I just updated this site, and easily embedded my blog in a page with an iFrame gadget. It was really easy to find the right gadget (just put in the search for "iFrame" and chose one of the easiest ones). In the last few days, I have been able to embed videos from other video sharing sites (not Google Video or YouTube). Now that Google allows more flexibility in HTML code, making it much easier to add those elements to a Google Sites page. Now I can take advantage of my blog, which I create with Blogger, but can now use here in my portfolio.

Google has been working on the Google Sites authoring tools. The sidebar navigation has been changed a lot. While signed in, select Edit Sidebar, and the editing tools are available. You can also indent sections (see My Competencies). Very nice!

Last fall, Google asked teachers to share some examples of how they used Google Docs in their classrooms. I was especially impressed with Google's page on Senior year-long projects demonstrating the use of Google Sites as a process journal/e-portfolio by a couple of students doing internships at Blue Ridge Virtual High School. 

I am just making an entry to show Connie how this works. This was the video conference I did with Berlin last Saturday night.

I added an additional section in my How-To page (about maintaining a Learning Journal with this Announcements page type), added a Header2 format to the title paragraph, and after I saved the page, it automatically changed the Table of Contents that I added to the top of the document. Cool! I think a learner could also create a link to any individual post in this Announcement/Journal page.

I'm here in Newport at a workshop. We are exploring how to set up a Google Apps for Education account, and how to use it with 5th and 6th grade students. I am impressed with the responsiveness of Google to convert a Standard Google Apps site over to an Education site. We also discovered that the site administrator can ban certain Gadgets available. The site has been restricted from view from outside the domain, so they are protecting student work from anyone who doesn't have an account in this domain. This makes it a safe environment for students. I learned a lot from other participants in the workshop. That is why I love to teach new ways of developing e-portfolios. This is one of the best "free" tools I have used!

As noted in my reflection, I created this portfolio very quickly. If this page type (Announcement) could be used as a blog or learning journal, then everything can be done in one site!