In case you have not realized, I am completely in love with all things Google. Seriously…Everything Google creates is amazing and I love finding ways to utilize these products in my classroom. (Or just in life in general – it’s just that amazing!)
My new Google obsession: Google Keep!
Google Keep is a note-taking and organizational platform that allows its users to create notes, checklists, and set reminders for upcoming tasks and events. For myself, I have been using it as a way to keep track of the million things that I need to do each week. Honestly, if I didn’t have Google Keep and Google Calendar, I’m not sure how I would remember to do anything. In addition to this, I introduced my Math 7 Honors students to Google Keep today and they loved it! The minute I showed them how it could be used for Math, they were already creating a checklist for each class with a list of “to-do” items for the week. The interface of Google Keep is much friendlier to the students than Google Calendar, so I saw much more excitement and interest for using this platform.
Here are my five favorite things about Google Keep:
1.) Create Checklists
I am completely a “checklist” person. I used to have a bunch of post-its in my classroom or at my home office for all of the things I needed to do and I loved the feeling of crossing off an item that had been completed. In Google Keep, I can continue to create checklists but I don’t have to worry about a bunch of post-it notes that can become easily lost in my classroom. Instead, I can organize and label all of my checklists in one, central location. Again – it is also great for students! Students have a lot of tasks each week and this is a user friendly way to stay organized.
2.) Sync with Devices
Like I mentioned before, I used to use post-its to keep track of all the things I needed to do. There is just one problem – if I left work, my post-its usually stayed there. If I wanted to work on anything at home, I had to remember what it was that I wanted to complete and/or accomplish. With Google Keep, you can access your notes and checklists from any device, whether it is a computer, tablet or smartphone.
3.) Save Sites with Keep Extension
Google Keep has an extension that allows you to visit a site and, with a click of a button, save the site directly to your Google Keep. It is very helpful for when you find a resource that you want to explore/read but don’t have the time at the moment. Just click the extension and save it for later!
4.) Collaborate with Others
In true Google fashion, you can share your Google Keep lists with other Google users. Personally, I find that this would be very helpful for both teachers AND students. Teachers can use Google Keep to easily collaborate and brainstorm on projects or lessons that they have in their classroom. For students, I could see them using it to keep track of jobs and duties on collaborative projects for each student in their group, which would increase accountability in group work. The possibilities with this collaboration feature is endless and I can see it be a huge resource to teachers and students.
5.) Set Reminders
As you are creating your lists, you can also set reminders to remind you to complete a task by a certain date and/or time. Again, this is a great tool for both teachers and students because everyone has deadlines for things that need to be completed. Just set your reminder for these tasks/events and let Google Keep help you remember!
If you are interested in a “visual” overview of Google Keep, check out my tutorial video on YouTube:
