Edtpa Ele Instruction Commentary

Elementary Education: Literacy with Mathematics Task 4
Task 2: Instruction Commentary
TASK 2: INSTRUCTION COMMENTARY

Respond to the prompts below (no more than 6 single-spaced pages, including prompts) by typing your responses within the
brackets following each prompt. Do not delete or alter the prompts. Commentary pages exceeding the maximum will not be
scored. You may insert no more than 2 additional pages of supporting documentation at the end of this file. These pages
may include graphics, texts, or images that are not clearly visible in the video or a transcript for occasionally inaudible portions.
These pages do not count toward your page total.
1. Which lesson or lessons are shown in the video clips? Identify the lesson(s) by lesson plan
number.
[The lesson covered in clips 1 and 2 is Lesson 1: Analyzing Informational Text Structure -
Overview Tips and Tricks .]
2. Promoting a Positive Learning Environment
Refer to scenes in the video clips where you provided a positive learning environment.
a. How did you demonstrate mutual respect for, rapport with, and responsiveness to
students with varied needs and backgrounds, and challenge students to engage in
learning?
[I love to make sure that my students feel heard, when I accept their responses. I like to make
sure I know that I am listening by nodding my head, saying and saying yup, if they are right, and
suggesting feedback if they are not quite on the picture. I like to also repeat my student’s
answer back to them to make sure I heard them correctly just like at marker 3:21 (clip 1). One of
my students has said that their ELA practice book has passages in it that could be informational
text. I have affirmed their answer as well as provided more context in terms of how it relates to
informational text. Additionally, I like to make sure that my students know they should always
follow the classroom protocols that respect the learning environments of their classmates. For
example, at 9:38 (clip 1) one of my students asked to go to the bathroom, which I allowed, but
reaffirmed to them the expectations for etiquette in the class. We raise our hands first before
asking questions. Additional examples of supporting and affirming my students. 7:00 - 8:31 (clip
2) My student applies the knowledge of sequence and order text structure to create a text
example. I take their example and reframe it, keeping their original answer and adding some
more signal words in. 7:15 (clip 2) Affirming my students example, it fits the criteria of the text
structure, and he used the correct cue words to form his example (first, then, next). 1:34 (clip 1)
I have asked my students if they know what a text structure is, and if they have an example of
what informational text is. I have taken their answers and summarized and restated them.]
3. Engaging Students in Learning

Refer to examples from the video clips in your responses to the prompts.
a. Explain how your instruction engaged students in developing an essential literacy

strategy and related skills.
[My students practiced the essential literacy skill of comprehension when they created their own
example for each informational text structure while using cue words from the chart, and
sampling the format from the teacher example. This is a combination of the skills I am teaching
them to use to correctly identify the text structure in order to better understand the purpose and
content of the text. 7:00 - 8:31 (clip 2) My student applies the knowledge of sequence and order
text structure to create a text example. I take their example and reframe it, keeping their original
answer and adding some more signal words in. Additionally, I incorporated a t-chart so students
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could see the type of informational text structure and an example of text that would be featured
inside that type of text (see attached picture, Figure 1.2 as it is partially obstructed in the video).]
b. Describe how your instruction linked students’ prior academic learning and personal,
cultural, and community assets with new learning.
[To help students better connect to the lesson and its contents, I had the students pretend that
they work for the informational text structure detective agency and identifying the text structures
using the strategies I give them (their evidence) is how they will solve mysteries. 0:00-1:13
Engages the students by asking them to think like detectives. I have asked them what
detectives need to solve cases, and my students have responded, “evidence and clues.” I have
acknowledged that clues and evidence present themselves in four different ways when
identifying informational text structures. To activate prior knowledge, I asked if students had
learned about informational texts before. 3:21 One of my students has said that their ELA
practice book has passages in it that could be informational text. I have affirmed their answer as
well as provided more context in terms of how it relates to informational text. ]
4. Deepening Student Learning during Instruction
Refer to examples from the video clips in your explanations.
a. Explain how you elicited and built on student responses to promote thinking and
apply the essential literacy strategy using related skills to comprehend OR compose text.
[3:41-5:10 (clip 2) One of my students is giving an example for the descriptive text structure and
chose the topic of humans. She starts by saying, humans are animals….” and then continues to
think. I ask my other students to help out their classmates and provide them with an additional
frame, “humans are animals who….” One of my students then gives the example, “humans are
animals who wear clothes.” (I accidentally mistook which student said this, but corrected myself)
I then took examples from my students and combined it into one. Here, I am listening to student
responses, asking them to build on them, and helping them narrow it down. I am helping them
include key words and sentence style to create an example of what a descriptive text would look
like, this skill segways into recognizing these words and sentence styles in text, so they can
properly identify the structure in the future. Additionally, in clip 1, 1:45-3:35 , I have students
share their responses to check for background knowledge, they share answers, I confirm those
answers and give them a little bit more information as we go. I continue to build on their
responses until we’ve collected enough examples and understanding (one of my students even
shares the response highlighter, which is not an example of informational text, but a helpful tool
to use in addition to a strategy they will use to identify text structures. I tell him this and ask him
to keep it in mind for later). This activity gets my students thinking about what we are going to
be doing by asking them to express their thoughts. This discussion is like doing a semantic map
but without the visual representation (a good thing to think about for improvements later).]
b. Explain how you modeled the essential literacy strategy AND supported students as they
practiced or applied the strategy to comprehend OR compose text in a meaningful
context.
[3:50-6:00 Here I am going over the 4 categories that fall under “clues and evidence” (definition,
example, visual organizer, and cue words) . I let them know that they will be explicitly using
these 4 strategies to correctly identify the 5 different types of information text structures as seen
in their handout and the anchor chart on the board (see attached image, Figure 1.1). I am
providing my students with the skills they need to properly identify the text structures.
Additionally, as mentioned above when creating the t-chart, I had the students analyze my
model example sentence and use it to create an example of their own like in clip 2, 7:00 - 8:31]
5. Analyzing Teaching
Refer to examples from the video clips in your responses to the prompts.
a. What changes would you make to your 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)?
Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different
strategies/support, such as students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners,
struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in academic knowledge,
and/or gifted students.
[ In order to differentiate the instruction for this lesson to fit the needs of other students, such as
ELLs, students with 504s/IEPs, and struggling learners. I would like to provide them with a word
bank and sentence frames. I think it is important for them to develop their content-area
vocabulary in order to understand how to decode text examples and text structures. Without an
understanding of the key vocabulary, they will not be able to use key strategies such as
identifying corresponding cue words. The sentence frames will help them apply their vocabulary
to the correct context of identifying informational text structures, since that is a part of the
essential literacy strategy. There is no true word bank given to my students, examples are given
in the anchor chart and in the lesson, but are not framed in such a way that students with these
needs can access them. For example, my student provides me with an appropriate example
sentence for sequence and order, but I think a struggling reader and or ELL student may
struggle to apply the structure of my example to that of their own by the way it is written on the
chart 7:00-8:31 (clip 2). Additionally, I would like to add to the discussion that takes place at the
beginning of clip 1, 1:45-3:25, I would create a semantic map, with the words informational text
in the middle. The responses from my students would go in bubbles surrounding informational
text, to show that they are connected. This is a good strategy for struggling readers and ELL
students alike.]
b. Why do you think these changes would improve student learning? Support your
explanation with evidence of student learning AND principles from theory and/or
research.
[As I mentioned before, all of the strategies I have mentioned above still fall under the key idea
that all students learn and think differently. By differentiating my teaching in a more broad way, I
am responding to Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory. Multisensory techniques have shown
to be good support for students with different intellectual needs such as students with IEPs/504s
and struggling readers. Students being able to have access to visual and auditory teaching
methods improves their ability to understand content. Based on my assessment, students
responded well to being able to circle cue words in a text rather than writing them out
separately, I believe this is because they do not have to worry about spelling.]
Figure 1.1 Informational Text Structure Anchor Chart
Note: This anchor chart is partially obscured in both clips 1 and 2
Figure 1.2 T- Chart of Examples
Note: partially obscured in clips 1 and 2

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Elementary Education: Literacy with Mathematics Task 4

Task 2: Instruction Commentary

TASK 2: INSTRUCTION COMMENTARY

3. Engaging Students in Learning

a. Explain how your instruction engaged students in developing an essential literacy

Figure 1.1 Informational Text Structure Anchor Chart

Note: This anchor chart is partially obscured in both clips 1 and 2

Figure 1.2 T- Chart of Examples

Note: partially obscured in clips 1 and 2

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