Creating a Classroom Web Page Using Google Sites. Max Brandenberger. August 2 or August 8, 2012

Transcription

1 Creating a Classroom Web Page Using Google Sites Max Brandenberger August 2 or August 8, 2012 Environmental Consideration As a consideration to the environment, I m not going to print these instructions for you. The entire set of instructions is accessible on the Internet at You may, if you wish, download and print these instructions from the website at a later time. However, they are long and contain a lot of pictures, which may or may not print correctly. I encourage you, if you need the instructions, to open them in a separate tab and switch back-and-forth between them and your site as you are using them. Additionally, I may make edits or corrections to this document after class, which will be instantly available on the website. Thank you for your cooperation.

2 Background All employees of Seguin ISD now have access to the district s Google applications, among these are Google Docs (Drive) and Google Sites. Google Docs allows you to create, save, and share text documents, spreadsheets, presentations (Powerpoints), etc., from any browser, anywhere in the world. Google Sites is similar to Google Docs, but it allows you to easily create your own web page. The purpose of this session is to show you how to create and maintain your own Google Site for your classroom. Access to SISD s Google Realm If you have already accessed Seguin ISD s Google Docs, then you may skip this section and proceed with logging in to Google Sites. If you have not accessed SISD s Google Docs, then follow the instructions below, or access them at Accessing SISD s Google Docs (or Sites) for the First Time You will need your employee ID number from TEAMS in order to log into Google Docs (or Google Sites) for the first time. This is NOT the same employee ID number that is your password from teams! Please follow the steps below to obtain your employee ID number. 1. Navigate to 2. Log in the way you normally log into TEAMS. 3. Once you have logged in, please click on the My Personal Information link at the column on the right side of the screen. 4. Once you have clicked on the My Personal Information link, look at the ID number at the top, left-hand side of the page. Write down this number. You will need it to access SISD s Google Docs site for the first time. 5. Go to 6. Your username is the same one that you use to log in to any of the school s systems. 7. Your password is the employee ID number you just retrieved from TEAMS in steps 1-4 above. 8. Once you log in, you will have to agree to terms of use, and you will be required to change your password. Change it to something you will remember, such as your normal school password plus your initials.

3 Signing In to SISD s Google Sites 1. Navigate to or 2. Log in using your SISD username and Google Docs password. 3. When you get logged in, you will be at your Google Docs main screen. At the top of the page, click on Sites to go to Google Sites. Creating A Site 1. Now that you re logged in, click on the big red Create button to create your site. 2. Next, to select a template, click Browse the gallery for more.

4 3. Next, choose Schools and Education. 4. Choose Simple and Easy Teacher Site. 5. Click Preview Template.

5 6. Click Use Template. 7. Name your site. Use a name that is easy for students and parents to recognize (I use Mr. B. Science). 8. Click create.

6 9. Congratulations, you have a web page. Change sharing settings to make your site visible on the web. 1. Click on Share. 2. Click Change.

7 3. Click Public on Web, and Save. 4. Click here to return to your site.

8 Navigating and Editing Your Site 1. Click the Pencil button to edit your page. 2. Now you get a toolbar and you can edit the page like a Word document.

9 3. After you make changes be sure to hit the Save button. Edit your About the Teacher page. 1. From the Home page, click on About the teacher & contact info link below the schoolhouse. 2. Click the Pencil button to edit the page. 3. Make edits to the page just like a Word document. Replace text, add a photo, change colors, etc. 4. Remember, this is the page that parents will see to make contact with you, so make sure you include the address and phone number where you want to be contacted. 5. When you are finished, click the Save button. Changing the Page Type For each of your pages (You currently have a Home page plus 5 sub-pages: About, Curriculum, Newsletters, Homework Calendar, and Resources and Favorite Links.) you can change the type of page. Here are some of the kinds of pages you can have and what I know about them: Web Page A general information page. The About the Teacher page is a web page. Announcements File Cabinet An Announcements page is like a blog where you can make new entries without changing or editing the entire page. A place for you to put files for people to download. There are a few other types of pages but the ones above are what we will use. Next, we will go to the Curriculum page and change it to an Announcements page so you can use it as a blog for your daily lessons. 1. From the Home page, click on the link for the Curriculum page.

10 2. Once you re on the curriculum page, click on the More button and select Page Settings. 3. Where it says Currently using page template File Cabinet, click Change. 4. Click the menu and change to Announcements and click the check box, then click Change.

11 5. Click the pencil button to edit the page. 6. Change the name of the page from Curriculum to Daily Lesson Blog. 7. If you wish, you can write an introduction to the page...maybe something about how this is where you will record information about your lessons every day. 8. When you are finished, click Save. 9. Now let s create your first lesson blog post. Click on New Post. 10.Change the title...i usually use the day s date. Then you can type an explanation of your lesson. 11.If you want to attach a file, click on the Add Files button. It will then let you select a file to upload. 12.If you want to insert a document that is one of your Google Documents, click Insert then choose Document. Then you can choose the document from a list of your Google Documents. NOTE: If you want to share one of your Google Docs, you must change the permissions on the doc to Anyone who has the link can view. 13. When you are finished with your blog post, click Save. If you want to save it but not post it yet, click Save Draft. Changing the Calendar 1. Click on the Homework Calendar link from your home page. 2. Click on the pencil button to edit the calendar page. When you click the edit button, the calendar disappears and a placeholder appears. 3. The calendar that s here is not yours, so highlight the placeholder. When you do, a little box pops up. Click on the X to delete the calendar. 4. Pull down the Insert menu at the top of the page, then click Calendar. 5. Select the calendar that is yours (mine is bbrandenberger@seguin.k12.tx.us) then click on the select button. 6. Delete the red text at the top because that is just instructions to you from the template maker.

12 7. Click on the save button. 8. To access your calendar, click on the calendar link from your Google Docs page, or go to /calendar.google.com/a/seguin.k12.tx.us. Anything you put on this calendar will show up on the one on your web page, so make sure you re putting public info such as test dates, assignment due dates, etc. Accessing Your Website 1. To get the web address for your website, click on the Share button from your home page. 2. The address is at the top where it says Link to Share. For example, mine is 3. You can use this address and share it with your students and their parents. However, it is long. You could shorten it using a URL shortener such as 4. To shorten it, highlight and copy the address of your home page. 5. Navigate to 6. Paste in your long address, then enter something shorter for your new address. 7. So now, my web page address is Yours will be xxxx. The xxxx of course will be replaced with whatever you decide to call it. Remember, Tinyurl is open to anyone on the internet, so someone may have already used what you want to call your website and you may have to be creative to find something unique. KEEP IT SHORT...that s the whole point of tinyurl.