I Can...Student Trackers (and some BIG *news*)

Oh has it been busy!!

What have I been up to?

This...

(New Orleans Skyline - my trip to the GOTR Summit)



And this...

(Cleaning, de-cluttering, and **PACKING**)



And this...

(2 back-to-back weekend trips to Rhode Island for -gasp- house hunting)



Plus teaching, professional development(s), interviewing, mom duties, and all other life roles.

Yes! You read that correctly - InterViewing!!! BooHoo!!

Good news is - our house sold in 5 days!!!

Never would have dreamed that would happen.

Now we are busy making plans for a move to the Rhode Island/Massachusetts area - where this weekend they are having a blizzard with around 24 inches of snow!! How ever will I adjust to this kind of weather?!? Yikes!!

Okay, on to more important, school related news!

I have created a new "I Can...Student Tracker" packet available on TpT. It includes several student tracking sheets with a graphing section. Click here to see my previous post on "I Can..." statements.

My students love getting out their clipboards and documenting their scores. They love comparing their new scores to previous ones. I try to give pretests and then a post-test.

Here are some of the responses my class made about student trackers:

As you can see they feel empowered and so smart when they get to compare a pre and post test! I love using the forms for formative assessment/exit tickets. I can see their work, their self-evaluations, and I can make personalized comments all in one spot.

It has been a big hit in my classroom and hope you can use it too!

Click here to get your copy.

I will give one packet away by random drawing on Monday, Feb. 11 - just comment below and don't forget to leave me an email address!

Stay tuned for more news on this *BIG* adventure event move (tear, tear).

I can...

An alternative to exit tickets is to give each student a form called an "I Can Statement" form. This form can be given to students each Monday in order for them to document what they have learned during the week. There is a section for them to self-evaluate their learning and a space for them to show or explain what they "can" do. At the beginning of a lesson, I have the students write down their "I Can" statement for the lesson in the space provided. This gives them the opportunity to hear, write, and read what they will be learning. We then continue with the day's lesson. At the end of the lesson (or at the end of the day), I have students evaluate how well they understand the concept and to show or explain what they learned.

For example, if the day's math lesson was on fractions of a whole, the "I Can..." statement might be "I can show fractions of a whole." At the end of the lesson, they would check the box that they feel best describes their understanding of fractions of a whole and then give an example in pictures, words, or both. A student might write: A fraction of a whole is an object that is divided into equal parts, like a pizza that is cut into 8 equal size pieces (including a picture of a circle divided into 8).

I have had a lot of success with this quick, easy form of formative assessment. I walk around and monitor what they have demonstrated/written. I instantly know who's got it and who needs some extra small group instruction. Let me know what you think.

Click here to purchase - happy assessing!

The reason I wanted to set up a blog was to first have a way to make connections to teachers from all over.  Second, I want to share ideas, thoughts, and my knowledge of the teaching profession to others.  Lastly, I wanted a way to learn more too!  Together, we all work to educate the minds of the future.

Today, I want to share my ideas for exit tickets.  What are exit tickets?  Exit tickets are a type of formative assessment.  They are quick, easy, and accurate.

Here is the first style of exit tickets I want to discuss:  the "stop light".  At the end of a lesson, I will often pass out sticky notes to my students.  On the top of the note, they write their name.  Next, they demonstrate by explaining(words) or showing(pictures) their understanding of the topic.  For example, if the concept learned was fractions of a whole, the student might write an explanation of fractions of a whole in words, or show me an example of fractions of a whole.  I then call them up by groups and they decide where to place their exit ticket on the stop light.  Green = "I've Got It!"  Yellow = "Almost There"  Red = "I Still Need Help"

Now, what I love about this method of exit tickets is the self-evaluating the students have to do in placing their sticky note on the stop light.  They have to decide how they feel about their level of understanding.  And guess what?  The students are almost always accurate!!  They pretty much "hit the nail on the head" when they take this type of ownership in their learning. 

Once everyone has placed their ticket on the stop light, I take a moment or two (usually during their specials, recess, lunch, or after school)  to evaluate their tickets.  First, I remove the notes on the green light.  I read over them and decide if I agree with them.  I place the tickets that demonstrate accuracy on the topic in one pile and those that may need some reteaching in another pile.  I continue down the stop light until I have evaluated each "ticket".  Now this may seem like it takes a long time, but it is actually very quick and gives me a good idea of who's got it and who needs more assistance.

I hope this helps some of you with another type of formative assessment.  Let me know what you think!  I will continue to add more posts on different types of exit tickets.