Google Sites

Google Sites is a great tool for the classroom!  After a few tutorials, I was ready to start on my site.  I got the site set up without any problem, but needed some inspiration for the content.  I looked up a few example classroom sites and got an idea of what would be included in an elementary school class website. 

The process of creating pages and editing them was fairly simple.  With a little practice, the navigation became easier and adding additional content was actually fun.  I was able to set up a classroom site with a home page, a subpage for personal information about myself and a subpage for how to contact the teacher.  Then I set up an Assignments page in  "announcement" form and added a few posts.  I set up and Important Dates to Remember page, where I added a classroom calender from my Google Calendars.  Then I added a Reading List in "lists" form. 

I added a link to the Reading List to the Home page so it would show a quick view on the opening page.  I also added a link under the Reading List on the Home page to a "Recommend Reading List for 4th Graders" of a classics book list on www.commonsensemedia.org.  I also added an image to the Home page and a picture to the About Mrs Goins subpage.

The part I spent the most time on was actually the background.  The atomic learning tutorials showed how to add images and links but did not show how to add a background.  Since it was recommended we start with a blank page, the site was very boring.  Finally I found a tutorial on Youtube on how to add backgrounds.  It was in the "Manage Site" option under the "Open More Options Menu."  It took a few minutes to figure out how to manipulate one thing at a time and add a custom background image.  I could have spent a lot more time working on this part, if I didn't have any other responsibilities.  I definitely enjoyed the designing process.

I could definitely see myself using this app for my classroom in the future, as well as recommending it to other teachers.  I liked the idea of having a page on the school website where all the classroom sites could be accessed.  This would make it so much easier for parents to know each year, as their children progress, where to get the class website.

https://sites.google.com/site/mrsgoinsclass/