An exit ticket is one or two questions or problems for learners to answer quickly at the end of class. Exit tickets are a deliberate way to reinforce the expectation that students will reflect on their learning at the end of the class period. Not only are exit tickets a great way to assess what was learned, they are also an effective tool for teachers to use to evaluate the strategies used with students. If it is clear that most learners didn't understand, then adjustments in your next steps of instruction can be addressed.  

How and why do Exit Tickets work?
The exit ticket strategy enables teachers to see how much and which information actually made it into the learner's long term memory. Long term memory consists of two different types. Explicit declarative which includes facts and memorized items, and implicit nondeclarative, which includes skills and emotional connections. Non-instructionally, an exit ticket can also serve as a quick check-in with learners on a personal level. The exit ticket below asking about a student's plans for the weekend, is an example of this.) 

Implementing this strategy in your classroom?
​You need to make sure that your exit tickets are short and simple, and focused on the essential question of the lesson. To successfully implement this strategy in your classroom, make sure that you have the exit ticket questions ready before class begins. Don't waste time at the end of class trying to come up with questions. I created eight digital exit tickets that you can make a copy of and use immediately. Feel free to revise any of them for your own use. Make a copy of any of the forms and add to your Google Drive. Then share the link or embed your form in Google Classroom or your LMS. You can also create a QR code that can learners can scan at the end of your class.  ​

Below is a short screencast to show you how to make a copy of a Google Form.

• You will want your own copy so that your data goes to your own sheet. (Creating a Copy of a Google Form is a little different than creating a Copy of a Google Doc. )
  
• *Note that the form doesn't display as it will when published when in editing mode. The header will appear to be cut off. 

I am SOLD on book snaps! After hearing about book snaps and seeing them on twitter and at ISTE, I decided to try out the concept. (Big shout out to Tara Martin, as far as I can tell she is the one that came up with the idea!) I have been on snapchat with my kids, just because it's a place they are and I wanted to understand it. However, the thought of using it as a learning tool had never entered my mind.  So the first few book snaps that I tried were of course to my own children.  After their initial response of rolling their eyes, I actually got really good feedback, as in you should do this with students and they would respond well. 

Learners can use snapchat to create book snaps without ever actually sending their work through the app. Everything they create can be saved and shared through a mobile devices camera roll. 

Watch how to create a book snap in Snapchat below. 

A recap of what all the icons represent on the Snapchat screen:

 1) Discard your Snap                  5) Set a timeframe for your Snap
                2) Add emojis                               6) Save your photo to your Camera Roll 
3) Add a caption                          7) Add a Snap to your Story        
                  4) Doodle                                      8) Select recipients and share your Snap

 So much information can be transferred in one image or in a string of images in a video.  To combine a series of snaps into a video watch below.

It's a creative process that allows the learner to go as deep as they want to show their learning. 

The next time you are reading a text try creating either a snap or story that shares a reflection.  

Abumrad stresses the importance of showing your work along the way. Bridging the gap is about the process...the whole process. ​He reminded us of the importance of letting a question fill you.  In our journey to answer a specific question, we may not get the answer that we are seeking however we might get something far better, answers to other questions.  

The gap  allows us to experience things we would never have if we hadn’t begun the journey for the answer to a question. 

Relationships are the essential element in our schools. The old adage, “Kids don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care,” is true especially in today’s society when kids are used to so much choice in their world. Also, in today’s busy world, it’s important for teachers and school staff to make positive connections with students. We must be intentional and taking time with these relationships must be purposeful.

Members of the Compelled Tribe have teamed up to share practical ways for educators to build relationships with students. As connected educators we also embrace the notion that it is the power of the team that drives much of what we do. How do you build relationships with those that you serve? See the list below for ideas to add to what you may be already doing in the buildings and districts in which you work.

1. Greet students at the door. Smile and call them by name. Tell them you are glad to see them.
2. Ask your students to share three things about themselves. Let them choose what they share. Keep them on index cards to help make connections throughout the year.
3. Know your students families. As important as it is to know the students, make the connection to home. Great relationships with your kids starts where they kick off their day. As the year continues and both the good and bad arise, having that connection will be crucial to getting the results you are seeking.
4. Journal writing is an activity to get to know your students well and give students a voice in the classroom.
5. Make positive phone calls home especially within the first two weeks of the school year.
6. Genius Hour/Passion Projects really give teachers an opportunity to learn about student passions.
7. Have kids make something that represents them out of Play-dough and share.
8. In the first couple of days of school, learn the first name of every student in your first class of the day, and something personal and unique about them that has nothing to do with your first class of the day.
9. Be vulnerable!  Let your guard down and show your students that you are a learner, you make mistakes, and persevere.  They will see you as a person, opening the door for a relationship built on trust. Share stories about yourself as a learner or challenges you’ve faced when you were there age and help them see what it took to overcome it. It’s easy to forget how much a simple connection can make the difference.
10. Eat together.  Have breakfast with a small group of kids or join them at the lunch table.  Gathering around meal time provides an informal way to have conversations and get to know your students.
11. Hold Monday morning meetings (We call them “Weekend News Updates”).  Ask each student to share about their weekend - good or bad.  Ask questions.  Be sure to share about your weekend too!  Occasionally bring in breakfast or make hot chocolate.
12. Laugh with them. Frequently. Show them that school, and your class, is just not about learning stuff. It is about sharing an experience. Tell them you missed them if they were out.
13. Keep in touch with past students.  Show past students that you do not have a 1 year contract with them.  The ongoing relationship will also model to your current students the value of a positive classroom community.
14. At the elementary level -- hold morning meeting everyday as a class and stick to the routine of greeting, sharing, team building activity, and morning message.  This is a sacred time to build and maintain a culture of risk tasking and building relationships.
15. Send positive postcards home to every child. Have them address it on the first day of the quarter, keep them and challenge yourself to find at least one thing each quarter to celebrate about your students, let them and their parents know.
16. Find their interests and what motivates them! Sometimes it may take a bit to break down barriers and build trust, but through being genuine and authentic with them this will happen in no time.
17. Make personal phone calls to parents. Find one good thing to say about the children in your class.  It can be how they contributed to a class discussion or how well mannered they are in class or in the halls. For older students it can be how diligent a student is at learning challenging content.
18. Share something about yourself that they will find relevant or interesting to extend your relationships with students.
19. Tell a story from a time you were their age. This approach allows students to see teachers as they once were and make connections easier to establish and maintain.
20. Create a unique handshake or symbol for each of your students.  Use it when you greet them at the door or say goodbye.
21. Eat lunch with a group of kids throughout the week. They will enjoy a time dedicated just to them. (And you will enjoy a peaceful lunch!)
22. As a school, hold monthly celebrations to recognize students and educators their accomplishments.
23. Take pictures with students. Print. Write a special note on the back to the student.
24. At the end of a term or year, write a thank you to students telling them what you have learned from them. Be specific and honest - authenticity goes a long way. Try to make the note handwritten if possible, but email works well too.
25. Each day write two students a personal  note about something that you have noticed about them.  Go into some detail and be specific. Keep track of who you reach out to over the year and try and reach as many students as you can. The time you spend doing this will deepen connections and pay off 10 fold.
26. Have dance parties! It is so fun to let loose and get down with students. Students love seeing you have fun with them, and the saying goes, “The class that dances together, stays together”.
27. Play with students at recess or during a free time. Climb the monkey bars, play kickball, or tag. Students will never forget you connecting with them on the playground.
28. Hang out in the hall to give high fives or to have quick conversations with students. Relationship-building can be squeezed into any time of the day.
29. Notice students having a bad day. Ask questions without prying. Show that you care. Follow up the next day, week, etc.
30. When a student is having a rough day, ask if he/she has eaten. We are all more unreasonable when we are hungry. Keep a supply of snacks on hand (ex: breakfast bars, crackers, etc).
31. Go see students at their events: sports, theater, dance, volunteering. Meet parents and families.
32. When a student stops to say “Hello” and has a friend in tow, introduce yourself and be sure that the guest feels important.
33. Stop class from time to time with a comment such as, “Hey, everyone, Katie just asked me a great question. I think you’ll all benefit from this. Katie, could you repeat that for everyone?”
34. Sing “Happy Birthday” to students; send birthday emails (I use “Boomerang” to schedule my birthday emails each month).
35. Say “I missed you yesterday” when a student has been absent. Be sincere.
36. We have to make time to grow relationships with our students. This time can not always be in a planner or a calendar. Sometimes, this simply means just being there for your students.
37. Mail them a postcard for their birthday. They are always amazed to receive personal mail!
38. In a leadership position, learn as many names as you can. Greet students by their name as often as you are able.
39. Music! Bond with your students over music. Play soft classical music while they are working. Incorporate music/songs into special events or lessons.
40. Classroom: Start a compliment jar. Share comments at the end of class or randomly throughout the day. School: Do shout-outs during morning (or afternoon) announcements/news show.
41. Smile and make eye contact.  “Good morning”, “Good afternoon”.  Something as simple as a greeting in the hall with smile and eye contact conveys both warmth & safety.  Try it tomorrow.  
42. First day of math class have them choose 10 numbers that are significant to them (3 for number of cats, 1 for brothers, 20 for number of hours they work, etc.).  Everyone shares out.  You will learn lots about all your students in one day.  
43. Cut them some slack every now and then.  “What were you doing?  What should you have been doing?  Can you do that for me next time?”  We all make mistakes.  
44. Hold class celebrations and have students develop unique cheers for various accomplishments...these can be anything from a sports team victory, to being selected for something, to earning a grade, and they need not be school related.
45. Allen Mendler’s 2x10 strategy for challenging students. Spend 2 minutes per day for 10 consecutive days talking to a student about something not academic.
46. Share your own goals, successes/failures. Don’t be a mystery to your students.
47. After morning announcements have students participate in a daily discussion question.  Have a student read the question and set a timer for two and a half minutes.  Each person turns to a partner and answers the question then volunteers share with the whole class.  Each question, in some way, will help you get to know your students.
48. Halfway through the year, have your parents and students fill out a feedback form.  In my classroom, these forms look different.  Allow them to evaluate you so you can keep what works and change things that aren’t working.
49. In your summer introduction letter, include a letter asking parents to write about their children in 1,000,000 words or less.  Keep the assignment voluntary and open so they tell you what is most important to them.
50. Don’t be too busy to truly listen.  Listen to understand, not to respond.  Are you starting a lesson when a student interrupts and tells you they are moving?  Take the minute to hear them out.  That time will mean more to the student than the first minute of the lesson ever will.
51. When students get stuck in class, teach the other students to cheer them on.  We do a simple, “Come on, [Name], you can do it,” followed by three seconds of clapping.
52. Teach students call and responses to uplift each other.  When a student responds with something profound and someone loves it, that student gets to start the cheer.
53. When you check in with groups to give them feedback or see how it’s going, make sure you are seeing them eye-to-eye.  If they’re sitting, don’t stand.  Pull up a chair next to them.  If they’re sitting on the floor, sit down on the floor next to them to avoid standing over them.
54. Give honest feedback even when it may not be positive.  Your students will appreciate that you expect more out of them than they’re showing.
55. Create a “You Matter” wall.  Take fun pictures of each of your students.  Print each photo and put each student’s photo in an 8x10 frame.  Hang them all on your wall under a “You Matter” heading.  At the end of the year, send the photos home with students.
56. Tell them what was hard for you when you went through school and how you worked to overcome the challenges.  It shows they aren’t the only ones who struggle.
57. Defend your students in front of other people.
58. Take risks so students feel comfortable doing the same.  Don’t ask them to do anything you wouldn’t do.
59. Create something that is unique to your class.  For us, it’s a house competition.  It’s something that connects my past students and current students.  It’s also a family bond that only the students who have been in my class understand.
60. Apologize when you make a mistake.
61. Cook together and then you can eat family style in the classroom. Some fun and easy crockpot meals: applesauce, vegetable soup, chicken and dumplings. Then, make cupcakes for dessert!
62. Every so often, take the pulse of your building according to students. Convene a volunteer roundtable with student reps from various groups (athletes, scholars, quiet, loud) and ask them for critical feedback about topics you are working on. Some ideas I’ve seen discussed in this format include schoolwide incentives (assemblies, sledding event, etc.), dress code, and discussing recess options for winter.
63. During your informal walk throughs, saddle up right next to students and ask them the purpose of the lesson they are involved in. Why do you think the teacher is asking you to work on this? You’ll be more than surprised with the honest feedback.
64. Bring board games back! Add a few games like Checkers, Uno or Chess to your lunch table options. See if any students are willing to play a game or two with you and others.
65. Use sidewalk chalk to decorate the entry of your building with positive messages to students. Have teachers help you write and draw the notes!
66. Leave nice notes on post-its for students on the outside of their lockers. Recruit other students to help spread the kindness throughout many lockers!
67. Forgive them when they make mistakes. Remind them that mistakes are opportunities for learning. Don’t hold grudges against misbehavior and don’t allow other adults to hold them either.
68. Make time for dismissal. Tell them you can’t wait to see them tomorrow and share high fives on the way out!
69. Notice which students still don’t have money to pay for lunch. Help them out when you can. Treat them to a snack they don’t usually get to purchase at lunch time.
70. Find special projects that need to be done around school and recruit the most unlikely helpers.
71. Remind your students you and your staff were all kids once too. Have your team bring in pictures of themselves as children (at the ages you have in your school). Post them and have a contest allowing students to guess which teacher is which. Those 80s pictures are the most popular!
72. My favorite question to ask my students or any student I come in contact with is what are you into lately? This opens communication with your students and let's them know you are interested.
73. Allow students to do a job shadow. Give them a peek into what you do and how you make daily decisions.
74. Host an ice cream social for students that meet certain goals.

The list will grow as our experiences and our connections grow. Feel free to reach out to any of the Tribe members listed below to learn more about the power of our team and how our tribe constantly supports each other in our teaching, leading and learning.
​
Compelled Tribe Contributors:

Jennifer Hogan, The Compelled Educator  @Jennifer_Hogan
Jonathon Wennstrom, Spark of Learning  @jon_wennstrom
Craig Vroom, Fueling Education, @Vroom6
Allyson Apsey, Serendipity in Education, @allysonapsey
Sandy King Inspiring The Light @sandeeteach
Gary Kidd Reflections and Rants from the Asst Principal, @hinotewailer
Jacie Maslyk   http://jaciemaslyk.blogspot.com/    @DrJacieMaslyk
Jodie Pierpoint  Journey In Learning @jodiepierpoint  
Jim Cordery   Mr. Cordery’s Blog  @jcordery
Allie Bond   The Positive Teacher @Abond013
Angie Murphy ConnectED to Learning @RoyalMurph_RRMS
Karen Wood https://karenwoodedu.wordpress.com/ @karenwoodedu
Lindsey Bohler lindseybohler.com @Lindsey_Bohler
Starr Sackstein http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/work_in_progress/ @MsSackstein
Debbie Campbell The Curious Educator @DebraLCamp
Michael McDonough M Squared at the Microphone @m_squaredBHS
Barbara Kurtz bkurtzteachermentor.blogspot.com @BJKURTZ
Stephanie Jacobs www.thisblogiswhy.blogspot.com @MsClassNSession
Michael Todd Clinton Motivated teacher blog  @MotivatedThe
Cathy Jacobs https://cathyjacobs.org/ @cathyjacobs5
Reed Gillespie Mr. Gillespie’s Office @rggillespie
Molly Babcock Sweet Tea and a Live Oak Tree @MollyBabcock
Lisa Meade Reflections @LisaMeade23

• Insert free response or multiple choice questions during the video allowing for quick checks for understanding. 
• Teachers can prohibit students from fast-forwarding through videos and assign each video a due date.
• Insert an introductory comment, a conclusion, a remark, or a verbal prompt. 
• Do a complete voice over of a a video.
• Access student data from individual student responses.  Classes can be imported from Google Classroom. 
• Students are required to create an account or log in.
• EdPuzzle is free to all educators.

When embedding in our LMS, I found that students needed to refresh their screens sometimes to allow video to play through. 

• ​Teachers have the ability to insert multiple choice, free response, and reflective pauses throughout their videos, allowing students to interact as well as serving as a formative assessment. 
• The teacher has the ability to enable students to be able to rewind and watch a segment of a video to gather more information before answering a question.
• Audio can be added to their answer choices in multiple choice questions.  (Audio comments can not be added in the actual video as in Edpuzzle)
• Students do not need to create an account to participate in a video that is shared by a teacher, they simply join by using a code. 
• Provides analytics for teachers that include student performance data as well as interaction data. 
• Playposit has a paid subscription that allows teachers to embed a number of other types of questions and elements as well.

One noticeable difference between the two tools is that while both tools allow a video to be shared through a link or embedded, Playposit allows teachers to use a video he/she has designed in Broadcast Mode. Broadcast Mode allows a teacher to project the video whole class and as questions and stopping points are inserted student screen go from a blank blue to an interactive environment. Depending on a teacher’s purpose and learning outcomes, this option gives them a completely different strategy in which to use video in their lesson. 

Some “A-Ha Moments” in working with video that I have found. 

• Short and sweet beats drawn out any day
• Use technology to allow for formative assessment 
• Utilize transcripts and closed caption resources
• Pushing play and having students watch and just take notes is not an instructionally sound practice.

If you are going to be working with teachers and want to take a look at the PD structure I used to introduce teachers to these two tools below is an example.

Both the content and motivation for each presentation was left up to each campus to decide. I cannot speak for what other schools chose to share, but I want to reflect on what my school shared and why. At first we began thinking of what kind of project we could develop and how students could present it at the conference. Then we stepped back and pushed ourselves to think around the central question of what has access to the device enabled us to do differently this year? The reflection process in and of itself was a great one. 

• What had changed?
• How had we grown?
• Where were we shifting our practices?

Through reflection we were reminded of an English I team meeting where we asked the question “How can we do this differently?”  We realized we didn’t need to create “an experience” for the Student Tech Conference, we had something we could share that was powerful.  The project that our English 1 team had designed with 1:1 technology made it possible to combine different modes of communication (e.g. words, art, audio) to share an idea, making words more powerful. Our students decided they wanted to show how a static essay could come to life and have a totally different impact on an individual when transformed into a multi-modal project. ​

Voice - 

• I want to make a conscious effort to use my voice while encouraging teachers and students to share experiences in authentic ways. A focus this year will be to push myself to use multimodal digital strategies to express myself through continuing to learn digital graphic, video, and audio techniques.  
• This year being a part of the collective voice of my school and it’s vision for learning within our walls and beyond is an exciting challenge. 

I am ready for 2017! I can't wait to see where we all are a year from now. Happy New Year!
​

At our school most things are chronicaled off of our school year calendar but at the end of the calendar year we take time to reflect back on the calendar year. It's a fun time to look back at what was happening in what we consider our previous year and melt it together with the beginning of our current school year. For the second time we put together our top ten moments in social media. Thanks to Michael McDonough for sifting through all of the posts and helping create our list.  Enjoy watching a bit of our history! What would be your school's top ten?