Google Keep App: A Tool for Getting Organized

By Liz Eagan

Google Keep is a great web-based app that can assist with both work and private lives. It is tied to your email address and integrates well with Google docs.  You can use it to make notes, lists and reminders that appear like sticky notes in the app. This is a really helpful tool for busy itinerant teachers!  There are lots of ways the app can be used:

• You can share those notes or lists with others.
• You can color code them.
• You can pin the notes/lists to the top of the app, so they’re the first thing you see when you open it.
• I have it installed on my phone so I can access it on the go.
• There’s a way to link an email in Google Keep if it’s an action item or something you want to prioritize.  

The possibilities for color coding systems are endless! You can use RED for priority action items and other colors for a “if time allows” list.  Use colors to keep track of who is doing what (one color for the TVI, one color for OT, one color for SLP, para, classroom teacher), which student is being addressed (each student gets a different color), which activity is targeted (e.g. reading, writing, math, fine motor, vision goals), or whatever system works for you.

Links to Get Started

The app itself:  A free download from Google Play

Cheat sheet for teachers:  Get ideas on how teachers can use this app.

Screenshots of Google Keep

On this page there are two photos of the app on my computer. The first one is of some of the notes I’ve created…had to rearrange them so no student names were visible…but it is possible to move them around!!

The second one (below) is one of the notes opened so you can see more details and how each note looks. 

For me, since I see so many students at different schools working with many different educational teams, this helps us all know what we’ve promised to do and we can edit the note to indicate what has been completed or if there are additional comments/questions. Plus, this is easier than digging through the emails…

I’m also thinking this might be a great place to put service notes until we can get back to office to input them.