Do you need a productivity app for notes? I LOVE checklists, to-do lists, call-it-what-you-want lists. But, what I don’t like is all the small slips of paper or post-its hanging out on my desk. Or, having to choose my purse size based on whether my to-do notebook fits inside with everything else.
I’ve tried all sorts of options over the years with varying degrees of success: post-its, pieces of paper, writing things on the calendar, native note apps on my devices, bullet journals, etc.
But, I hadn’t really found quite the right solution for me … until one day I was listening to Vicki Davis’ “The 10 Minute Teacher” podcast as she interviewed a teacher about how she uses Google Keep in her classroom. It intrigued me enough that I downloaded this productivity app for notes. It was a game changer!
Google Keep: How I use it
Below is a review of the Google Keep app. I cover:
- what it is
- which devices it works on
- what it can do
- how you can share your notes
- organizing your notes
- setting reminders … one of the ways will be great for travel teachers
- searching for notes … plus a bonus tip that will be perfect as you attend conferences
Productivity app … notes the easy way
I know that Google Keep has changed the way that I handle my to-do list substantially. Making a note of something I will be doing for a student is as easy as a click. Ditching the paper trail from my teaching bag to my desk (literally) has ensured that important reminders don’t get buried under piano books & office supplies.
Hopefully the above video will intrigue you enough to try out this productivity app for notes! Let me know how it goes in the comments below.
And … if you are looking for a way to organize your lesson notes, click below to see the app that makes lessons & practice pages a breeze!
[NOTE: This is a rewrite of an article from July 7, 2017. It has all the great ideas from before, plus more!]
Recent reviews in the Apple App Store are unfavorable for the newest update. Have you had any issues with syncing and random performance? I was very excited to try Google Keep, it seemed like exactly what I need. But now I’m hesitant.
To be honest, Betsy, the reviews worried me as well initially & I’ve been pleasantly surprised to have none of the issues that were originally listed. It was spoken of so highly by another teacher that I decided to risk trying it out & am glad that I did. I haven’t had any issues with it automatically syncing between my iPhone & iPad. It was easy to transfer the notes to my Google Drive as well where, with the right apps, they can be further edited with Google Docs using a tablet.
That being said, I would probably refrain from putting important business documents only in Google Keep just to be on the safe side. I use it more for checklists, initial planning, & reminders for myself. Once I am ready, it gets transferred to my Drive & other areas for extra safe keeping. (I’m apologizing in advance the number of times Google is used in the next sentence.) When I tried on my iPad to get a note from Google Docs or Google Drive back to Google Keep it didn’t work out (only the title showed regardless of Word or PDF format). You may have more success using a computer for editing notes once it’s in your Google Drive. Or, just think of it as a backup copy. 😉
Hope this helps you determine whether this app fits your needs, Betsy!