APPENDIX. Using Google Sites. After you read this appendix, you will be able to:

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1 APPENDIX B Using Google Sites Objectives After you read this appendix, you will be able to: 1. Create a New Site 2. Manage Your Sites 3. Collaborate on a Shared Site The following Hands-On Exercises will help you accomplish the appendix objectives: Hands-On Exercises EXERCISES SKILLS COVERED 1. Creating a New Site Step 1: Create Your First Web Page Step 2: Add Content to Your Page Step 3: Add Another Web Page 2. Managing Your Sites Step 1: Create an Additional Site Step 2: View and Edit Site Information Step 3: Delete a Page Step 4: Delete a Site 3. Collaborating on a Shared Site Step 1: Share a Site with Others Step 2: View Group Activity Step 3: Be Notified of Group Activity Appendix B of Introduction to Google Apps: Productivity Apps, First Edition, Michael Miller. Copyright 2012 by Pearson Education, Inc. Published by Pearson Prentice Hall. All rights reserved. 1 Z02_MILL5187_01_SE_APPB.indd 1

2 Objective 1 Create a New Site Google Sites Google s website creation and hosting service, designed specifically for business and group collaboration. What is Google Sites? Google Sites is a way to create both individual and group web pages and websites. You can use Google Sites to create a single personal web page or a website for your business, community group, or family. Google Sites shines in its collaborative features; it s a great way to work on group projects online. How does Google Sites work? Google Sites is all about web page creation, which you do with a simple fill-in-theform interface. Enter some basic information, make a few choices, and you ve created your first Google Sites page. Once you ve created your first web page, it s equally easy to create more and thus generate an entire website. It s also easy to open that website to authorized collaborators, who can then edit the site s pages, add their own content, and share web-based assets. What are Google Sites templates? With Google Sites, a template provides a head start on creating certain types of websites. A template not only defines a visual style but also provides content modules designed for specific applications. For example, the Classroom site template is designed for teachers to use in their classrooms; it includes content modules for Recent Announcements, Homework Assignments, Class Calendar, and the like. To whom is Google Sites targeted? Google is targeting Google Sites at the collaboration market businesses and organizations that need a central space on the web to collaborate on group projects. Google Sites is not designed for large commercial or e-commerce websites. A Google Sites page or site can serve as the home base for small projects, with each group member contributing content as necessary. How much does it cost to use Google Sites? Google Sites pages are hosted by Google, for free. You get 100MB of file storage in total for site hosting; each site can hold an unlimited number of pages. How much can you customize a Google site? While Google Sites offers a small degree of customization, it does not offer the full range of customization features available when you design your own website from scratch. While you can choose from predesigned visual themes and even change the color of individual elements on a page, you cannot edit the page s underlying HTML code. Hands-On Exercises 1 Creating a New Site Steps: 1. Create Your First Web Page; 2. Add Content to Your Page; 3. Add Another Web Page. Use Figures B.1 through B.10 as a guide to the exercise. 2 APPENDIX B Using Google Sites Z02_MILL5187_01_SE_APPB.indd 2

3 Step 1 Create Your First Web Page Refer to Figures B.1 through B.4 as you complete Step 1. You create a Google site one web page at a time. When you create your first web page, you are creating the first page on a Google site. Google Account To create and use a Google site, you must first have a Google account. a. Go to the Google Sites homepage ( sites.google.com ) and log in to your Google account, if necessary. b. Click the Create site button. Click to create a new site Figure B.1 Hands-On Exercise 1, Steps 1a and 1b. You now see the Create new site page. c. Click the template you want to use for this site. (For this example, use the Blank template.) You can choose from several preselected templates on this page, or click the Browse the gallery for more link to view and select from additional templates. If you don t have a specific application in mind, choose the Blank template; you can change templates at a later time. d. Enter a name for your site into the Name your Site box. Google generates the URL for your site based on the name you enter. The URL is in the form yoursitename. Duplicate URLs Sometimes Google tries to assign to your site a URL that is already in use; this is common when building a site from a template. If this is the case, you ll be alerted to this fact when you try to create the site and returned to the Create new site page. Go back to the URL box and enter a more unique URL; this can be as simple as adding some numbers after the URL that Google automatically entered. Hands-On Exercises 3 Z02_MILL5187_01_SE_APPB.indd 3

4 Select template Click to view more templates Enter site name Site URL Figure B.2 Hands-On Exercise 1, Steps 1c and 1d. e. Click the + sign to expand the Choose a theme section and then select a visual theme for your site. Click to expand section Select visual theme Figure B.3 Hands-On Exercise 1, Step 1e. f. Click the + sign to expand the More Options section and then enter a description for your site into the Site description box. g. To make the site fully public, so that anyone can see it, click the Everyone in the world can view this site option. To share the site only with specific collaborators or visitors, click the Only people I specify can view this site option. h. If the site contains mature content, in terms of language or images, check the Mature content box. i. For verification purposes, enter the verification code into the Please type the code shown box. j. Click the Create site button. Google now displays your new empty page. 4 APPENDIX B Using Google Sites Z02_MILL5187_01_SE_APPB.indd 4

5 Click to expand section Enter site description Click to make site publicly visible Click to make site private Click if site contains mature content Enter verification code Click to create site Figure B.4 Hands-On Exercise 1, Steps 1f through 1j. Step 2 Add Content to Your Page Refer to Figures B.5 through B.7 as you complete Step 2. When you create a web page, it is devoid of content. You must then add content to the page. a. Go to the Google Sites homepage. All the sites you ve created are now listed here. b. Click the name of the site to which you want to add content. Click to open site Figure B.5 Hands-On Exercise 1, Steps 2a and 2b. Your empty web page is now displayed, along with a group of editing buttons above the page. Only you, the site creator, see this and other management buttons; regular users see only the page itself. c. Click the Edit page button. Click to add content Figure B.6 Hands-On Exercise 1, Step 2c. Hands-On Exercises 5 Z02_MILL5187_01_SE_APPB.indd 5

6 The page now changes to display two main content modules, or sections the title (labeled Home ) and the body. (Pages based on different templates may contain additional sections.) d. Highlight the title ( Home ) and replace it with your own page title. e. Enter the primary content for this page into the main content module or text box. f. Use the controls on the Formatting toolbar to format the content entered. Additional formatting options are available from the Format menu. g. To switch to a different page layout (two column, right sidebar, etc.), click the Layout menu and select a layout. h. To insert various page elements, including images, links, and Google-specific content modules (Calendar, Document, Map, etc.), position the insertion point where you want the item, click the Insert menu, and select the item to insert. i. When you re done editing your page, click the Save button. The changes you made will now display when you select that page on the main Google Sites page. Formatting toolbar Click to save changes Click to insert page elements Click to format text Click to change layout Page title Primary content Figure B.7 Hands-On Exercise 1, Steps 2d through 2i. Step 3 Add Another Web Page Refer to Figures B.8 through B.10 as you complete Step 3. Seldom do you want a site with just a single web page. So, Google Sites enables you to easily create additional pages for your site. a. Go to the Google Sites homepage. b. Click the name of the site to which you want to add pages. Click to open site Figure B.8 Hands-On Exercise 1, Steps 3a and 3b. Your first web page is now displayed. 6 APPENDIX B Using Google Sites Z02_MILL5187_01_SE_APPB.indd 6

7 c. Click the Create page button at the top of the page. Click to add a new page Figure B.9 Hands-On Exercise 1, Step 3c. This opens the Create a new page page. d. Select a template for this new page Web Page, Announcements (for group announcements), File Cabinet (for holding group files), or List (for tracking group tasks). e. Enter a name for the page into the Name box. f. To organize the new page at the same level as your site s homepage, click the Put page at the top level option. To organize the new page as a subpage on the first level beneath the homepage, click the Put page under Homepagename option. Page Level You have the choice of inserting a new page at the same level of the original page or one level beneath it. Think of this type of website structure like an outline or an organization chart. If the new page is subordinate to the original page, place it at one level below. If the new page is every bit as important as the original page, place it at the same level. However, you probably shouldn t have more than one page at the homepage level; that s confusing to anyone browsing your site. g. Click the Create Page button. The new page is added to your site. You can now add content to the page the same way you added content to your original page just select the page in the sidebar of your homepage and start typing. Select page template Enter page name Click to position same as home page Click to position under home page Click to create page Figure B.10 Hands-On Exercise 1, Steps 3d through 3g. Hands-On Exercises 7 Z02_MILL5187_01_SE_APPB.indd 7

8 Objective 2 Manage Your Sites Can you create more than one Google site? Just as a site isn t limited to a single page, Google Sites doesn t limit you to a single site. You can add more sites to your portfolio at any time. Can you delete pages and sites? Google Sites lets you delete any individual page from a given site. You can also delete entire sites, if need be. This enables you to keep a tight portfolio of sites as your needs change going forward. Hands-On Exercises 2 Managing Your Sites Steps: 1. Create an Additional Site; 2. View and Edit Site Information; 3. Delete a Page; 4. Delete a Site. Use Figures B.11 through B.23 as a guide to the exercise. Step 1 Create an Additional Site Refer to Figure B.11 as you complete Step 1. a. Go to the main Google Sites page. b. Click the Create new site button. c. Follow the steps in exercise 1 to create the first page for the new site and then add content to that page. Click to create new site Figure B.11 Hands-On Exercise 2, Step 1. Step 2 View and Edit Site Information Refer to Figures B.12 through B.17 as you complete Step 2. a. From the main Google Sites page, click the site you wish to view. This opens the homepage of the selected site. 8 APPENDIX B Using Google Sites Z02_MILL5187_01_SE_APPB.indd 8

9 b. Click the More actions drop-down list at the top of the page and then select Manage site. Click to manage site Figure B.12 Hands-On Exercise 2, Step 2b. This opens the Manage site page. c. To view all pages in this site, click Pages in the sidebar. Click the Tree button to view pages in a hierarchical tree structure; click the List button to view an alphabetical list of pages. Click to view all site pages Click to expand level Click to view as a list Click to view as a tree Figure B.13 Hands-On Exercise 2, Step 2c. d. To view and edit information about this site, click General in the Site settings section of the sidebar. Edit settings as necessary and then click the Save changes button. Hands-On Exercises 9 Z02_MILL5187_01_SE_APPB.indd 9

10 Click to save changes Click to view and edit site information Figure B.14 Hands-On Exercise 2, Step 2d. e. To change the layout of the pages in this site, click Site layout in the Site appearance section of the sidebar. Click the Change site layout button and then edit any layout setting as necessary. Click the OK button when done. Click to change site layout Click to view site layout Figure B.15 Hands-On Exercise 2, Step 2e. f. To change the colors and fonts used for this site, click Colors and Fonts in the Site appearance section of the sidebar. Make any changes necessary and then click the Save changes button. 10 APPENDIX B Using Google Sites Z02_MILL5187_01_SE_APPB.indd 10

11 Click to save changes Edit element attributes Select element to change Click to change colors and fonts Figure B.16 Hands-On Exercise 2, Step 2f. g. To use a different visual theme for this site, click Themes in the Site appearance section of the sidebar. Make any changes necessary and then click the Save changes button. Click to save changes Click to change theme Figure B.17 Hands-On Exercise 2, Step 2g. Step 3 Delete a Page Refer to Figures B.18 and B.19 as you complete Step 3. a. From the main Google Sites page, click the desired site. This opens the homepage of the selected site. b. Navigate to the page you want to delete. c. Click the More actions drop-down list at the top of the page and then select Delete page. Hands-On Exercises 11 Z02_MILL5187_01_SE_APPB.indd 11

12 Deleting Pages You can delete pages only from a site that has more than one page. If your site consists of a single page, you cannot delete that page. Click to delete current page Figure B.18 Hands-On Exercise 2, Step 3c. d. When the Delete page dialog box appears, click the Delete button. Click to confirm deletion Figure B.19 Hands-On Exercise 2, Step 3d. Step 4 Delete a Site Refer to Figures B.20 through B.23 as you complete Step 4. a. From the main Google Sites page, click the site you wish to delete. This opens the homepage of the selected site. b. Click the More actions drop-down list at the top of the page and then select Manage site. Click to manage site Figure B.20 Hands-On Exercise 2, Step 4b. This opens the Manage site page. 12 APPENDIX B Using Google Sites Z02_MILL5187_01_SE_APPB.indd 12

13 c. Click General in the Site settings section of the sidebar. Click to display General tab Figure B.21 Hands-On Exercise 2, Step 4c. d. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Delete this Site. Click to delete current site Figure B.22 Hands-On Exercise 2, Step 4d. e. When the Really delete site? dialog box appears, click the Delete button. Click to confirm deletion Figure B.23 Hands-On Exercise 2, Step 4e. Objective 3 Collaborate on a Shared Site Can Google Sites be used for group online collaboration? Like most Google applications, Google Sites is ideal for online collaboration. As a web-based application, group members can access a Google site from any computer with an Internet connection; the members of the group do not all have to be based in the same physical location. How can you use Google Sites for group projects? A Google site can be used to post announcements to group members, host files for group use, and manage to-do lists for group projects. Members of a group can be assigned either Viewer or Collaborator status; a viewer can view content only, while a collaborator can change content on the group site. How can you share files with members of your group? The best way to share files is to create a new page with the File Cabinet template. A File Cabinet page includes buttons for managing files on the site, including Add file, Move to, Delete, and Subscribe to changes. Each file that is uploaded includes View and Download links (Figure B.24 ). Collaborate on a Shared Site 13 Z02_MILL5187_01_SE_APPB.indd 13

14 Click to be notified of changes on this page Click to move selected file to another folder Click to upload new file Click to delete file Click to view file Click to download file Figure B.24 A File Cabinet page on a Google site. How can you manage tasks lists in a group? The best way to use tasks lists is to create a new page with the List template; you then have the choice of creating an Action Items list, Issue List, Unit Status list, or a custom list. A List page includes an Add item button for adding an item to the tasks list; it then lists all tasks for this project ( Figure B.25 ). Click to add new task Figure B.25 An Action Items list page on a Google site. How can you make group announcements? The best way to make announcements to group members is to create a new page with the Announcements template. An Announcements page includes a New post button for creating announcements; it then lists all announcements for members of the group to read ( Figure B. 26 ). Click to create new announcement Prior announcements Figure B.26 An Announcements page on a Google site. 14 APPENDIX B Using Google Sites Z02_MILL5187_01_SE_APPB.indd 14

15 Hands-On Exercises 3 Collaborating on a Shared Site Steps: 1. Share a Site with Others; 2. View Group Activity; 3. Be Notified of Group Activity. Use Figures B.27 through B.31 as a guide to the exercise. Step 1 Share a Site with Others Refer to Figures B.27 and B.28 as you complete Step 1. To share a site with others, you must give individuals permission to view or edit the site and then invite them to collaborate. a. From the main Google Sites page, click the site you want to share. This opens the site s homepage. b. Click the More actions drop-down list and select Site permissions. Click to share the site Figure B.27 Hands-On Exercise 3, Step 1b. This displays the Sharing settings dialog box. c. Enter the addresses of the other group members to the Add people box, separated by commas. d. Click the edit button and select either Can edit (to let these users contribute to the site) or Can view (to let these users view the site content only). e. Enter an optional message to these people. f. Click the Share button. The users you specified will receive an invitation to the site. Once a user has accepted your invitation, he or she will be able to either view or edit the site as specified. Hands-On Exercises 15 Z02_MILL5187_01_SE_APPB.indd 15

16 Select permission level Enter addresses Enter optional invitation message Click to share Figure B.28 Hands-On Exercise 3, Steps 1c through 1f. Step 2 View Group Activity Refer to Figures B.29 and B.30 as you complete Step 2. To keep up-to-date with group activity, you can view all recent changes made to the site. a. From the main Google Sites page, click the site you wish to view. This opens the homepage of the selected site. b. Click the More actions drop-down list at the top of the page and then select Manage site. Click to manage site Figure B.29 Hands-On Exercise 3, Step 2b. This opens the Manage site page. 16 APPENDIX B Using Google Sites Z02_MILL5187_01_SE_APPB.indd 16

17 c. Click Recent site activity in the sidebar. The most recent changes to the site are now displayed. Click to view recent activity Figure B.30 Hands-On Exercise 3, Step 2c. Step 3 Be Notified of Group Activity Refer to Figure B.31 as you complete Step 3. You may want to be automatically notified when a group member makes a change to the site. You can subscribe to receive notifications of all site activity. a. From the main Google Sites page, click the site you wish to view. This opens the homepage of the selected site. b. Click the More actions drop-down list at the top of the page and then select Subscribe to site changes. You will now receive notification when changes are made to the site. Click to receive notification of changes Figure B.31 Hands-On Exercise 3, Step 3. Hands-On Exercises 17 Z02_MILL5187_01_SE_APPB.indd 17

18 Summary In this appendix, you learned how to create a new Google site and add content to that site s pages. You also learned how to manage your Google Sites and use your sites for group collaboration. Key Term Google Sites Multiple Choice Questions 1. Which of the following is true? (a) Google Sites is a web hosting service. (b) Google Sites is designed for large commercial websites. (c) Google Sites is fully customizable at the HTML level. (d) Google Sites offers unlimited storage. 2. How much does it cost to use Google Sites? (a) $99.95/year (b) $19.95/month (c) $9.95/month (d) Nothing it s free 3. A Google Sites URL looks like this: (a) (b) (c) (d) 4. You can customize the look of your Google site with the use of predesigned (a) gadgets. (b) themes. (c) macros. (d) domains. 5. How many sites can you create with Google Sites? (a) 1 (b) 10 (c) 100 (d) An unlimited number 6. A Google Sites template lets you (a) apply a predesigned color scheme to your site. (b) create a site with content modules designed for a specific application. (c) create a site based on another site on the web. (d) add stock images to your site. 18 APPENDIX B Using Google Sites Z02_MILL5187_01_SE_APPB.indd 18

19 7. How many pages can you include in a Google site? (a) 1 (b) 5 (c) 10 (d) An unlimited number 8. To share files with group members, you should add what kind of page to your site? (a) File Cabinet (b) List (c) Announcements (d) Blank 9. To better manage the tasks of a group project, you should add what kind of page to your site? (a) File Cabinet (b) List (c) Announcements (d) Blank 10. To enable group members to make changes to a Google Sites page, you should select which sharing option? (a) Can view (b) Can edit (c) Can upload (d) Can collaborate Practice Exercises 1. Simple Site In this exercise, you create a simple Google site for your own personal use. (a) Create a new site based on the Blank template. (b) Name the site Yourname s Site. (c) Assign the site the Desert Panel theme. (d) Title the homepage My Home on the Web and write a short description of yourself. (e) Add a picture of yourself or your family to your homepage. (f) Add a second page to your site, based on the Web Page template, under the homepage. Title this page Things I Like and create a list of things you like on this page. (g) Invite your instructor to share the site with viewing privileges only. (Later, if you like the site, you can keep it and make it public.) 2. Family Site In this exercise you create a Google Site for family activities. (a) Create a new site based on the Family site template. (Browse for additional templates, select Personal & family, and then search for family site.) (b) Name the site Yourlastname Family. (c) Assign the site the Solitude: Spice theme. (d) Work through the pages of the site to customize the content specific to you and your family, or as much as is possible. Follow the instructions on each page to Practice Exercises 19 Z02_MILL5187_01_SE_APPB.indd 19

20 replace the generic content (calendars and maps, etc.) with your own versions. Try to customize as much content as you can. (It s okay to make up some content if you need to.) (e) Invite your instructor to share the site with viewing privileges only. Critical Thinking 1. The primary purpose of Google Sites is to offer a home on the web for collaborative projects. Write a short paper discussing how a school organization, such as a club or student council, might take advantage of Google Sites in this manner. 2. While Google Sites is not targeted at users who want a personal presence on the Web, it can be used for that purpose. Write a short paper discussing how you might construct a personal Google site, and what settings and features you should take advantage of to make your personal site available to and attractive to the general public. Team Projects 1. In this project, you ll create a group site for collaborative purposes. Start by having the lead member of the team create a new site based on a blank template; use the Iceberg theme. Give the site a name representative of your team, and assign all team members editing privileges. On the homepage of the site, write a short description of your team and list all team members. Name this page Group Home. Add a File Cabinet page to your site and name it Group Files. Have each member of the team upload at least one file (can be digital photos) to this page. Add a List page to your site and name it Group Tasks. Have each member of the team add at least one task to the list. Add an Announcements page to your site and name it Group Announcements. Have each member of the team post at least one announcement to this page. Invite your instructor to share the site with viewing privileges only. 2. The lead member of the team should create a Google site based on the Corp intranet template. (Browse for additional templates, select Business collaboration, and search for corp intranet.) Name your site Team Intranet, assign it the Slate theme, and assign all team members editing privileges. The site that is now created includes about a dozen pages all useful to a company attempting to communicate with its employees over the company s internal network. Each member of the team should pick at least one page and edit the generic content to something more unique. Use your imagination if necessary. When all changes have been made, invite your instructor to share the site with viewing privileges only. 20 APPENDIX B Using Google Sites Z02_MILL5187_01_SE_APPB.indd 20