In CATCHsystem Sites are important. We believe there are 4 main types of Sites; Websites, Blogs, Wikis, and Social Networks. We strongly believe students and teachers should be able to understand how they all work and be to create their own.
Websites were great when the public first got hold of them. You could go to the site of your favorite business or organization and read what they had to say. Blogs came along and added a layer of interaction. You could go to your favorite authors blog site, leave a comment, and they might respond back! Wikis have become popular because you could interact and change what's there. Social Networks are king because they combine all of these elements in to one, with a level of socializing not yet seen.
A great starting point for understanding how Sites work and how to create one is Google Sites. As we covered in Gmail for Students, Google Calendar for Students, and Chat for students, a Google Site should be a part of every students' technology toolbox.
A Google Site could be the place for students to keep all of their activity logged and stored. Instead of having students create a paper notebook that can be torn, lost, or constantly kept up with, a Google Site exists digitally in the cloud. That way it can be stored and accessed anywhere there's and Internet connection.
Teachers should learn to create a site for their own classroom to post assignment, mention project due dates, and communicate other important information to parents. It should also be used to store and show off students work!
Teachers can keep links to all student pages within their site and have pages that highlight and celebrate student work and achievements!
To get started, view this short tutorial and then head over to the Google Sites Channel for more helpful videos.
