By Jessica Baron | Executive Director
Dear Friend,
Thank you for donating to this important campaign in the past.
Times are changing for music inclusion in special education. Inclusion is just beginning to happen now, thanks to many people wanting to stop marginalizing students based on diagnoses and classifications that really leave students' abilities out of the equation. "Asset-based" teaching is making waves, and helping school communities understand what each student CAN do, rather than focusing on limitations. All learning takes time and that includes educators and administrators adopting this productive approach. So our work will continue in this area, more than ever before.
What we focus on creates reality, and seeking the good and accentuating the positive can truly help eliminate the negative, as the old song goes...Included in this report for you is a very informative link about what asset-based teaching means, plus a YouTube link to this timeless song, "Ac-Cen-tchu-Ate the Positive" first made famouse by Johnny Mercer, and share here as interpreted by the effervescent Ella Fitzgerald.
The latest news in Inclusion comes from our work n Los Angeles Unified this month! Students with "special needs" are going to be integrated into music education classrooms and we are involved. Just last week, our teaching artist Christopher C. taught a wonderful workshop for 26 LAUSD music teachers on inclusive teaching practices. It was exceptionally well received and we plan to do more. Thank you, LAUSD Arts Education Branch for including GITC at Los Angeles City College on August 7th! Friends, we're sharing a photo from that training with you today.
As we move forward, we'd like to invite you, if you have not already done so, to turn your attention to a different Guitars and Ukes in the Classroom campaign titled Exceptional Learners Deserve Music, too. This one includes funding musical learning and supports for students with a wide range of exceptionalities that are included in student IEPS (Individualized Education Plans) and 504s (student medical accommodation plans for the classroom)..These project supports include providing specialized instruments, grips, tools, and accessories in addition to special educator, music educator, classroom teacher, and paraprofessional training in teaching through music and the power of song. You'll find that campaign here: Exceptional Learners Deserve Music, Too! - GlobalGiving
We also have a separate campaign for hospitalized and homebound students whose medical fragility calls of highly specialized interventions and instructional techniques. Hundreds of children are isolated at home or in hospitals and GITC is bringing music to them by training their teachers and providing specialized residencies via zoom which include the child, a parental Home Music Helper, the child's teacher, and our teaching artist. The results have been incredible. Your gifts can help fund this life-changing support. You'll find that here: Provide Life-Changing Music for Fragile Students - GlobalGiving
Please stay with us so we can all continue creating musical access and opportunity for students who can become so much more included, responsive, productive, empowred, and joyful when we work together to bring the music to them, wherever they are.
We're sending our love and appreciation to each one of you, and hope you'll stay with us in the new school year! This will be the final report from this older campaign which we will be retiring at the end of August. You still have time to make one more donation here, or feel free to move your giving over to one of these other campaigns mentioned above, if you so desire.
Thank you so much from all of us at GITC!
Jess
Links:
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