New Microsoft Word Features to Note
Good, old Microsoft Word has come a long way since the days that I used it on a computer lab desktop as an undergrad. Now it has AI features, collaboration tools, and much more. Heck, these days you don’t even have to install it on a computer in order to use it. Mike Tholfsen recently […]
Three Activities All Teachers Can Create in Classwork
How to Convert Word Documents and PDFs Into Microsoft Forms
There are many little features of Microsoft Forms that shouldn’t be overlooked. And there is a new big feature of Microsoft Forms that definitely shouldn’t be overlooked. That feature is the ability to import Word documents and PDFs into Microsoft Forms. The import feature in Microsoft Forms makes it possible to quickly take a quiz […]
WordTune Helps You Quickly Revise Your Writing
WordTune is a tool that I wrote about last year when it launched as a Chrome extension. It is still available as a Chrome extension and is now also available as a Microsoft Word add-in. Both the Chrome extension and the Microsoft Word add-in version of WordTune do the same thing. That is they both […]
Add Comments to Word Docs to Spark Discussion
Last Monday I shared directions for using Google Drive to add comments to PDF and directions for using Formative to add questions into primary source documents. The idea in both cases is to use those tools to spark dicussion and inquiry when reading primary source documents with students. This can also be done by adding […]
How to Quickly Create a Bibliography in Word
In my previous post I wrote about why every fall I revisit how to cite sources and create bibliographies. In that post I also included directions for using inline citation and bibliography generator in Google Docs. Microsoft Word has a very similar tool that students can use. In this short video I demonstrate how to […]
How to Embed Word Documents Into a Blog or Website
One of last week’s most popular posts was this one highlighting my favorite “hidden” features of Office 365 tools. To start this week I have another hidden Office 365 feature that you might find handy. That feature is the option to embed Word documents into your blog or website. You can do that with any […]
Seven Free Tools That Help Students Format Bibliographies
Back when I was in high school we had to learn how to create bibliographies by working from a template that my history teacher, Mr. Diggs, provided to us. When I went to college, I referred to that template and an early version of The Student Writer to make bibliographies. Today, students have a wealth […]
How to Check and Edit the Accessibility of Word Documents
In my previous post I shared directions on how to assess and edit the accessibility of PowerPoint presentations. The tool that I featured in that post, Accessibility Checker, is also available to use in Microsoft Word. The accessibility checker that is built into Microsoft Word can be found under the “Review” tab in the desktop […]
A Similarity Checker in Word – How Did I Miss This?
I’ve written about Google Classroom’s originality reports in the past. I’ve also posted tutorials on looking for matching documents via Google Drive. This week, thanks to Mike Tholfsen, I learned that my Microsoft-using friends have a similar feature available to them via the online version of Microsoft Word. The similarity checker in Microsoft Word uses […]
How to Collaborate on Word Documents Online
Earlier this week I received an email from a reader who wanted to know how her students could see and comment on Google Docs if they only had Microsoft 365 accounts. While that could be done with a couple of clever workarounds, the simpler solution is to just use Word online. Just like with Google […]
How to Add Emojis to Word Documents – And How to Use Them in a Lesson
Last summer Tony Vincent helped me see emojis as more than just annoying symbols that people use in text messages and social media posts. He did that with a slick graphic that he created and shared on Twitter. In the graphic he featured a game in which students have to decipher school terms based on […]
Pixabay Add-in for Word – A Quick Way to Add Images to Documents
Pixabay has been one of my go-to sources of high-quality images for years. The images on Pixabay are in the public domain which makes them perfect for all kinds of classroom projects. You can download the pictures for free from the Pixabay website. But if you or your students are working on on Word documents, […]
CleverPDF Offers 20 Ways to Work With PDFs in Other Formats
CleverPDF is a free service that anyone can use to convert a PDF into a Word document, a Pages file, or an ePub file. That’s just the tip of the iceberg of what’s on offer from CleverPDF. The service can be used to create PowerPoint slides, Keynote slides, images, Numbers, and Excel files. In addition […]
Ten Awesome Updates to Microsoft’s Learning Tools
Microsoft’s free Learning Tools keep getting better. This week Microsoft announced ten updates that are either available now or will be available soon to Word and OneNote users. And if you’re not currently using Word or OneNote some of these updates just might make you give Word and OneNote a try. Here are some of […]
Short Overviews of Immersive Reader in Word and OneNote
Immersive Reader is one of the central components of Microsoft’s accessibility tools for inclusive classrooms. Immersive Reader will read documents aloud. It can be customized to highlight each word or each syllable as a document is read aloud. Users of Immersive Reader can also select the voice in which a document is read aloud and […]
Editing PDFs and Nine Other Microsoft Word Tutorials
On Wednesday morning I published a couple of tutorials about annotating PDFs and annotating Google Slides. Shortly after publishing those tutorials Mike Tholfsen Tweeted a link to Microsoft’s 10 Handy Tips for Microsoft Word. One of those tips is using Word to edit PDFs. A short video tutorial for that process is embedded below. The […]
An Easy Speech-to-Text Option for Word, OneNote, and PowerPoint
Word, OneNote, and PowerPoint users have a new speech-to-text option. A new dictation option has been added to Office 365. The dictation tool will transcribe your spoken words into text on your screen. This afternoon I tried the dictation option in both Word and PowerPoint on my desktop. It is easy to use and accurate […]
Adverbs, Themes, and Labels – New Immersive Reader Features
Immersive Reader is a free add-in for Word, OneNote, Outlook, and Edge enables students to have articles read aloud to them at pace that meets their needs. Additionally, Immersive Reader will identify individual syllables, highlight each word as it is read, and identify parts of speech for students. It has become my go-to recommendation whenever […]
Picture Dictionary and Custom Colors Added to Immersive Reader
Microsoft’s Immersive Reader just might be my favorite accessibility tool. This free add-in for Word, OneNote, Outlook, and Edge enables students to have articles read aloud to them at pace that meets their needs. Additionally, Immersive Reader will identify individual syllables, highlight each word as it is read, and identify parts of speech for students. […]
Pixabay Now Has an Office Plug-in
Pixabay is one of my go-to sites for public domain images. If you need a picture to use in your slideshow, document, or other multimedia project, Pixabay is a great site to search. Recently, Pixabay started promoting a new Word and PowerPoint plug-in. The new Pixabay Word and PowerPoint plug-in lets you search for public […]
Immersive Reader on iPads
When I was at the BETT Show last month I learned about the planned expansion of Microsoft’s Learning Tools including Immersive Reader. Part of that expansion rolled out yesterday with the addition of Learning Tools for Word on iPads. NEW! Word for iPad on @Office365 now has shipped Learning Tools! Check the “View” tab #mieexpert […]
Dictate – Speech Recognition for PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook
Dictate is a free add-in for Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Once you have Dictate installed you can speak to have text appear in your documents, slides, and emails. Simple voice commands let you insert punctuation, delete words, and start new paragraphs. Dictate takes just a minute or two to install. Just download the installation […]
Two Helpful Tips for Navigating PDFs
One of the search tips that I often remind students about is, “search within your search results.” In other words, open up a webpage, a PDF, or a Word file and search within it before dismissing it as not relevant to your search. There are two simple ways that students can quickly search and navigate […]