What is Google Sites?
Google Sites is an online application that makes creating a team website as easy as editing a document. With Google Sites, you can quickly gather a variety of information in one place — including videos, calendars, presentations, attachments, and text — and easily share it for viewing or editing with a small group, an entire organization, or the world.
How can I use Google Sites in my class?
Wikis and Wiki-like applications like Google Sites provide students with a simple way to author and edit documents, and to collaborate on research and writing. Sites can also server as places to store and serve class materials and link to external resources. Below are a few examples of how Google Sites have been used:
- Resource Web Site: Alaska State Writing Consortium
- Class Web Site: ED 329 SP 2010
- Faculty Information Page: Skip Via’s Faculty Page
- ePortfolio: Helen Barrett’s Professional Portfolio
- Class Materials: Instructional Website (Digital Photography)
Get started using Google Sites
To start using Google Sites sign in with your Google Account (or alaska.edu account). Once you sign in, you can find “Sites” under the “More” drop-down menu, or you can go to http://sites.google.com or https://sites.google.com/a/alaska.edu.
Creating a New Site
Use the red “Create new site” button to create a new Google Site. It will take you to the configuration page where you can name your site, set the URL, chose a theme, and specify sharing options.
Name Your Site: This is the title for your site and will be the text that appears in the banner at the top of your pages. You can change the title at any time.
Site Location: This builds the URL (web address) for your site. Whatever you decide to use, be sure that it is easy to type and spell. This makes sharing and navigating to your Site easier. You CANNOT change this, so be sure and check spelling.
Select Theme: Click this option to change the appearance of your Site’s pages. You can change the theme whenever you wish.
Share With: Who can see your site? This setting allows you to open your site only to invitees, to the UA network, or to the world. While you are building your site, you may want to restrict access to only those to whom you give access. You can change the sharing settings at any time.
Clicking the red Create button again will create your site based on your preferences. You can now begin building content into the site. You can start by editing the Homepage.
Editing Pages
Begin editing any page by clicking the pencil icon located to the top-right of each page of your site.
The Edit Screen will open and you can begin making changes.
Tool Menu: The 4 options in the Tool Menu are all very powerful. There are numerous options for importing, displaying, and laying out information available here and it is worth the time to familiarize yourself with the options.
Formatting Menu: The tools in this menu allow you to control the appearance of text and alignment of objects on your page. The Hyperlink Tool is available here, which allows you to make text and images clickable.
Page Title: This is the title that will appear below the site banner and above the main content of the page.
Content: This is the meat and potatoes of your page. The information you want to display to viewers should be placed here. You can place text, images, audio, video, tables and more. Refer back to the Tool Menu to see the various types of objects you can include on your page.
SAVE you changes before navigating away from the edit screen. The SAVE button is in the upper-right corner of the page when you are editing
Adding Pages
Adding new pages to your site is easy. Look for the New Page icon, click it and begin editing your new page.
Provide a title for your page, specify a type of template you would like to use, then Click the red CREATE button at the top of the page to create the page.
After you have customized your new page, you will have the opportunity to add content to the page. Save your changes when you are finished. Google Sites will automatically manage your site navigation and add new pages you create. You can also customize the navigation.
Editing your Site’s navigation is easy. Start by clicking the Edit Sidebar link from any of the pages on your site.
You will see a page where you can edit a number of site features. To edit the Navigation, use the EDIT button, next to Navigation.
Sharing Your Site
Resources
- Skip Via’s podcasts (iTunes U)
- Quick Look at Google Sites
- Video tutorial Google Sites Help
- Sites created by other UA users
- Embedding
- Podcast: The Power of Embedding
- Podcast: Google Presentation to Google Sites
- Podcast: YouTube Video to Google Sites
