Get your Google Sites ready for the summer

It's better late than never to start work on your online presence. Google Sites, though not perfect, are a tool of choice because of their integration within other Google Apps. That said, they can be use for far more than a teacher Website. Use them for digital portfolios, newsletters, events, directories, and much more!

And, if you're using them for teacher Websites, why not structure your courses on your site so that they look like touchscreen apps? Many times, I see courses in a traditional drop-down list with a lot of text. While this was common in the early 2000s, most students use a touchscreen device when accessing online content. And...that is not the most effective way of reaching that audience. I've started making my site full of pictorial boxes so they are not only easier to see, but easier to access.

Try out this idea:
Make your page with all of your courses look similar to Google Classroom.

You can make these boxes in Google Drawings and then, just hyperlink each box (see my image map tutorial below) to the correct page. OR...you can take a screenshot of your Google Classroom and insert it in Google Drawings. Then, just draw invisible boxes (see my image map tutorial below) over the squares and hyperlink them to the correct pages. This will make your courses page more visually pleasing while also being more accessible.

Check out my beginner and advanced Google Sites tutorials for more ideas. Thinking of doing portfolios next year with your students? Why not start now?!

Check out fennovation.org for more Googleness!