We started off SOS Village strong this year. The amount of dedication and varied talents of the group members are truly amazing.  It was so fun to attend the first few sessions of service this semester and we hope to carry over the spirit to the next one. We did many fun activities such as make Christmas cards and also read children’s stories to the SOS village students. Some of us collaborated with each other and some did it solo but the video-making process in itself was intersting. I made about 3 introduction videos and 3-4 storytime videos where I read out and explained the stroes and the new words used in them. As the service leader, my job was to guide the rest of the members as to how to make the videos and what things to keep in mind. Here are a few things that we as SOS Village pay close attention to:

• The video has to be short or under 3 minutes
• The book/story/poem has to be basic and familiar
• We have to talk slowly and read each word loudly
• The story/book/poem has to be supported by visuals at all times

These guidelines help us make similar videos that are easy on the eyes.

We constantly had discussions and shared ideas with each other so we could take inspiration and create new content every session.  Something that I found specifically intersting was that how we don’t think that English might be a language someone doesn’t know. It is a language so familiar that if we think about it, it may sound foreign to someone else.

Midway trough these sessions I shared an idea that I had with Dr. Leigh which was initially inspired by the Hope for kids’s service leader: Saesha. She told me how they were making christams ornaments for the kids and how they were doing hands-on activities. I thought that, that idea was really cool and we could adapt it into something new which is something Dr. Leigh was also keen on doing. So, I made a video on how to make a christmas card in 7 minutes or less which we sent to SOS Village as our own little gift. Since I have worked with them in the past I am aware as to how much they enjoy making cards and decorations which is why I jnew that this would be the perfect thing for them!

Above is the first intro video I made for 2 SOS Village students named Eranda and Sithum.

For Christmas!

For the festive spirit I made 2 Videos one of them being the christmas card making and the other one which is me reading the christmas poem named: Remember the Reindeer! I wanted to be festive so I wore my reindeer ears and explained as to why I was wearing them which was fairly fun and Intersting. I developed a sense of understanding about the videos and saw improvement within myself when I was making the 3rd or 4th video, I was talking slower and trying to stop and explain which was something I didn’t do initially.

The CAS learning outcomes involved in this CAS activity are: LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, L06, LO7.

Here is the christmas poem I recorded for the SOS Village students!