Standard 4

Component 4.c – Evaluate the changing dynamics of the learning environment and adjust instructional
tasks as needed to further student progress

Artifact: edTPA Task #2 Commentary

Date: Spring 2019

Reflection:

In the spring of 2019, I completed an edTPA task #2 commentary. This was done using a video of a professor at
SUNY Cortland instructing an elementary class in the unit of dribbling. For practice, I completed the
commentary regarding his instruction using specific time marks and evidence to analyze instruction.

The edTPA task #2 commentary relates to component 4.c because my ability to analyze and use evidence of a
video of instruction to make future adjustments was done within this task. This task allowed me to evaluate the
learning environment and students’ responses regarding instructional tasks. The commentary focused on
instructional methods of the teacher and how they adjusted throughout the lesson. I used this evidence to
evaluate the changing dynamics of the environment and then adjust, make suggestions, to better enhance
student learning in future lessons. Instructional models are used to build a foundation for effective learning.
These models includes phases of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation (ADDIE)
(“Applying”, n.d.). This component and task directly relates to the analysis and evaluation phases of this model.
These phases are needed in order to improve effective instructional methods.

The ability to evaluate the changing dynamics of the learning environment and adjust instructional tasks as
needed to further student progress is important for a physical educator. It is important to be able to analyze and
adjust instructional tasks to better enhance the learning environment for all students. It is critical that a physical
educator is a reflective teacher. Being a reflective teacher is most beneficial to students’ learning and one needs
to be proficient at evaluating and analyzing instruction in order to be effect at reflecting.

Applying learning theories and instructional design models for effective instruction. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/advan.00138.2015
Download and save this to your computer as the commentary for Task #2. [Type in the brackets] and delete
the first page before uploading to Watermark/Taskstream.

Task 2: Modified Instruction Commentary

Evaluated using rubrics 6-10

1) The lesson you are using for this assignment is Mr. Tom Winiecki’s 4th grade basketball dribbling lesson.
2) Promoting a Positive Learning Environment
Refer to scenes in the video clip(s) using time markers where the teacher provided a safe, respectful, and
organized learning environment.
a) Describe how the teacher provided a positive, low-risk emotionally and physically safe environment.
(Think about what we have been discussing in class about creating a positive learning environment).
[The teacher provided a positive, low-risk emotionally and physically safe environment all throughout the class
length. During a dribbling lesson, students may be focused watching the ball rather than where they are going.
This could potentially lead to collisions. The teacher was effective in reminding students to keep their eyes up
as well as make sure students wait their turn in order to avoid any potentially dangerous incidents. At 11:28, the
teacher allowed students to go to any basketball (while practicing lay-ups) as long as they do not cut in front of
anyone else. This could potentially lead to collisions and arguments between students. The teacher provided a
safe environment by positioning himself with his back to the wall, at 14:14, to monitor students and make sure
students are displaying safe, appropriate behaviors. He was able to pull a student to the side, at 18:05, and
remind her to keep her eyes up to make sure she could see where she was traveling. This teacher was able to
provide a positive environment. At the time marker 19:34, the teacher displayed positive reinforcement by
giving individual students attention and the reward of a “fist bump”. Due to the teacher providing a positive,
low risk emotionally and physically safe environment, students were able to learn effectively without caution. ]
b) Explain how the rules, routines, and transitions maximized students’ engagement in the lesson.
[The teacher was effective in classroom management including effective routines and transitions throughout the
lesson. This allowed for more time on task rather than time on management. The teacher immediately displayed
an effective routine 18 seconds into the video segment. He asked students a question and as they raised their
hand he would say “someone with a quiet hand” to select to answer the question. This made the students
become quiet almost immediately and engaged in the conversation. He also did this routine at the time stamp
9:56, showing consistency and effectiveness of this strategy. Another routine that was effective and allowed for
a quick and smooth transition was the use of “freeze” at 2:00. When the teacher said “freeze”, he would also
point to students that had stopped what they were doing and said “ready”. This gives attention to individual
students as well as appropriate behaivor. Other students will follow the student who was “ready” to gain the
attention of the instructor. He demonstrated consistency of this strategy by doing it again at 3:59 and 5:52.
When the teacher wanted students to sit at the time marker 9:25, he pointed to the floor and said students sit hit
here while holding the ball in their lap. This may have been so effective due to giving students a specific side of
the floor to sit on. To have students get equipment, in this case a basketball at 1:01, the teacher used colors to
group the children into smaller numbers when retrieving equipment. He used a colorful basketball and pointed
to a color and whatever color was chosen, he prompted students wearing that color to go get a basketball. This
was effective because having every student get equipment at once can lead to several distractions, arguments, as
well as possible injury if students are not careful. ]
3) Engaging Students in Learning
Refer to examples from the video clip(s) using time markers in your response to the prompt.
a) Explain how the teacher actively engaged students in learning tasks aligned with the objectives of the
lesson in the psychomotor domain and at least one other learning domain (cognitive, affective).
[The teacher was effective in engaging students in learning tasks aligned with psychomotor objectives as well as
other domains including the cognitive and affective domains. In one task in the beginning of the lesson, the
teacher asked students to dribble around the gymnasium while making a list of their peers who are dribbling
with correct form. The objective was to have students dribble with their fingerprints with their eyes up. At 2:42
in the video segment, the teacher asked the girl in a white and black striped shirt to identify others who were
using proper technique of dribbling as she was dribbling. This incorporated the cognitive domain as the student
had to be able to identify critical elements or cues for dribbling. In another task, students were asked to dribble
while spelling words posted on the wall. Every dribble was one letter. At 4:10, while working on dribbling and
providing students with extension tasks of switching hands, the cognitive domain was incorporated through the
use of literary elements. Another way the teacher incorporated the cognitive domain to actively engage students
is at the time marker of 9:38 where the use of check for understandings were used. He asked the students to
recall what type of shot is performed close to the basket which they responded correctly with the lay-up. This
check for understanding allows students to recall previous concepts and begin to build knowledge upon them.
The instructor included the affective domain as well as he had students work together to recall the answer to the
question of what type of shot they had previously went over. The teacher was able to incorporate both
psychomotor and cognitive or affective together in each task to work towards lesson objectives in each of the
domains.]
4) Strengthening Student Competencies
Refer to examples from the video clip(s) using time markers in your explanations.
a) Explain how the teacher actively monitored students’ actions during the learning task(s) and asked
questions or provided corrective feedback to improve student competencies.
[The teacher was effective and actively monitoring students’ actions during the lesson. He provided positive and
corrective feedback all throughout the lesson. At 1:41, the teacher made eye contact with a boy in a grey shirt
and dark sweatpants while he was dribbling to reinforce the cue of eyes up as well as provide him with the
feedback to keep his eyes up. At 4:58, the teacher provided corrective feedback regarding the dribble to a girl in
a pink long sleeve shirt. Beginning at 12:10, the teacher provides corrective feedback to a girl in a blue plaid
long sleeve shirt regarding her dribbling while going in for a lay-up. He was clarifying the foot work (1, 2 step)
and stayed until 13:53 to make sure she corrected her footwork before moving on to monitor more students. He
also returned to this student in a later lesson, at 17:25, providing her with more specific, corrective feedback.
This teacher used the back to the wall monitoring strategy which allowed him to observe the whole class as well
as individual movement patterns. The ability to provide feedback and effectively monitor students creates an
effective learning environment for students. It also helps to improve skill levels of students to help them achieve
the lesson objectives.]
b) Explain how the teacher used instructional cues/prompts, explorations/demonstrations, and or student
analysis of their own and/or others’ psychomotor skills to develop student competencies in the
psychomotor and at least one other learning domain (cognitive, affective).
[The teacher used instructional cues/prompts, explorations and demonstrations, and student analysis of
psychomotor skills as well as opportunities to develop competencies in the cognitive and affective domains.
Seven seconds in the video segment, the teacher provided an opportunity to develop analysis skills (cognitive).
The teacher allowed students to collaborate with one another, improving social behaivor (affective), to answer
the question of what a good dribbler does. The instructor, at the time 6:02, allowed for more student
collaboration regarding the follow through in basketball. Students were able to explore and analyze movement
in order to answer the teacher’s question of what this is called (the follow through) after demonstrating it. The
teacher also incorporated a cognitive cue of “giraffe” to provide students with a mental picture of the cue follow
through. During a task at the time marker 14:19, the teacher allowed a girl in an orange shirt and pink pants
explore her movement and discover what she needed to do. She then told the teacher and he provided feedback
regarding her discovery regarding movement (the lay-up). At the time marker 10:06, the teacher demonstrated
the footwork of the lay-up for the students and then allowed a student to demonstrate this skill twice. This
allows for others to work in the affective domain as well as the psychomotor domain. The teacher allowed for
demonstrations and student analysis / discovery to improve competencies in all domains rather than only the
psychomotor domain.]
5) Analyzing Teaching
Refer to examples from the video clip(s) using time markers in your responses to the prompts.
a) What changes would you suggest the teacher make to their instruction- for the whole class and/or for
students who need greater support or challenge- to better support student learning of the central focus
(e.g., missed opportunities)?
[Overall I believe the lesson was effective as well as efficient for student learning. There would only be a few
items I would suggest to the teacher. This would be to provide more challenge to the students who can dribble
with either hands or demonstrate different dribbling moves like crossovers or between their legs. At time
marker 1:50, there are two students (a boy in a grey shirt and a boy in a black shirt) who were able to perform
more advanced aspects of the skill of dribbling in the first task who could benefit from extension tasks. I would
have the students work on dribbling in different pathways while changing speeds (incorporating multiple
movement concepts). For lower skilled students who need more assistance, one-on-one instruction may be more
beneficial and create more learning opportunities for that student. This could be from the use of an aide or
paraeducator depending on the level of assistance needed. For this class, I only observed lower skilled students
(at time marker 4:58) who did not necessarily need an educator but needed more repetition and instruction. The
use of stations may be beneficial having students progress through dribbling concepts while receiving extension
tasks at each station. This includes more of a challenge by choice strategy.]
_____________________________________________________________________________
Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different strategies/support (e.g., students
with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners, students with higher/lower proficiency levels,
underperforming students or those gaps in content knowledge, or students needing greater support or
challenge).
b) Why do you think these changes would improve student learning? Support your explanation with
evidence of students learning And principles from theory and/or research.
[I think providing students with extension tasks would improve student learning because this takes into account
students having different motor skill abilities and provides students with challenge regarding their skill level.
Students should build upon previous and current knowledge to form new connections for skill development.
The teacher should guide this by creating extension tasks for students to create opportunities to learn, be
challenged, and successful as well. The constructivist theory, created by Vygotsky, addresses the idea of
scaffolding. Scaffolding is used to enhance and create deeper connections as well as progress students in skill
development. In this video, the teacher could have started a task with dribbling with the dominant hand. Then,
for those who need extension tasks, have them dribble with their left hand. As students show competency in
this, have students who need more of a challenge dribble alternating hands. This is the idea of scaffolding
highlighted in the constructivist theory, which supports the need for extension tasks. It also highlights a social
environment with collaboration. Teachers should collaborate with students who needs more assistance to help
them develop skill. (Utilizing educational theoretical models to support effective physical education pedagogy
by Wayne Usher, Allan Edwards, & Bianca de Meyrick)]