questions, the five most
common answers are shown,
and others are grouped below
in “Other Responses.”
CTo choose the correct answer,
press or click the circle next to it
to put an X in that circle. The
bar next to it will turn green.
(You can change the correct
answer.)
DPress or click Stop to stop
accepting answers.
EReset deletes all answers so
participants can answer the
question again (or another
question of the same type).
FClose takes you back to the
toolbar. If you haven’t stopped
accepting answers, the toolbar
will stop accepting them when
you close the graph.

KEY TASKS—THE 2KNOW! TOOLBAR
Ask Pulse Questions
9
. . . . .
Ask Pulse Questions
Use Pulse to ask simple questions with no correct answer. This
can be useful when you want to check understanding of a
concept or to take a quick vote.
1. Press or click Pulse when you want to ask participants if
they’re ready to go on to the next concept.
2. Participants press Y, G, or Tfor yes/green/true, or they
press N, R, or Ffor no/red/false; then, they press enter.
Watch the toolbar to see the percentage who have
responded.
3. Press or click Stop when
you want to stop
accepting responses.
4. Press or click Graph to
see a graph like the one
shown. The red circle
shows you how many
participants chose No.
The green circle shows
how many chose Yes.
Ask Short-Answer Questions
How to Ask Short-Answer Questions
If participants are using NEO 2 laptops (not Renaissance
Responders), you can ask short-answer questions and receive
responses from participants. Before you can ask short-answer
questions, you must first choose a theme that includes
the Short Answer button; see page 13. Then, follow the
steps on the next page.

KEY TASKS—THE 2KNOW! TOOLBAR
Ask Short-Answer Questions
10
. . . . .
1. Ask or show participants
the question. Then, press
or click Short Answer A.
2. Ask participants to enter
their responses and then
press enter.
3. Watch the toolbar to see
the percentage of
participants who have
answered the question B.
4. Press or click Graph Cto
see a graph that shows the
responses the participants
chose (see the information
below).
5. Press or click Stop Dwhen you want to stop accepting
responses.
How to Use the Short-Answer Graph
If you press or click Graph during a short-answer question,
you’ll see a graph similar to the one for numeric response
questions.
The five most common responses will be listed first, showing
the number of responses for each answer (Aon page 11). Other
responses will be grouped together below this list B. If you
want to choose the correct answer, press or click the circle next
to it to put an X in that circle. (You can change the correct
answer.) The bar for the correct answer will turn green C.
Press or click Stop to stop accepting responses. Reset deletes
all responses so participants can answer the question again (or
another question of the same type). Press or click Close to close
the graph. If you haven’t stopped accepting responses, the
toolbar will stop accepting them when you close the graph.
A
C
B
D

KEY TASKS—THE 2KNOW! TOOLBAR
Use the Teacher Responder Feature
11
. . . . .
Use the Teacher Responder Feature
The 2Know! Toolbar options allow you to designate one of your
NEO 2 laptops as a teacher responder. You can then use that
NEO 2 laptop to control the toolbar program from anywhere in
the room.
Assigning (Setting Up) a NEO 2 as a Teacher
Responder
Follow these steps to set up and use a NEO 2 as a teacher
Responder:
1. Click Options
and choose
Teacher
Responder.
A
C
B

KEY TASKS—THE 2KNOW! TOOLBAR
Use the Teacher Responder Feature
12
. . . . .
2. If the program tells you that you haven’t assigned a
Responder to the teacher, click Assign.
3. Start the NEO 2 and open the Responder SmartApplet.
4. Join the session.
5. Enter the PIN that the toolbar program shows you, and
press Enter.
6. When the toolbar program shows the ID, click Close.
7. The NEO 2 will list your options.
To ask a question, follow these steps:
a. Press A(to select Ask Question), then press Enter.
b. Press the letter for the question type and press Enter.
c. After participants answer, press A(to select Stop), then
press Enter to stop receiving responses. If you want to
see a graph, press B(for Show Graph) and press Enter.
To minimize the toolbar or maximize it again, press C
and then Enter.
While you’re viewing a graph, you have these options:
•Press A(for Stop), then Enter to stop receiving
responses.
•Press B(Close Graph), then Enter to close the graph.
•Press C(Reset), then Enter to reset (start over) and
receive new responses.
•Press D(Enter correct answer), then Enter to choose
or enter the correct answer. Then, enter or select the
answer and press Enter.
Unassigning a Teacher Responder
When you want to stop using a NEO 2 to control the toolbar
program, you can unassign it by following these steps:
1. In the 2Know! Toolbar, press or click Options and choose
Teacher Responder.
2. Press or click Unassign.
3. Press or click Close to close the window.

KEY TASKS—THE 2KNOW! TOOLBAR
Choose a Different Theme and/or Change the Size of the Toolbar
13
. . . . .
Choose a Different Theme and/or Change the
Size of the Toolbar
Follow the steps below to choose a different theme, which
changes the appearance of the toolbar. Use the large-size
themes on your computer so you can see the toolbar as you
move around the room. Use the small sizes on interactive
whiteboards to make the most of the whiteboard space. If you
want to ask short answer questions, be sure to choose a theme
that includes “w/Short Answer” in its name.
1. Press or click Options and choose Themes to see the
window shown below.
2. Press or click the theme type and size you want A. As you
select each theme, you can see what it looks like on the
right side of the window.
3. Press or click OK B.
Get Software Updates
1. Press or click Options and choose Software Updates.
2. If you want to allow weekly software updates, make sure
the Weekly check for software update box is checked. (It
is checked when you first install the program.)
A
B

KEY TASKS—RENAISSANCE RECEIVER
View 2Know! Toolbar instructions while Using the Toolbar
14
. . . . .
3. If you want to check for updates now, press or click Check
Now.
4. Press or click Close.
View 2Know! Toolbar instructions while Using
the Toolbar
To open instructions while using the 2Know! Toolbar, press or
click Options and choose Getting Started.
View the Toolbar Version and Other
Information
Press or click Options and choose About 2Know! Toolbar.
The information window will open; you can close it by clicking
the window.
K EY T ASKS —R ENAISSANCE R ECEIVER
Default Administrator PIN
The default administrator PIN is 1234. This PIN is required
when you use the Renaissance Wireless Server Utility program
on your computer.
Changing Administrator PIN and Renaissance
Receiver Name (Recommended)
1. Open the Renaissance Wireless Server Utility program and
go to the Server Settings tab.
2. Click Set Administrator PIN.
3. Enter and confirm the new PIN; then, click OK.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
15
. . . . .
4. Click OK when program states that the PIN is updated.
5. Delete the name in the Network Name field, and type a
new name (e.g., Room 245 or Mrs. Smith’s class).
6. Click Update Network Settings; then, click OK when the
program states that the settings have been updated.
F REQUENTLY A SKED Q UESTIONS
Below are answers to the most commonly asked questions
concerning the 2Know! classroom response system and NEO 2.
For more information, please see the contact information at the
beginning of this Guide.
Is training on 2Know! available for educators?
Every NEO 2 includes free online training for 2Know!, NEO 2’s
classroom response system. Visit www.renlearn.com/profdevel
and click Professional Development, then Webinars, then
2Know!.
Can 2Know! be installed on a network?
2Know! is meant to be installed and used on individual
computers in a classroom environment.
Should I be concerned about the technical
requirements and setup for 2Know!?
All that’s required is the 2Know! Toolbar program and a
Windows 2000 computer or later or the Macintosh 10.3.9 or
later operating system.
Setup is a snap. Even those with limited computer experience
can set it up and have it running in as little as five minutes. Our
technical staff is also available should you have any questions.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
16
. . . . .
Does the 2Know! classroom response system work
with all Interactive Whiteboards?
Yes. You can also display using your PowerPoint presentations.
Will 2Know! work with a laptop?
Yes. You simply need a USB port for the receiver. No AC adapter
is needed.
When students use their NEO 2 laptops with the
2Know! Toolbar, they have multiple Renaissance
Receivers to choose from, and they are all named
“Renaissance Receiver.” Why is this happening?
This means that multiple Renaissance Receivers are within
range of the Responders or NEO 2 laptops. To change the name
of a Receiver, see page 14. Enter a name that is unique. For
example, if the teacher’s name is John Smith, give the network
the name “Smith’s Receiver.”
How many Renaissance Responders or NEO 2 laptops
can be used with one Receiver at the same time?
Up to 300 can be used with one Renaissance Receiver.
What is the range of a Renaissance Receiver (how far
away from the Renaissance Receiver can a student
with a Responder or NEO 2 sit)?
Up to 150 feet.
Will students have to point Responders or NEO 2
laptops directly at the Renaissance Receiver in order
to get their responses accepted?
No. 2Know! uses Radio Frequency (RF) technology, which is
not blocked by line-of-sight obstructions. The answer is

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
17
. . . . .
recorded as long as the device is within the range of the receiver
(up to 150 feet).
What radio technology does 2Know! use?
2Know! operates in the public 2.4 GHz band, the frequency
used by WiFi, Bluetooth, and other wireless devices. The system
uses standard IEEE 802.15.4 modulation and communication
protocols to avoid interference with other devices operating in
the same area.
Will the system hop to an open channel?
Renaissance Receivers and responders include logic to select a
clear channel from the 15 available channels when the
Renaissance Receiver is started.
How does the Renaissance Receiver handle
interference?
The system uses Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) in
addition to Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision
Avoidance (CSMA-CA) in order to communicate when other
wireless devices are near.
Will the radio frequency (RF) technology of 2Know!
interfere with my wireless network?
No. The system is designed to work in a “noisy” environment
without interfering with other wireless technology.
Do the NEO 2 laptops have an automatic shut-off
feature?
Yes. In most SmartApplets, NEO 2 will shut off after 4 minutes
of inactivity. In the Responder SmartApplet, it will shut off after
30 minutes of inactivity, and in the Accelerated Reader
SmartApplet, it will shut off after 10 minutes of inactivity.

FOR MORE ABOUT THE RENAISSANCE RECEIVER
18
. . . . .
F OR M ORE A BOUT THE R ENAISSANCE R ECEIVER
Refer to the NEO 2 Quick Guide or other NEO materials you’ve
received to find the steps you need to follow to connect the
Renaissance Receiver or rename it and to change settings in the
Renaissance Wireless Server Utility.
If you have a problem with your Renaissance Receiver, refer to
the manual and the Renaissance Learning Knowledge Base. If
this doesn't solve your problem, then call the business which
sold you the Receiver or contact Technical Support. Many
problems can be solved by email or over the phone.
If the unit needs to be returned to the factory for repair, it must
be assigned a RMA (Return Material Authorization) number
before it is returned. To obtain a RMA number, contact
Technical Support with the following information:
• A detailed description of the problem.
• The serial number of the unit.
• The name and the address to which the unit should be
returned.

To install the 2Know! Toolbar on your computer, insert the CD
into your computer, and double-click the following file.
Windows: 2Know!_Toolbar_2.0_Win.msi
Macintosh: 2Know! Toolbar Installer
See page 4 for information about using the 2Know! Toolbar.
THIS CD CONTAINS YOUR 2KNOW! TOOLBAR
SOFTWARE

FREE
FREE
ONLINE
ONLINE
TRAINING!
TRAINING!
SEE PAGE 3
SEE PAGE 3
2Know!, Accelerated Math, AccelTest, NEO, NEO 2, Renaissance Learning, Renaissance Place, Renaissance
Receiver, and Renaissance Responder are trademarks of Renaissance Learning, Inc., and its subsidiaries, regis-
tered, common law, or pending registration in the United States and other countries.
510033
L2598.1008.PS.750
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