Why We Need The AMIGO Project
Who are English Language Learners?
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o There are 5.1 million English Language Learners (ELLs) in American schools.
o 75% of these ELLs speak Spanish.
o ELLs come to school needing intensive instruction to learn "Academic English."
o Most people do not realize that many ELLs also come to school without basic proficiency in their first language.
o The percentage of ELLs in the US K-12 school population increased by
57% between 1995 and 2005 while the overall K-12 population remained
flat.
o The number of English Language Learners is increasing by as much as 200% in regions of the country where Hispanic laborers are sought by major corporations for factory work.
o In many of these US regions, general classroom teachers have never before received specialized training to work with ELLs. This rapid change makes The AMIGO Project an important new resource for helping public schools effectively handle this recent increase.
o A comprehensive review of research on ELL education recently revealed that the area most critical to boosting mastery of English is oral language participation but this area is not sufficiently addressed in ELL instruction.
o ELLs need not feel embarassed when they begin to express themselves in English when their oral participation takes the form of group singing. It's more than safety in numbers - singing together gives these students much needed practice while they are enjoying being an important part of the classroom community.
o For ELLs, AMIGO makes learning Academic English into a positive and indelible group experience.
Please let us hear your comments and questions - we hope this section has been informative and helpful to you.
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Meet Our AMIGO Team
Juan Carlos Veloso
Juan Carlos
Veloso earned his credential in Music Education at University of
Concepción in Chile. (1979-1982), got a degree in Elementary
Educational at Catholic University of Chile (1983-1986), received his ESL Endorsement from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and earned a Master of Science
degree in Educational Administration at University of Nebraska at Omaha
(2003- 2005).
Juan Carlos has been serving as a Spanish Specialist at
Spring Lake Magne Center (K-4) in Omaha, Nebraksa since 1999, where he
integrates music, much of which he has personally composed, into his
classes.
He started working with Guitars in the Classroom just over a
year ago, and has played a vital role in the creation of The AMIGO
Project and the AMIGO materials, contributing deep insight, vast
experience, and several of his fabulous songs for GITC materials! Juan
Carlos' warmth, humor, compassion and talent make him both a driving
and a binding force on the AMIGO team.
Michele Harris-Padron
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Michele Harris-Padron earned both her Bachelors and Masters degrees from Sonoma State University, and gained her certification for bilingual instruction along with her multiple subject teaching credential from California State University, Northridge, with honors.
She has been the recipient of many grants for special educational projects including from the American Orff Schulwerk Association, and has presented special workshops in the fields of music, education, and primary literacy. Michele is also the president of the Santa Barbara chapter of the Orff Schulwerk Association.
She currently teaches in the English Language Development (ELD) Academy, grades 4/5/6; ELD Levels I/II "newcomer program" at the Emilie Ritchen School in Oxnard, California.
Originally from a musical family, Michele learned piano then guitar as a teenager. During the 1970s, she played and sang in small clubs and private engagements throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
In the early 1980s she moved to Mexico where she developed a Spanish repertoire. Fast forward to the late 1990s and, two children later, she brought her guitar to her daughter's kindergarten class. By the next year she had enrolled in a credential program and has been in the classroom for the past ten years.
Music was the gateway and has been an integral part of her teaching assignments, all of which have been with second-language learners.
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Alisa Peres
Alisa Peres has been a musician all her life. While travelling extensively and studying music in Chile, Ecuador and Peru, she began to develop an extensive repertoire of songs in Spanish from a variety of Latin cultures. Back in the states, she earned her B.S. in Special Education and Elementary Education from Boston University and she has been teaching Spanish since 1999 in both public and private elementary schools in the bay area. Currently, Alisa serves as a music teacher at Sankofa Academy in Oakland, California and also provides music education in several preschools. Co-founder of the musical act Colibri, she has been performing music in Spanish for young California audiences for the past fifteen years. In addition, to her teaching and performing, Alisa has directed the weekly Amiguitos children's performance series at La Peña Cultural Center for seven years. Ingrid Noyes
 Ingrid Noyes has
been training teachers with Guitars in the Classroom for the past four
years, and has contributed her broad knowledge of songs for learning in
both English and Spanish to the GITC curriculum during this time.
Fluent in Spanish, she started the first GITC training program for
early childhood educators working with ELLs, most of them native
Spanish speakers, themselves.
Ingrid is also a longtime member of the Children's Music Network, and she direct the California Bluegrass Association Music Camp. She's
been playing both the guitar asnd clawhammer style banjo since she was
a kid, and teaching since then, too. She performs with her band, Rosie
and the Railroaders. As a member of the AMIGO team, Ingrid is a
"driver" for inclusivity, diversity, and variety in our educational
materials.
A fearlessly realistic team member, she has given this work
great street credibility since many of the teachers she trains are
learning English as well as teaching children who are ELLs. A song has
to make total sense to them in order to make its way into our materials! Jessica Baron
Jessica Baron originated the AMIGO project in response to the increasing need of teachers to effectively reach their Spanish speaking students. As a beginning Spanish speaker, GITC's Executive Director understood the challenge that teachers face when they can't speak the same language as their students, and want more than anything to connect and deliver a first-rate education. Pulling this team of Spanish-speaking experts in the fields of education and music together, her role as Project Champion and Coordinator is a source of immense learning and inspiration. "I feel extremely fortunate to be serving on this team of experienced, dedicated, and brilliant educators. Their compassion for children and teachers is evenly matched by their talent as musicians. It is our greatest hope that this fledgling work so generously supported by the NAMM Foundation will reach its full potential so music can become a meaningful part of the lives of all students, no matter what language they speak." |
What Amigo Teachers Have to Say
Lori Favaloro
Oakley, CA
"My
students were so impressed with my guitar playing that they clapped
enthusiastically after my first song! My kids said they would use the
song during the STAR test to help remember synonyms/antonyms."
Michele Hammond
Oceanside, CA
"One
of my students has severe autism and behavior problems. After singing
many of the songs, she would repeat what we would sing and it opened
the doors of communication for us... The program has really benefitted
my students in a tremendous way."
Cathy Griggs
Oakley, CA
"The
first time we sang the "Good Morning" song in spanish my ELL students
sat up straighter and SMILED big smiles... they were eager to help us
all learn the correct way to say the words and requested the song every
day for a week. I let every child come up and strum with me... even my
most shy student wanted her turn. The guitar was a tool for talking
about learning new things"
E Parker
Gradeschool Teacher - Oakley, CA
"My Spanish speaking ELL's saw me and their fellow students appreciating their home language.
I think that seeing us all trying to use their first language may have
made them braver about attempting English when they are unsure."
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The GITC Classroom Guitar Pack
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You can now get guitars into your classroom - at a savings only available to GITC registered teachers.
The
GITC Classroom Guitar Pack is generously subsidized by D'Addario,
Dunlop, Greg Bennett/Samick, Levy's Leathers, Planet Waves, and Saga,
and comes to you at approximately 1/3 of retail cost.
To learn more about ordering and qualification, please click here.
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Get on Board with Dan Smith!
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Dan serves as secretary and legal counsel for the Board of Directors of
Guitars in the classroom. His passion for guitar, rock n' roll, and
service combined with his legal expertise and understanding of the
music business make him a tremendously valuable participant in the work
of the non-profit.
His desire to help more students have access to
music making gave him the idea of approaching Guitar Center's
charitable giving committee to ask if they'd be willing to fund GITC
programs in the Los Angeles area. Dan's well-thought out presentation
to GC yielded marvelous results, some of which you are most likely
reading about in this newsletter! GITC is indebted to Dan for his
dedication and to Guitar Center for its generosity in helping GITC
train Los Angeles area teachers to integrate music.
As Counsel
for Guitar Center, Inc. Dan has primary responsibility for the
advertising, e-commerce and cyberspace law for the enterprise. Prior
to working for Guitar Center , Daniel was with Salem Communications
Corporation, a national broadcasting company. Daniel also had a prior
career in executive recruiting, which was primarily focused on the
computer and software engineering industry, and held both ownership and
management positions.
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A word about this newsletter from our Executive Director...
Hello Friends, thank you for taking a few minutes in your busy schedules to read this newsletter. Packed with more information than our usual missives, this edition will provide you with a deeper look into the workings of our organization and work in the schools. Feel free to skim, but if you're curious about what's going on with English Language Learning, a very hot topic in education today, this special AMIGO edition of the newsletter will explain it all, by way of the many fantastic contributions from an array of inspirational and creative teachers. I encourage you to contribute to the cause of improving education and close the achievement gap for students for whom English is a second language. Donate now in honor of a special friend or family member, and gift them with a beautiful personalized certificate of appreciation, just like Lorraine Harrington and her sisters Carolyn and Liz did for their brother William (see below).
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Guitars in the Classroom receives a super-sized check from The NAMM Foundation
For its work on The AMIGO Project
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Pictured above are GITC classroom teachers Felicia Ayala, Tekoa
Chilcoate, Kristin Albright and Michele Dominguez, standing among their
exuberant 1st grade students. Front and center: Billy Stern (GITC's VP),
Jessica Anne Baron (GITC founder and Executive Director), Sandra Jordan
of the NAMM Foundation, and Foussat's principal- himself a GITC
student- Mr. Frank Balanon.
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On May 6th, Sandra Jordan of the NAMM Foundation presented Guitars in the Classroom with a supersized check for $202,920.00 showing NAMM's
past contributions to the development and work of our non-profit! Since 2005, NAMM has been supporting GITC to make Strum n'
Sing and AMIGO teacher training programs available to general classroom
teachers around the country. On behalf of everyone touched by
NAMM's belief in this work and generosity, Guitars in the Classroom
says "THANK YOU!"
And the great news continues!
Last month, The NAMM Foundation announced its new grantees, and
GITC is blessed to be among the 31 organizations chosen to help NAMM
accomplish its goal of supporting innovative music learning programs, research projects and Students.
This year, with more than just a little help from our friends, GITC will further
develop The AMIGO Project - our program designed to train teachers of
English Language Learners to bring students across the language bridge
from Spanish to Academic English through integrated, song-based
instruction with guitars!  Please enjoy the 1st graders of Foussat and their teachers singing "Save Our Earth," a 3-part round with 5 verses of lyrics the teachers and students wrote together for Earth Day.
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What is The AMIGO Project?
GITC
created AMIGO (Achievement through Music Integration with Guitar) to prepare teachers of English Language Learners (ELLs) to more actively and successfully engage their Spanish
speaking pupils in learning through making music. AMIGO enriches education - not just for ELLs - but for all students in general and special classrooms.
How does it work? GITC AMIGO trains teachers whose classes include a significant number of ELLs, to make and lead music with their students every day. Singing
memorable melodies with strong rhythms and educational lyrics gives
ELLs a daily and much needed chance to practice "Academic English"
while developing language comprehension, vocabulary, fluency, and new
levels of understanding of academic lessons in every subject area. In
this way, language learning and core studies happen together in a fun
and meaningful atmosphere that bonds students and builds community in
GITC classrooms.
The AMIGO
materials include lyrics and vocabulary lists in both Spanish and
English. These help teachers who do not speak Spanish give their ELLs
sufficient information to cross the language bridge from Spanish to
English will full comprehension.
AMIGO
songs have been chosen to address topics such as family, weather, time,
clothing, the body, transportation, and much more- according to the
established lesson sequence for attaining English Language Proficiency.
The AMIGO development team has been extremely careful to write literal
translations that include commonly used expressions that are
recognizable by most Spanish speaking children.
AMIGO songs
lend themselves to piggyback songwriting. Once teachers and students
know any of the songs, they can add new verses, change lyrics to expand
concepts, or write entirely new lyrics that apply to a different
subject. For example, a song like "Mi Familia" can be expanded to
include extended family members, or a class might turn it into a song
about animals or community members.
Piggyback
songwriting encourages students to express themselves creatively in
English as part of a group; both the writing and the performing of
collaborative piggyback songs often boosts ELLs expressive language
skills, oral fluency, and self-confidence!
Regional AMIGO
classes are provided free of charge to P-8 teachers whenever funding is
available. Enrollment occurs on a first come, first served basis. This
year, pilot AMIGO classes were offered in 19 regions of California, as well as Omaha, Nebraska, Washington, DC, and in Chicago, Illinois.
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Carol Boyd - Putting the SUPER in Superintendent!
How GITC and GLAD Make a Great Team
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Carol Boyd, Ed.D.
Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services
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On behalf of the Oakley Union School District, I want to express my great appreciation to the NAMM Foundation for it's help in supporting the Guitars in the Classroom program in our district. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts, our visual and performing arts program and district plan is on permanent hold. If it were not for GITC and the NAMM Foundation, this great program would not have been possible this year. Our teachers were so appreciative of this fantastic opportunity to engage in professional development in the arts, and specifically in music. They have all raved about the experience of learning to strum and make music. The teacher is such a wonderful model of excellent instruction. In addition, our teachers enjoyed meeting and working with others across the district; it is always so helpful to share our craft with other enthusiastic professionals. Our District Visual and Performing Committee has really promoted learning with and through the arts. One of our focus professional development programs is Project GLAD (Guided Language Acquisition Design). As I am writing this letter, we have a group of teachers in GLAD training in our summer school. GLAD is a model of professional development in the area of language acquisition and literacy. Read On...
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Thank You Guitar Center!
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Through its charitable giving, Guitar Center has made it possible for 48 teachers in the Los Angeles area to receive training with Guitars in the Classroom, and bring free integrated music making to almost 5,000 students. the photos you see from Sherman Oaks in the "Training Teachers..." section below gives a vivid example of what is possible when business chooses to invest in the future by helping education. Thank you to Guitar Center for leading the way, and please meet Dan Smith, our dedicated board member who brought GITC to Guitar Center in the "Get On Board" section below.
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Social Studies, Civil Rights, and AMIGO with Donna Mills, 2nd Grade Teacher at Capri Elementary
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GITC Classroom Teacher Donna Mills, 4th from left.
With her GITC training class.
In her experience training with GITC's AMIGO Project, Donna integrated Social Studies, Music, and Visual Art to help her second graders develop a deep and personal understanding about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his service to society.
 "I have a dream that one day there would be peace on earth."
She integrated a beautiful song about Dr. King to the tune of "Michael Row Your Boat Ashore." Please see the lyrics below. The students discussed and sang about diversity, cultural heritage, and civil rights leading up to the celebration of Dr. King's birthday for several days at school.
"I have a dream that one day, every child will have
enough food to eat and no one will go hungry."
They listened to Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech, then, Ms. Mills who has been teaching for 19 years, asked her students to think about Dr. King's dream, and to express their own dreams for a better world. These drawings are just two of the many precious creations that came from the valuable learning experience. |
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Sarah Mills Engages English Language Learners
in Speech and Language Therapy with GITC
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Sarah Mills (no relation to Donna) is a Speech-Language Pathologist
for the San Diego Unified School District where she works with kinder,
primary and upper elementary students who are not simply ELLs, but are
also working to overcome special challenges with speech and language.
Sarah learned to play and taught her students to sing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," and "Are You Sleeping, Brother John?"
with new lyrics specifically designed to help her students learn to
pronounce letter sound combinations and phonemes in English, to get
good at using their "target vocabulary words" and to learn to read
simple sentences in English!
"I
worked in one classroom where the students became so highly engaged
compared to other activities," reports Sarah, "that the teacher
advocated for Music therapy to be added to the IEPs of two students, and now they are receivng music therapy services!"
If
you would like to communicate with Sarah about her technique, songs,
and successes, please don't hesitate to write her c/o GITC headquarters. |
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Training Teachers in the Sherman Oaks
AMIGO Classroom
GITC Instructor Janis Vaile leads teachers from the San Fernando Valley through their first 8-week training class at Kester Avenue Elementary in Sherman Oaks, CA.
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  Cheryl Maliniak, Assistant Principal (left)
Sue Goldberg, Principal (middle)
Kester Ave/Kester Magnet School Sherman Oaks, California
"It was exciting for me, as principal, to see a group of my
teachers involved in a professional development activity that enhances
the curriculum in their classrooms. The teachers felt a real sense of
accomplishment and the desire to continue their guitar instruction
again during the next school year. I was looking through a catalog of awards one day when I came upon
"rock star" guitar trophies. I thought, "What a great way to
acknowledge the teacher's guitar achievements while having a little
fun!" I spoke to my assistant principal, Cheryl Maliniak, about it and
she agreed that it would be a positive gesture- that the teachers would
appreciate the recognition. I purchased the trophies, personalized
them, and presented them at a ceremony during the last guitar class. Even though the guitar class has ended for this year, the group is
busy practicing for their performance at our end of the year luncheon.
All in all the guitar class was a very positive and worthwhile
experience for the teachers and students at Kester! Thanks so much to
Guitar Center, the NAMM Foundation, and The Guitar Center Music
Foundation for helping Guitars in the Classroom make this AMIGO program possible for the teachers of Kester Ave/Kester Magnet School!"
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How Did Tracey Do It?
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Tracey Schroeder's passion for making music came alive this year when she started strumming and singing with GITC. "I practiced every song we worked on in class in addition to going through the songbook and trying every song I recognized that had chords I could play. I also made up new songs with my class. The best songs were the folk songs because they were so familiar and fun to sing. Students went home and other people in their families and neighborhoods knew the songs, too!!! Talk about positive reinforcement!
When asked what benefits of music integration she observed in her classroom, Tracey told GITC she has seen improvements across the board in her students- through greater oral participation, she noticed they were bonding more with one another and feels they have become increasingly comfortable in the classroom. As their interest and engagement in learning increased, Tracey observed their language skills growing and their test scores rising. "They all want to play guitar!!!!," she says. "They have learned more about music, experienced more in rhythm, know what chords I'm playing and how to strum. They love to sing and they ask for more. They have each written their own songs, and we sang these songs in class as well.
We asked Tracey to share a particularly successful teaching experience and this is what she wrote:
"I teach a lesson on synonyms every year using a specific poem. The end of the lesson involves students writing their own short poems. It was taking some of the students a long time to finish, so I got out my guitar. I only knew open G chord with no other chords at the time. I sang the original poem to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." While waiting for the others to finish, I had students bring up what they had written. We sang their songs together to the same tune or a similar one. It was so much fun and so successful. Every student wanted his or her poem sung. We sang each one. The experience was so delightful and rewarding for my young poets!"
It's likely that Tracey's students will remember this experience for years to come as positive and creative. If we break it down, we can see that the academic and social benefits this one lesson provided range from creative risk taking and personal expression to articulating and memorizing poetic phrases and sentences in Academic English, and listening to poetry written by fellow students. Congratulations, Tracey and thank you for sharing your experiences with us.
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GITC Thanks the Fender Music Foundation
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Moriah Harris-Rodger, Tony James, and Janis Vaile in the GITC-Sherman Oaks classroom.
Guitars
in the Classroom wishes to acknowledge and thank Larry Thomas,
founder, and Moriah Harris-Rodgers, Executive Director of the newly
formed Fender Music Foundation for their past work providing guitars
for California-based AMIGO pilot programs during the 2008-2009 school
year. Partnering with the NAMM Foundation, they made this first year of
development possible.
Moriah explains,
"The
current school English-language programs are not enough, and neither are their
underfunded music programs. The Amigo Project addresses both of these
inadequacies, giving children the opportunity to improve their language skills
and receive all of the benefits of making music."
Click here to learn more about The Fender Music Foundation.
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Thank you to the teachers, faculty, and friends of GITC who have shared their incredible AMIGO experiences with us. We love hearing from you, so please write to us by responding to this e-mail. Whether you have a story, some cool photos, or just comments about the newsletter, every response is read and greatly appreciated. Thanks again, and see you in the next edition!
Sincerely,
Nick Sinutko
Guitars In The Classroom
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