Along with a few of our seniors, I went to a deaf and dumb school to and helped the students over there engage in fun activities that most children their age are able to enjoy along with their peers. Although the school that we visited for this project only consisted of resources that could only suffice the basic needs of the students. However we made sure that we utilise those resources to their best potential. The activities that we conducted were highly important for these children to develop self expressive characteristics that helped them identify their strengths and weaknesses. Although these activities might sound boring and monotonous to us, the students had lots of fun doing these. For example, Diya painting got lots of positive reviews.

Learning Outcomes Achieved:

LO2- Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process

Communicating with these children was probably the most demanding task that we performed that day, especially since we have never had exposure to sign language and how we should communicate with special children. Nonetheless, the school staff was extremely helpful and kind. They helped us communicate with the children and they also taught us some basic sign language words like “thank you”. Although we could not understand everything that they were trying to say to us, we tried our best to empathise with them and understand how challenging it is for them to perform daily activities like talking to a stranger. The most patent skill that we developed during this task was empathising with special children.

LO3- Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience Planning the event prehand was indeed helpful, since it allowed the event to run easy. We had to keep in mind that the children wake up at 5(am) in the morning, which means that by the time of this event, if not kept creatively busy, they will most likely get exhausted and bored, which is something that we definitely want to avoid. Furthermore, the challenge of communication complicates a lot for us. Planning and organising was required and through the experience, we were able to develop our skills.

LO4- Show commitment to and perseverance

It was extremely important for us as organisers to remain calm and composed during the time of this event, even if we felt burnt out and exhausted. We kept reminding ourselves that we had to stay calm and patient in order to successfully complete the event. We took 5 minute breaks every time we thought we were exhausted and that really helped us build our efficiency and helped us complete the event successfully.

LO5- Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively

The only way this event was a success was because all of us kept communicating with each other and made sure that we helped our peers when they lost track or weren’t able to understand something that we are familiar of. The person who was in charge of the event helped assign everyone roles so that it was easier for them to understand what needs to be done from their end. This helped decrease the workload and helped eliminate any confusion or catastrophe amidst the event.