Edtpa task 2 instruction commentary

K-12 Performing Arts 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. [ Video Clip #1 shows an excerpt from Lesson 2, and Video Clip #2 shows and excerpt from Lesson 5. ] 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? [ In both video clips, I demonstrated respect for and rapport with students by calling on them by name, looking them in the eyes, and generally giving them a pleasant demeanor. In Video Clip #1, I complimented their singing in the previous lesson at 0:04, telling them they “were doing some awesome, incredible singing”, and tied it to the central focus of the lesson by inviting them review what they implemented in terms of vocal technique in order to achieve their quality of sound.

At 0:19, one of the students listed “lifting our zygomatics” as one technique that they implemented in order to sing well in the previous lesson. Even though that was not the exact answer I was looking for, I affirmed that student by repeating her answer for the rest of the class and giving her positive feedback by saying “yes, very nice” before transitioning to another question.

I asked the class to explain to me how to achieve a proper facial embouchure. At 2:34, a student raised her hand to give the answer “peach-face”, but was unable to be heard by the rest of the class due to off task conversation. To affirm this student’s response and reengage the rest of the class with the discussion at hand, I asked the student to “say that one more time with everyone listening”, which redirected off task behavior back to the current activity and allowed the student to effectively address the rest of the class.

During a discussion about the difference in sound between singing with and without proper facial embouchure, I noticed students who were off tasking and talking with each other at 5:52.

In order to reengage them with the current activity and promote positive peer behavior, I politely asked the students, “Do you guys have a question?” Their lack of response to my question indicated to me that they were not talking about the current topic, so I then reminded them to “please stop talking” before returning to the discussion.

At 7:03, I noticed a student sitting and looking unwell during a standing activity. In order to demonstrate sensitivity to this student’s needs, I ask her if she “need[s] to go to the office?” She responds, “no”, so I continued giving instruction and allowed her to sit for as long as she needed.

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K-12 Performing Arts Task 2: Instruction Commentary

In Video Clip #2, I facilitated a discussion asking the students to review the three concepts of vocal technique that we were learning. At 0:56, students started to shout out answers without raising their hands, so I reminded them to “please raise your hands” before giving answers in order to promote an organized discussion and a positive classroom environment. ] 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 and applying

 knowledge/skills (e.g., tools/instruments, technical proficiencies, processes, elements, organizational principles),

 contextual understandings (e.g., social, cultural, historical, global, personal reflection), AND/OR

 artistic expression (e.g., interpretation, creativity, exploration/improvisation, individual choices). [ In Video Clip #1, students developed their knowledge of embouchure by observing differences in feeling and in sound between singing with and without a proper embouchure. Starting at 4:05, students discussed differences that they felt and heard between the two performances. One student stated that they felt “less energy” singing without a proper embouchure. Another students said, “It’s kind of hard to sing without the peach face.” Both of these answers demonstrate student development of knowledge regarding embouchure, as they are taking their experiences with singing with and without proper embouchure and describing what they observed.

Starting at 7:11, students then demonstrated application of knowledge regarding embouchure to performance by implementing proper embouchure in performing warmup exercises. At 7:18, I gave students a chance to self-assess if they are singing with correct embouchure by reminding them to check their “peach face”. Students responded by physically miming the action of biting into a peach, demonstrating understanding of how to form a correct embouchure and applying it in a performance context.

In Video Clip #2, starting at 8:00, students demonstrated understanding of how to perform with correct facial embouchure, lifted soft palate, and appoggio breath support by “teaching” me how to implement those concepts in my singing. Students assumed an instructional role, modeling picking a peach and biting into it to teach me how to form an appropriate embouchure, modeling making “hooting” sounds and having me mimic them in order to teach me how to feel a lifted soft palate, and guiding me to perform with appoggio breath support by modeling an outward push with the arms and ribs and telling me to “push [my] ribs out” and “expand”. This demonstrates student understanding of the three vocal technique concepts and displays application of knowledge for performance, in this case in the context of peer instruction. ] b. Describe how your instruction linked students’ prior academic learning and personal, cultural, and community assets with new learning. [ In Video Clip #1, I used class discourse and review to link prior academic learning with new learning. At 1:45 of Video Clip #1, I invited students to review how to form a proper embouchure. Students gave answers such as “lift your zygomatics” and “use your peach face”.

Once these had been established, I invited the students to practice singing with proper Copyright © 2016 Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University.

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K-12 Performing Arts Task 2: Instruction Commentary

embouchure, as they have done before. I then incorporated this prior knowledge with new knowledge by inviting students to sing with and without embouchure at 4:30, then to discuss their observations contrasting the two experiences. Observations that students made include, “it didn’t sound as full” (4:50), “we were giving more force” (5:06), and that singing with a proper embouchure reminds you to engage other aspects of proper vocal technique, such as raising the soft palate (5:20). Through having students participate in this activity, I helped them approach prior knowledge and experiences through a different lens in order to reveal new insights and ideas.]

4. Deepening Student Learning during Instruction Refer to examples from the video clips in your explanations. a. Explain how you evoked and built on student performances and/or responses to support students’ development and application of knowledge/skills, contextual understandings, and/or artistic expression.

[In Video Clip #1, I asked students how to form a proper facial embouchure. At 2:00, a student answered with, “lift your face to these two points”. I then built upon her answer first by repeating it to ensure that everyone heard it, then inviting all students to mime lifting their faces to the two points indicated by the student in order to form a proper facial embouchure.

Later in Video Clip #1, I invited students to implement singing with a proper facial embouchure to warmup exercises. At 7:15, students began singing a warmup but did not demonstrate proper facial embouchure. In this instance, I built upon their performance by inviting them to selfassess and check whether or not they were performing with proper facial embouchure. ] b. Explain how you used modeling, demonstrations, and/or content examples to develop students’ knowledge/skills, contextual understandings, and/or artistic expression for creating, performing, or responding to music/dance/theater. [ In Video Clip #1, I used extensive modeling to get students to understand how to set up embouchure. At 2:41 I had students mimic picking a peach and biting into it with their front teeth in order to reinforce the concept of proper embouchure. Practicing this helped the students develop their ability to form a proper embouchure. At 3:58, I modeled hooting like an owl and had students mimic me in order to reinforce the concept of the raised soft palate. Again, this modeling and mimicking process helped students develop their ability to experience phonating with a lifted soft palate. When students needed further reminders to readjust their embouchure, I had them repeat the process of biting into a peach at 5:43 and 12:09 to further reinforce the concept. Again, this process helped students develop their ability to prepare a proper facial embouchure for performance. In Video Clip #2, I had students demonstrate their understanding of how to form correct embouchure, raised soft palate, and appoggio by having them model for me how to achieve each element starting at 8:00. Having the students model for me helped them develop both their ability to form a correct embouchure, lifted soft palate, and appoggio for performance, as well as helped them develop their ability to respond to a musical performance and change their method of modeling and instruction based on what they observe. ] 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)?

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K-12 Performing Arts Task 2: Instruction Commentary

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, struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in academic knowledge, and/or gifted students). [ In both video clips, I would try to incorporate more small group and peer discussion rather than whole group discussion in order to more fully check for individual understanding. In Video Clip #1, this could happen starting at 4:05. After having the students sing with and without proper embouchure, I could have split them the students into small groups and had them discuss and write the differences that they felt and heard among themselves, then had groups share their observations later. Similarly, in Video Clip #2, I could have split them into small groups and had them each discuss and write how to teach someone how to sing with proper embouchure, raised soft palate, and appoggio starting at 8:00 instead of having it be a large group exercise.

More small group activity would also allow me to better serve my student with an IEP and allow me to provide them with more individualized instruction and guidance should they need it. ] 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. [ Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development theory suggests that students are more engaged and more likely to retain information in situations of small group and peer learning rather than large group, instructor-based learning. Involving more small group activities also allows for more individual responses and individual engagement rather than having large group discussion dominated by the relatively few who definitely know the material. Furthermore, it allows for more accurate individual assessment, as the individuals are more engaged. ]

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