10 Reasons to Use Google Keep!

If you haven't figured it out by now, I really like to be organized! Which automatically means I live by to-do lists. 

I used to keep paper to-do lists of what I needed to accomplish for work (tweak this lesson, send off copies, grade this, etc). However, once something is on paper, it's hard to adjust (unless you are using pencil which I don't like to do!). I also had to make sure I located the piece of paper or notebook where I kept my lists. 

I started using Google Keep about a year ago, and it has totally streamlined my work flow for several reasons! My favorite thing that I recently discovered about them is that you can create headers to make it look even more visually appealing (scroll to the "bonus" section to see what I'm talking about). If you want to see a video overview I made about Google Keep, you can check out my Google Keep Instagram Highlight here. 

Here are 10 reasons to use Google Keep for all your notes & to-do lists:

1. Make changes easily. 

It is so much easier to make changes & edit a note on google keep! No more scribbling something out when you mess up. Just backspace. 

2. Easy access. 

I can access it from my work or personal computer, and an app on my phone! I don't have to worry about carrying around a notebook or having the correct sheet of paper anymore. If I think of something I need to do or have an idea when I am away from my desk, I can quickly pull out my phone & add it in Google Keep. 

3. Links! 

If you have read my blog post about my Google Docs Planner, then you know how much I love to use hyperlinks. That is the same case with Google Keep! If I get an email that I need to fill out a survey, I go and put it on my google keep note with the link. If there's a Google Classroom assignment I need to grade, I can link the assignment directly to my to-do list. I spend so much less time searching through my email/etc. to find what I need whenever I'm working. 

4. It's shareable. 

If you have a running to-do list of what needs to get done with someone that you work with, you can share it with them (just like a Google Doc). You can both check things off as you go, and you can clearly see what the next step to do is! 

I use google keep for personal lists, too. My husband and I will usually start a shared Google Keep note before we go on a trip. We will both add places we want to go & things we want to do to the note!

5. Search feature. 

I think all of us have written a note and then forgotten the details later, of course with the note no where to be found! With google keep, you can search for a specific note (even if it was a long time ago) and it will pop right up. 

6. Everything in one place. 

If you start using google keep for all of your notes and to-do lists, you don't have to worry about forgetting or losing something! For example: At the end of the 19-20 school year, I went over my professional goals with my administrator. He told me to make a goal for next year based on our reflection and remember it for when we create our 20-21 goals. If I wrote this down on paper, I highly doubt I would be able to find it months later. But, I put it in Google Keep, so I know I'll be able to find it in the fall with the search feature, like I talked about above! 

7. Labels

You can create & apply labels to help keep all of your to-do lists & notes categorized. You can click on the label you need & it will filter out that specific topic. This is really similar to the Labels feature in Gmail if you have ever used that before!

8. Color Coding

Much like labels, you can change the color of the notes! If you color code your notes, it makes it even easier to find what you are looking for. You cannot filter out the colors like you can with labels, but it does make it very easy to visually find what you need. 

9. Pinned Tabs

At the top of each note, there is a push pin button. This allows you to pin a note to the top of your google keep page. I usually keep my to-do lists with priorities pinned at the top so it's the first thing I see when I open keep. 

10. Images

You can upload images to your notes. I find this a lot better than taking a picture of something on my phone that I want to recreate or view later. Instead of searching through my camera roll, I go to Google Keep, can search for key words if needed, and up will pop the picture with any notes I wrote about it. 

Bonus: Create headers for aesthetically pleasing to-do lists! Or you can find mine for free here.

I always knew you could upload images to Google Keep notes, but I never thought to use images as headers/titles for notes that I frequently use until I saw another teacher share this tip on Instagram! It looks awesome having headers, and automatically makes your notes more organized, so how could you not love it! I tried to have a color-coding system on Google Keep before, but I kept forgetting what each color meant. Now since I matched my header images to a specific Google Keep color, I don't have that problem anymore! You can find 15 headers that I have created for free on my TpT Store here, or by clicking on the image below!