Google Sites - how to make it all look better!

Find here a few hints/tips/resources etc. to working with Google Sites.

They might give you some new ideas!

Design tricks:

http://www.googlesiteswebdesign.com/

This site has many outstanding tricks for enhancing your site.

https://sites.google.com/a/googleapps.com/sitesbp/site-development/tips-tricks

This site is pretty awesome, it shows some nice tips, AND people can contribute (using a form!). Just explore!

Menu tricks:

Google sites can have customized menus on the side (and the top). Here is how to do so!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r1QL_5mijI

How to add a horizontal navigation menu bar in detail:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWdImBSF-JM

Gadgets:

You can insert ready-made gadgets via the "insert" -> ".... More Gadgets ...." menu.

They usually are easy to configure, and will display specified content on your pages.

Google also has an extended list of gadgets on the following directory available:

http://www.google.com/ig/directory?synd=open&cat=all

You can select from their list. Explore and try one or two, so you get the feel of it!

More Embedding tricks:

Many third-party tools exist that can be added to your site. They can display the local weather, run a slideshow, 

show your most recent visitors etc.

Most of them will use "embedded" html code, sometimes in an iFrame.

If you want to try the effect of embedded code before you use it, you can do so at w3schools!

Copy/paste your code, and visit http://www.w3schools.com/

You then can tinker around, and see the results. Pretty slick for testing size, colors, effects etc.

A good site with tips and examples for Widgets/html embeddin etc. is

http://www.steegle.com/websites/google-sites-help

These guys know Google sites in and out.

Take care: a Google search might reveal widgetbox www.widgetbox.com/) , they will stop business March 2014 though.

Another 'take care' issue:

Some widgets and gadgets will not run properly anymore, as Google Chrome now has extra security checks built-in.

They deal with not allowing a mix of https (secure) and http (insecure) sites. Tough to solve right now.

Working with Safari for those gadgets will not show the errors. 

Google Site Examples (good ones!)

https://sites.google.com/site/arvidaok/

A great 'teacher' site: uses blog (announcement entries) in 2 diff. ways 

http://www.konini-primary.school.nz/

An example (slick!) of a schools website

https://sites.google.com/site/dieselandmerlot/

Nice banner, simple design

https://sites.google.com/a/medinacommunityband.org/www/Home

A community site, great startpage with photos

http://www.revue-emulations.net/

Just top-notch! In French, but have a look!

Tutorials:

https://sites.google.com/site/amslerclassroom/sampe-teacher-pages

Great tutorials AND examples

https://sites.google.com/site/mflynchsites/examples-of-google-sites

Great examples AND a great tutorial for all functions as well. 

And of course: we have our subscription to video tutorials at Atomic Learning:

http://www.atomiclearning.com/k12/googlesites

( username = hidden  Password= hidden )

Important Google drive sharing tip

I have seen a few glitches happening with sharing of files and folders with Google Drive.

When somebody changes content in a Google Drive Folder that is shared with you, there is the danger that one deletes/dislocates content for others.

Keep in mind:

Moving a Whole Shared Folder to your "MyDrive" is ok to do

Moving (or deleting) single Folders/Files out of a Shared Folder is NOT ok to do.

I created a graphic below that explains it all in a visual way:

To eliminate possible errors, create Shared folders with View access rights only (as much as possible). 

If you share a folder with your team/students, you might want to consider following option:

Have the Main Folder View for all.

In that main Folder create 2 more folders, one with View and one with Edit access. That way, you keep the View-folder always save!

Good to know:

In case content was deleted, it still lives for a month in the bin (of the one who deleted the stuff).

If content IN a document was deleted, one can go back into the revisions -> and you can restore back in time.

Need a bit more visual help, a quick overview of Google drive perhaps?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SjRH3SImlM

This short video will give you some time-saving tips as well!

Want to learn how to setup Google Drive Sync (keep a synced backup of all your files in MyDrive on your own laptop)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzwDk5JHQw4

This is a recommended step to do!

How to set your Google Chrome to English - forever!

Many of you had/have problems (Chrome popping up in Korean, no matter what you try)

Here is how to set your Google Chrome to English (once and for all!)

It involves 5 steps:

1.

In your Browser, paste the following URL:     chrome://settings/searchEngines

That will open the preferences for search engines

2.

You will see a window that looks like this:

3.

You will need to ADD the English Google option in the lower Box ("Other search Engines")

You can do so in the very last line:

Copy paste (in this order) the following (exactly!) in the 3 boxes:

    Google in English         Google.com                https://www.google.com/webhp?source=ig&hl=en

4.

Now you will have to make this newly added Search Engine your DEFAULT one (so it sticks!)

Scroll in the list, and find the one you just added (look for Google English!)

And then make that the default by clicking the light blue setting when you have your mouse over the last part.

5.

When all went well, the top line in the Window should now look similar to this:

That would do the trick! Close your Browser windows, close Chrome and re-open.

Test it, and be happy!

Of course (!) you need to check the general language settings as well:

Click the advanced settings to see the options:

Check the Language settings, and make sure that English is the top

(and maybe only) choice:

That should do the trick! Make sure that you add the Google browser as

https://www.google.com/webhp?source=ig&hl=en

Only then you will be able to make it the default!

Happy surfing again!

SketchFab - show your 3D model in real 3D on-line

Using Sketch? Want to show your design in 3D? Stunning 3D view? Rotate, zoom, the whole lot? Head over to https://sketchfab.com/ upload your object and try it out! The service has a free option (small ads, no big deal) and would be great to use for showing some objects, the results of a class project etc. They made a Video explaining the features. Here is an example of an embedded 3D model (uploaded and hosted on Sketchfab)   

Maison d'artiste from Klaas Nienhuis on Sketchfab.

Newsela: a promising new startup -> supporting ESOL readers

Newsela is a new kid on the block (in Beta). It's free (so far). It allows teachers to create classes (upon signing up as a teacher one will get a "classcode"), and students can join the classes created.

Lessons are based on news articles and one can select different reading levels (lexile based).

Quizzes can be attached to news articles, and there is a "gradebook" management tool available (linked to Common Core standards)

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="525"] Class/Student management[/caption]

Best is to try this out, and see if you like it. This startup company has hit the press a lot already, and funding is secured. Free for now, that might change later (you know that pattern)

2 great collaboration and advanced Clicker Apps for the iPad

Many of you - who did not yet! - are using Socrative, the easy to use web solution

on www.socrative.com to create quick polls, quizzes for a class, where students can use 

any device (laptop, mobile, iPad etc.) to answer the questions.

If you want a bit more than just a quick polling, there are now 2 more - pretty advanced - solutions to go for,

NearPod and LectureTools. Both are free (as is Socrative), and allow to create (or use existing)

rich lesson content. Students can add notes and opinions, and you can test their skills.

NearPod (www.nearpod.com)

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/nearpod-teacher/id523540409?mt=8

"Design enriched multimedia presentations and course materials with the Nearpod Content Tool – simply upload a pdf and add interactive features such as quizzes, polls, videos, drawing activities and more" 

Nearpod uses a 4 step tool set:

and

LectureTools

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lecturetools/id521133554?mt=8

"LectureTools is a student response system that also allows students to take notes linked with the slides and videos presented in class, answer instructor generated questions and pose questions to the instructor. All notes, questions and activities are instantly synchronized with the LectureTools web application. It could be used as an advanced "clicker system" 

Somebody states: "iPads in class: now it's a no-brainer"

Well, we are getting there, no doubt. It is still a teacher who needs to create the content,

and those new tools have not developed any sharing facilities yet. Socrative allows

to share tests and quizzes, but there is no search function. Let's keep mentioning that

to those developers. Teachers want to collaborate too!

Marcel Ideler

Chadwick International

IT Integration

3D design ideas

Using Macbooks and iPads, students at Kings Christian College in Australia (Grade12) did some terrific work: they planned parts of their school.

See the amazing results here at their Tech Blog Website;  http://kingscc.it/students-designing-classrooms

(and, while you are at it, they have more great examples of students work on-line. That's what you get at an established 1:1 Mac school, that is even being recognized as an Apple Distinguished School all-together!)

Here an overview of the Software they used:

Archicad

https://www.myarchicad.com/

Free versions available for Students & Teachers

Artlantis Studio

http://www.artlantis.com

3D rendering software (Mac, free for educators and students)

iVisit 3D

iPad 3D viewing of Artlantis objects

Alternatives:

It would be also possible to use Google Sketchup (Pro), as is has a plugin for the Artlantis rendering software.

And having discovered this: I was asked to help find possible Tech options for an Art project: creating a virtual museum, that can showcase students work from 2 different campuses (as it's the case here at Chadwick International). Way to go???