If you read this blog regularly, you know that I am keen to provide learners with options for doing math work in a word processor. I believe this is essential for anyone who finds it difficult to use pencil and paper. So, this morning I was delighted to see a tweet by @njtechteacher (Ann Oro) mentioning that Google Docs has a built in equation editor.

    

Equation Editor in Google Docs means that anyone with a computer that can go online is able to do his or her math work in a word processor. The built in equation editor is easy to use, and offers a convenient way of inserting mathematical notation and maths symbols into a document. Perhaps the only thing that would make this equation editor more useful would be keyboard shortcuts for each of the symbols.

In a Google document, the equation editor is accessed by clicking on the Insert menu in a document and then selecting Equation.

This will open the toolbar shown below. Click on New equation to get started and then select from one of the palettes of symbols to obtain whatever notation is required.

    

 UPDATE: It is helpful to be aware that the ‘Enter’ key is literally the key to using this equation editor. For example, after selecting the notation for fractions, for seven eighths you type 7 followed by ‘Enter’, then type 8 followed by ‘Enter’.