Part One: Gmail and Google Sites Creation/Editing
Google Apps is available with any Gmail account or through a partnership (School or Business) with Google.
In either case an almost limitless amount of educational potential can be found in the small toolbar that graces the upper left corner of every Gmail screen.
GMail
First things first...
Get a Gmail account
1. go to Google's account creation page and fill out the form for an account.
2. After account creation, you may get offers to check out new Google Apps (We will look at Google Buzz in future blog posts).Let's skip this for now.
3. Your Gmail "inbox" screen looks much like other email interfaces, but there is a higher degree of functionality here than in any other provider I have found.
Some features you may can access from this screen (color coded with arrow on picture):
1. Video, Voice, and Text Chat (on left side of screen). The small green camera denotes a webcam is plugged into my machine.
2. Email "Labels" (there are eight already created for you). By clicking on the "6 more" link, you can find the option to create more labels. Mine include "2 be graded" and "Licensure"
3. Contacts (people you have emailed in the past)
4. The option to invite up to 50 friends to gmail.
Google Sites
One Google App that is a union point for the others is Google Sites. Let's take a look at this app first.
Creating Google Sites
Links to your Google Apps can found in the upper left corner of your Gmail account.
1. Click on "More" and choose "Sites" (you may be asked to log in again)
2. Choose "Create Site"
3. You will be given the option to choose from many templetes. For the sake of this blog, we will be using a "blank template". Using the other templates effectively may require skills in the other Google Apps (check this blog for more information on each of the Google Apps).
- Be sure to note your websites address (URL) for future reference. You may want to shorten this URL using a shortening service.
. Your website will be made up of a homepage (this is the screen that appears after you choose "create site" and is the first page visitors will see when they enter your URL in their browser) and other web pages. Let's look at editing your homepage.
Editing Google Sites
Each time you log in to your Gmail account you will find "Sites" in the upper left of your inbox screen. Ypu can also go directly to your web page URL and choose the small "sign in" hyperlink in the bottom left of your page. Either log in method works from any internet-enabled computer anywhere in the world. How cool is that?
1. Choose "Edit Page"
2. Begin making changes to your sites title text ("Home") and body text.
- By using the "insert" feature, you can include a vast array of features, documents, and gadgets in your web pages. Many of these features utilize other google apps.
3. Be sure to click the "Save" button when changes are complete.
To create a new page for your site choose "Create Page"
1. Choose from the templates here depending on the function of your new page.
2. If you want your page to appear on the navigation bar on the homepage, choose "Put page at the top level"
3. Edit your new page as you want.
Be sure to click "Save" when you are done editing.
Notes:
- When inserting Google Documents and Gadgets, they will appear as a gray box until you save your edits.
- Contact your technology facilitator or the author for help with any step in this process.
Check back for...
Part Two: Creating and Inserting Google Forms (for student information collection and assessment).
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