Getting Connected with Fun Poll Assignment

One of the best ways to get ideas about how to improve your blog, and how to complete assignments for your blog, is to look at some of your classmates' fine blog work. For this assignment you will need to do the following:

1. Gather the Gmail addresses for five of your classmates.

2. Email all five with a fun note saying 'hi'!

3. After you've received email from your five friends, create a 'group' in Gmail so you can email all of them with a single message.

• First, send a quick reply to the people you got emails from. This will make them a 'contact'. Then, click on 'contacts' to the left of your inbox > select the people you want in your group (select 'all contacts' to see a list you can pick from) > click on 'groups' > new group, and give your group a name > groups > select the group you just created
  

Adding a parent or grandparent would be really awesome! You can always see who's in your group, and manage that list, by clicking on the name of the group in 'contacts', on the left hand side of your main screen.

4. Now let's go to your blog and create a poll (a multiple choice survey question) for the people in your group to answer.

• From your Blogger dashboard select 'layout' > add gadget > poll > insert your question (properly capitalized and punctuated!) and insert the answer options > save
  

Have fun with this. Think of something silly you'd like to know about your friends. View your blog to make sure it looks right. How cool would it be to have family members vote on something like what everyone wants to do with your next vacation?! The possibilities are endless!

5. Return to your Gmail and 'compose mail'. Start writing the name of the group in the 'To' line and select it when it pops up. 'Subject' line, "Come vote on the poll on my blog!"

6. Create a link for them to follow to your blog.

• From your blog's front page, select and copy the entire address from the main address bar at the top.

• Back in the email you're writing, click on the button that looks like a chain link. In 'Text to display', write, "Click here to see my blog." In the 'Link to box', right click and 'paste' your address. Click 'ok'. Add a personal message if you like and press 'send'.

7. Follow the links sent to you by your friends when you get their emails - and vote on their polls! Have fun!

Now you know how to create email groups and send email to them, and how to create a poll on your blog. Keep your friends and family members updated on your language arts work, or any other cool stuff you post! Cheers!