Microsoft One Note

Microsoft Office One Note is a very useful piece of technology that I was not familiar with until coming to Grove City College. It is part of the Microsoft Office Suite, and is essentially a handy way of taking notes on the computer. One Note allows users to create different notebooks for different subjects. Each notebook contains numerous pages, each with a label and the date and time written on. The great thing about One Note is that it promotes organization, since all of the notebooks and pages are easy to navigate. One Note is especially useful for tablet computers, because it allows you to write directly onto the page with a stylus as if the computer were actually a notebook. The software gives tons of options for different colored pens, highlighters, erasers, and shapes.

Although the program is extremely useful to me here at Grove City for note-taking during class, it would only benefit people with access to computers during class. Thus One Note is probably the most useful on college campuses, or in school districts where laptops are provided for every student.

One Note is, however, a really good tool for mathematics. Since math notes usually have a lot of symbols, it is difficult to quickly type up your notes during class. The stylus and One Note provide a simple solution: you can electronically write your notes! The benefits? You can save paper, email your notes, or print your notes. The color choices are great for math notes, and you are even given the option for graph paper grids. I can see my future math students using One Note if they are allowed tablet computers in class. However, if they are not, I as the teacher will still be able to use it. For example, if students had questions about homework at night, I could email them my written solutions.


Below are pictures of different notebooks and then different pages within a notebook:

Here is an example of math notes taken in One Note:

Equation Editor

In Microsoft word there is a very handy tool called the Equation Editor. This is a tool that allows a person to enter in an equation in an efficient and easy way into their document. In order to use this tool one must first locate the ribbon on the top of word. After locating the ribbon one must then go to the Insert tab and within this tab on the far right there is a button called Equation. Once you click on the Equation button it then takes one to a new tab called Design. It is in this tab that one can select an equation from the built in equations, such as the binomial theorem or the area of a circle. The user also has the option of creating an equation from scratch using the different structures offered in Equation Editor. Some such structures include fractions, scripts, radical, integral, brackets, and trigonometric functions. The user also has the options of incorporating different symbols in order to write proof and definitions of specific functions. A few of these symbols are less than and greater than symbols and other similar symbols.

The Equation Editor would be a very useful tool in the classroom. It could be used by both the teacher for writing assignments and exams. Also it could be a useful tool for the students as well. For example, it could be used if the students were required to write a paper discussing the different theories and proofs that go into proving certain laws of Mathematics. Also it could be used for students who feel that taking notes on their computer is a more efficient way to take notes.

This is the design ribbon for the Equation Editor.

This is a sample built in equation: The Binomial Theorem

Math PowerPoint

(Taken from the website of Greg Kelly, Hanford High School, Richland, WA; this is Lesson 3.6)

Here is an example of a simple lesson in calculus taught using PowerPoint. The author effectively uses non-distracting visuals to illustrate the flow of information through example problems. Because each step of the problem is prompted by a click, the obvious interactive component to this lesson is for the teacher to call on a student to provide the next step, and then click to display it. Since this is not visible in the PowerPoint itself, we included another type of interactivity in the last two slides: the first of the two asks an open-ended question and then a specific one. To check the answer to the specific question, the teacher can simply click the action button immediately to its right, and will be taken to the next slide, containing the answer.

Note: I attempted to upload this file in both .ppt and .pps format, but in either case the Google viewer mangled the graphics on most of the slides. I'm not aware that there is any way to avoid this using Google Docs.

Google Docs

A tool that I have encountered for the first time through Technology of Instruction is Google Docs, a free web application within the Google brand of services. Google Docs allows users to upload documents up to 500 KB in text formats, 10 MB in classic PowerPoint form, spreadsheets up to 1 MB, and PDF files up to 10 MB. Once a file reaches Google's servers, its owner may share it with any other user by invitation or by link, as read-only or with edit permissions. Fortunately, those who wish to collaborate do not have to download the document before editing, because Google has its own lightweight editors. Two major advantages of this are speed and consistency; the document is updated in real time and only one version can exist in one place. Another advantage of this over email collaboration is efficiency: the originator uploads one version to one location rather than tying up a network and filling inboxes with numerous identical copies.

While it is ideal for work items, Google Docs could also be very useful for a classroom teacher. For instance, instead of printing handouts every day, a teacher could simply upload the file of the handout and share the link with all his or her students. Certain assignments could potentially also be collected through Google Docs, saving the students from having to worry about their printers as well as the teacher from having an inbox full of attachments. It is especially useful for group projects, keeping students with limited transportation from having to meet up outside class when not necessary. As a math teacher, I probably will not make frequent use of Google Docs, because math is easier on paper and many students do not have scanners. However, I will most likely use it during the next two years of college and will always keep it in mind when sharing documents with my students.

Anyone with a Google account (this includes Gmail) may start using the service immediately, and for those without, it is free and easy to set one up here.

Microsoft Office Outlook

This week I would like to share with you about abilities of Microsoft Office Outlook. Before I start my Technology of Instruction class I only ever used as a quick and convenient way to check my grove city e-mail account, which it is, however I have learned that the software has so much more to offer. Outlook is able to keep track of your personal schedule for which you are able to set an alarm for as a reminder of your appointments. It also has the capability to function as a to do list with opposition to set tasks and reminders to get it done on time. The most useful component of the task operator is that you can simply drag an e-mail that has an important task on it to the task tab. Some other important functions that Outlook contains is the ability to set rules that will automatically send the specified incoming e-mails to a certain folder this is a good way to avoid having your inbox crowded with e-mails.There are also many other benefits to using Microsoft Office Outlook.

I see Outlook as being a vital tool in my future classroom to keep all of my e-mails organized. I will also use be able to use this as one of the tools to keep in contact with the parents of my students and will be able to set a rule to direct e-mails to different folders depending on what the subject is. This will be extremely useful in being organized and not having to deal with having to much in my inbox. I can also use this program to keep track of my various appointments with my students for tutoring or with parents.