Your website can be so much more than just one page of general information for parents. ● Share the learning taking place in your classroom through photo albums and embedded or linked projects! ● Have links to great sites for students and their parents! ● Create a virtual file cabinet of important papers for parents! ● Keep your class calendar online for easy updating! ● Put homework in announcements or a calendar ● Use the announcement feature

1. Maximizing Your
Classroom Google Site
Presented by Ann Carnevale
@annmcarnevale
Grade 3, Toffolon Elementary
Plainville Community Schools
August 11, 2015

2. Turning Your Website Into a Useful
Resource
Your website can be so much more than just one page of general information
for parents.
● Share the learning taking place in your classroom through photo albums
and embedded or linked projects!
● Have links to great sites for students and their parents!
● Create a virtual file cabinet of important papers for parents!
● Keep your class calendar online for easy updating!
● Put homework in announcements or a calendar
● Use the announcement feature if you don’t blog or tweet (but really, try
tweeting and blogging!)

3. Creating a Multi Page Site
1. Click the new page button
2. Name the page
3. Select the type of page
4. Choose the page location
Announcements are
information blurbs
separated by date, the
most recent on top.
File Cabinet pages hold
uploaded documents in
any format.
List pages organize lists
of information into
various columns
Start pages allow
viewers to add a
customized set of
gadgets.

4. Linking to Web Resources

5. Adding Photo Slideshows
1. In order to add a photo slideshow to your site, you need
to first upload your images to Picasa Web
(https://picasaweb.google.com/home).
2. Make sure to put them in an album and set the album
properties to “public on the web.” (My Photos →
Actions → Album Properties → Visibility → Public on
the Web). If you don’t set it to public, only you will be
able to see the pictures.

6. Adding Photo Slideshows
3. Navigate to the webpage where you want to place the
slideshow.
4. Click on Insert → Google+ → Photo Album.

7. Adding Photo Slideshows
5. Make sure you are on the Photo Albums tab.
6. Navigate to the photo album you want, click on it, and
then click the Select button.

8. Adding Photo Slideshows
7. Select what size you want your slideshow to be. I
usually choose extra-extra large.
8. If you included captions in your Picasa album, check to
show them when they are on your website.
9. Select whether or not you want the slideshow to begin
playing automatically.
10. Select whether or not you want a border around your
slideshow.
11. Select whether or not to include the title.
12. Click the Save button. It should now be on your page.
13. Save the changes to your webpage, and watch your
show play. Note: You have to be out of edit mode for it
to work.

9. Embedding Google Drive Items
Any item in Google Drive can be
embedded into your Google Site.
1. Navigate to the webpage where
you want to place the item.
2. Click on Insert → Drive → Select
type of item.
3. Navigate to the specific item you
want, and double click on it.
4. The item will now be on your
page.
5. Save the changes to your
webpage. Note: You have to be
out of edit mode to view the
items.

10. Embedding a Calendar
Embedding a calendar works much the same as embedding a slideshow or a
Google Drive item.
First, you need to go to your Google Calendar, and create a new calendar (if you
don’t already have one you plan to use). Make sure that in your calendar
settings, under the option for Share This Calendar, you have it marked to share
with others and as public.

11. Embedding a Calendar
1. Navigate to the webpage where you want to place the
calendar.
2. Click on Insert → Calendar

12. Embedding a Calendar
3. Place a checkmark next to the calendar you want to use,
and click the select button.
4. Save the changes to your
webpage. Note: You have
to be out of edit mode to
view the items.

13. Getting Help
Help videos can be found within Google Sites
by clicking on the training link at the top right
of the window.