Google Keep - a must keep!

I came across Google Keep not long ago and it's been an incredibly flexible tool so I decided to write a short entry here to share what I've been using it for and how useful it's been. There are other programs out there to make notes and organise one's ideas, commitments, etc., like EverNote, OneNote, Swipes and many more. Jimmy Daly's blog post here offers up to 14 different ones!

As I said earlier, I've been using Google Keep and it's been really simple to use and very useful so I would definitely recommend it to anyone doing lots of different things and wanting to be able to make, classify, find, edit, etc., notes in their daily lives.  As I have several roles besides my full time job, Google Keep is helping me organise all those extra commitments I have easily as you can create labels for the different categories you need and also colour code them.  They're accessible to you anywhere you go and so it's easy to keep track of all the different things I need to do. Here's a Google Keep video with the basics and do share the good stuff!

Update - after using it for over 6 months now (Jan 2018) I can say that Google Keep is definitely a tool worth exploring and using. I have at least 4 or 5 different jobs and so Keep helps me keep tabs on all my commitments and projects offering a lot of flexibility as I can create to-do lists or simply notes, I can also label them by creating the label I need to group them together thus making it is easier to organise. I can also add visuals, pictures and links to specific notes so this has been very useful when I get specific info from different parties at the same time on different projects or activities. Once done, I can archive them and move on and the best feature of all for me: that you can access your notes and important info anywhere on any browser and on your phone so I would recommend it without reservations.

Here we go again!

Hello!

It's been four months since my last post and I must confess it's been hectic to say the least. This is, of course, no excuse for my absence so here's an update on all the things I've been working on since then.  As regards my full time job, it's going well and as usual I'm enjoying it immensely. I think it's great when you can honestly say you do want to go to work in the morning so in spite of the usual ups and down we all go through, things are going well and changes are ahead as my role is changing from DoS to Academic Manager with a more supervisory capacity, but still very involved in the academics of the school and of course, Teacher Training and Development, which is my true love.

My external activities are also thriving and this year I started working for IDP as a language consultant so a very exciting opportunity from which I'm learning lots and also traveling a bit more! Language assessment can be said to be my second true love and as such I'm getting more and more involved in it as a lead trainer also for Cambridge so I'm very pleased that I can learn and also make a difference in the lives of those colleagues I'm to lead for.

Study-wise, I had said in late September last year after finishing my second MA wonderful results that I would have taken a break from study for a year as I have not stopped studying in the last 12 years and was feeling it was a time for me to focus on work and on making a bit of money! However, I cannot help it! So I've enrolled in the Diploma in Academic Management offered by International House London. As part of the Ih Family I know lots of people there and some of the tutors so I can't wait to learn with and from them!

As part of my Head of Teacher Training role, I will be leading the team offering the International House Certificate in Teaching Young Learners and Teenagers at GIGA Ih Catania and so I'm now busy making sure the transition from the Cambridge YL Extension to CELTA into the IHCYL&T course, also validated by Cambridge, is smooth.  So if you're interested our next teacher training and development courses are:

CELTA 5-week course Mon through Thu: Aug 1 - Sep 5

IHCTYL&T 2-week course Mon through Fri:  C1 - Sep 11 - 22 & C2 - Sep 25 - Oct 6.

You can email me at direzionedidattica@gigact.com for information and an application pack.

Bye for now!