So we are a Google Apps for Education school, and as a result, many of my blog posts are all about Google tools, and ways they can make your life easier. However, I have found that there are still some things I do that I cannot find a replacement for in Google. And OneNote is one of those. There are so many things I can do with OneNote and so many ways it can be used by students, that I have trouble letting go. So this blog post is dedicated to OneNote and some of my favorite features.
First, I love that I can have many notebooks, and each notebook can have many sections and pages. It's like the ultimate trapper keeper, but it's on my computer so the papers never fall out. I have notebooks for personal lists and notes, work meetings, lesson plans I teach for teachers and students, and my own school work as I'm finishing up grad school. I have everything I need to stay organized all in one place. And best of all, with my Microsoft account, I can back it all up online, never have to worry about losing it, and even have it synced to my phone so I can access my info there, too. And that's just the benefits I get from having it. Some of the features it has make doing different tasks so much easier.
Favorite Feature #1 - Tags
I am a list-maker. There is nothing more satisfying that having a big list of things to do and getting to check something off of it. I love that in OneNote, I can tag different items on my pages to keep them organized. My favorite is the "To Do" tag. I use it to make lists with little checkboxes next to the items, and as I complete them, I can check the box and get the satisfaction of knowing I accomplished something. Now, I know I could just delete the item off the list and get the same result, but if I can check it off, I don't have to worry about remembering if I even put it on the list to start with. And even better, I can access my outlook tasks from OneNote, which makes keeping track of things even easier.
For students, they can use tags when taking notes to mark important items they need to remember, questions they have, ideas they have while listening to a lecture or reading, etc. And you can search your tags later, which helps keep things easy to find.
Favorite Feature #2 - Inserting Files
This is another feature I use for personal use, but that students could use while notetaking, too. OneNote lets you attach or insert files directly into your pages. So for example, I use this personally while doing my own grad school homework. It generally involves reading a lot of different articles from different sources. I insert those articles into different OneNote pages, and then I can highlight and type notes right on the articles. It also helps organize everything into one place. Students can do this same thing with articles or things they need to read for class, or to take notes from a teacher on a powerpoint or some other form of lecture. It's easy, fast, and keeps things organized.
I also love that I can easily insert screen clippings, and with my touchscreen computer I can easily write and take notes that way, without always having to type. OneNote is definitely a great all-around note taking tool that makes staying organized easier. See the links below for more help and info!
What Can OneNote Do? - Video about some of the features of OneNote
OneNote Tutorial - Video about using OneNote - kind of long but detailed
Microsoft's OneNote Training and Help Page
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