Justin Rivera

EDU 355
Professor Winecki

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).
[Mr. Winecki provided a positive environment by making the gym a comfortable place for all the
students to be in. He made an effort to engage with every student and give them feedback whether it was
in an individual or group setting. Him providing feedback to all students helps them feel that he cares
about their learning and their development within the lesson. Furthermore, the feedback that he provides
to the students is always positive. When giving feedback it is important to keep it positive even when
corrections need to be made because it helps keep the kids encouraged and motivated (6:30). Mr. Winecki
also used different types of unrelated basketball things to get the students engagement and make it
enjoyable for them such as when he uses the “giraffe” as a part of the cue for following through (6:42).
While the students were practicing on the follow through he did a very good job at making sure to tell the
students how good they were doing before refining or even extending the task. When Mr. Winecki used
the posters with the words on them as a task that was him creating a low-risk environment because each
student had the chance to dribble at their own pace while spelling the words out (6:00). Mr. Winecki
created a physically safe environment by telling the students to make sure they were spread out when he
would send them off. Another way he provided a safe learning environment was by keeping his class
organized throughout the lesson. Prior to beginning, he informed the students that the signal for
attention was going to be the music, therefore when they heard it turn off they knew to immediately
freeze, stop dribbling, and put their attention on him.]
b) Explain how the rules, routines, and transitions maximized students’ engagement in the lesson.
[Mr. Winecki’s rules, routines/ and transitions were set with the class prior to this class period. While
watching the video from the beginning the students came into the gym and set in their assigned spots
before grabbing a basketball or attempting to play. By doing so this maximized the students’ engagement
because it led for the opportunity to spend more time on task as oppose to wasting time explaining the
rules and routine all over again. Another technique Mr. Winecki used for maximization was allowing the
students to converse with each other when a question was asked. This allowed for the students to learn
from each other and made for no wrong answers singling one student out. The smooth transitions were
what I find to be the key to success in maximizing the engagement of students. When the music was
stopped there was little to no lag time and the students were paying attention ready to receive the next
task at hand, this is demonstrated a the 5:51 mark and again at 9:10 mark with a longer transition. The
routines allowed the students to stay on task and also maximize engagement. By the students working on
the skills they had previously learned using the cues they previously learned it led for more time for the
students to work on these skills. ]
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).
[ Mr. Winecki aligned the tasks in the psychomotor, and cognitive domains early on in the lesson when at
about 2:30 seconds he had the students start dribbling and had them make a list of other students that
were doing the task correctly. By doing so he had the students actively moving and almost forcing them
to keep their eyes up because they had to look for other students in the class which made it apart of the
psychomotor domain. During this the students experience the cognitive domain also because they are
asked to make a list of names in their head of other students that are performing the skills correctly. The
cognitive domain is used again by Mr. Winecki when he has the students spelling out the word charts
while dribbling to each letter in the word (4:25). The students are focused mainly on the skill but what
they do not realize is that they are actually spelling the words repeatedly which is helping them
cognitively.]
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.
[ Mr. Winecki actively monitored the students’ and asked questions/provided feedback quite a few times
during the lesson. You first see Mr. Winecki walking through space and observing the students while
dribbling and then at 2:30. He gives corrective feedback to a male student at about 7:35 when he tells the
student he is doing a good job with his follow through even though he wasn’t doing the correct task and
then goes “now see how many times you can make the ball go in your arms.” Mr. Winecki asks a female
student if she used her left foot when she went up for the layup, although he knew she did he wanted her
to recognize that she was doing it correctly and check for understanding (14:15). By asking the student if
she was using the correct foot and then telling her to perform the skill three more times correctly he was
improving the competency level of the student. ]
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).
[Mr. Winecki used the psychomotor skill of a student to develop competency for a student, again, when
he asked the female student what foot she jumped off of when performing the layup. The female student
was not completely sure if she was performing the skill properly but when she was challenged by Mr.
Winecki and has to really think out her movement she is able to realize that she is performing the skill.
The “giraffe” cue is the base for the skill of shooting being that it is the follow through. By using this cue
without even realizing students are completing their shot with a proper follow through due to the cue
which leads the students to build their level of competence. When the students are challenged to spell the
words while dribbling they are building cognitive competence because if they did not know how to spell
the word prior to that class day the dribbling of the ball helps them memorize and correctly spell each
word. ]
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)?
[ One of the changes I would have told Mr. Winecki to make would be to not leave the student in the
middle of observing the skill and in the middle of corrective feedback. At about 13:50 he walks to another
group of students right after giving the female student corrective feedback and you can notice her looking
for approval after she completes the skill but Mr. Winecki is not watching her anymore. I would also
count that as a missed opportunity for growth of that student because once she sees him lack attention to
her and focus his attention to another student she may become discouraged or even feel sad. Other than
that I thought Mr. Winecki did an excellent job at getting to a number of students and keeping the class
engaged during the whole lesson. The students also stood on task for almost the whole lesson no matter
what the task at hand was which I found very impressive being that it could have gotten very
unorganized quickly.]
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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.
[ By Mr. Winecki staying with the female student who was struggling he will not only be able to improve
the students competency level but also other students who are focused on him teaching her. He does not
have to directly be speaking with the whole class because through her actions the students can realize
what he is asking of her and they will attempt to perform the same movement patterns. This is supported
in the video itself when the camera pans from Mr. Winecki talking to the female student to the male
student going to attempt the skill you can see that he makes an emphasis on going from right to left just
like Mr. Winecki just told the female student to do (12:32). This happens again in the video at about
15:40, while Mr. Winecki is observing the students the female student tells the male student behind her to
watch her perform the skill. This shows that they are eager to be competent in the skill and they are
growing and learning from one another which is terrific.]