Google Tasks vs. Google Keep

Raise your hand if you've used Google Tasks before. Raise your hand if you've used Google Keep before. Raise your hand if you have no idea what I'm talking about.

Fear not, friends! Today, I'm going to talk to you about both so that you can utilize each to your benefit!

I'm going to be really real with you (as my daughter would say).  It wasn't until a few years ago that I started using both of these.  I was exclusively using Keep until Google updated their stuff and then embedded the toolbar into everything and then I started using Tasks.  They have some similarities, but their unique features are what will determine what you will use each app for. Let's start by briefly describing what each one is.

Google Tasks:   Essentially, it's a to do list.  You can create different lists with different tasks assigned to them and also set up reminders.

Google Keep:  This is an app where you can also create lists and notes as well, but in various formats.  You can enter in text, write with your finger, do voice memos, upload pics or take a pic.

Now that we have an idea of what each app is, let's talk a little more in depth on the features as well as when we would use each of these. 

You can find Tasks in your Google Apps button icon or in the sidebar of your Gmail, Google Drive, or any Google apps that you have open. Personally, I like to use this most with my Gmail.  I'll explain why in a bit.  This sidebar is collapsable to be conveniently hidden and out of the way but still easily accessible when you need it.  

With GTasks, it's pretty cut and dry.  You open the app and enter a new task.  That's all it really has to be, if you want.  However, if you want a little more, you can enter your task by clicking on the edit button on the side and enter more detailed info about that task, set a due date, and set a reminder, if you'd like.  You can also add a subtask.  For example, if I'm helping plan a team meeting at school, I could enter, "Plan team meeting" as my parent task and "create agenda" and "get snacks" as subtasks (because let's be real, any meeting is better with snacks).  Then, just check tasks as you complete them, and they will appear in a "completed" section at the bottom of your tasks screen that you can go into later and delete permanently.  Note:  If you end up checking the box next to the parent task, all subtasks will also be automatically checked.

As mentioned before, you can also create different lists for different things.  I may have a Work task list and a Personal task list.  Or you may want to create a task list for each major project you're working on.  It's all up to you on how you want to use it.  In addition to all of this, Tasks offers a sorting feature to make accessibility easier for you.  If you click on the three little dots next to the "My Tasks" title, you're offered the option of sorting your task lists by your own order or by date.  This is especially useful if you have assigned a due date for any of your tasks, as they will be listed in that order first.  

The last great feature that Tasks offers as a pleasant surprise is the ability to drag and drop emails into it.  Let's say your principal emails you letting you know they'll be dropping by tomorrow for an observation (as if it really worked that way, right?).  If I have my Tasks sidebar app open, I can drag that email to my list...the top of the list, mind you...which will then be a reminder to me to create a phenomenal lesson for the next day.  This is why I had mentioned earlier that I tend to have Tasks open mostly on my computer when Gmail is up.  Your original email message will still stay in your email inbox, even if you check it off your Tasks list.  The mobile app isn't much different than the web app, which makes it user friendly.  This is what I like to suggest my students use if they are reluctant planner users and have trouble keeping track of homework.  We use Google Classroom in our school and if they can remember to check their email (which I remind them to do so in class on a daily basis), then they can drag and drop assignments at least into their task list.  

Where GTasks is cut and dry, Keep has a few more bells and whistles when it comes to the app so let's chat about that.  First, Keep offers you a selection of ways you want to enter your info into the app.  As mentioned before, it can be in a checklist format, a blank canvas to draw with a stylus or your finger, with a voice memo (which will also transcribe your voice notes to text), or to upload/take a pic.  Each note or list is saved in blocks, or in a card-like fashion.  I'm not gonna lie--I use Keep all the time.  I will never use a paper grocery list again.  This is perfect for that.  If I create a new checklist and start typing in cereal, it auto senses what I may want to be saying and offers a list of grocery items.  No joke.  You'll see what I mean.

The voice memo feature is great if I'm out and about and don't have a paper and pen to write something down or just need to note something fast.  Done.  The blank canvas feature is good for doodling, taking notes with a stylus if that's your jam, or taking down a phone number or phone convo information.  Need to take a pic and use it for something later? You can do that in Keep! I personally like to add pictures as note headers just to make it look fancy schmancy.  I'm a little extra like that.  To add more customization to each one of your notes, you can also add labels and color code each one.  If there are certain notes/lists that are more important, you can pin those to the top. With the web version, you can set reminders. 

But the real kicker...the one thing that Keep does that Tasks does not....is it makes all your notes shareable.  Remember the grocery list we were talking about earlier? I remember that we need eggs, I open my Keep app on my phone, add it, it pops up on my husband's app because it's a shared list between the two of us.  Boom.  Oh, I took notes on my app from a conference and want to share with a colleague? Shared.  Done.  **NOTE: For those of you who dig the Dark Mode on your apps, Keep offers this as an option as well.

The Verdict?

That's up to you to decide.  Again, what are you looking to use it for? My suggestion would be to play around with both and brainstorm how you could use each one.  I'm including three free Google Keep note title pictures that you can download and use, if you'd like! You may have seen me use them in my other blog post where I talked about iPads. Just right click, save, and then upload to your Google Keep note by clicking the picture option!

Try them today! See what you like about each of them.  No need to commit to one or the other, or any if neither are your jam.  It's all about options, people.  And not just for you, for your students as well! A little organization can't hurt anyone.

Classroom iPads: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

If you're an educator in Michigan you may have heard of the MACUL conference.  It's held every year, alternating their location from Grand Rapids (my hometown) to Detroit.  I try to go every time it's held locally and it's by far one of my favorite conferences to attend.  You will leave there with a plethora of information and ideas that will motivate you to try new things that involve tech into your classroom.  It's also an added bonus because they're held every year in March, which is just about that time when teachers are feeling The Slump.  I promise, it's the jolt of inspiration you need to get you through to the end of the year!

MACUL offers yearly grants for teachers to purchase items/programs that will allow them to enhance their teaching with tech.  The grant was for $1500 and I knew I had wanted to purchase some iPads for my classroom.  I submitted application and won, to my delight.  My plan for the iPads were to create digital student portfolios for each of my students to document their progress on their IEP goals/objectives.  In the past, I had been using worksheets or whiteboards when working with students.  I knew I had wanted to do something different this year.

So I did.

I have my own personal iPad and love the GoodNotes app.  It's an app that lets you create digital notebooks and import pictures or PDFs that you can "write" on.  You can erase writing, resize it, move it to another location, and so much more.  Each student has two notebooks:  a Progress Monitoring notebook and a Fun notebook.  The PM notebook holds their biweekly PM.  The Fun notebook was to doodle in or to do word searches, etc. for when we had a fun Do Now (bellringer).

The Good:

• Um, iPads.  Having apps at your fingertips that encourage interaction and personalization.  Isn't that what we want to offer, as educators? They are small and portable.
• GoodNotes:  this is the main app my students use in Resource.  There's a little learning curve, but it's super user-friendly!
• AirDrop:  This has been a godsend.  I need to send a website link to class? AirDrop.  I want to send a PDF to one or all students? AirDrop.  We're playing Gimkit and they need to get to the code page? AirDrop.  What would've taken a few minutes before using Google Classroom (posting, then having students accessing), takes only mere seconds now.  
• QR codes:  similar to AirDrop, if I want them all to go to a website at any point during class, I can post the QR code to a slide and they just scan it using the camera.  Easy peasy. 
• Apple Pencils:  I made the decision to purchase these early in the year because I have one myself and know how precise they are.  This makes writing, annotating, and drawing so easy. Worth the investment! 
• Certain apps allow you to see everyone's work at the same time.  Take Jamboard, for instance.  Each student has a "board" and I can see very easily from my own iPad.   Same with Apple Classroom.  I can see a student's screen with a few clicks of a button. 
• Students could take interactive notes with my budgeting lessons.  I would give them all a digital copy (PDF) and they would take notes, draw pics, and configure different things on their notes with their Apple Pencils.  

The Bad:

• Let's be real, they ain't cheap.  The sole reason I have them now is because I won a grant.  There's no way my school would've gotten me these otherwise.
• Apple Pencil accessories have been lost a few times.  I had purchased rubber tips and cap holders to prevent things from getting damaged or lost.  I've had to replace them a few times. 
• I only have 5 iPads to share amongst all my hours.  There's been a few times where things have been locked because another student and it was a pain to figure out how to get them into their own.
• All students were sharing the same 5 iPads, which were registered under one account.  So students had to sign in often to get to their stuff, which was a little tedious for them.  

The Ugly:

• Once some teachers caught wind that I had iPads in my room, there was a desire to use one once in a while whenever we weren't using them.  Which wouldn't be too much of a problem...but they would sometimes keep it way longer than I thought.  I'm very much a control freak and needed to know where each iPad was and who was getting into them.  There were times that I caught some general education students taking a selfie on one.  I may have to think of how to address this better next year. Say no with a smile when they ask? Shout "niet!" and point the door? Not sure yet...
• It took a LOT of trial and error to figure out how exactly I was going to use these in my Resource Room.  I'm not just talking about apps used.  I mean EVERYTHING.  

As you can see, the pros definitely outweigh the cons! Here is a snapshot of my Google Keep checklist if I ever get new iPads in the future.  I will be doing a separate blog post on Google Keep because it is absolutely one of the best Google tools I cannot live without and neither should you. I promise it will change your life for the better!  

*ahem*  But I digress.  Tips:

Additionally, you will have to let your IT department know, so they can configure the network settings and all that jazz.  Of course, you will want to spend a good amount of time going over procedures and how each app works before completely diving in.  Part of this includes letting them play for a bit with it! Trust me, this will help lessen the desire to tinker around later on when you're in the middle of a lesson.  Just let them get it out of their system at first for a few minutes.  It helps. 

What apps do you use with your high schoolers? I'd love to hear any tips/suggestions that you have to make things run more smoothly! 

Am I the only one, until recently, who had never heard of Jamboard before?

I have a morning routine where I listen to my podcast lists as I get ready for work in the morning.  In one of the podcasts, Jamboard was brought up. After listening a bit to what it was, I decided to give it a try with my students.

Before I get into what I did and how I did it, let me backtrack a bit and explain what it is.  Jamboard is a collaborative, interactive whiteboard.  It allows you to create "jams" by using pen tools, uploading images, uploading files from your personal Google Drive, create sticky notes, use artificial intelligence to identify what you're trying to draw and upload it, so much! Also, you don't need the fancy, expensive Jamboard TV thingie to use it.  The app is free and get this:  it's already part of the Google Apps For Education.  

Meaning, my students and I can access the desktop version of Jamboard right from our Google account.  It's a tad bit different on the computer than the iPad, but it's accessible!

So anyway, I decided to use it today for the first time with my students.  The goal was to introduce Jamboard and its functions to them and then use it to give feedback about my class for the year.  As you may or may not know, I have 5 iPads that I won through a grant which I share with my other hours.  I walked students step-by-step through logging in via the iPad Jamboard app, to joining my "jam."  After tinkering with it for a bit, I had them each give feedback about my class for the year.  I displayed a slide with all the different things we did during the year and asked them to create a frame that looked like (or had a similar concept) to this:

                           

When they were finished, I had a collection of the whole class's feedback that I could look at and consider.  Doing it this way versus a Google Form was also helpful because I could see in real time if they understood the directions.  I could peruse through their frames as they wrote and clarify directions for those who didn't quite understand them.  

All in all, I enjoyed trying it out and would love to incorporate this later in my class.  It's such a great collaboration tool and would like to see my students using this for presentations.  Having the iPad and Apple Pencil makes it much more convenient to use, so why not?

Things You Should Know:

Jamboard Vocab:

1. Jam:  a board where people can collaborate.  Contains one or more frames.  Think of it as a slide deck.
2. Frame:  similar to a slide.  It's basically a "page" of your board.

Tips:

• Tinker with Jamboard ahead of time! The first time I ever used it, I realized my IT department had not given full access to the app, and sharing boards was deactivated.  It wasn't until a bit of research that I found this out, so check with your IT people first to make sure it's activated for both you AND your students! Also, ask someone to join one of your jams to see how collaboration works.
• Create slides ahead of time for your first time using it with your students and have their names on their slides ahead of time! This will minimize multiple students "claiming" the same frame.
• Make sure you explain to your students to be in their own Google profile! For our iPads, we share them with other hours, so we found out that one of our students accidentally joined my jam on another student's profile.  
• Go through each tool in the toolbar together.  Show the different things each tool offers, then allow them to tinker with that tool for a minute before moving on to the next tool. 

Have you tried Jamboard? If so, I'd love to hear how it's being used in your classroom!