Koppelberger_Google+Sites


 * Topic: //Google Sites// **
 * Presenter: Katelyn Koppelberger **

I'm a social studies teacher for 5th, 6th, and 7th grade at the Falcon Academy of Creative Arts in Brimfield, OH. This is my third year at FACA and my fifth year teaching. I also coach our school's three Destination Imagination teams and direct the annual school musical. I live in Copley, Ohio with my husband who is also a University of Akron student and our two cats Schrodinger and Sigmund.

**Project Description:** You might think web design in the classroom just isn’t for you. Maybe you aren’t a digital native. Maybe the students are more tech savvy than you are. Google sites are a free and beginner friendly way to create websites. You do not need to know HTML to make a Google Site. It is a simple, user-friendly tool that anyone can use in their classroom.

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// **How to Use Google Sites:** //

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// **Content uses of this technology:** //

Can be teacher created as a classroom website, webquest, or as a platform for delivering content.

Example:

My sixth grade social studies students worked in small groups to create websites on the origins of Judaism. We had just finished that unit in our books and I wanted a way for students to look back at the unit and pull out the important information and have something they could save so that they could compare Judaism to the other world religions we would study later in the year. I also wanted them to collaborate with their classmates and set their own goals. The guiding question I asked the students at the start of the project was simply “What are the origins of Judaism?” We discussed how we could divide up the information (by topic, lesson, etc…) but I let the individual groups pick how and had them set goals each day for how much they wanted to get done. If there was a group member who was familiar with website making, I let that person teach their group how to create the site. In groups where no one had made a website before, I taught them how to create one in Google.

There were a few bumps in the road as we worked on the websites. Some days it felt like I was their IT guy and not their teacher. None of that mattered when they presented their sites. Looking at them you would not believe that the week prior many of the students had never made a website before. The websites looked great and most importantly they had all of the information I had wanted them to find. The best part was that the students were so engaged that they did not realize they were basically summarizing information in their textbooks. On the day we presented one of my students looked at me and said “Mrs. K, this is great! Who else would let us make websites?” They really thought they were doing something cool. Student Examples:

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 * // Standards: // **


 * NETS-S 1: Creativity and Innovation **

Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students:


 * apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.
 * create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
 * use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues.
 * identify trends and forecast possibilities.


 * NETS-S 2: Communication and Collaboration **

Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students:

contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems. Standards taken from: []
 * interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
 * communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
 * develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures.

** // Pedagogical Considerations for this technology. // ** // Using google sites engages students and improves their technology skills. Being able to create products and publish online is a skill students need to compete in today’s world. // // Teacher webpage example: // [|//https://sites.google.com/a/googleclassrooms.org/mrs-richau/Home//]

// School club webpage example: // [|//https://sites.google.com/a/googleuniversity.org/ski-club/Home//]

Google Sites are FREE!!! All you need is a gmail account.
 * // Where to purchase or acquire: //**

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