How to Create Websites to Communicate with Families and Colleagues Nationwide Jennifer Duncan Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialists

Presentation Description Looking for an easy way to use the internet to communicate with families and colleagues? Join me as we explore different applications and create a website from scratch. Please be prepared to share websites and ideas that you have used to communicate, collaborate, and share lessons with your families and colleagues.

Presentation Objectives 1. Audience members will know how to create their own website to become a resource for others. 2. Audience members will know at least three websites/apps to help use in their career. 3. Audience members will learn ideas from other attendees and problem solve ways to further communicate with families and colleagues.

During the presentation keep in mind…. While we will only be exploring one way to create, there are multiple ways and you are welcome to share! We will be creating Look into permission first Employment Not all allow certain sites to be used Be familiar with ADA laws regarding websites Families They may not want their child’s picture on the internet Do you have a form for your district/agency that would need to be completed regarding posting pictures, information, or regarding internet safety?

OBJECTIVE 1 Audience members will know how to create their own website to become a resource for others. Things to think about before you start… What is the purpose of your website? What Information will you share? Target Audience? Parents? Students? Other professionals? Storage space needed Accessibility https://www.ada.gov/websites2_prnt.pdf (2003) https://www.ada.gov/pcatoolkit/ch5_toolkit.pdf (May 7th, 2017)

First… Choose which company/type of site you would like to go with… Examples: Wix.com and Weebly The 16 Best Free Website Builders: We Expose Their Strengths and Weaknesses Robert Brandl, Jan. 18th, 2018 https://www.websitetooltester.com/en/blog/best-free-website-builders/#weebly For this presentation we will be exploring Google Sites

Google Sites Overview What it can do… Allow for you to have a site without ads Has a responsive design (adjusts for the device you’re on) Auto saves and has features like other Google products What it can’t do The new version does not have all of the same features as the old such as a comment section Not all workplaces allow for Google Sites

First… Go to https://sites.google.com/ OR by clicking on Google Apps (“waffle”) and clicking on the “Sites” icons Picture Description: Screenshot of computer screen showing twelve Google App Icons with a red circle around the Google Apps tab and a red circle around the Sites icon

Create Click on the “Create” tab and select “in classic Sites” or “in new Sites” Keep in mind: Google will eventually be moving to the new Sites, so eventually you will have to convert over Picture Description: Screenshot of computer screen with a red circle around the “Create” tab with a drop down box with two choices to click on; “in classic Sites” or “in new Sites”

Let’s give it a try! Title the website Choose a theme Add a logo or picture (if desired) Choose a photo (if desired) Inserting Text box Images Embed Upload Drive Youtube Calendar Map Google Suite (Docs, Slides, Sheets, Forms, Charts)

Time to share your page… You could copy and paste your given URL when sharing or Goo.gl Bit.ly.com Blog about Bit.ly Vs. Goo.gl Tinyurl.com

OBJECTIVE 2 Audience members will know at least three websites/apps to help use in their career. Google Suite Sites Forms Doc Classroom Substital Seesaw Pinterest Facebook Instagram YouTube

OBJECTIVE 3 Audience members will learn ideas from other attendees and problem solve ways to further communicate with families and colleagues. Let’s keep the conversation going and create a list!

Questions?

Contact Information Jennifer Duncan Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist DuncanJ@D62.org

Resources The 16 Best Free Website Builders: We Expose Their Strengths and Weaknesses Robert Brandl, Jan. 18th, 2018 https://www.websitetooltester.com/en/blog/best-free-website-builders/#weebly Bitly Vs Google: Which URL Shortener is Better for You? Derric Haynie, August 26, 2016 https://blog.rebrandly.com/bitly-vs-google/ ADA.gov Google.com