Google Keep in the classroom and in life

One of the Google tools I use the most on my cell phone is GOOGLE KEEP. Funny enough, it's one of the least known Google apps. The objective of this post is to share some of the ways I use Google Keep in my personal life and how we can use it with students.

Google Keep is an app (for androids and IOS) and website which can be accessed from your cell phone or any laptop, once you log into your google account.

With GOOGLE KEEP you can create different kinds of notes: a text, a list, record your voice or take a photo. These notes can be shared with others so that they can collaborate with you. You can also add a note as a reminder which will pop up when you need it (based on time or location). Imagine getting to the supermaket and your shopping list popping up, or getting to the library and the names of the books you need to borrow come up on the screen.


IN LIFE, I use it to keep myself organized:

• I take photos of flight reservation info for quick access when I travel. I believe it's much faster to find it instead of storing the photo on an email or  among so many other photos in my phone gallery.
• I make shopping lists and  lists of chores I need to get done on a daily basis.
• I register some WIFI passwords (from my mom's house, from ours, from my sister-in-law's). It's very useful when we change devices or for guests. It has been a lifesaver.
• I register addresses I will need soon (hotel addresses).
• In other words, instead of using the notetaking app, I use Google Keep for any note I need to keep.

What I haven't used yet:

• Record my ideas with my voice which is then transcribed automatically. It's great for those moments when you have an awesome idea for an article.
• Share a list with other people while planning an event and see when things are ticked and done.
• My notes are usually white, but as we can add colors to them, they might be easier to find if we adopt a color system.
• Used reminders based on location. 

How can we use it with students?

• Students can use it to store photos they take of boards in class and use tags to organize them according to subjects.
• Students can make lists of homework they need to get done and create reminders.
• They can brainstorm topics for class sharing a list with classmates.
• When doing group work and deciding who is doing what, they can make a list which is shared and everyone can see when each item is ticked and things are done.
• Students can create study notes about any subject so that they can revise quickly before a test.

For more reading on GOOGLE KEEP and its features:

• http://ditchthattextbook.com/2015/04/02/meet-google-keep-and-6-ways-it-can-help-schools/
• http://flippedclassroomtutorials.blogspot.com.br/2015/03/using-google-keep-to-take-notes.html
• https://insidetheclassroomoutsidethebox.wordpress.com/2014/11/23/google-keep-for-educators-and-students/
• http://blog.appsevents.com/2014/08/using-google-keep-in-classroom.html
• http://iserotope.com/students-google-keep-evernote/
• http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2015/05/making-most-of-google-keep.html#.Vczc651Vikp
• http://goo.gl/cgVD4Y

In Portuguese:

• http://www.tecmundo.com.br/google/38027-google-keep-saiba-como-usa-lo.htm
• https://www.google.com.br/keep/