Exit Tickets: Checking for Understanding (Transcript)

Erin: There’s been a wonderful real-time change in the way we’re able to adapt to student needs.

Marguerite: What formative assessment am I using daily, so that I can measure whether or not in that class period, kids are learning the material? A good Exit Ticket can tell whether or not a kid has a superficial understanding of the information, or has some depth of understanding. And then the next day the teacher can differentiate their lesson based on student needs. An Exit Ticket is a formative assessment linked to the objective of the lessons.

Shannon: Typically they’re short, just a few questions and they’re focused on one particular skill. And we design them ourselves. They’re just what I want to know if the students mastered that day in the classroom. It can also be used to kind of anticipate something that you might be working on for the next day’s lesson. Do they already know it, or do they know parts of it? Where can you kind of start your lesson?

Marguerite: Some teachers use Poll Anywhere. Some teachers utilize a Google form where kids can enter in their information. Then that Google form will then organize the data for the teacher into an Excel spreadsheet. And some teachers just use paper and pencil.

Shannon: First thing, what’s our number one Exit Ticket? I just want to know, key points. What are the best things that your group came up with? Your Connections, so historically, a current events connection. A connection you made to–

Shannon: I just wanted to see where each group kind of really got to in their discussion in terms of depth. It lets me see which group, if they’re not reaching that level, for example, that I should spend a lot more time talking with them and helping them to develop that, and which groups are working really well independently.

Erin: We use the digital Exit Tickets, weekly or daily depending on the unit.

Shannon: And we purposefully use one, so every ninth grade student, we have that data.

Erin: We teach the same course, and we co-plan every single day’s lesson together. And that gives us a real opportunity to discuss what our data is showing, and what do we need to change? We can use Exit Tickets to focus in on just understanding one small concept. For instance, today’s Exit Ticket asked them to identify what elements were in Persuasion, what elements were in Argument. And then we gave them examples of Pathos, Ethos and Logos. They had to identify which of those elements were the most prominent. So that gave us an idea of whether or not they could differentiate between the three.

Shannon: So let’s talk through our unit, first let’s do Persuasion first.

Erin: A lot of them understand that Logos belongs with Argument, but they’re also lumping in additional elements. And I’m definitely seeing that the entire group needs to review differences between Argument and Persuasion.

Erin: Argument has Logos only. Today, you’re going to be using Logos, Pathos and Ethos for Persuasion. And it’s important just so you know there’s a different between them.

Erin: About Persuasion, I think that’s where we’re going to be able to pull out the students that need just a little bit more reteaching.

Shannon: So clearly like the text isn’t working for them, so let’s do that same visual thing.

Erin: I think advertisements that they’re already familiar with, so that they have a place of prior knowledge and context.

Erin: Logos, Pathos or Ethos? We’re looking at this beautiful advertisement of Superman. What is the most prominent persuasive element you see here?

Shannon: Let’s have our higher level groups, since they’ve demonstrated through this Exit Ticket that they can definitely identify those three things in what they’re reading. Let’s move them up to Author’s Purpose.

Erin: People on the computers in the back, you’ll be watching a video, and writing a one-paragraph response. You’ll turn it in at the end of the class.

Marguerite: When you look around the room, you would think they’re all working on the same activity, but in actuality, it’s at different levels.

Trace: They’ll sit down with you, they’ll help you learn the material, to make sure you get the full grasp of what we’re learning in that class.

Shannon: Using data driven instruction in the classroom in the form of Exit Ticket, really allows a teacher to identify each student’s strengths and weaknesses as they’re walking into your classroom every day. There’s no one who’s falling through the cracks.

Schools That Work

Hampton High School