Google Sites

     I have used Google Sites for a different class so creating the site was something I was familiar with.  However I ran into problems when it came to inserting my rubric that I created for my Web-Quest activity.  Each time I clicked to insert a spreadsheet for some reason it would insert a video.  I tried to work around this by embedding the rubric into the website using HTML however I found that a box appears and asks for you to click reload.  If you close the box out you can see the rubric but that is still a trouble that shouldn't be present.  I have submitted it to Google and am waiting on a response so I will update my site to fix this bug when a fix is available.  Other than my mentioned trouble I found the Google Sites to be very easy to use and was able to create a website by simply clicking and typing what information I was wanting. 

Educational Technology Website

     After creating this site and using Google Sites on a couple occasions I can see where this would be a great tool to use in the classroom.  For the past year I have been trying to plan out a way to create a site that would allow students to complete work that they have missed as well as keep students who are absent up to date on what they have missed.  With new textbooks this coming school year I am hoping to work on this and have it up and running before long.  Students would be able to answer bonus questions as well as complete some assignments from home with ease.  With what I have previously learned in this course with Google Forms along with the self grading abilities I feel I can create something that the students would enjoy using and at the same time would give them another tool to use in master the content I am teaching them.


NETS-T Standards

As for standards I feel that we have covered the following:

1A- By utilizing this we are having students think outside the box and create something of their own. 

2A- A website promotes the student to design something that shows what their learning experience was.  Not only are we having students design something in theory but a website lets them use digital tools to explore what they have learned and display it.

2C- With students creating their own websites we are allowing them to customize and personalize the learning activity to themselves.  By letting the student customize and personalize it we are adapting to their learning style and letting their true abilities come thru.

2D- A website would allow us as teachers to have another tool to assess student achievement.  Students could create a website as we just did of their completed works and now they have a portfolio that can be assessed to show the learning process.