USING GOOGLE SITES
Google Sites is a simple and fast way to make simple websites for almost any personal or professional use.
Google has themes where all you need to add is your pages, text, and images. Google also has bells and whistles
to add to your site for even more customization.
Finding Google Sites
1. Log into your Oakland email via the internet: http://webmail.oakland.edu
NOTE: using Microsoft Outlook, Entourage, or Mail programs will not get you to Google Sites.
2. Your Google Sites area can be reached by clicking on “Sites” at the top of your browser window. (above)
Creating a new site & Multiple sites
When making a new site, you can name it whatever you want. It is also possible to have multiple websites. Each
website can have its own theme with its own set of pages and content.
Google Help DOES help!
Most people think that “Help” is the last place you will ever
find help, but Google Sites Help is a great way to get started.
Top Menu Buttons in your site
NOTES:
Creating a New Page
NOTES:
What Is a Dashboard Page for?
The dashboard lets you place any number of inserted elements into a page. You can choose from the options in the
menu above, or when you click “more” it will give you a list of “Gadgets.”
A Dashboard page is a two column webpage with four placeholder gadgets to make it easy to get started creating
an overview of information. You can create a Dashboard page by changing the layout of a webpage to two columns and inserting gadgets in the page.
Inserting Gadgets into your Dashboard Page
File Cabinet & List Pages
What is a File Cabinet page?
A File Cabinet allows you to manage documents from your hard drive and organize them
into folders. This can be used to organize common documents in one place. Version history
is stored for documents so you can always return to an earlier version.
Page subscribers are notified of new files, updated files, and delete files.
What is a List page?
List pages allow you to easily track lists of information. You can choose from a list of
templates or configure your own custom columns. Items can be easily added, updated, and
removed.
Page subscribers are notified of list additions, deletions, and updates.
Creating Page Navigation on Sidebar
Google Sites does not make Page Navigation for you, so you need to put it on
the sidebar.
Click “Edit Sidebar” to get started.
Subpages are listed at the bottom, but
are rarely noticed by users.
Clicking Edit Sidebar brings up a window like the gray below.
Clicking Add a Sidebar Item Lets you add web pages to the sidebar navigation.
Summary
Google Sites lets you do a couple very simple things, and it doesn’t take a Web Developer to figure it out!
Just getting comfortable with Google Site’s simple features will help get beginner’s websites up and running in
no time. Making websites is something you get better at the more you make. It is a good idea to make a couple
sites for learning Google Site, so you are not fully committed to “getting it right the first time.”