Instruction Commentary Write the Instruction Commentary by providing your response to each of the prompts below. 1.

Which lesson or lessons are shown in the clips? Identify the lesson(s) by lesson plan number. Minutes 1 !"" to # !1" in $esson 1% and minutes 1!1& to 11!"& in $esson # 2. If applicable% provide any additional information (beyond that provided in 'as( 1) needed to understand the learning environment or interactions seen in each clip. )oth students were having difficult days% in clip one. We needed to (eep them both restricted as far as movement was concerned% and close to a door% in case they needed to be e*tracted +uic(ly to the hall. 'his limited my ability to bring them up to the board to play and interact with it fully. I decided to maintain this set up for the second lesson% because )randon was having a difficult day. ,t one point during $esson #% he tries to punch me% though this is not seen on the video. 3. Promoting a Positive Learning Environment Identify scenes in the video clip(s) where you provided a positive learning environment. -ow did you demonstrate mutual respect for% rapport with% and responsiveness to enhance self.determination and support engagement in learning for each focus learner% individually and/or as part of the group? In $esson 1! ,t 1 !00% I ac(nowledge 'errence1s correct identification of the number 2 on the price tag. 'errence struggles to verbally identify numbers% and has difficulty with saying a correct name% though he may understand or (now the correct answer. 'errence should not have called out the answer when I directed my re+uest to )randon% but I wanted to ac(nowledge that his response was correct% in order to encourage him for continued and sustained engagement. ,t #"!"2% 'errence again correctly identifies the number on the price tag as 3. I tell him 45reat 6ob% 'errence7 with sincere enthusiasm for his accomplishment. 'errence has always struggled to verbali8e the correct word% when he (nows what the correct answer is. -e might point at nine% but be saying two or four or any other number% while (nowing the answer is nine. I thin( that giving him something to play with (the coins on the des(top)% and a familiar ob6ect% li(e the boo(% helped him with recognition and word association. I have always felt that if he doesn1t thin( about an answer% he gets the correct answers% and I believe that this is a very good e*ample of this. ,t #1!"0% 'errence is resisting wor(ing with me% which is something he does often. 9ather than demanding his cooperation or threatening him with removal of his thumbs up% which is a part of his behavior management plan% I get up and wal( him through what I1m re+uesting. I ta(e his hand and help him count out the correct number of coins% which he lets me do. 'hough 'errence does not re+uire hand over hand for many activities% I felt that showing him e*plicitly what I was as(ing him would serve two purposes! first% he would be getting the attention that he1s craving and second% he would (now what is being as(ed of him. I follow this up by chec(ing on the independent wor( that )randon had been doing. I count his coins and find nine% and tell him he1s done an e*cellent 6ob. 1

,t #0!12% I as( 'errence to show me a group of three coins. Instead% he puts a coin into his mouth and (eeps it there until I see him. I had repeatedly as(ed him not to put coins in his mouth% as they were dirty and that was dangerous. -e did this to elicit a reaction from me. I ma(e the choice to move on in the lesson% rather than point out what he1s done% call attention to it% or force him to show me a group of three pennies. I (now that 'errence had been having a particularly difficult day% and I (new that if I pushed the issue% it would lead to a power struggle. )y ignoring it% I1m giving 'errence the opportunity to continue with the lesson% and respecting his right to learn. ,t #:!1"% )randon is up at the board and wants to continue writing on the board. I (now that )randon can become a little obsessive compulsive% and needs to finish something or else he1ll get upset. I as( him to return to his seat. -e wants to finish writing. ;o I instead let him finish what he1s doing before insisting he returns to his seat. In Minute #:!## in $esson 1% )randon begins to meltdown and has an outburst. I re. directed him by as(ing him to ma(e five pennies on his des( top. 'his sufficiently distracted him from his outburst and calmed him down. Meanwhile% 'errence was imitating his behavior. I chose to ignore this% rather than ma(e an issue of it% because 'errence was also having an e+ually difficult day. ,t Minute #<!2"% I bring 'errence up to the board to identify between two costs. 'errence correctly identifies the value% and I give him a high five% which is a positive gesture of accomplishment and 'errence (nows this. -e is very happy that I gave him a high five. =ou can see the loo( on his face as he returns to his seat% that he1s very proud of what he1s accomplished and that he chose the correct answer. In $esson #! ,t 1!:#% 'errence is as(ed what the shape of a penny is. -e refuses to open his lips and simply hums% not wanting to cooperate or wor( with me. I as( him to ma(e the right choice% to choose to wor( with me or else he1ll need to leave the lesson and sit in the bac( with my cooperating teacher. I remind him that if he doesn1t wor( with me% then he won1t receive all of his thumbs up% and if he doesn1t get all of his thumbs up% he won1t be allowed to ma(e nec(laces at the end of the day. I1m offering him the chance to correct his own behavior% which he chooses to do. ,t :!1<% I as( both the students what they thin( of the video we 6ust watched about a nic(el. I1m giving them the chance to e*press themselves% to share their thoughts and to spea( up. I want to let them (now that they are welcome to e*press themselves. ,t :!0&% I as( )randon what the video said a nic(el was worth. -e correctly identifies a nic(el as worth five cents. I tell him% >ery good% that1s right% a nic(el is worth five cents. I wanted )randon to (now that I ac(nowledged his correct answer% but with )randon% we1re not supposed to get too e*cited or over.enthusiastic% or it can result in his having an outburst or becoming aggressive. ,t &!1"% 'errence hands me his coin rub and tells me that he made me a happy face. ?arlier that day% 'errence as(ed me if he could draw me something to ta(e home and show my daughter. I found it very touching that he had remembered to draw me a happy face% and he as(s me if I will ta(e it home. I want 'errence to feel cared for and respected in my classroom% and I hope his desire to draw me a picture to ta(e home translates into that (nowledge. 4. Engaging and Motivating the Focus Learner(s) 9efer to e*amples from the clip(s) in your e*planations.

a. ?*plain how your strategies engaged and motivated each focus learner to develop and apply the targeted (nowledge and s(ills. In $esson 1! Minute 1 !#"% I use real life ob6ects that the students use every day% in order to help them ma(e connections to their own lives. I am as(ing the students to identify a price tag. 'his is an important s(ill to develop% because if they are to live independently as adults% they need to be able to purchase food% clothing% and other items for living. ,t #:!:#% I bring up two identical groups of ob6ects. I as( the learners to wor( on this particular problem with me% and ta(e the time to count through the pennies on each group. I1m hoping to demonstrate to them how to ta(e their time and count through things% before ma(ing a choice. ,t minute #2!#:% I bring up corresponding ob6ects with price tags. I1m re+uesting that the learners not only identify which item costs more% but also where the price tags are. 'his is helping the learners to understand that items can cost different +uantities% and to be able to choose between two li(e items% which costs more. In $esson #! ,t 2!2&% I re+uest that )randon state his answer in the form of a full sentence% as this is one of the ob6ectives that is re+uired. )randon has difficult saying more than one or two words% despite that he has the ability to say more and use full sentences. ?ven after I re+uest that he use a full sentence% he seems incapable% so I give him the full sentence. I wanted to remove the pressure from him of having to develop the sentence on his own% and only re+uired that he repeat the sentence% in its entirety% bac( to me. I wanted him to stay engaged% but to still complete our ob6ective of using full sentences. I as( 'errence the same +uestion at <!10% and prompt him with the same sentence% in order to ta(e off the pressure of forming his own sentence. ,t !"2% 'errence is refusing to cooperate with the coin rub. I remind 'errence of his behavior management plan% which states that he1ll lose a thumbs up% for not doing good wor(. I tell him that this is the last time I1m going to as( him to wor( with me% that if he1s going to ma(e the choice to not wor(% I1m going to have him leave the lesson which will ensure he doesn1t receive his thumbs up. ,t &!21% I differentiated the instruction from the lesson plan and decided to let the students draw a picture of the nic(el rather than answer a series of +uestions. I (new from the first lesson that this portion of my lesson had been largely unsuccessful% so I decided to change things up and let them draw. )oth students immediately started drawing% and were happy to do so. While they1re drawing% I as( them the same (inds of +uestions I would have as(ed without their drawing. What color and shape do they see? What1s on the nic(el? I1m able to still get the information from them% get them to thin( about the nic(el and hear the +uestions being as(ed% while they1re drawing their pictures. b. @escribe how your instruction lin(ed each focus learner1s prior learning and personal% family% cultural% and/or community assets with new learning. In $esson 1% I show both learners images of items that they use every day! a baseball hat% a pair of tennis shoes% a boo( bag% and a boo(. )y activating this prior (nowledge% I1m hoping the students can ma(e connections between ob6ects in their lives and the money re+uired to purchase these ob6ects. I also chose ob6ects that they use in daily life. Aor )randon% he wears a baseball cap every day to and from school. Aor 'errence% he has a favorite pair of snea(ers that he wears on occasion 3

and li(es to point out to us. )oth students carry boo( bags to school every day% that we spend time hanging up and putting on at the end of the day. 'hese are items that are commonly used and easily recogni8ed by the students. Bow I1m hoping that they will understand that they have a worth or a value% that can be identified by a price tag. In $esson #% I begin the lesson by reminding the students of the penny. I do this through a video online% that they watched in $esson 1% and then again by showing them a penny and as(ing them +uestions. )randon is able to identify the color of the penny% which is a big achievement% considering his distraction with the Cromethian )oard. 'errence starts out the lesson being very uncooperative and refuses to loo( at the penny or answer any +uestions about it. I also use music and video to teach the students about the coins. )oth students are very interested in movies% television% videos and games. I (new that they would be more willing to listen to a video or a song% than they would to me tal(ing about a coin. In their homes% they are e*posed to lots of music and videos on a daily basis% so I was sure that this would be more impactful. . !ee"ening Learning during Instruction 9efer to e*amples from the clip(s) in your e*planations. a. ?*plain how you elicited and responded to each focus learner1s performance to promote application of learning. $esson 1! ,t #2!2"% 'errence ma(es a choice between two price tags and chooses the incorrect price. I wal( him through the process% first as(ing him what price tag one says. 'hen I as( him what price tag two says. 'hen I as( him% which number is bigger% 2 or #? )y ta(ing the time to wal( him through the process% 'errence was able to ma(e the correct choice of the bigger number. )oth learners have the habit of immediately giving a response% simply to please the teacher. I needed to ta(e my time with 'errence% to get him to see what he was being as(ed and to thin( about the +uestion% before answering. $esson #! ,t !##% )randon completed his coin rub% and began to color in the coins when he wasn1t supposed to. I immediately said not to do it% then reali8ed that if I followed the line% it would result in him having a meltdown. Instead% I tried to re.direct him% by as(ing him to write his name on the paper. I get pulled to 'errence% and )randon begins coloring again. I tell him to stop coloring and then as( him to hand me the crayon. 'his way I1m able to stop him from coloring and writing on the paper. -e becomes upset and throws his arms up and tries to bang his des( and his head% but he doesn1t have a meltdown and is able to continue with the lesson. b. @escribe opportunities provided to each focus learner to apply feedbac( to improve performance. $esson 1! ,t #1!22% )randon is as(ed to circle the group of pennies that is bigger% and has a choice of a group with # pennies and a group with 0 pennies. -e circles the group with # pennies. I as( him how many pennies are in the group he circled% to which he tells me two. I as( him how many pennies are in the second group% to which he tells me three. I as( him which is bigger% to which he responds two. Dnfortunately% he may have been referring to the group number and not the number of pennies. ;o I prompt him with% three is bigger and circle the correct one. I thin( that this doesn1t put pressure on him to 4

ma(e the right choice and get upset with himself for choosing incorrectly. )randon can often correct himself% when he1s given the chance to loo( at his wor(. I do believe )randon reali8ed he had chosen the incorrect group. ,t #0!# % )randon is as(ed to come up to the board to circle which group of pennies is bigger% and he is shown two groups! 5roup 1 with : pennies and 5roup # with 2 pennies. -e circles group 1 and immediately returns to his seat. I as( him to return% and as( him to count with me to determine how many pennies 5roup 1 has. -e tries again to return to his seat% but I as( him once more to come bac( up and have him count how many pennies 5roup # has. -e finally ma(es the correct choice of the bigger group% after counting through the pennies. 'his (ind of feedbac( is helping him ta(e his time with choosing and self.correcting his responses. $esson #! ,t <!10% 'errence is as(ed to describe what he sees on the paper% which is a rub of two nic(els. -e refuses to 4unglue7 his lips. I remind 'errence of the conse+uences of not answering the +uestion and wor(ing with me% which is to lose a thumbs up and to leave the lesson. I tell him that I want to see him do good wor(. 'his feedbac( encourages 'errence to wor( with me and repeat the full sentence. ,t !:1% I as( 'errence if he1s completed the rub% because I can see that he hasn1t done as he was as(ed. I repeat my instructions% of needing to color over where the nic(els are. I ta(e his hand and help him color over the nic(els% so he1s able to successfully complete his coin rub. ,t 1"!1:% 'errence isn1t drawing a nic(el% but instead 6ust ma(ing happy faces. I point out that )randon is wor(ing hard at drawing the nic(el and that I need 'errence to do the same. -e starts to draw. I point out that he has correctly made the circle% which is the shape. I then wal( him through what he sees. , face in the center% and he as(s about eyes and a nose. 'his helps 'errence to see what it is I1m as(ing of him. #. ;upporting 'eaching and $earning a. Aor each focus learner% e*plain how your materials% supports% and instructional strategies support his/her learning in relation to the lesson ob6ectives and how they reflect the learner1s development% age% and needs. )oth of my learners have very limited cognition and very severe learning delays and communication disorders. I needed to tailor a lesson that met these needs% while still helping them to learn independent living s(ills necessary for later in life. I chose to focus on money% as it matched both of their I?Cs and it was a life s(ill that would help them to live independently. I chose to use coin rubs% real coins% coin grouping and price tag identification% because I felt% at the time% that it would help support their learning in relation to the lesson ob6ectives. -owever% I believe that it was too advanced for both learners and I tried doing too much in a single lesson. I should have bro(en up the first lesson into a series of several lessons% and done the same with the subse+uent lessons. 'rying to cover all I did in a single sitting with my students was too much for them to accomplish or ta(e any information from. In $esson #% at &!:3% I ma(e the decision to differentiate my instruction in response to the needs of my focus learners. In $esson 1% I as(ed my learners a series of +uestions and tried to prompt them for responses. It didn1t wor( well% due to the developmental level of my learners. ;o I decided to let my learners draw a nic(el% rather than answer +uestions about a nic(el. )oth of my students li(e coloring with crayons and drawing pictures. I (new that I would be able to motivate and engage them through this (ind of an e*ercise% and possibly get them thin(ing about what 5

they were drawing and how they were drawing it. While they drew% I as(ed them about the choices they were ma(ing. I still didn1t get full sentence answers% but I could see from their drawings that they were thin(ing about the nic(el% ma(ing the same shape% drawing a face in the middle. 'his was a lot more useful for them% than being as(ed a couple +uestions. b. Aor each focus learner% describe how your instructional materials and instructional and support strategies facilitate the development or application of a self.directed learning strategy. Beither learner is capable of much independent learning% but I did try to help them thin( about the choices they were ma(ing. ,t several spots in lesson 1 (#1!22 and #0!# ) and again in $esson # (<!10% !:1% and 1"!10)% both learners ma(e incorrect choices. I have both learners ta(e the time to thin( about what they1re doing% to review their choice% both options% and then to choose again. I1m hoping that in this way% I1m teaching my learners to ta(e the time to self.monitor what they1re doing% because it can help them in ma(ing correct choices. $. %na&y'ing (eaching 9efer to e*amples from the clip(s) in your e*planations. a. What changes would you ma(e to your instruction to better support student learning related to the lesson ob6ectives? In the clip from $esson 1% I have pictures of a hat% boo( bag% shoes% and a boo(% with a price tag. 'hough using technology is important for engaging students% and I do accomplish that% I wish that I also had corresponding real ob6ects with price tags. 'hat way% as one student is up at the board% identifying the price tag and choosing the appropriate costs and which is higher or lower% the second learner could be at his des( and holding the ob6ect% playing with it% noticing things about it. I thin( this would have been a much better way of reaching the students and (eeping both engaged throughout the entire lesson. In the clip from $esson #% we are ma(ing groups of coins. )oth learners struggled with this% and )randon in particular was consumed with collecting as many coins as possible and playing with them. I thin( that I should have restricted the use of the coins% giving them both only a specific amount and then ta(ing them away in between each time% so they couldn1t play with and be distracted by the coins. I would have shown the words of the coins more often and made certain that both learners were aware of the word Cenny in relation to a Cenny% Bic(el in relation to a physical Bic(el% and @ime in relation to a physical @ime. I didn1t offer them enough opportunities to see these words and connect them to the physical ob6ects enough. Dltimately% though% I thin( I would have changed the lessons entirely. I would have bro(en it down to its very simplest e*ercise and 6ust done that over and over with the students. I would have done either grouping coins or choosing between two price tags or groups. ;ometime simple and repetitive% because I thin( that1s the only way to reach my students% through constant and consistent repetition. b. Why do you thin( these changes would improve the learning of each focus learner? ;upport your e*planation with evidence of each focus learner1s performance and principles from theory and/or research as appropriate. 6

With my final assessment% 'errence had difficulties matching the words to the coins. I reali8ed that I didn1t afford him enough chances to see the words% to have the words become familiar to him% and that it might have helped him succeed on the final assessment. )oth students struggled to (eep their attention on each tas(% despite that each tas( was brief. I thin( if I offered them physical ob6ects that related to the ob6ects on the board% it would give them something to focus on% to touch and wor( with% while they were waiting for the other student to be done wor(ing on the board. I noticed that they put their heads down% loo(ed away% got distracted. )ut sometimes% when they had the nic(els on their des(s or the pennies% they had something to play with and focus on and they were slightly more present and engaged. ,lso% )est Cractice is to use authentic and real.world problems and tools. My tools had been actual coins% but I could have also incorporated actual ob6ects% li(e a baseball cap or tennis shoes% with real.world price tags and costs. 'his would have helped the students ma(e more connections and to maintain their attention. I feel strongly that repeating the (ey portions of my lessons would have done more good than having the whole lesson as I did it. )est Cractice states that students need time for practice. In the case of my students% practice means sustained repetition. My cooperating teacher even said that if we did this lesson every day% by the end of the year% they might be able to do what1s being re+uested and to ma(e the correct choices. I thin( I could have thrown out the coin rub and drawing the nic(el% and simply focused on helping them count out groups of coins% choose between two groups of coins% and identifying price tags. 'his would have been time better spent wor(ing toward the Central Aocus of the learning unit% which is money sense and being able to use it in real.world situations.