Guitars in the Classroom

*Developmental and Inclusive Ukulele for UTK-8 Music Educators**

**Course Prerequisite: You are already a music educator**

If you are a music teacher looking for an engaging, fun, sensible, and accessible way to integrate ukulele into your music classes, this one time workshop is for you! Outstanding music educator and presenter Crystal Pridmore, and GITC founder and author of the SmartStart Guitar book series (Hal Leonard) and SmartStart Ukulele (Korg), Jess Baron, will introduce you to teaching developmental ukulele in alignment with your music education curriculum. The course includes sharing teaching strategies for including students with support needs and diverse learning styles.

We begin in open C tuning which makes learning to play notes and chords a gradual and rewarding process. Song-based instruction and lyric writing get students excited and keep them progressing while building fine motor coordination, one new skill at a time. The approach allows you to add ukulele to your existing scope and sequence. The instruments can pair with voice, recorder, keyboards, and of course, xylophones and percussion, and can support learning to read and play rhythms and accompany vocal parts. Student songwriting is another dimension that fits well with music standards while supporting literacy skills.

There is no GITC prerequisite except that everyone who enrolls must already be a music educator. The instrumental skills will come naturally to you.

San Diego County Office of Education

6401 Linda Vista Road, San Diego CA 92111

*For more information on this specific course, please email Jess directly at *jess@guitarsintheclassroom.org*