7 Awesome Ways We Use Google Keep in Our Digital Classroom!
Google Keep is a fantastic and robust tool for teachers and students across any industry. At A1 Code Academy, our instructors and students use Google Keep as part of our Google GSuite Apps Toolkit to collaborate on projects and organise all our tasks.
What is Google Keep?
Google Keep is a web-based application that allows teachers and students to create and share notes, lists, and reminders. You can also add images, voice notes, drawings and more! Each note resembles an online sticky note that can be customized and shared.
Google Keep can be used in any browser, but we highly recommend you use Google Chrome and install the Chrome App and Extension.
Google Keep for Chrome
Do note:
There are additional features that only work on mobile, so be sure that you also install the app on your mobile devices. Moreover, it is always easier to have your tasks and notes in your pocket. Download Google Keep on your mobile phone as well!
Google Keep on Mobile
1. Explore Note Options:
Reminders: Create a reminder by date and time or a location-based reminder.
- Add Collaborators: Share your notes and lists with other individuals or groups.
- Change the Note Color: Choose from a palette of other colors to brighten things up or color-code your notes.
- Add an Image: Add a picture (or snap a photo on mobile) to your notes.
2. Add a Drawing to Your Notes
To Add a Drawing: Go to the 3 dots on your note, and select “add drawing.”
This allows you to sketch using the drawing tools (pen, marker, or highlighter) and add them to a note. Choose from different sizes and colors and add your drawing to a note or an image.
3. Use the Drawing Tool for Annotation & Labeling
- Add the image to Keep
- If you want to use an article or paragraph, take a screenshot and upload it.
- Click or tap on the image to get the drawing tools.
- Draw, label, or annotate.
- Be sure to click DONE to save the changes.
- If you want this shared, they can add you as a collaborator, right-click and copy the image, or convert to Google Docs.
4. Integrate with Google Docs / Google Slides:
Save Text or Images as a Note
- Open a Google Doc or Slide.
- Highlight and right-click the text or image you want to save as a note.
- From the menu that appears, select Save to Keep notepad.
Add a Note to a Doc or Slide
- Open a Google Doc or Slide.
- Click on the Keep icon in the sidebar.
- In the side panel, locate the note you want to add to the file.
- Click and drag the note into your document.
5. Google Keep for Feedback & Assessment
Google Keep makes the perfect companion for teachers giving feedback and assessing student work.
It is our favourite ways of providing feedback and encouragement for our students!
6. Student Reflection/Journaling
Google Keep works great for reflections and journaling for both students and teachers.
- Teachers reflect on the lesson and assessment.
- Students reflect on their own learning and progress.
- Quick journals and longer journal assignments work great in Keep.
If the note gets too long, convert to a Google Docs!
7. Curation with the Keep Chrome Extension
Curation is an important 21st Century skill for students and teachers! We often find very useful resources but end up either opening too many tabs or go on a bookmarking spree.
Keep Chrome extension makes the curation process neat, tidy, easy peasy, lemon squeezy!
What do you think? What are your favorite Google Keep features?
Please share your comments in the comments section below!
