The Writer

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The Writer

• Brian Wojcik Nora Bardi
• Used with permission 5/2006

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The Writer

• Features
• Wireless Infrared (must have line of sight)
• 16 Folders, with up to 250 named files
• Spell Checker
• Thesaurus/Auto-Thesaurus
• Spanish to English Dictionary
• On-Board Writing Prompts

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The Writer features continued

• Daily Journal File
• Writer Auto-Rubric (customizable)
• Spell It!!!
• Keyboard Instruction (116 lessons)
• Word Prediction

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The Writer

• Batteries
• The Writer runs on three AA batteries
• Batteries will last about 300 hours
• A low battery signal will be displayed when
  batteries need to be changed
• Quickly replace old batteries with new as the
  backup battery will not save text forever
• Batteries should be removed during long breaks

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The Writer

• Automatic shutoff
• The Writer is preset to turn off after 4 minutes
  of non-use.
• No student data is lost at turn off.
• Lessons (keyboarding) in progress will need to be
  repeated when The Writer is turned back on.

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The Writer

• Saving Text
• All text and keyboarding scores are automatically
  saved
• No special steps are needed to save
• Initializing
• Erases all data on The Writer
• Turn off The Writer
• Press and hold Esc Z keys
• Press the On key
• After 1 second release the Esc Z keys
• Initializing password is ACE135, press Enter

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The Writer

• Date Stamp
• Places a date stamp on the header of each file,
  Keyboard Progress Report, and Keyboard Assessment
• To set the date
• When folder names are showing, press Option Alt
  C
• Use arrow keys to select the correct time, day,
  month and year
• Press Enter

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The Writer

• Navigation
• Enter key will move you forward to the next
  screen.
• Esc key pressed at any time will return you to
  the previous screen and main menus.

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The Writer

• Data Management
• Work folders
• New folder, naming, deleting (up to 16
  characters)
• Files
• New file, exiting, editing, deleting

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The Writer

• Spell check
• 80,000 word dictionary
• Replace the word
• Skip the word
• Edit the word

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The Writer

• Thesaurus and Auto-Thesaurus
• Thesaurus, place cursor under word and press the
  thesaurus key for synonyms. Press thesaurus key
  again for synonyms for a different meaning of the
  word.
• Auto-Thesaurus, scans for over-used words when
  you press option thesaurus. It then suggests
  alternative words.

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The Writer

• Adding or Modifying the Auto-Thesaurus Word List
• Open a work folder and press Alt Apps
• Select Auto-thesaurus Editor
• Press A to add an overused word
• With the gt on the overused word (example gtfun)
  press Enter to add alternatives

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The Writer

• Spanish to English Dictionary
• Type a word in Spanish
• Place the cursor anywhere on the Spanish word
• Press Alt S for the English word
• Does not translate conjugated words
• May need to try the masculine vs. the feminine
  form of the word

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The Writer

• Creative Writing Prompts
• 41 writing prompts included (list can not be
  modified)
• Open a work folder
• Press the Apps key
• Place the gt on Writing prompts
• Press Enter

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The Writer

• Creative Writing Prompts continued
• Three choices to access prompts
• Select prompt by number from 1 to 41
• Select prompt randomly
• Browse prompt list
• After prompt is selected it is previewed
• Press Enter to accept the prompt
• Scroll down to the second space after the prompt
  and begin writing

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The Writer

• Daily Journal File
• Open a work folder
• Press Apps, place the gt on Journal, Enter
• Student begins writing
• Each day begins with a new date stamp
• Prior entries may be read but not modified
• Journal capacity is 5 pages, then prompt is given
  to download the journal to a computer
• After download, delete the file to add additional
  entries

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The Writer

• Writing Checklist Templates
• Good Writing checklist
• Perfect Paragraph checklist
• Multi-Paragraph Checklist
• Six Traits of Writing checklist
• Response to Literature Checklist
• Persuasive Essay Checklist
• Writing Prompts
• Customized Teacher Checklist

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The Writer

• Writing Checklist Templates
• Open a file
• Press Alt C
• Select the checklist
• Selected checklist automatically prints out or is
  sent to computer

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The Writer

• Creating a customized checklist
• Open a work folder and press Alt Apps
• Select Writing Checklist Editor
• Press Add to add a new checklist title
• After adding the title, press Enter to add the
  specific checklist items
• Once added the checklist will be available in the
  same list with the other checklists

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The Writer

• Spell It !!! 6 Different Spelling Activities
  with Customized Word Lists
• Open a folder and press Apps
• Place gt next to Spell It !!! And Enter
• Create a new spelling list
• Add words
• Press Enter after each entry
• Alt E to edit the list, Esc to exit

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The Writer

• Spell It!!! The 6 Spelling Activities
• Definition
• Sentences
• Unscramble
• Flash-n-spell
• Alphabetize
• Keyboarding
• Edit the list is listed last for easy access to
  change the list

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The Writer

• Keyboard Instruction
• Instills home row and shift key discipline
• 116 Sequential keyboarding lessons
• Benchmarks must be passed for student to advance
  to next lesson
• Words per minute
• Accuracy
• Home row points occurs three times per lesson,
  must have 2 to advance

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The Writer

• Keyboard Instruction Window
• Open folder
• Press K for student options
• Begin the next lesson
• Practice any lesson of their choosing
• Assessment with a 60 second timed test
• Free typing for practice

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The Writer

• Keyboard Instruction
• Disable and reactivate the Home row Advantage by
  pressing Alt H while in the Keyboard
  Instruction menu
• Disable and reactivate the Shift Key Advantage by
  pressing Alt S while in the Keyboard
  Instruction menu

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The Writer

• Word Prediction
• Open a file
• Press Alt W, Esc exits word prediction
• Begins prediction after first letter is typed
• Press corresponding number to insert the word
• Word prediction is bundled in the special
  education version of The Writer, but otherwise it
  is an option

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The Writer

• Quick-Write
• Allows access to a file to begin typing
  immediately for notes, ideas, etc.
• Press the Quick Write key
• Select F1 to F9 to open a blank writing file
• Press Esc to exit or Quick Write again to open
  another blank writing file
• These unnamed files can be deleted, sent, spell
  checked, etc.

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The Writer

• Infrared Receiver
• Flat end plugged into USB port on the computer
• Square end plugged into the receiver

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The Writer

• Send Files to the Computer
• Turn computer on and open word processing program
• Position cursor where you want the text to begin
• Turn the Writer on, locate file to send
• Point the Writer at the receiver within 1 to 5
  feet and press the Send to Computer key

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The Writer

• Send Files to the Computer
• If file is not being received accurately
• Slow the transmission rate by pressing Alt 1
  and enter a number from 0 50
• 0 is considered the fastest transmission
• 50 is considered the slowest transmission
• To just send text without header or checklist
• Follow the steps above but hold down the Option
  key while pressing the Send to Computer key

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The Writer

• Send Keyboarding Progress Reports to the Computer
• Turn computer on open word processor
• Select Courier font, 9 or 10
• Position cursor at top left of the screen
• Turn the Writer on and open work folder
• Press K to open the Keyboard menu
• Point the Writer at the receiver and press Send
  to Computer

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The Writer

• Send Keyboarding Progress Reports to the
  Computer, continued
• If file is not being received accurately
• Slow the transmission rate by pressing Alt 1
  and enter a number from 0 to 9
• 9 is considered the slowest transmission
• If report columns are not aligned check that font
  is set to 9 or 10 point Courier and /or make the
  left and right margins smaller
• Consider creating a template for this purpose

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The Writer

• Advanced Keyboard Technologies, Inc. P.O. Box
  2418 Paso Robles, CA 93447-2418
• Phone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• Email support_at_keyboardinstructor.com
• www.keyboardinstructor.com

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