Need template w/reoccuring choice of standard for lesson plan?

[nj-professor]

I am a teacher who needs to write daily lesson plans that include several
State standards from a list of dozens. I would like to have a Word template
with a pick-choose drop down menu in the part of the lesson plan where this
information is required. Any help to craft such a document would be most
appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Although there are several options for dropdown lists (including form fields
and ActiveX controls), the most suitable option for a document that you want
to be able to edit normally is probably an AutoTextList field. See
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/TblsFldsFms/AutoTextList.htm for complete
instructions.

 

[nj-professor]

The Microsoft explanation, that I was directed to, was way complicated (even
though it kept assuring me how simple the procedure was) and in the end did
not do what I need and hoped it would.
------
What I need is a FIXED (stays in the same place in every document) PULLDOWN
(Click an icon and 50 choices appear instanly and at once on the screen) MENU
(pick one or a few at the same time if possible). This would be saved in a
template document for future use.

The fixed wording in the document would read something like this:
Students will be able to:

Ideally, next to the colon would be an icon (i.e. down arrow, etc.) or grey
box. Upon moving and clicking my mouse to the icon or grey box a list would
automatically open giving the following choices (as an example and many more):

-develop cognitive reasoning skills based upon presented material
-demonstrate compentency in string theory
-apply basic principles of chaos in everyday activities
-using a clock, play 4 games of 3 dimensional chess simultaeneously

I would then move my mouse to the appropriate entry, left click it, and boom
it would appear.

Next, I would continue with completing the rest of the details of each
lesson plan. Once completed I would print it and give it to my supervising
dean who will probably put it into his round file. I would then bring up the
same EMPTY template the following week and do it one more once.

I hope that I articulated my (desperate) need more clearly.

BTW, Thank you Susan for your quick original reply.

Thanks to all in advance.
Professor K

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Dropdown form fields can contain only 25 entries and permit choosing only
one option. An AutoTextList field permits choosing only one option. If there
is a way to do what you want, it will require VBA, so I suggest you post in
one of the Word VBA newsgroups.

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

An alternative possibility--build your own menu of AutoText entries? This
would not be a dropdown, but easy access to entering prewritten text. The
menu would live on a toolbar, and insert the text wherever the cursor is.
You could easily insert one standard, then hit enter and insert another
standard on the next line. It would work similarly to the existing Insert |
AutoText menu, but not buried in as many levels.

You would need to create each standard individually as an AutoText entry,
then go into Tools | Customize, drag a new empty menu to a toolbar, then
drag each AutoText entry to the that new empty menu. Some general
instructions here:
Creating AutoText:
http://word.mvps.org/faqs/customization/AutoText.htm
Creating a new menu:
http://word.mvps.org/faqs/customization/AsgnCmdOrMacroToToolbar.htm

You might save the AutoText and the custom toolbar holding a menu in your
LessonPlanTemplate.
http://word.mvps.org/faqs/customization/CreateATemplatePart1.htm

You could then distribute the LessonPlanTemplate to other people.