1. E-learning in Social Studies
Ideas and strategies for using Google Sites and
Blogger
Claire Amos
Director of e-learning
Epsom Girls Grammar School
am@eggs.school.nz

2. Learning Outcomes
On completion of this workshop you will be
able to:
 Recognise the benefits and potential uses for
Google sites and blogs to support teaching and
learning
 Create your own class site using Google sites
 Create your own blog using Blogger

3. Structuring the learning
environments at EGGS
Google site
(shared
ownership)
Blogger
(student
owned)
Google
Docs
(student
owned)
Mahara
(student
owned)
Moodle
(teacher owned)

4. Moodle
 This is facilitated by the department
as a whole. This is used as the home
page for entire subjects. This is where
you post common course outlines,
handouts and exam information.
 Each class/teacher will be given a
page (course) of their own.

5. Google site (or wiki)
 This run by the individual teacher as an online
community for their specific class. This is where
you could post resources and links specific to
what you class is doing.
 This is where you would also post links to
student blogs of they were going to be shared.
This is where you might embed other Google
apps such as calendars for tasks and
assessments, forms and slideshows.

6. Blogger
 This is the place for student’s public, published
writing. This is set up and run by the individual
student.
 This is attached to the class Google site by a
hyperlink (which allows for easy access by
teachers and other students).
 (a student can set up as many different blogs
as they need under using the Google login)

7. Google Docs
 This is the place for student’s personal writing and notes.
Students who choose to do class notes and pre-
publishes writing may work in Google docs.
 This will remain private, except for sharing with the
teacher which allows the teacher to check in and provide
feedback.
 Students may also share individual document s with other
to work collaboratively
 (teachers can check who contributed what in a click of a
button).

8. How to set up a Google site
Once you've signed in to your Google Account, you can start creating your site.
Here's how:
 Click the Create site button.
 Enter your site name and the URL where it will be located (for example,
sites.google.com/site/yoursite) as well as an optional description of the site. The
name and URL you choose can't be changed after you create your site, or used
again if the site is deleted.
 Select the appropriate checkbox if your site contains mature material.
 Select one of these sharing options: 'Everyone in the world can view this site' or
'Only people I specify can view this site.'
 Pick a theme for your site.
 Enter the wavy characters in the word verification section, and click the Create
site button.

9. How to add a page
 Now that you've created your site, you can create a new page
by clicking the Create page button.
 Then, name the new page and select the type of page you
want: webpage, dashboard, announcement, file cabinet, or list.
After you've selected where you want to locate the page, click
the Create Page button at the bottom of the page.

10. Ideas for using your site
 Use it for posting up resources
 Providing hyperlinks to useful websites
 Online forums
 Embed videos
 Embed Google calendars (students can sign up for free
text reminders)
 Create online quizzes, gather student voice, feedback by
embedding a google form
 Create a virtual knowledge wall
 Create a parent portal
 Support and extension exercises
 Give students editing rights and get them to manage it!

11. How to set up a blog
 To get started with Blogger, visit www.blogger.com, enter
your username and password, and click Sign in. Enter a
display name and accept Blogger's Terms of Service.
Then click the Create a Blog link and get started!
 (Tip: Use your normal email address, not your Google
docs one)
 Pick a name and address (URL) for your blog. Then,
choose your favorite template (this is how your blog will
look when you publish it). Now get creative, add
information to your personal profile, and customize how
your blog looks, if you feel up to it. Start blogging now!

12. Writing a post
 Once you've signed in to Blogger, you'll see your dashboard
with your list of blogs. Here's what you need to do:
 Click the NEW POST button and enter anything you want to
share with the world.
 Next, you'll see the Create New Post page. Start by giving your
post a title (optional), then enter the post itself:

13. Preview and Publish!
 When you're done, click the Preview
link to make sure it's ready to go:
 Once you're satisfied with your post,
click the Publish button. This will
publish your new post.

14. Ideas for using a blog
 Practice Essays
 Learning Journal
 Reading Logs
 Creating online Study Guides
 Reflective blogs on the learning
process

15. E-fellowship Project
 How I used blogs and a website
 Outcomes
 Student Voice
 Potential Challenges
 Advice
 Benefits for teachers
 Links to the NZC

16. The Process
 Those students who completed the
formal writing practice online, received
their feedback as online comments
 Topics were posted on the class wiki
with hyperlinks to other resources
such as newspaper articles and video
clips about their topic

19. Outcomes
Students who chose to write their
essays as blogs were:
 More likely to meet deadlines
 More like to act upon feedback/next
steps
 More likely to read one another’s work

20. Student Voice
Other positive feedback from the
students:
 Like that they often got quick feedback
 Like that they built up an “online
portfolio” of writing
 Like that the could use spell check and
easily fix errors
 Liked the sense of a public presence
and that they had an audience

21. Potential challenges
 The lack of easy access to computers
at school
 Blog sites are often blocked in school
 Not all students have internet access
or computers at home
 Students not practising writing quickly
by hand???

22. Advice
 Have the wiki and framework set up in
advance
 If possible unblock useful sites
 Teach students how to give each other
feedback (this was something I thought
would happen naturally but didn’t)
 Use blogging sites that allow you to “follow”
students so you are alerted when new blogs
are posted
 Don’t assume students are young and
therefore internet savvy

23. Benefits for the teacher
 Lightens your paper load – can’t misplace
student work
 Quicker to assess and feedback – comment
format discourages too many comments
and encourages you to focus on next steps
 Easily accessed at all times
 Resources and framework can be used
again and again
 Encourages students to be more
independent
 Easy to track student progress (or lack of…)

24. The main links are:
 encourage reflective thought and
action
 facilitate shared learning
 provide sufficient opportunities to
learn
 E-learning
Links to the NZC
Effective Pedagogy

25. Links to the NZC
Key Competencies
 thinking
 using language, symbols, and texts
 managing self
 relating to others
 participating and contributing