Today I set up the template for team management sites to be run by editorial coordinators to support the collaboration of the team.  They double as the EC's "Individual Website" assignment. 

The site template was created with a fundamental set of integrated tools -- for instance, navigation bar links back to Blackboard and Coms 463 pages.  I even gave editorial coordinators some extra options they could choose. 

In spite of much debate and experimentation with other forums, it seems that Blackboard Group Pages Discussion is the best forum for teams' discussion to occur.  Google Sites does not have a feature that parallels the functionality we need:  threaded discussion that shows messages with replies indented under threads; subscription to the message board only; privacy; an archive that cannot be accidentally or maliciously erased; and student/instructor access.