Thinking of creating your own classroom website? Google Site is an amazing FREE platform where you can easily create a website visible to anyone online. This is a great way for teachers to create a fun website.
My school currently has its own website platform, but Google Sites is easier to use and can be more interactive. It integrates well with other Google applications, making it easy to publish resources.
SETTING UP YOUR GOOGLE SITE
Worried you’re not a tech savvy? Google Site is very easy to use! Google Site works in a grid that allows you to insert multiple elements and easily move them around. Snap items into place to align them. You will create and edit your site directly from your Google Drive. Once your site is published, anyone on the web can see it. I have some tutorials that can walk you through setting up your site.
WHAT CAN I ADD ON MY GOOGLE SITE?
Almost anything!!!! You can insert photos, text, videos directly from YouTube, a slideshow to your Google Drive, survey forms, handouts, a class schedule, and more. The good thing about this is that all the elements will be interactive. This means that if you add a choice board slideshow, students can click the links directly from your site! Click here to see a sample site.
DOES THERE HAVE TO BE SOME NEGATIVES?
The pretty fonts and colors we all love… no it will be added to a Google site. There are only a few themes to choose from that slightly change the font throughout your site. There is very little leeway to change the fonts on each page. However, there is always a catch! You can create separate images with your own fonts and colors and then upload them to your site. You can add custom headers and buttons to make your site more fun, like the my farm sampler. Even add PDFS or slideshows directly. Check out my Google Site decorating kit here.
GOOGLE SITE VS GOOGLE CLASSROOM?
They are two separate things! Your Google site is just a generic website. This is a great site to send to parents and to use as a home base for your classroom. You can easily link to other important websites and information. Google Site is not a way to send personal assignments to students; to do this, use Classroom. Classroom will allow you to send files to each student. You can view student work and grade assignments through Classroom. The good thing is that you can share the link to your Google Classroom, or even specific assignments on your class site. Use Google Site to better organize items. This will make it easier for students to use both platforms.
WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?
You can even create digital escape rooms or webquests using Google Sites. . Creating a site is free, so you can create multiple sites in your unit. My students even created their own sites as part of their Genius Hour projects. They loved sharing their own website with family and friends. This is a great way for students to share information and demonstrate their learning. Students can even create an online portfolio, club website, extra help site, and more. The options are truly endless!
If you have any questions about Google Sites, please contact me. I’ve been using Google Sites for 6 years and am happy to help in any way!
See my Google Farmhouse site kit here.
See my Google brights site kit here.
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