I choose Google Sites as the platform for my website. I have previously used Google Sites and found it to be very user-friendly. In addition, the school that I work for uses the Google Suite for Education, so it made sense to practice using this application.
Link to website: https://sites.google.com/wgu.edu/rcraigwguwebsite/home
Steps:
1. To begin, log into www.google.com and make sure you are signed in to your Google account.
2. Then click on the waffle in the upper right-hand corner. This is a series of nine dots. Once you click on the waffle, it will drop down several google applications, scroll down to Sites, and click to open.
3. From the Sites home page, click on the blank plus sign to create a new website.
4. Here you will begin the creation process, give your website a name. Click inside the labeled text box and type. I titled mine "Website Portfolio – TDT1"
5. Next, create the pages that you want for your website. On the right-hand side, click on the pages tab and then the plus sign at the bottom of the column. A box will open asking you to name the page. I created three additional pages and named them – printed instructional materials, graphic instructional materials, and multimedia instructional materials.
6. The navigation links for each page runs across the top of the website. However, to increase the website's usability, I added navigation buttons in the footer of the page. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the edit footer. From the Insert tab on the right, I choose the layout with the four images. I created the images for each button in PowerPoint and then uploaded the image by clicking on the plus sign, uploading the image, then linking the image to each page that I had already created.
7. The structure of my website is now built, and it is time to add a theme. On the right-hand side, click on the Theme tab, then choose the best option for your website. I chose diplomat. I decided to go with a blue and red color scheme. As I teach U.S. History, this color scheme was fitting.
8. On the home page, I added a text box to include the purpose of my website and an image. Use the Insert tab on the right, choose a layout for the text box using the options presented. I chose a design to accommodate both the text and an image. Finally, I typed in my information and uploaded a photo of Western Governor's University.
9. You can add hyperlinks to external web resources. Highlight the text to be linked, click on the link icon and then paste the URL to the external website.
10. To help the readability of this text box, I clicked on the paint pallet on the left side of the text box and chose Emphasis 1.
11. For this assignment, I chose a Back to School theme. I again added a text box using the insert tab on the right and choose a layout to include this information. Additionally, I clicked on the paint pallet on the left side of the text box and chose Emphasis 1.
12. To preview that all elements look satisfactory, click on the preview button at the top right of the page. Next, hover over the image of the computer screen, and "preview" will be highlighted. This step allows the creator to make sure all elements look good and work well on every type of device.
13. Finally, publish the website. Click on the blue publish button on the top right of the screen. Be sure to keep a copy of the URL. I also made sure that the website was public so anyone could access it.