How did I just find out about this? Great planning software - One Note

[I.Dup.]

Wow Michelle, that is a really awesome idea for the videos. How did you do that with the audio? I have no idea how to do that on my computer. It takes me forever just to format and upload and save a video I do on my little camcorder so that might be way above my capabilities. I really like that idea though as we are starting R&S English this year and I can already see it will take a lot of my time.

[TraceyS/FL]

OK, so I have had a ton of fun working with Growly notes. I have started planning out my Rod and Staff Grammar lessons to make them more independent. I am making videos right on my computer by recording my computer screen and doing the oral drill. It will save me a ton of time during the school year and it will be saved for my other kids coming up. Here is a screen shot of the lesson plan page: 

 

 

And here is a sample video of my Oral Practice: 

 

http://youtu.be/19WtCA6jFVo

Love the video!!!

 

BUT, how come I always feel like i'm the only person that "autohides" the dock?? I even switch the demo units in the store to hide it. I cannot deal with looking at it!! :lol: (i understand, it is a personal problem..... :D )

 

I'm messing today with exporting from Growly, NoteTaker and CP Notebooks.

 

I can't have DD easily write on PDFs in any of them - and I'm not sure how to transition to that. I'd rather have her using a tablet to write some answers instead of typing them all in.

 

I think.

 

I"m getting bogged down in details - but they make or break what I do and I do not want to redo what I finally type up.

 

Heck, I do not like Evernote and I'm even trying that again! UGH. ACK.

[Michelle My Bell]

Wow Michelle, that is a really awesome idea for the videos. How did you do that with the audio? I have no idea how to do that on my computer. It takes me forever just to format and upload and save a video I do on my little camcorder so that might be way above my capabilities. I really like that idea though as we are starting R&S English this year and I can already see it will take a lot of my time.

 

 

It is actually super easy if you have the right equipment. I have an imac that has Quicktime. Here is a short video that explains how to do it. I used my word-processing program for the writing and my computers internal microphone.

 

[Michelle My Bell]

Love the video!!!

 

BUT, how come I always feel like i'm the only person that "autohides" the dock?? I even switch the demo units in the store to hide it. I cannot deal with looking at it!! :lol: (i understand, it is a personal problem..... :D )

 

I'm messing today with exporting from Growly, NoteTaker and CP Notebooks.

 

I can't have DD easily write on PDFs in any of them - and I'm not sure how to transition to that. I'd rather have her using a tablet to write some answers instead of typing them all in.

 

I think.

 

I"m getting bogged down in details - but they make or break what I do and I do not want to redo what I finally type up.

 

Heck, I do not like Evernote and I'm even trying that again! UGH. ACK.

 

I hid my dock for the first few videos I made but then I decided this is not a professional quality video and I need to make them as quickly as possible to make it worth my time and effort. I need my dock easily accessible during the process and it was a pain pulling it up every time I needed to open something. The videos take about 5 minutes of my time to make and put in Growly Notes keeping it simple, so that is the route I took.  

 

I have not yet figured out how my daughter will view the lesson plans. Do I finalize them or something so that they can't be edited? I don't like how if you click on the screen the editing boxes pop up. I want it to feel more complete. 

 

Also, I don't understand how people are using the program to have their kids submit schoolwork. I would like to understand that better to see if it would be useful to me. 

[llindseymomoffour]

Sorry I haven't been able to read through all the post yet, but I am an Excel Spreadsheet addict.  I make my daily, weekly, monthly lesson plans and plan out the subjects all in spreadsheets.  Would One Note be easier?  I have it on my Ipad, just never used it.  Thanks.

[TraceyS/FL]

I hid my dock for the first few videos I made but then I decided this is not a professional quality video and I need to make them as quickly as possible to make it worth my time and effort. I need my dock easily accessible during the process and it was a pain pulling it up every time I needed to open something. The videos take about 5 minutes of my time to make and put in Growly Notes keeping it simple, so that is the route I took.

LOL, ok, see, I haven't recorded my screen so i'm just being all picky like :p

 

I have not yet figured out how my daughter will view the lesson plans. Do I finalize them or something so that they can't be edited? I don't like how if you click on the screen the editing boxes pop up. I want it to feel more complete.

I found this in the help.

 

Locking notebooks

If you want a notebook to be locked against changes, find it in the Finder and choose File/Get Info. Turn on the “Locked†option. The next time you open the notebook, Notes will recognize the lock and prevent you from changing anything.

 

You can tell that the notebook is locked by the small lock icon () beneath the page title (as on this page, for example). The notebook is also marked as locked in the notebook tab (fun window layout) or outline entry (serious layout).

 

When you open a notebook that you cannot save, either because you locked it or because you don’t have permission to change it, the notebook will be considered locked. Notebooks created by other people, or by another account on your computer, may have been protected by Mac OS X in this way. If you want to change the notebook, first choose File/Save As and save it to another name.

 

Also, I don't understand how people are using the program to have their kids submit schoolwork. I would like to understand that better to see if it would be useful to me.

I haven't sorted out that either.

 

At this point DD won't be using it unless she gets some sort of laptop that will run it (I don't think it will run on my iBook! LOL!!). I need a portable solution - and I really wish I could create on the Mac and have an iPad that mirrored most of it.... But I haven't found anything that will do that to my level of pickiness.

 

So basically, i'm still thinking it all thru.

[TraceyS/FL]

For the Growly Notes users - I emailed the developer a question and got this response in less than an hour. I was asking him how long he was going to support 10.5 (related to shopping for used computers), and mentioned about not being able to annotate on PDFs.
 

There is a new version coming this summer, if all goes as planned.

 

1. It will allow you to annotate PDFs within Notes.
2. It will also allow you to sync a notebook between machines, using removable drives, a wireless network, or cloud-based servers.
3. It will run on 10.6 (any version) or 10.7.3 or later. We're giving up on 10.5. We will continue to support 10.6 for several years, at least.
4. It will not be free: the price will be $5.

 

I'm hoping to put out an iPad version next year. I don't know exactly when. I'm working as hard as I can.

 

 

 

 

I think with this I'm set. I can use a combo of Growly and XL and end up with what I want!

[Supertechmom]

For those of you inputting R&S into OneNote, could you tell how you are setting it up? I get bogged down in the set up and like to see how others do it. Thanks!

[AmyontheFarm]

Could you take a screen shot of this? I'd like to see it. I am using Growly Notes because I don't have One Note. I just started messing with it yesterday. Does anyone know how to put in a video from YouTube that is not just a link but the actual video?

 

You can download my grammar schedule in One Note format over here.

 

 

[MtnTeaching]

My dh just installed the new 2013 OneNote on my computer.  Whooo Hoooo!!  (Little dance with baby circles here!)  

 

They have greatly improved the tables.  I am now able to make them prettier, make them sort, and do computations.

 

I can start an Excel spreadsheet right on the page and make changes, etc.  It is no longer a link where it would take you to the Excel window first.

 

Ds is thrilled that he will be able to access his schedule through his phone when he is out and about.

 

I am going to link dd and ds so that we can send OneNote schedules or pages back and forth with a click of a button.

 

They put all of the Mathematics equation goodies that used to be an extra in Word right into OneNote.  Awesome for Algebra and chemistry!

 

Ds is also thrilled that there is a "Language" button.  It will proof-read his French and will even translate for him.

 

I can record audio and video and the added drawing features are cool.

 

With a click of a button, I can have page templates of college-ruled paper, grid paper, and index cards for flashcards.

 

This cinched it - I love my OneNote!

[alicai]

It combines the never-ending page of Excel with a much easier to use Word.

 

I <3 this thread. As someone whose entire brain resides within my iPad, this is perfect for me. I LOVE having live links right there in the plan and I'm getting significantly more, and more detailed, planning done than I normally do. Too bad I didn't discover this thread earlier in the summer!

[skeeterbug]

I could kiss you, OP!!!  I've had this bookmarked since you started the thread, and finally came back to it a few days ago.  And it is...life-changing...in terms of the way I can now do my planning and researching and web-surfing and who knows what else!!  I am giddy!

 

:hurray: :hurray: :hurray: :hurray:

:party: :party: :party: :party:

 

Really, I can't believe how much this will help me.  Right now I'm planning what we'll do this week for our human body unit.  Long ago I created a spreadsheet with our plans.  Then I had to go to each file and printout various resources, go to my pinterest links to remind myself about each project, etc.  So just now I created a new OneNote page for this...linked my spreadsheet as a printout in OneNote so I can see the plans, attached my pdf's of our resources, saved pics and links to websites with experiments with notes of supplies, linked to videos we'll watch, etc.  All in one place!!! 

 

It's just so cool!  :coolgleamA:

[sagira]

Reading this with interest. I already have an account with Evernote (totally forgot about it - thanks for this thread!), but I'm thinking about checking if I do have OneNofe on our PC.

 

Here is a comparison of OneNote, Evernote, and Google Keep - the latter is a relative newcomer.

 

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2031818/google-keep-vs-onenote-vs-evernote-we-name-the-note-app-winner.html

[boscopup]

I'm still enjoying using OneNote. I like having the history schedule on my phone, and when my son needed to record his "amplification" in writing last week (since he has no class to read it to), I just handed him my phone and let him record it into OneNote. Now it's preserved, and I was able to pull it out of OneNote from my computer and e-mail it to someone. Very handy. I also put science pics into OneNote directly from my phone as we're doing the science.

 

And then there is the ongoing Christmas list that the kids don't know about. It's in OneNote too, so if I think of something, I can just add it right then and there on my phone. :D

[4callmemama]

Ok, I've been messing with this for about 4 hours and am about to scream! I'm assuming that I am unable to edit .pdf files in onenote, I wanted to put some of donnayoungs stuff there to work with, but I can't add my own text. Another issue, I have an excel file I want to upload to be able to edit. I can't do that either. Am I expecting too much from this? Do I need to do all the editing outside of the program and upload a new file everytime it's updated? Or do I need to reinvent the wheel for everything that I need?

 

My head hurts now lol...

[boscopup]

You can't edit PDF files in OneNote. You can only insert them as-is. You also can't edit PDF files with most PDF readers anyway. You need a special program to do that.

 

I haven't tried inserting an Excel file, so don't know about that.

[lovinmomma]

PSA: This is an old thread that I'm bumping for an update

 

 

Is everyone still using/enjoying OneNote? Have you learned anything new? Any pretty screenshots you want to share with me? ;)

[Reefgazer]

Is there a "how to use OneNote" information somewhere?  This looks promising!

[deannajo]

I'm glad you bumped. I meant to find this thread a while back and post that OneNote is now free, even if you don't have office...so I downloaded it, and have been toying with it intermittently, but am glad to see this thread again, because I see that I clearly have much to learn! 

[ZeldaRules]

If someone in your family works for a company that is enrolled in the Microsoft Home Use Program, you can upgrade or get Microsoft Office 2013 for $9.95 (this includes Mac versions as well).  This is the whole shebang.  It has every MIcrosoft Office program.  There were some very useful upgrades to OneNote, which is why I bit at it.  Luckily, my husband's company is enrolled in this.

Basically, it is for employees to have the programs on their home computer so they can still work at home off hours.  The price is $9.95.  You can get a backup CD for $13.99 extra, but you don't need it.  Just save the email somewhere and you will have the link and code if you ever need it.  You can put it on TWO computers legally.

Click the link below and enter a work email of someone in your family to see if you are eligible.  They will tell you right away if you are eligible.  The last time I did this, it was a few day process.  This time it was all instantaneous.

 

http://www.microsofthup.com/hupus/home.aspx?culture=en-US&wmpcode

 

OneNote 2013 has some nice Excel integrated upgrades and tables are more user friendly in making (header, coloring, etc).  I'm trying to figure out tagging and getting all information on one page, but I can't do it with the link to the tag still intact.  I want to tag assignments for dates then make a tag show up on the calendar for all assignments for that date.  I can do a summary, but the tag to the assignment disappears when I copy and paste it.  

[ZeldaRules]

Also, OneTastic has a lot of little additions you can add to OneNote (Calendar, cropping, clearing cells, etc).

 

http://www.omeratay.com/onetastic/

 

Vicki

[Queserasera]

What is the difference between the free download you can get online and one you buy?

[Halcyon]

Yup!  Just found out about this too.  I've already ordered a laptop (my early Christmas present) and Grandma ordered an identical one for dd for her birthday.  Just received Office 2010 software (we were running on 2003!) and once I get everything together, I'm putting all dd's school material on Onenote!

 

Each class will have a separate notebook divided into weekly tabs.  The first tab will have her weekly assignments for that class organized with which books to read (if ebook, she can just click on it an read on her laptop), then any videos will be embedded on that page, along with any audio recordings.  Successive pages for that week will have "snapshots" of her questions from the readings or writing assignments.  I'll be ordering a drawing tablet (cheaper one) so she can write her answers directly onto the Onenote screen under the questions.  I'll use the lined paper Onenote template for those pages so she can keep her answers neat. 

 

 

 

screen shot please!! :D

[Halcyon]

What is the difference between the free download you can get online and one you buy?

i have this question too. I am downloading the free version now to fool with.

[Halcyon]

the link to the free version (the news sites i am reading say that it is no different from regular versions but the comments say something quite different) http://winsupersite.com/office-2013/its-official-onenote-now-free-everyone

[Halcyon]

I know! I love it!

 

In OneNote, I'm able to sync ds's laptop with my computer. When he marks something off it shows up on mine and vice-versa. I like it because I make tables and check boxes. I wish it had all the features Word has, but it's good enough for me.

 

To see some of my checklists, I have them saved here and I made a timeline.

I also use it as a rolodex for phones, addresses, user ids and passwords. I have a password set for my password tab. I keep all of my curriculum plans with links and price. I rely on OneNote for just about everything. Right now I'm working on high school plans and making tables for each subject.

 

I also keep a media list folder by subject so I can easily reference what I have used and file things I come across for the future.

 

 

Okay, so question: I see you've created daily checklists for your son--that's what I need to do for my guy. Are those hyperlinks to the assignments? And when you click on the History hyperlink, for example, where does it bring you? to just the history tab? and then he "does the next thing"? How does he know what the next thing is? I mean, if it brings him to the History tab, and let's just say he forgot what he did the day before, how does he know what to do next? Does he check off on the history tab as well as the Daily to do tab?

 

thanks for explaining!

[Halcyon]

Thanks! Can you share an image of a couple of your subject pages? Like say Math and History? Please? :) I am having fun setting this up :)

[Halcyon]

and once your son has checked off everything for a day, do you "reuse" that check list the next week? By unchecking everything or changing it as needed?

[mama25angels]

Here's what I did with the free Glencoe World Geography PDFs that were linked a few years ago.

 

It was a lot of work up front, but it turned it into a mostly independent course. He would read the chapter. Then he would have to look up the definitions to the vocabulary words and answer the questions. The vocabulary and questions came directly from the end of each chapter. Glencoe has online games and quizzes that I linked directly to. The only thing I changed throughout the year was I had him show the score for the online quiz. This plus, Map Trek and our usual world culture studies, I felt it was an independent high school level course.

 

Your screenshots are amazing!!!

[Halcyon]

Here's what I did with the free Glencoe World Geography PDFs that were linked a few years ago. 

 

It was a lot of work up front, but it turned it into a mostly independent course. He would read the chapter. Then he would have to look up the definitions to the vocabulary words and answer the questions. The vocabulary and questions came directly from the end of each chapter. Glencoe has online games and quizzes that I linked directly to. The only thing I changed throughout the year was I had him show the score for the online quiz. This plus, Map Trek and our usual world culture studies, I felt it was an independent high school level course. 

 

 

Holy Crud. I am inspired. This is amazing and what my kid really needs for his Human Odyssey course. 

[happypamama]

Bear with me, as I am new to OneNote. I've downloaded it for my iPad and my desktop. Before I play with it too much, I would like to know: if you use OneNote for lesson planning, what do you do if you have "Monday, August 4: read pages 250-255," but then Life Happens, and you don't get to those pages that day? Is there an easy way to tell the computer to bump that to Tuesday, Tuesday's work to Wednesday, and so on? Right now I use, and really like, the Homeschool Helper app, and it has a really great bump feature for days like that. But I really like the idea of having spreadsheets, word processing docs, PDFs, and links all in one spot, as right now, I use a combination of Homeschool Helper, Word, Excel, and Notability. I think I could streamline things a bit more.

[happypamama]

My first year, I tried a to do this. I made a template and filled it in separately for each day. I had many problems with this which is why I ended up with a rotating generic subject schedule. I couldn't plan too far in advance so if I needed to bump a day, I could copy and paste the plan into the next day. OneNote is not really a scheduler like Homeschool Helper where you can bump things.

Hmmm. Thank you for answering this! It looks like I could have a generic subject schedule with the six main individual subjects on it, as well as an individual tab for each of the subjects that have detailed plans (like, writing is just the next lesson in the book, and since anything written gets dated anyway, I don't necessarily need a detailed planner record of it, but my son's Singapore math, with its fifty gazillion books, has detailed lesson plans), and maybe I could bump an individual subject. Hmmm, must work on this, because I really think it will be helpful for some of my planning. My science is kinda complicated, because it'll be somewhat individual and somewhat together.

 

Thanks!

[happypamama]

Okay, I installed the desktop version and the iOS version and have been playing with them, and all I have to say is this:

 

Wow.

[mama25angels]

Okay, I installed the desktop version and the iOS version and have been playing with them, and all I have to say is this:

 

Wow.

 

I'm hoping dh downloads it soon

[Halcyon]

i am having fun with it too. The last few days I have been swamped at work and my back went out, so I haven't been able to play as much. But I am definitely going to use this next year. I really like it.

[LivingHope]

To new Onenote users: Just remember that Onenote is very flexible, so you can start using it immediately without feeling like your plans have to be perfect. That's why I love Onenote: it moves with me and thinks the very way I am thinking...at the moment. You can copy and move tabs and pages anywhere. And then change your mind. :)

[mama25angels]

To new Onenote users: Just remember that Onenote is very flexible, so you can start using it immediately without feeling like your plans have to be perfect. That's why I love Onenote: it moves with me and thinks the very way I am thinking...at the moment. You can copy and move tabs and pages anywhere. And then change your mind. :)

Thank you! I haven't done much of anything because I've been trying not to make a mistake, lol!

[happypamama]

So far I have:

-imported the document that I use for checking off days for our required attendance calendar

-made a permanent grocery list with boxes to check off for stuff we need each week; I'll just keep a bunch of blank ones of these in different pages and delete as I use them.

-started a file with a page for each unit of our science, and each page has boxes to check for the pages to read and the labs, plus a list of supplies, and I am going to add supplemental books and videos to that as well.

-set up a weekly table with check boxes for each subject; I am copying that several times and labeling one for each week of the school year; I kept it generic -- just "Math" instead of "Singapore TB p. 2-3".

-started a separate page for each child's subjects that require either writing or more detailed planning; I think it's cool that I can put a check box and WWS1 20-2 or whatever and then DD can type her assignment right underneath.

-set up a page for each chunk of DD's Saxon math, with the next test right at the bottom.

-downloaded Outline+ for writing directly on the PDFs.

-set up tables to keep track of field trips, reading lists, etc.

 

I'm impressed like crazy!

[mama25angels]

If I have notability, would I stii need outline+ for writing on pdf's?

[happypamama]

If I have notability, would I stii need outline+ for writing on pdf's?

Probably not. Outline+ was on sale, so I got it just to see. I do think I like the look of Notability better, as well as the look of OneNote over Outline+. The one big advantage that Outline+ has is that it'll sync with OneNote, so DD can write on her math tests on it, and it'll sync nicely, keeping everything in one spot. But honestly, it may have been a waste of a few dollars, because we may not end up using it. I suppose if that's the only thing I buy this year that I end up not using, I'm not doing too badly.

[mama25angels]

Probably not. Outline+ was on sale, so I got it just to see. I do think I like the look of Notability better, as well as the look of OneNote over Outline+. The one big advantage that Outline+ has is that it'll sync with OneNote, so DD can write on her math tests on it, and it'll sync nicely, keeping everything in one spot. But honestly, it may have been a waste of a few dollars, because we may not end up using it. I suppose if that's the only thing I buy this year that I end up not using, I'm not doing too badly.

I was wondering if that's why you bought it, because it syncs with onenote, I think that's an excellent reason to have it. I also agree, that if it's the only thing you buy and not use then you didn't do to badly, Lol! Oh, another question, if I use notability to have my doc write on their PDFs, can I still move between onenote and notability?

[happypamama]

I was wondering if that's why you bought it, because it syncs with onenote, I think that's an excellent reason to have it. I also agree, that if it's the only thing you buy and not use then you didn't do to badly, Lol! Oh, another question, if I use notability to have my doc write on their PDFs, can I still move between onenote and notability?

I don't think so; I don't think notability works with onenote at all.  At least not as far as I understand it.  Hang on, now I have to check!

 

Okay, I am not seeing how I can make notability and onenote talk to each other at all, from either app, and my googlefu isn't finding a way to do it either.  And it appears that notability won't work with onedrive either, so I can't get PDFs from there either.  They did say on their FB page that they are hoping to add compatibility with onedrive soon.

 

Question for onenote users: My desktop only displays five tabs, and it drops everything else into a drop-down menu.  I don't like this and would prefer a scrolling list of tabs like the iPad app has.  Is there a setting I can change to have all tabs showing, even if I have to scroll across the screen?

[fourcatmom]

I can write on pdf's without having the extra program? Once the pdf is on OneNote you just go into the Draw feature and you can put arrows, boxes or write things...albeit writing with a mouse is not easy!

 

Is this what you are taking about?

[happypamama]

I can write on pdf's without having the extra program? Once the pdf is on OneNote you just go into the Draw feature and you can put arrows, boxes or write things...albeit writing with a mouse is not easy!

 

Is this what you are taking about?

Not exactly -- I have that feature when using onenote on my desktop (and the conversion from my drawing to text or math is really cool!), but I'm talking about when I use the onenote app on my tablet. For the most seamless syncing, I would like the ability to write on a PDF in the onenote app with my finger or a stylus, and it doesn't have that yet.

[fourcatmom]

Not exactly -- I have that feature when using onenote on my desktop (and the conversion from my drawing to text or math is really cool!), but I'm talking about when I use the onenote app on my tablet. For the most seamless syncing, I would like the ability to write on a PDF in the onenote app with my finger or a stylus, and it doesn't have that yet.

 

That makes sense, that's for clarifying! I can't even seem to highlight a work and have it come out straight! :lol:

[mama25angels]

That makes sense, that's for clarifying! I can't even seem to highlight a work and have it come out straight! :lol:

 

I'm still trying to figure out how to copy and paste into onenote, lol!

[mama25angels]

I don't think so; I don't think notability works with onenote at all. At least not as far as I understand it. Hang on, now I have to check!

 

Okay, I am not seeing how I can make notability and onenote talk to each other at all, from either app, and my googlefu isn't finding a way to do it either. And it appears that notability won't work with onedrive either, so I can't get PDFs from there either. They did say on their FB page that they are hoping to add compatibility with onedrive soon.

 

Question for onenote users: My desktop only displays five tabs, and it drops everything else into a drop-down menu. I don't like this and would prefer a scrolling list of tabs like the iPad app has. Is there a setting I can change to have all tabs showing, even if I have to scroll across the screen?

 

I didn't think so! I may break down and buy outline+.

[Cheryl in CA]

I don't think so; I don't think notability works with onenote at all.  At least not as far as I understand it.  Hang on, now I have to check!

 

Okay, I am not seeing how I can make notability and onenote talk to each other at all, from either app, and my googlefu isn't finding a way to do it either.  And it appears that notability won't work with onedrive either, so I can't get PDFs from there either.  They did say on their FB page that they are hoping to add compatibility with onedrive soon.

 

Question for onenote users: My desktop only displays five tabs, and it drops everything else into a drop-down menu.  I don't like this and would prefer a scrolling list of tabs like the iPad app has.  Is there a setting I can change to have all tabs showing, even if I have to scroll across the screen?

 

Why does it show so few tabs?  Do you have a really low screen resolution (mine has 11 tabs showing and has room for a additional 5 or 6)?  If so, and if there isn't a way to do what you are asking, then increasing the screen resolution should help.

[happypamama]

Why does it show so few tabs? Do you have a really low screen resolution (mine has 11 tabs showing and has room for a additional 5 or 6)? If so, and if there isn't a way to do what you are asking, then increasing the screen resolution should help.

Aha. That might be it. I'm using a TV as my monitor, and it's pretty good, quality-wise, but I did have to do some funky things with the settings in order to get the proportions right. That could be the reason. If I make the tabs' names really short, I can get about ten tabs. Oh, well, I opted to make a group of tabs for each of the kids. But I'll bet you're right -- thanks!

[Cheryl in CA]

Aha. That might be it. I'm using a TV as my monitor, and it's pretty good, quality-wise, but I did have to do some funky things with the settings in order to get the proportions right. That could be the reason. If I make the tabs' names really short, I can get about ten tabs. Oh, well, I opted to make a group of tabs for each of the kids. But I'll bet you're right -- thanks!

 

I wish I could help you adjust the resolution because I think you would be happier all around (low resolution makes everything large, decreasing your work space) but I haven't a clue how using a TV as a monitor affects it.  I'm glad you figured out a way to make it work!