Today we're releasing 2 more education add-ins, 20+ new education templates, and how-to materials designed to help teachers inside and outside the classroom. The new Interactive Classroom Add-in, Mathematics Add-in, and Learning Essentials templates can save time and engage students. Jump right to the academic collection on Office.com for the free add-ins and templates, or read on for more info.  

Interactive Classroom Add-in

The Interactive Classroom Add-in for PowerPoint 2007 and 2010 and OneNote 2007 and 2010 provides real-time polling and interactive note-taking to foster interaction and collaboration between educators and students. 

Prof. Beth Simon of the University of California, San Diego says in the video below that with the Interactive Classroom Add-in "It's very easy to insert polls automatically as I'm designing a lecture. And then, when I'm lecturing, it is so easy to recognize when a poll has come up and to start and stop the polling software. No longer do I have to try and interact with the clicker software, it's all right there in PowerPoint."

(You can also find the video in the video gallery at Microsoft PressPass.)

Here's a simple example of the polling feature in a class slide using OneNote.

You'll find free templates for multiple-mouse presentations along with many other kinds of academic templates, including the 'learning essentials' templates, at Office.com.

Mathematics Add-in

The  Mathematics Add-in for Word 2007 and 2010 and OneNote 2010 uses dynamic 3D graphs and charts to help educators illustrate complex math problems and concepts.  From algebra and pre-calculus to physics and statistics, teachers and students can unravel equations and visualize formulas through 2-D and 3-D graphs. The add-in helps students plot functions, calculate numerical results, and dynamically solve for "x".

The Microsoft Office Education Add-ins are easy to install and use. Just follow the instructions on the Download site.

Office templates

Office.com has a large and growing collection of free academic templates for teachers and students. Among them, the Learning Essentials templates are a new set created specifically for teachers. From grading rubrics to tests and quizzes, these templates can help educators get more done faster.  Browse and download any of the academic templates for free on Office.com.

Teacher guides

The new teacher guides help educators learn to use OneNote 2010 and the Office Web Apps in the classroom to engage students more deeply. They're the ultimate teaching aides! By using the teaching guide, videos, lesson plans, and easy step-by-step instructions, teachers can get up and running quickly so they can focus on what matters most: educating and inspiring students. 

These teaching guides and how-to materials are the latest in an ongoing series designed to help empower educators in the classroom. They provide the perfect complement to Office 2010, which when it launched in June was already packed with great features to help make teachers more productive in the classroom and beyond.

 Let me know what you think of these new tools. Here's to a successful and productive school year!

 Jon Perera, General Manager, Microsoft Education Strategy and Marketing Group