Google Keep for creating Digital Copies of Paper Based documents

Since my classroom has gone largely digital and paperless over the last two years, I have spent a lot time retyping old worksheets and assignments that I didn't have digital copies of into a Google Doc that students could edit and submit online.  Recently, I discovered that Google Keep offers a way to convert a paper file into an editable digital document without retyping everything. Simply take a photo of the document and Keep can import the text for you!

Google Keep is a newer app you may have read about in a recent Play of the Week.  Keep is an organization app that allows you easily share notes or lists in any format, but it also has a "Grab Text" functionality makes it the easiest way to transfer text from a paper document into a digital one.  This makes transferring old worksheets into digital ones super fast and easy.  

To use Google Keep to grab text from a paper copy and make it digital you need to first install the "Google Keep" app onto your smartphone or tablet device (Keep is free and available on both Android & iPhone app stores).   After installing the app and logging in with your Google account follow these easy steps.

1. Open the Keep app and "Take a note" using the Camera icon

2. Take a photo of the document you want to use

3. On your computer, go to "keep.google.com"

4. The picture you just took will be in your Google Keep notes. Clicking on the picture will give you several options across the bottom.  Click on the "Three Dots" for more choices and you will see two options that will allow you to access the text on the paper.

    1. One option is "Grab Text".  You can then copy this text into whatever format you want
OR
    2. After grabbing the text, a second option is "Copy to Google Docs". This is creates a brand new Google Doc of whatever text is on the paper you took a picture of.

5.  With some easy formatting (adding proper spacing, checking capitalization, etc) your paper based document is now digital!

I prefer the "Copy to Google Docs" option because with one snap of a photo and a couple clicks on a computer, I have an editable copy of an old worksheet that a student can now complete online.  Super fast, super easy.  Time saved!

If you need help transferring paper based items to digital copies using Google Keep or other application, see the ITRT at your building!