Alphasmart AS 3000 User manual

KeyWords SmartApplet
User’s Guide
version 3.3

AlphaSmart Sales and Technical Support
For AlphaSmart sales and technical support contact information, see page 67 or
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Nothing in this manual may be reproduced in any manner, either wholly or in part,
for any purpose whatsoever without written permission from Renaissance
Learning, Inc.
Copyright ©2006, Renaissance Learning, Inc.
AlphaSmart and Renaissance Learning are trademarks of Renaissance Learning,
Inc., and its subsidiaries, registered, common law, or pending registration in the
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registered trademark of the Microsoft Corporation.
51-0009B-061016

iii
Contents
Chapter 1
Introduction ....................................................................................1
Why use KeyWords? .................................................................... 1
How to begin ............................................................................... 3
Chapter 2
Using KeyWords .............................................................................5
Getting started ............................................................................. 5
Starting KeyWords ................................................................ 5
Adding a student ................................................................... 6
Beginning lessons ........................................................................ 8
Learning new keys .............................................................. 11
Building accuracy and speed ............................................... 12
Testing how well you learned .............................................. 15
Checking progress...................................................................... 16
Chapter 3
Options for Teachers ......................................................................21
Accessing teacher options.......................................................... 21
Deleting students ....................................................................... 22
Home row confirmation............................................................. 25
Correct shift key enforcement.................................................... 26
Teacher-managed words per minute and error goals ................. 27
Specify one space or two between sentences............................. 29
Enhanced reporting capabilities ................................................. 30
Creating a student progress report ...................................... 31
Creating a last lesson report ................................................ 32
Creating a group progress report ......................................... 35
Using report information ..................................................... 36

iv KeyWords User’s Guide
Using AlphaSmart Manager 2 with KeyWords ........................... 39
KeyWords options in AlphaSmart Manager 2...................... 40
Chapter 4
Teacher Preparation and Resources ............................................... 45
Materials for handouts and transparencies ................................ 45
Keyboarding ergonomics........................................................... 48
Sample lesson plan for getting started ....................................... 49
Preparation ......................................................................... 49
Teaching the lesson............................................................. 49
Appendix A
Lessons Information ...................................................................... 53
Appendix B
Frequently Asked Questions .......................................................... 63
Appendix C
Contact Information ...................................................................... 67
Index ........................................................................................... 69

Introduction 1
Chapter 1
Introduction
Welcome to the KeyWords User’s Guide. KeyWords develops basic
keyboarding skills using fun and interesting lessons. KeyWords
works with Neo and AlphaSmart 3000 devices. (It does not work
with the Dana family of products by AlphaSmart.)
Complete instructions for installing KeyWords can be found in the
SmartApplet Installation Guide and the KeyWords Download
Installation Instructions, both of which are available on the
AlphaSmart web site.
Why use KeyWords?
Keyboarding is becoming an essential skill for success in the 21st
century marketplace. If you can touch-type, you extend your skill set
beyond word processing to include electronic communication,
computer science, and more; and you accomplish writing tasks
much more quickly than if you had to spend time hunting for each
key.
KeyWords SmartApplet is a keyboard program that
• Keeps learners interested as it teaches typing, employing a
language-based system that entertains as it trains
• Provides cumulative lessons that teach accuracy and speed a few
keys at a time
• Offers encouragement with positive feedback and helpful hints
• Checks progress at each level with typing tests

2 KeyWords User’s Guide
Why use KeyWords?
KeyWords doesn’t require a computer, except for initial setup; it
runs on a portable AlphaSmart device, making it ideal for classroom
settings.
KeyWords was designed based on research about how people learn
to type:
• Speed and typing fluency increase more readily if simple words
are used and repeated. The KeyWords method follows this
model of repetition, presenting diverse vocabulary, rhymes, and
humor to keep lessons interesting.
• Typists learn patterns of keystrokes more quickly when
uninterrupted by immediate corrections. The KeyWords error-
checking method emphasizes the importance of words and
phrases.
• Speed skills and accuracy skills are best developed
independently. KeyWords provides separate lessons in these
skills. Learners can set their own proficiency goals, test
themselves, and create progress reports.
• Speed increases with practice typing words and phrases rather
than random letters. By practicing with words and phrases, new
typists learn common letter patterns that are the building blocks
of simple and complex words. This promotes the ability to
quickly recognize and type letter combinations that occur
frequently.
KeyWords never loses sight of its final goal: the training of capable
touch-typists. The result is a program that recognizes that touch-
typing goes hand in hand with having fun with language.

Introduction 3
How to begin
How to begin
This manual is aimed at two types of users: students using
KeyWords to learn to type, and teachers using KeyWords to teach
typing.
If you’re a student and want to begin using KeyWords, see “Using
KeyWords” on page 5 to dive into lessons.
If you’re a teacher, start with “Using KeyWords” on page 5, then
proceed to “Options for Teachers” on page 21. Once you’re familiar
with how KeyWords works, you might want to review “Teacher
Preparation and Resources” on page 45 before instructing your
students.

4 KeyWords User’s Guide
How to begin

Using KeyWords 5
Chapter 2
Using KeyWords
This chapter explains how to get right into KeyWords on an
AlphaSmart device. Specifically, it describes
•StartingKeyWords
• Adding a user
• Stepping through lessons
• Checking progress
Getting started
This section walks you through the basic tasks in KeyWords. It
assumes that you, the user, are a student who plans to complete the
lessons in KeyWords.
It explains how to start KeyWords, add a student, and begin using
the lessons. It’s a good idea to have on hand the visual materials
described in “Materials for handouts and transparencies” on page 45
in case you need to refer to them while working through the tasks.
Tip! While working on the tasks in this section, if you need to go
back to the previous screen on the AlphaSmart device, just press
esc. Pressing esc within KeyWords takes you back to the previous
screen.
Starting KeyWords
Before you begin, make sure KeyWords is installed on your device.
To check, press on/off to turn the device on, then press applets. If
you see KeyWords in the SmartApplets menu, KeyWords is already

6 KeyWords User’s Guide
Getting started
installed. If KeyWords doesn’t appear in the menu, install it as
described in the SmartApplet Installation Guide or the KeyWords
Download Installation Instructions.
To start KeyWords:
1. On the AlphaSmart device, press on/off.
2. Press applets. The SmartApplets menu appears.
3. Use the arrow keys to scroll the list, then select KeyWords and
press enter. The KeyWords startup screen appears.
Adding a student
When you add a student, the name appears under the Add a student
option. Use the down arrow to scroll the names. Press enter to select
a name and enter the password to begin.
Note: An AlphaSmart device can store up to eight students.
Select a SmartApplet and press enter:
- AlphaWord 3.0
- Calculator 3.0
LKeywords 3.0
Select your name or choose to add name:
- Teacher options
- Add a student

Using KeyWords 7
Getting started
To add a student:
1. On the AlphaSmart device, start KeyWords as described on
page 5.
2. Select Add a student and press enter.
3. In the screen that appears, type your first name and press enter.
(First names can be one to fifteen characters.)
4. Type your last name and press enter. (Last names can be one to
twenty characters.)
Tip! If you make a mistake while entering your name or
password, press backspace to erase and correct the error. If the
error is on a different line, press Kor Lto move to the line with
the error, then make your correction.
5. Type a password (two to six characters), press enter, then retype
the password. (As a security measure, the password appears
onscreen as a series of asterisks.)
You’re returned to the KeyWords startup screen, which now
includes the new name.
Enter your first and last name:
First Name: Halison
Last Name: Weydin
Press enter after typing the names.
Halison, please enter a password.
You need to remember this password.
Password: ******
Type password again: ******

8 KeyWords User’s Guide
Beginning lessons
6. Do one of the following:
•If you’re the student and want to begin lessons, scroll the list
until you see your name, select it, and press enter.
•If you’re the teacher and want to add more students, scroll
up the list until you see the Add a student option, select it,
and press enter. Follow steps 1 through 5 to add up to eight
students.
•Press esc to return to the SmartApplets menu if you’re done
with KeyWords.
Once you’ve added a student, the KeyWords startup screen looks a
little different. The list of students appears beneath the Teacher
options and Add a student choices. Use the arrow keys to scroll
between the student names and other choices.
Beginning lessons
After you add yourself as a student, you can begin stepping through
the lessons. The first lesson is an introductory overview of how to sit
properly and where to place your hands on the keyboard. The
lessons that follow help you learn new keys, build speed and
accuracy, and test your proficiency.
Select your name or choose to add name:
- Teacher options
- Add a student
LHalison Weydin

Using KeyWords 9
Beginning lessons
KeyWords keeps track of your work and marks each lesson (or
passage within a lesson) as not started (no mark), partially completed
(+), or completed (*), as shown in the illustration below.
To begin stepping through lessons:
1. Start KeyWords as described on page 5.
2. In the startup screen, scroll the list to find your name, select it,
and press enter. The Password screen appears.
Halison,
Please enter your password.
Password:
Press [esc] to exit.
Select Lesson or Option:
-*A S K L Keys
-+D J K Keys
LT H Keys
* indicates that a passage or lesson has been completed
+ indicates that a passage or lesson has been partially completed
No mark indicates that a passage or lesson has not been started

10 KeyWords User’s Guide
Beginning lessons
3. Type your password and press enter. The Select Lesson screen
appears.
Tip! Arrow keys in the screen indicate that there are other
choices above and below what you see in the screen itself.
4. Select Start Here! and press enter.
5. Follow the onscreen instructions to learn about proper posture,
finger placement, and the importance of the home row keys.
(Refer to the visual materials on the AlphaSmart Manager 2 CD
or in the AlphaSmart Manager 2 download files for additional
information.)
When you complete the Start Here! lesson, you’re returned to the
Lesson screen.
To go to another lesson:
1. From the Lesson screen, select a lesson (for example, A S K L
keys) and press enter.
Select Lesson or Option:
KStart Here!
- A S K L Keys
LD J F Keys
Select A S K L Keys Lesson Option:
- Learn new keys
- Use accuracy and speed builders
- Take accuracy and speed test

Using KeyWords 11
Beginning lessons
2. Select one of the following:
•Learn new keys steps you through a lesson describing new
keys.
•Use accuracy and speed builders helps you increase your
accuracy and speed in typing a particular set of keys.
•Take accuracy and speed test lets you test your proficiency
using a particular set of keys.
3. When you’re through, select another choice within this lesson,
go on to the next lesson, or press esc until you return to the list
of student names.
Learning new keys
When you select the option Learning new keys from one of the
lessons, KeyWords prompts you to press key sequences.
If you press the wrong keys, KeyWords displays a hint after about
three seconds. If you still do not press the correct key, KeyWords
displays a keyboard image onscreen to help you locate the key. You
must press the correct key to proceed.
The KeyWords Extras folder on the AlphaSmart Manager 2 CD and
in the AlphaSmart Manager 2 download files contains visual
materials you may want to consult as you learn new keys. See
“Materials for handouts and transparencies” on page 45.

12 KeyWords User’s Guide
Beginning lessons
Building accuracy and speed
The second option in each lesson—Use accuracy and speed
builders—trains you to press keys correctly and to build up speed in
doing so. Each builder section has six practice passages. The
following example shows the practice passages for the ASKL keys.
(This illustration displays more lines than what you can actually see
on an AlphaSmart device’s screen.)
Accuracy
The accuracy builder helps you practice your newly learned
keystrokes with whole words and phrases. It emphasizes precision,
not momentum. KeyWords presents passages of small words or
letter patterns to type.
Note: You can’t skip forward or backward during a lesson.
Select a passage:
- ALL ASK
- AS ALL ASK
- A LASS ASKS
- AS A LASS ASKS
- ASKS A LASS
- ALAS ALL ASK
Type carefully:
tree frog free frog
tree fr_

Using KeyWords 13
Beginning lessons
When you complete all the lines in the passage, KeyWords displays
the number of errors you made. The number of errors is equal to the
number of incorrectly typed words. If you make multiple incorrect
key strokes within a single word, it counts as only one error on your
score. Typing extra spaces between words also counts as one error.
After you complete a passage, KeyWords checks your accuracy
against the passing criteria for that lesson (see page 53 for more
information). If you don’t meet the passing criteria, you’re
instructed to type more carefully. Repeat the accuracy builder for
that passage until you meet the passing criteria.
Once you meet the passing criteria, KeyWords takes you to the
speed builder for that passage.
Speed
Once you meet the passing criteria in an accuracy builder, you
proceed directly into a speed builder for that passage. You can never
go directly to a speed builder without first working through the
corresponding accuracy builder, even if you’ve already worked
through that particular accuracy builder.
You had 20 errors. You will need 10
or fewer to continue. Please type more
carefully so you make fewer mistakes.
Press [SPACE BAR] to continue.
Nice job! You only made 3 errors.
You are now ready for Speed Builder.
Press [SPACE BAR] to continue.

14 KeyWords User’s Guide
Beginning lessons
First, the speed builder shows you a goal of words per minute.
KeyWords challenges you to set your own goal. When the following
screen appears, use Kor Lto change the words per minute. (The
minimum is four words per minute, and the maximum is ninety-
nine.)
Next, KeyWords instructs you to type, focusing on speed this time.
Speed builder helps you type faster.
Your goal is 8 words per minute.
Press [SPACE BAR] to continue.
Challenge yourself to type faster by
using the arrow keys to change the
speed: 8 words per minute
Press [SPACE BAR] to continue
Type quickly:
tree frog free frog
tree fr_

Using KeyWords 15
Beginning lessons
When you’re finished, KeyWords assesses how you did. If you didn’t
meet the goal, you see a message like this:
If you did meet the goal, you see a message like this instead:
Testing how well you learned
The third option in each lesson, Take accuracy and speed test, lets
you test your progress. Each lesson has four different tests that you
can cycle through each time you take a test in the lesson. You can
retake a test anytime. Your record shows only your best results.
When you choose this option, you’re shown the numbers necessary
to pass the test.
Your typing rate was xx words per
minute. You need to type xx words per
minute or more.
Press [SPACE BAR] to continue.
Way to go! Your typing rate was 27
words per minute. Your goal rate was
8 per minute. You passed!
Press [SPACE BAR] to continue.
Your goal for the Speed and Accuracy
Test is 8 words per minute with
10 errors or fewer.
Press [SPACE BAR] to continue.

16 KeyWords User’s Guide
Checking progress
The number of errors is equal to the number of incorrectly typed
words. If you make multiple incorrect key strokes within one word,
it counts as only one error. Typing extra spaces between words also
counts as one error.
When you complete a test, you’re shown the results.
If you pass the test, you’re returned to the Lessons screen, where
you can choose another lesson to work on. If you don’t pass the test,
the Lessons screen appears with a plus sign (+) in front of the Take
accuracy and speed test option. When you pass the test, the + is
removed.
Checking progress
You can check your progress anytime to see how well you’re
working through the KeyWords lessons. When you check your
progress, KeyWords creates a report and places it an AlphaWord™
file, which you can then view, print, or send to a computer.
Note: You cannot view, print, or send reports directly from
KeyWords. To do any of these things, you transfer a KeyWords
progress report to AlphaWord on the AlphaSmart device, then
view, print, or send AlphaWord.
Your Score Your Goal Passed
40 WPM 8 WPM Yes
7 Errors 10 Errors Yes
Press [SPACE BAR] to continue.