Template Instructions

Etc

So far we've covered the basics that you need to get your site functional. You should give yourself several weeks to a month or more before your class to fill out all the assignments, study questions, and links to other materials. Once you've done that, there is no end to artistic elaboration you can do on your site. Here are some ideas on other things you can do.

Change the Appearance of your Site

Choice of content, logic of arrangement, and development of narrative text are key elements in creating an effective Google Site. In addition, there are a number of ways to personalize the site and to create additional interest and impact.

Theme

· There are six themes from which to select. Click on the Themes tab in the right hand panel to view the color palettes and the font styles. These selections will establish the basic ‘look’ of your site.

· The theme may be changed at any time.

Header Enhancements

Although the selected theme will be reflected throughout the site, including all page headers, customization is still possible.

· Change the size of the header by selecting Header Type from: Banner (default), Large Banner, Cover, and Title Only.

· Change the header title’s font and size by selecting Title Type from: Title (default), Heading, Subheading, Small, and Normal Text.

· Replace the Theme default background by clicking on Change Image and either Upload an image/background or Select from the Google options.

Note: If you would like to use the same background on all page headings, insert it on the Home Page and then add pages AFTER. All subsequent pages will continue that header image. (Of course, they can easily be changed as needed.)

Section Enhancements

· Highlight the section. To the left will appear an artist’s palette. Click on the icon and you will see a drop-down menu, Section background, with the following options:

· Regular – no change

· Emphasis 1 – lightly shades the section’s background

· Emphasis 2 – inserts a background color based on your original choice of theme

· Image – allows Uploading or Selecting from the usual Google options.

· Text within the section is also changeable by highlighting and selecting from: Title, Heading, Subheading, Small and Normal Text (default).

Change the Page Names

The template that was sent to you named the pages as Week 1, Week 2, etc. You might want to change the names to the specific dates of those classes, so that Week 1 becomes September 15, etc. To do that, go to the panel on the right and click the Pages tab. Double click Week 1, and you should be able to change the name to September 15, or whatever you like. Repeat for subsequent weeks.

If you want to be radical, you don't have to have a different page for each week. You could put all the assignments on the Home page (if they're short) and use the different pages for other background information (see Bruce Parks' Ulysses course below). Just be careful that it doesn't turn into a confusing mess.

Put Your Zoom Link on the Home Page

If the Zoom link is on the home page, students just need to go to your site and click the link to enter class. This might reduce the number of frantic calls from students saying that they can't find the link.

Organize your Google Drive

If you put a lot of stuff in your Google site, your Google drive can quickly become unwieldy. Organize your stuff. Put all the images and pdfs that you will use on your site into a folder on your drive. Maybe have 10 subfolders, one for each class, or use a naming convention to start the filename with the class number/web page number in which it will be used. Be careful not to have multiple copies of the same file.

Take Inspiration from Other SGLs

Scott McKnight's elegant, single page site: Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Global Economy

Terry Lee's single page site: Can Journalism in 2020 be Fair and Truthful? You Decide.

Emiliano Gutierrez-Popoca's site with syllabus attachment as a document, as well as slides, audiobook and Zoom recordings each week: The Remains of the Day

Len Aberbach's site with attached syllabus, and study questions and additional readings each week: The Odyssey

Amy King's lovely, engaging site. : https://sites.google.com/amyking.me/makingitalians/home Note the Weekly Assignments structure and the Recommendations page.

Cecilia Dunoyer's site with large beautiful graphics and links to Youtube music: Claude Debussy et Maurice Ravel

Quinn and Susan Rosefsky's site with beautiful graphics and focus on study questions: Ted Talks: Ideas You Can't Ignore

Margaret Mukherjee's Folk Art: Exploring our Treasures. Note the impressive graphics and the use of "embedded" YouTubes, documents and websites.

Nancy Alimansky's Friendship and Betrayal: How Four Great Rivalries Fueled Modern Art. Nancy also makes use of embedded documents and videos.

Jeff Kichen's well organized site on Reinhold Niebuhr. Note the Welcome Video on his home page, and the banner to announce updated content

Rachel Stephen's site on Race and Reunion. Note the Media, etc. page for supplemental readings and videos

David Rattner's well organized site on Value Based Health Care.

Bruce Parks' Searching for Shakespeare: Discovering the Man Behind the Plays. Note the alternative organization of pages

Bruce Parks' James Joyce's Ulysses, with another use of alternative pages.

Ruth Ezra's Art History at the Virtual Museum. Note the use of striking fonts and many embedded graphics and videos.

Google Sites

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