Arts Explored # 10- Community Arts Project

7:21 PM |

Arts Explored # 10- Community Arts Project
Previous to working on this project I had another concept in mind. When we were trying to et sorted into groups however I approached Emily and Megan who said they had a great idea. To be honest I really did like the idea I had, but once Emily started talking about her volunteer work with The Lions Foundation of Canada (http://www.dogguides.com/doghome.htm) the puppies stole our hearts.

The organization provides specially trained dogs free of charge to applicants who have shown their need. The main goal of providing individuals with the dogs is to give those living with impairments the independence they deserve to live a happy, healthy and safe lifestyle (The Lions Foundation of Canada, n.d.). There are five different dog guide programs currently being offered;

Canine Vision Dog Guides

These are trained dogs for individuals who have difficulties with vision. When people think of Guide Dogs these are the most commonly thought of (The Lions Foundation of Canada, n.d.).

Hearing Ear Dog Guides

This program is for individuals who have a hearing impairment. The dogs act as their ears, and are trained to respond to certain sounds (The Lions Foundation of Canada, n.d.).

Seizure Response Dog Guides

I found this to be the most interesting program. Some dogs can actually sense when an individual is about to have a seizure. With individuals who suffer seizures a dog can get help once the person has had a seizure, act as protection if it occurs while the person is in public, as well as help the person come to after their seizure (The Lions Foundation of Canada, n.d.).

Special Skills Dog Guides

This is a program for people who have disabilities which require them to be in a wheel chair. Certain daily tasks such as picking up dropped wallets and doing laundry are difficult and the dogs have been trained to do these tasks (The Lions Foundation of Canada, n.d.).

Autism Assistance Dog Guides

This is a program which provides dogs for children with Autism. The dogs are trained to help with some skills, as well they provide a social buffer for children with Autism (The Lions Foundation of Canada, n.d.).

Our Big Idea

Personally I have spent a great deal of time on YouTube watching animals doing awesome things. As a group we felt strongly that a viral video would showcase some of the amazing talents dogs can be trained to do. By hosting a viral video to YouTube the message of Guide Dogs could get out to the public in a neat and exciting way. The point of the video was to bring awareness to the organization to encourage people to volunteer their time, or donate to the cause. Another important contribution the video makes is it can start to generate funds based on the views as well through advertising.

My contribution to the big idea was to explain the steps that go into executing a viral video.

Execution

To execute a viral video for our cause you need; a videographer, an editor to handle post production, the consent and help from the Lions Foundation of Canada (in our case speaking to Rhonda Workman who is the head trainer) and a website to upload the video to.

Videographer/post-production: A film student at Ryerson named Ben Gilgan who has also developed his own successful viral video series on YouTube would do the necessary filming and post-production necessary for the video.

The Stars (the dogs): It is necessary to get permission from the organization by talking to the head trainer Rhonda. She would also need to help with organizing a routine of tricks for the dogs to perform for the video.

Website: You also need a popular website such as YouTube to upload the video to. As well as having a place to upload it the video would generate funds.

A way to pass along the video: A great start is to post it on facebook, send it to friends, and get the link out on as many different websites as possible to allow as many different people as possible to see the video.

Music- It is not possible to use any old music off the radio as there are copyright laws. There is a website (www.freeplaymusic.com) that offers music for free without facing any copyright law violations.

And here is an example of a viral video on YouTube that showcases some unique skills a dog has been trained to do;

If you watched the video in less than a year the video has received almost 10 million views. That is a huge amount of views. By posting a viral video on YouTube many people worldwide would be able to see the hard work of Guide Dogs showcased.

Future Implications

In terms of future implications for early childhood education there is a connection between the work the The Lions Foundation of Canada does and early childhood education. One of the programs available provides dogs to children with Autism. In this case it could be possible that one day as a teacher you may have a child in your class that has an autism assistance dog. Another important link to early childhood education is explain to children that some people rely on dogs for their independence. There is a chance that at some point in a child’s life they will be confronted with seeing someone with a Guide Dog. If that is the case being taught to understand how the dogs can give people independent could make their reactions more empathetic and understanding. I remember the first time I saw someone with a Guide Dog. I was around six years old and I was at the grocery store with my mom. I was upset and said quiet loudly to my mom that dogs did not belong in the grocery store. Had I been exposed to this previous to seeing a person with the Guide Dog my reaction would have been more understanding.

Group Projects: *As none of the artistic words worked with this presentation I chose this term instead*

The definition of group projects according to Schirrmacher and Fox is “educational activities based on children’s common interests in which they can interact, support, assist and learn from one another” (Schirrmacher & Fox, 2009, p. 365).

I feel as though as a group we held true to this definition. This project involved a lot of help and support from one another. Most of the tasks involved to make this a success involved collaboration and team work. Without one another this would have been a difficult task as we each brought some new ideas to the plate.

References

Schirrmacher, R., & Fox, J.E. (2009). Art and creative development for

young children (6th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Delmar.

Welcome to the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides. (n.d.).

Retrieved April 12, 2011, from http://www.dogguides.com/doghome.htm