Episode 9: Envision Your Classroom with Sites:
Add Context, Content, and Clarity to Your LMS
featuring Jared and Kari Wall

SHOW DATE: October 8, 2018

SUMMARY: In this episode we discuss how to effectively use Google Sites in the classroom to keep students informed, provide content, praise, and accessibility to your LMS.

SHOW NOTES:
News and Notes:
Like us and share us on facebook and twitter. Leave us feedback on the itunes store! Send us an email with feedback.
The first person to respond to our flipgrid in the show notes with an idea for show discussion in the future or just a comment or a way you are using technology in the classroom will receive a free gift bag from Wall Edtech with some goodies! You must mention episode 9 in your comments! Any comments may be used in one of our upcoming episodes! Here is the link to our Flipgrid: https://flipgrid.com/b0eab2bd.
Google shortcuts is something we used ALOT this week!
. (shares)
qq (density of files on your screen)
n (renames a file)
s (stars a file)
a (drops down the menu)
Z (opens a window for convenient moving of files by selecting the new location rather than dragging and dropping around in your folders)
Louisiana Digital Citizenship Symposium being sponsored by WBR parish at PAHS today (Monday, October 8) from 8am -3pm
Check out the WBR website @ wbrschools.net for more information

Technology Tools & Trends
Transferable skills: When you have students using technology in your classroom, the skills they learn from that activity can be used in other areas as well
Google Tools (docs, slides, sheets): Microsoft (Word, PowerPoint, Excel)
Navigating tabs on the web browser
Pinning tabs on the web browser
Online research

Question: How can we use Google Sites in the classroom?
Why Google sites?
Easy to use
Easily add all google features, youtube videos, PDFs, buttons, images, etc.
Reformats automatically for tablets and phones
Security
Can only share with your students or people who are in your domain
Updates often
Customizable with your images, colors, themes, format, header/logo banner, etc.
Why have a classroom website?
You must think through the content you want the website to include: you need to have a clear vision for the purpose of your website.
Every LMS we have used (moodle, Google Classroom, Schoology) fails at ease of use and organization of materials. Students are constantly asking where the activity is!
What do you your students need access to on a regular basis?
This leads to things you and your students frequently use.
What do you need to include on your website?
Objectives
Agendas
Links to activities in the LMS
Class syllabus
Calendar with due dates
Page to display student success
Information relevant to your content
Leaderboards (if using gamification)
What we use on our sites
Google slides
Auto update
Use for classroom daily agendas and objectives
Allows for direct links to activities and resources in your LMS or the web
Keeps a running record of your agendas for absent students to refer to.
Google Sheets
Use to embed lists of groups, roles, historical list of activities with links, etc.
Google Drawings
Images of student accomplishments
Images with links to other sites we use
Google Forms
Embed directly in your site for student frequently used forms
Site Links
Sidebar of important resources for your class
Google Calendar
Update with activities, due dates, and events

Next on Wall to Wall Podcast: Lesson Learned: How to teach life lessons through technology