Having a history of making websites, Google Sites offers you everything that a novice could want without learning how to manipulate code. It is easy to begin new pages and have them become interlinked with each other, move widgets around to easily change page layouts, and add templates or styles to give a unique feel to each site. The biggest thing to note is that since this is part of Google's application suite there is interactivity between everything stored on your Google Drive and the websites you create. This means that all your documents, spreadsheets, and presentations are available to insert directly into your websites.
I'm not sure which was suppose to be correct but the top of the assignment said to make the site on something you know well while the bottom of the assignment said to make a site for a classroom setting. I added pages for both just to be sure. I can easily see Google Sites being used in any classroom that I teach in. It would be a wonderful tool for both students and parents so that everyone can gain access to all the necessary information pertaining to the classroom. Not only can it house homework, or additional help, it can become a portal to promote learning. Linking to sites that students will enjoy but learn from will keep them returning to the class website for more. Parents can keep up with what is due and when as well as know a reliable place to contact their teacher.
While there is always going to be a constant maintenance of the website I feel like it can easily cut some time in other places by giving students and parents access to information that they are contacting you about in the first place. Even so, keeping records online allow you to change due dates on the fly without having to hand out a new syllabus or make them write it down in class. A simple announcement in class is enough to notify and change what needs to be changed. I can only find good things to come from having a classroom website and I'm sure as I continue to think about possibilities more will present themselves.
CPED 5005 - Demo Site
https://sites.google.com/site/tlacped5005/
Bare bones, but you do prove you can develop a wiki site -- which is the point. I think there was a widget requirement, but I will give you grace on that point, as I am pretty confident that you are capable of working a wiki.
ReplyDeleteThanks!