Microsoft OneNote – 1

Microsoft OneNote Software Documentation

Microsoft Office OneNote enables students to keep an electronic notebook with multiple
tabs and sections, organizing all the notes and information they need at the click of a
button. Students can include lists, graphs and images in their class notes using the OneNote
software, making electronic note-taking simple and convenient.

NOTE: It is not
necessary to save
documents in
OneNote. The
software creates a
path in the
OneNote folder on
the hard drive for
each notebook,
and automatically
saves all notes as
they are typed.
The OneNote software in action – organization is made easy by using tabs to
divide a class notebook

Getting Started – Creating a Notebook, Sections and Pages

Organizing notes for different subjects and lessons is simple in OneNote. Notebooks can be
divided into sections and pages in order to categorize information.

1. To create a notebook, select File >> New >> Notebook.

2. Name your notebook, select a color and select the blank template.
3. Specify who will use the notebook – a single user on a single computer, a single
user on multiple computers, or multiple people on multiple computers.
4. Select a folder on the hard drive for the notebook to be saved in. If the notebook
is to be used on other computers, check the box labeled “Send me a link to this
notebook so I can add it to OneNote on my other computers.”

A notebook can be divided into sections to organize information.

1. To create a section, select File >> New >> Section.

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2. To name the section, right-

click the section tab, select
“Rename” and type the
section name.
3. To change the section’s
color, right-click the section
tab, select “Section Color”
and choose the desired
color.

Creating a new section using the top navigation

Information within a section can be divided into pages.

1. To create a page, select File >> New >> Page.

2. To title the page, type a heading into the box at the top of the page.

Taking Organized Notes – Bulleted and Numbered Lists, Creating a Table

Information in OneNote can be
formatted just like paper notes
– in bulleted or numbered lists,
or in tables for clear and
organized note-taking.

1. To type content, click

the cursor anywhere
on the page, and a
text box will be
created. Clicking and
dragging the box’s Using the numbered list option in the upper right-hand corner
of the top navigation
borders will make it
larger or smaller.
2. Click the bullet icon in the top right-hand corner in order to type in bulleted lists.
a. Different types of bullets (open circle, closed circle, diamond, etc.) can be
selected by clicking the arrow next to the bullet icon.
3. Click the numbered list icon in the top right-hand corner in order to type in
numbered lists.
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a. Different types of numbers (ordinal, cardinal, roman numerals, etc.) can

be selected by clicking the arrow next to the numbered list icon.
4. Create a table by selecting Table >> Insert Table in the top menu.
a. Type the desired number of columns and rows in the box that appears.
b. Information can now be typed into the cells of the table. Cells can be
made bigger or smaller by clicking on the dividing lines and moving them
to the desired size.
c. Cells or entire rows and/or columns can be shifted or deleted by right-
clicking the area and selecting “Table” from the menu that appears, then
clicking the desired option.
d. NOTE: Hitting the enter key while typing in a cell will not insert a carriage
return, but rather create a new row. In order to insert a carriage return in
a cell, press the enter and shift keys at the same time.

Emphasizing – Formatting and Highlighting Text

OneNote allows users to format text in bold, italics or underline – just as in word
processing software. Important passages or figures in notes can also be highlighted.

1. Select the desired text with your

cursor and choose a font through
the drop-down menu in the
upper right-hand corner.
2. Change the size of the font
through the next drop-down
menu.
3. Bold, italicize or underline the
text by selecting the options to
the right of the font and font size
drop-down menus.
4. Highlight a section of text by
selecting the highlight option at
the far right end of the
formatting toolbar.
a. Highlighting by hand can
be done by selecting the
pen tool in the lower left- The highlighter option in the lower left-hand corner
hand corner of the screen, of the screen
selecting the desired highlighter color, and dragging and clicking the
cursor over the text or object.
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NOTE: Text can also be formatted by selecting the text and then choosing Format >> Font,
or through the standard Microsoft keyboard shortcuts.

Sharing – Using Notebooks to Collaborate and Assist Others

Students can share OneNote notebooks with each other in order to work together on
assignments or projects. Students can make notebooks accessible on multiple computers
and take their notes with them anywhere.

1. To begin sharing a notebook with others, select Share >> Live Sharing Session >>
Start Sharing Current Section from the top menu.
2. If desired, set a password, then click “Start live sharing session.”
a. A dialogue box may open, warning that the entire notebook may be
shared. Select “Ok” to continue.
3. Click “Invite participants” to invite others to read or edit the notebook. A
dialogue box will appear with instructions as to how to share the notebook.

In order to view a shared notebook, users must have the live sharing session address and
sharing password for that notebook’s live session.

1. To join someone else’s live session and view their notebook, select Share >> Live
Sharing Session >> Join Existing Session from the top menu.
a. Type the live sharing session address and sharing password into the boxes
that appear on the right.
2. Press the “Leave Live Sharing Session” button to finish viewing and close a shared
notebook.

How to start a notebook sharing session from the top navigation