How to create a Google Pages website

The Google Pages platform will allow you to build a teacher centered website, in the sense that the teacher has control of what goes on the website and how it goes there. It was the kind of web-based project that I did with my students (here in Thailand) during the first semester of this academic year (2007/2008). Basically, what I did was to upload on a regular basis pictures and information that I considered relevant to my students.

There are a few problems with this approach:

- First of all, the teacher is in control of everything and the students’ involvement is quite passive. They just read the information on the website and all they can do is send an e-mail to the webmaster with their comments. Then, the webmaster uploads the messages on a special page dedicate to students’ comments.

- Second, the Google Pages platform is quite slow. At a point I reached a stage where there were too many pictures and stuff on the website and so it was taking me up to 30 minutes just to make a small change.

Nevertheless, the students loved it and although I don’t update it anymore, it still receives visitors.

To start such a website, go to http://pages.google.com/ . Log in with your gmail account (if you don’t have one, you can open one easily). In 10 minutes you could have a website on the WWW!