One question I get asked a lot is whether or not you need to have both Google Sites and Google Classroom. The quick answer is that if you use Google Classroom, setting up a class website with Sites is optional. However if you run a class website with Google Sites, you need to use Google Classroom. In this post, I’ll explain why.
The bottom line is that Google Sites is optional, but Google Classroom isn’t.
Also, if you’re interested in learning all about how to set up a class website with Google Sites, be sure to check out my full tutorial on that topic.
What's the Purpose of Google Classroom?
Google Classroom really has one main, unique function, and that is to push out assignments to students and collect them back from them in one central location.
In addition to acting a hub for distributing and collecting assignments, Google Classroom is particularly useful because it allows you to push out individual copies of assignments to your students.
Read more about how to use Google Classroom here.
So you need Google Classroom to push out assignments and collect them back in, why would you want a website?
What the Purpose of a Google Sites Class Website?
Making a class website with Google Sites will allow you to create a more customized virtual hub for the classes you teach. You can set up a custom Home page with images and information related to your class, you can set up a custom About Page with information about the content you teach or about yourself. And since Google Sites integrates seamlessly with all other G-Suite products, you can also incorporate other G-Suite apps like Calendar, which will show students upcoming assignments that they can click on to get more information.
You can also set up custom assignment pages and embed resources in a more visual appealing way for students. And when you make a class website with Sites, you can embed other G-Suite apps like Google Slides, that can be viewed directly on the website, and that videos are also viewable on the page as well.
Lastly, with a class website, you can also post student work for other students and parents to see, and even use subpages in Sites to create digital portfolios.
So a class website is pretty much fully customizable and that a well-structured website can act as a central hub for students that includes significantly more information than just using Google Classroom.
So if a site is seemingly “better” than Google Classroom, why use Google Classroom at all?
Why Use Both Google Classroom & Google Sites?
As I mentioned regarding Google Classroom, its primary purpose is to help you push out individual assignments to students and collect those assignments back in one single place.
If you only posted documents directly to your Site, you’d lose the ability to push individual copies of assignments out to students that you are still the owner of, and that you can access through your own Google Drive folder.
Furthermore, you’d lose the ability to have students easily turn those assignments back into you in a single well-organized place.
So if you choose to use a Google Site, what you want to do is set up your site so that when students click on the assignment button, it routes them back to Google Classroom, where they can pick up their individual copy and then easily submit it when they are finished.
In order to do that, you can set up your assignment page in Google Sites first by dragging in a layout and adding text, images, and whatever else you might want to go along with an assignment.
Then, after you’ve set up your assignment in Google Classroom, just click on the three dots on the top right hand of the assignment in order to copy the direct link to the assignment.
Next, when you return to your Google Site, you just need to turn the assignment text into a hyperlink and copy and paste the assignment link in.
Make sure you click Publish after making any change so those changes actually show up. Then, when you’re back on the class website you’ll see that a student could click on the assignment, and that it will take them directly to their assignment in Google Classroom.
Isn't This Just Double Posting Assignments?
Another question I’m often asked is whether or not this is just double posting the same thing. On a practical level, yes, you are double posting the assignment, but you would be doing so intentionally in order to be able to build a more custom digital classroom experience for your students.
If you do go this route, it’s important to make sure that you emphasize to students and families that they should check your website as opposed to only checking Google Classroom, and you will need to reinforce this by making sure you are consistent about posting all assignments on your Site so that students know they can reliably find what they need on your class website.
Conclusion & Resources
Again, the bottom line is that if you are a G-Suite for Education school, using Google Classroom is essential for its ability to push out and collect in assignments, whereas a class website with Google Sites is an optional addition you might consider using to create a more customized digital hub for your students.
For additional strategies for how to use technology to personalize learning, increase engagement, foster creativity, and more, click here:
How to Use Education Technology: The Ultimate Guide
And to read more about why I believe technology must be a central part of public education today, click here:
Why Education Technology?: The Ultimate Guide
Interested in the software I use to create my videos? Check out the links below! Many of these products offer a free trial to start and just clicking on the link helps to support The New EdTech Classroom!
Screenflow is a dynamic, intuitive video editing software that I use to create all of my YouTube videos. Get more details here.
I use Adobe Spark Post to design all of my YouTube thumbnails, as well as all my social media graphics. More information here.
If you’re interested in creating a website, these are a couple of programs I personally use and highly recommend: Bluehost is a web host that offers a professional platform for your website. You can check them out here.
Elementor is a powerful tool that helps with clean visual design for your website as well as marketing to further your website’s influence. More details here.
