“I like dancing. I want to dance well.”
These words were still close to my heart. It was before I ended my teaching career in my school. We had a major performance in 2nd June 2012. It was called “Welcome to My World – A concert by People with Disabilities”. It was organized by the Very Special Arts community in Singapore. Performers came from different special needs organizations and backgrounds. A finale video clip came as a surprise after all of the wonderful performing items.
The video clip made an impact on me at that moment. It was a story made from a perfect combination of interview snapshots of the performers. Every performer was interviewed at a different time and location. I was amazed at how perfectly the video-makers cut and pieced scenes or words from different interviewees to convey a story – how the performers had worked hard in their interests, how they could go beyond their limits and how much they enjoyed the process. It made me recall how all of my students worked hard for their performing items.
As a teacher, I know they had shown how they could shine in various challenging occasions. The video was the perfect representation of their voices and I was touched. I suddenly wished the whole world could see how brilliant my students were, even though they had mild intellectual disability. I felt like learning more about video-editing.
If the video clip was publicized to the general public, it could get people interested in knowing more about the disadvantaged citizens in the country. It showed me how media could be so strong. In this case, you can relay a message via a video and influence the person’s emotions and viewpoints at the same time. A few months before, I thought if I could use the internet to spread awareness to the general public and eventually encourage them to assist in various means (volunteering, donating, opening job vocations, spreading the awareness in their own way).
I am not yet a media expert but I know I have the ability to learn and seek for resources. Now I am sure if I can use the internet with other media forms (video, pictures, writing), I can spread the message I want effectively. The interaction with my students and the impact of the finale video clip have given me a clear vision – To create a website that increases awareness of the disadvantaged in the society, promotes volunteerism and gives people a chance to connect and share their experiences.
