Over the past four months, since my last newsletter, the students have been busy learning new subjects and working on a variety of projects to develop and test their skills. For the older students, some of these topics were familiar, but in the fast-changing world of computers and software, it is essential to stay up to date. Revisiting these subjects not only helped the new students catch up but also ensured that the older students were familiar with the latest programs and techniques.
I’m now pleased to report that all students—both new and old—are now at a similar level in their knowledge of the software we use, and as a result, the workshop is once again running smoothly as a cohesive group.
One noticeable update is the redesigned front page of the website. The three featured subjects—Videography, Computer Graphics, and Photography—have been rewritten by the current students. Each student wrote an article on the subject they enjoyed most, and the top three were selected for publication. If you take the time to read them, I’m sure you’ll agree they are thoughtful, well-written, and a credit to the students’ efforts. Simply click on the photo
Following the last newsletter, Birney Imes—who generously donated three computers to the workshop last year—contacted me with feedback from his son. His son had asked why I didn’t teach website design, and I explained that I had taught it in the past, when my previous web hosting provider offered free subdomains, which allowed each student to create their own website. Unfortunately, due to ongoing technical issues with that provider, I had to switch to a different company that no longer offered this option.
Encouraged by this feedback, I looked into alternative free hosting platforms and found several that allow students to create their own FREE website. While WordPress is one of the best free tools available, it requires a telephone number to register—something most of my students do not have, and many of the other platforms had similar requirements; however, I eventually found one that does not require a phone number or email address.
Although the design tools on these free platforms are very basic, they still provide students with valuable experience in creating and managing their own websites. We have only recently started this project, but all the students have already created their first websites. Below are links to the two best sites so far:
http://697a0aa6dbd31.site123.me
http://697a0adcccaf0.site123.me
This is an ongoing project, and the students will continue updating their sites as they have more to share. At present, they still primarily keep in touch with friends through Facebook and WhatsApp, but they are now gaining confidence in setting up websites, choosing domain names, and publishing content online.
The annual Best Film Competition has just concluded, and as always, the quality of work was impressive. This competition is designed to assess the students’ overall abilities. Each participant is responsible for every aspect of their film—writing the script, recruiting actors, selecting locations, directing, filming, editing, adding soundtracks, designing logos, and creating subtitles and credits.
It is a challenging project, but it provides valuable insight into each student’s technical skills, creativity, and imagination, as well as their multitasking ability, and allows me to evaluate their progress over the year.
This year’s winner was 17-year-old Tou Lee, whose film "Exchange your life for Gold" was based on an old wives' tale about gold digging in the mountains of Laos. The movie stood out for its strong videography and direction. However, although his ending was clever, his cameo performance in the final scenes was not good. That said, he was still able to hang on ... just ... to 1st place.
Losing out on the top spot by just 1 point, 17-year-old Ai Her secured 2nd place for his film The Orphan. The film was beautifully shot at a location 20 kilometers from the school, requiring several trips with his actors on borrowed motorcycles. Unfortunately, the story’s ending was slightly unrealistic, and that cost him the top spot. However, it was an engaging and well-executed film, and his second-place finish was well deserved.
The competition results were announced at a Workshop "Oscar's party", where the top three films were shown and the awards were presented. This event also served as a replacement for the Christmas party, which the students missed out on this year because I was under the knife, in hospital, on Christmas Eve. The evening was made possible thanks to a generous donation by Dee DeSpain. Thank you, Dee — your donation was most thoughtful, and the boys had a wonderful time.
We are now shifting focus away from video and graphics to concentrate on another valuable skill: Microsoft Excel. Although this involves some basic mathematics, which overlaps with their school studies, Excel is widely used in businesses for accounting and data management, making it a valuable addition to the students' portfolios.
We have just begun working with this program, and I was pleased to see that the students have a strong foundation in mathematics—clearly the result of good teaching at school. While they initially found the formulas challenging, by the end of the lesson, they were able to set up basic spreadsheets, and with a few more lessons, I am confident they will be using formulas with ease.
That brings me to the end of this newsletter. I hope it has given you a picture of the students’ progress and the ongoing work in the Laos Children's Workshop. Over the years, many people have supported us, and I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone who has helped or shown interest in the project. Your support makes a real difference in the lives of these disadvantaged young men, and I can assure you that it is deeply appreciated.
With my very best wishes,
Philip