DigiLit Sunday: Google Keep --- It's a Keeper!

Wowza!  I woke up this morning thinking I was writing a digital post about reading, but in waiting on my internet to cooperate this morning I began to read blogs.  I stumbled upon this post, Google Keep is Now Available on the iPad, from Educational Technology in my Feed.ly account.  Since my computer was in slow motion, I grabbed my phone and headed over to download the application for Google Keep....and I just LOVE IT!

Google Keep is an organizational tool that allows you take pictures, record audio, color code, add tags, sort, and view your lists in different ways.  I couldn't believe how easy it was to use.  In just a few minutes with Google Keep I was able to:

• Take Pictures:  Google Keep allows you to snap images or get into your cameral roll to pull in pictures.  This is quite helpful in keeping writing ideas.  For me, an image can often help me to begin my writing so this is a huge plus.  
• Record Audio:  The audio feature allows you to record to take notes.  What I really loved about this feature is it will store the recording and display your words in text.  What?!?!  That's really the bomb ditty.  I use Voice Recorder all of the time, but I have to sometimes play them back to see what they are about.  You can delete the audio file or keep it when you are finished.
• Color Code:  For those of us that like to over-organize our lives this is perfect.  You could use it to level the importance of a list.  I used it to collect ideas/lists in different categories.  I used GREEN for writing I do for Choice Literacy, BLUE for this blog (it's blue), and ORANGE for writing ideas for my other blog.  I decided GRAY would be for household tasks --- because those are best on gray days.  RED = GET IT DONE, SISTER!  The great thing is you can just view a particular color and temporarily get rid of all of the other notes.  
• Tag:  You know I love tagging.  Tagging makes it easier to sort and organize.  
• View:  You can view in a list, in a grid, by color, by tag.  Shut.  The.  Front.  Door.  (Oops, I was a bit too excited.)  Thank heavens!  

Yep, I already love it.  You can also access it from a variety of devices.  The cloud...who knew I would grow to love it so?  It appears I will also be able to keep different lists for different accounts.  This means I will likely be able to keep my school and personal lists separate.  Cha-ching.  The only improvement I hope to see is the ability to audio record directly on an image.  I'm a dreamer.

Google owns me!!  

Organizational junkie?  Slightly obsessive?  Life out of control?  Run to your devices, head to your app stores, and download Google Keep now.  You won't regret it.



As part of a continuous collaboration among educators interested in digital learning, Margaret Simon hosts a weekly Digital Learning round-up on her blog:  DigiLit Sunday.  Stop by Reflections on the Teche.