Monday, July 17, 2017

Decisions, Decisions: Classic Vs. New Google Sites

Hi teacher friends,

I have been working on a new way to build parent connection and relations with the NEW Google Sites. Apparently, there is a big difference between classic and new. In the end, I chose the New site layout for various reasons.

In the previous year I had used Google Classroom to provide supports to parents and students at home. After seeing how many parents actually went on Google classroom I decided I needed to change up my tactics a little and try something that would have easier access for parents, family members, and students. Which led me to Google Sites! Yes, there are so many options out there to build friendly sites, especially when NO I am not an expert at web design, but Google Sites just fits with my routine in the classroom.

In my classroom for the last two years I have trained myself on Google Classroom and incorporating 1:1 chrome books into student learning and development with technology. Almost every other day, I or the students would be accessing a google doc, sheets, forms, or slides. Google Sites only seemed the logical choice to connect to programs I am already using on a weekly basis.

WHY CHOOSE NEW

I chose the New Google Sites, not because it was perfect, but because I liked the end results of what I hope it can provide for my students and families. 

1. Each page has a different heading. 
This is great because I co-teach and specialize in one area, literacy (reading, writing, social studies, word study), while my teaching partner teaches in Spanish (math, science, some literacy). I have uploaded how I made cute headings and used Bitmoji in my next post.

2. I can easily upload anything from my drive. 
I have checked it out and am still exploring, but I think parents will be able to click on a doc, slides, sheets, image and it will appear in another tab or window! This means homework helpers (for Eureka), F&P level explanations, or any other upload we place in the pages is easily accessible to the user. 

3. Clean, clutter-free look.
This Google Sites has a clean and clutter free appearance. At the top are the pages and I or a viewer can clearly see the options for where to go on the site. 

So, this is just the beginning. I feel good about my start and although a lot of it has been done through the "guess and check" method my site is heading in the direction I want it to. If you are someone who is checking out the New Google Sites, I hope this "beginner guide" I will be showing helps you in some small way. 

Muchas gracias, 

Haley 



No comments:

Post a Comment