I really enjoyed Saturday’s workshop on teaching Ukulele. To my surprise, all levels of educators attended: first-year students, PhD candidates, and practicing teachers. The presentation was engaging and fun as it provided opportunities to play the Ukulele and write our own song. While the learning objective was how to use a simple instrument like the ukulele as a platform to teach music, I also learned a great deal about how to structure classes which I will incorporate into my teaching practices in the future. 

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Firstly, I learned a lot about how to structure a class. The workshop focused on hands-on learning, with creative tasks that allow us learners to explore new concepts of music. Walking in, I was worried that the workshop would be a three hour lecture; however, right from the start, we were given Ukuleles and shown how to play simple chords. This not only was a fun activity, but it also created an inclusive environment as everyone experimented with the instruments and could engage with them at their own level and apply their own knowledge and skill: no matter your skill level, you were able to participate. I learned the importance of hands on activities in teaching practices; because people were given an opportunity to explore and collaborate with the Ukuleles on activities that were open-ended and didn’t have strict rules and guidelines. This made the workshop much more engaging, memorable, and a positive learning experience. 

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In addition, I learned the value and importance of breaks. The workshop was structured so that lectures were broken down into smaller chunks of information which were interwoven with creative opportunities to apply what was learned. For example, after an initial “jam” session, Dr. Kruse gave a brief lecture about songwriting as an outlet for musical creativity. Then, he incorporated an opportunity for us to write our own song. This both broke up the lecture with an activity and allowed us to be creative on the instrument after already learning basic chords. Moreover, this experiential learning model provided an opportunity to immediately put to use what we had just heard in the lecture making the lesson concrete and real and allowing us to better reflect on what was covered in the lecture. 

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Finally, I also learned the importance of explicitly discussing culture in the classroom. The Ukulele is consistently pegged as an easy and cliché instrument. However, by discussing the roots of the Ukulele in Hawaii, Dr. Kruse revealed the history behind the instrument which instilled a deeper appreciation for the instrument. By anticipating his student's likely bias toward the instrument, Dr Kruse was able to directly address it and undermine stereotypes about it.

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During the workshop, I learned a lot about how to structure and teach a music class: especially the emphasis on a hands-on learning approach, the mindfully intertwined lectures, and the inclusive environment which addressed bias and stereotypes. I hope to take and incorporate all these strategies in my future teaching practices.