Google Docs for Meeting Notes

It seems so simple, but why do you keep writing your meeting notes in a million different notebooks? I still have notebooks floating all over my classroom taking up space and I have no idea what is in ANY of them!

So last year I started taking notes right in Google Docs and I LOVE the organization of it all.

Step 1:

Make a folder called Meetings.

Step 2:

Make a new doc for each committee/meeting where you make take notes (i.e Faculty Meetings, Professional Development Committee, CSE meetings, etc.). DON’T make a new doc for each meeting of that committee. Name it well, so you know what it is for!

Step 3:

Go to “Add-Ons” and “Get add-ons” and search for “Table of Contents” on the Chrome Store. (You will only have to do this the first time. Every other time, you will just select “Table of Contents” under the “Add-ons” menu).

**Accept the terms so you will be able to use it.**

Step Four:

Once you have the Table of Contents open in the sidebar (check the little box that says “Always open for this document”), add the date of the meeting and make sure to select “Heading 1”. Then you can go back to “Normal” text for all your notes.

Step 5:

Always add new dates and notes to the top of the doc instead of scrolling to the bottom. Your most recent notes should be the first you see. If you have something important you need to reference easily later, change that to “Heading 2 or 3” and it will appear in the Table of Contents as well.

 

Step 6: THE BEST PART

Share the notes with others! Everyone can reference the same notes, take notes in the same document, and add agenda items before, during, or after the meeting! You can also have one person take the notes and everyone else can just listen and participate!

So easy and once you get used it, you will never go back! Now what to do with all those notebooks?….

More Tips and Tricks!:

-Take notes on almost any device! I prefer a Chromebook if I know I will have a table or desk to place it on. Otherwise, my iPad Mini has the Docs app and works just great!

-Choose a pretty font to make you happy during those long meetings! Change it up when you get bored! (Get more fonts by getting the “Fonts” add-on- Good Luck note wasting hours looking at fonts…)

-Make sure to tell those you share with to add the Table of Contents Add-on as well! Just send them right to this blog post!

-Collaborators may complain about losing the shared documents! Have them drag the doc right into their own Drive and put it in their meetings folder! It will be super easy for them to find each time!

–Email Collaborators is a great feature! Once you have shared your doc with the group of people (i.e. We have a Primary House Team that I share notes with.) you can easily email them all at once and direct back to the doc! Go to File (scroll down)- Email Collaborators. You can send to all or just some collaborators and can add the doc itself into the email!