CyberFair Project ID: 2348

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International Schools CyberFair Project Narrative
Title: A Devoted Friend - Dr Lislie Mickay
Category: 1. Local Leaders
URL: http://gsh.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2003/2348/index.htm
Bibliography: No bibliography page cited

School: Tam-Kang High School
    Tamsui, Taipei County, Taiwan, Taiwan

Seve students, ages between sixteen and seven worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 21, 2003. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): no

Classes and Teachers: Yang Meng Ching

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.tksh.tpc.edu.tw

Project Overview

1. Description of Our Community

Tamsui is in the northwest part of Taiwan, on the north shore of the lower Tamsui River, to west of the Ta-t'un Mountains, and faces Kuan-yin Mountain across the river. It is 11.138 kilometers east/west, 14.633 kilometers north/south, and 70.6565 square kilometers in area. It is a river-lit landscape, with elegant scenery, known from of old as one of Taiwan's Eight Sights, and in bygone days called the Venice of the East. It is recently become known as Taiwan's famous tourist hot spot.The earliest people to settle in the Tamsui area belonged to the aborigine group that occupied the Taipei area, a Ketegelan plains aborigine tribe. They lived in tribal villages by fishing and hunting, farming and raising livestock.

2. Summary of Our Project

In this special research, the main subject we wanted to study was the life of Dr. George L. Mackay and the impression he made on people, especially in Tamsui Town, and to collect unusual material presented in a clear new way, escaping the usual serious viewpoint of most history websites. We invited local people to take part in the discussion of the topic, interviewed local people setting up a close association with the Tamsui area, securing the cooperation and involvement of the local people to really go deeper into the subject.

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:more than 50%

B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:more than 6

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:more than 6

E. Additional comments concerning your computer and/or Internet access (Optional):

Our school uses ADSL and T1 lines to get on line; team members' homes used ADSL and 56K modem.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

This plan was a challenge to every member of the team. In order to meet this challenge, we had many opportunities to study that ordinary students didn't have such as: to arrange the way to do interviews and to plan the contents, the control of time, etc. Previously we had some rough idea of these matters but did not have much experience. We also had opportunities to study knowledge and information outside the classroom.

We were very fortunate to be able to use historical materials left by Dr. Mackay, to follow his footsteps, to be able to look at his old historic buildings, and more able to appreciate and revere Mackay's cultural and artistic contributions, his educational, religious, medical and economic contributions to Tamsui.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

We found that Tamsui people are very sweet and friendly. They didn't treat as students but as friends and fellow people of Tamsui. They were really friendly, and some of them were even early graduates. Based on their love for Tamsui, they enthusiastically welcomed our interviews. It was such a warm feeling, just like we all belong in the same family. It must be what Principal Yao said, Tam-Kang High School is home.

Dr. Mackay's contributions was far more than we imagined. Through the process of collecting data, we discovered Dr. Mackay really tried hard to blend in to the life of Taiwan. He had done much more than anyone could have done. He did so much and that's probably why he is still so often spoken about today.

6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?

We decided to introduce Dr. Mackay. He influenced Tamsui a great deal. We put our school and this area together to plan our project. We also added what is not in our school history course to complete the roject.

The difference between studying through the Internet and through the traditional way is one can learn through the Internet anytime and it gave immediate results. The traditionalway is comparatively ineffective. Actually the traditional way itself has several different methods. Usually you can say the method is one on one or one teacher facing many students (like every day in school). If it is the one on one method, the results will be better than using the Internet, but if it is one teacher with many students then the Internet will bring better results.

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Project Elements

1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?

1.Net Meeting Video cameras were installed in the homes of Ms. Yang and all team members. After class we often had meetings this way to reach agreement. 2.Internet, E-mail, and ICQ We used these instruments to send information and secure the latest news. 3.Combining Oral Interviews and Modern Technology We combined different filming equipment to carry on our interviews with different people so as to understand better the small details of Dr. Mackay and Tamsui.

2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.

Mostly by Internet Ftp E-mail, and sometimes assisted by software. After we started this project, we spent some time on the Internet trying to get the latest information about the different kinds of software and what it could best do. We all developed different ideas. The most valuable thing we learned from doing the project was to stick to our own plans and not to follow something blindly, to do things the way we were most familiar with, and to do things according to a schedule. It was important to have discussions and to encourage each other.

3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?

Our understanding of Dr. Mackay was not just as the indirect founder of our school but from such different angles as culture, architecture, economics, religion, education, and medicine. This project has broaden our view and let us respect and admire Dr.Mackay's spirit of love towards Taiwan and Tamsui. As a twenty-seven-year-old foreigner, he came to this poor, humid, and cold Tamsui, and spent his life loving this place until he die. He was even buried in Tamsui to watch over his people, and asked his son to continue his work guarding the people and building up the place. We were moved beyond words by Dr. Mackay actions, and to understand one of his teachings, Faith, Hope, and Love, which is our school's guiding principle.

4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?

Most successful works need many enthusiastic people to give suggestions and help. Our project was just the same. We had suggestions from many enthusiastic people, in the process of setting up our website, to realize our ideal, and to finish the team's project. For example, because of the cooperation and continuing support between the team members and the interviewees during "The Interviews", we finished the job. About the style of the website, we received quite a few suggestions which formed our blue print. Little by little, we built our dream. Some of these enthusiastic people provided us with materials about Dr. Mackay, which included both films and photos. Mr. Su Wen-kuei, historian of Tamsui, even took us to Dr. Mackay's house so we were able to see things he used, including his desk and chair, and his writing. This was a very valuable experience because these things are not usually open to the public. We really appreciated what Mr. Su did, and it helped us understand Dr. Mackay even more.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

We found that Tamsui people are very sweet and friendly. They didn't treat as students but as friends and fellow people of Tamsui. They were really friendly, and some of them were even early graduates. Based on their love for Tamsui, they enthusiastically welcomed our interviews. It was such a warm feeling, just like we all belong in the same family. It must be what Principal Yao said, Tam-Kang High School is home.

Dr. Mackay's contributions was far more than we imagined. Through the process of collecting data, we discovered Dr. Mackay really tried hard to blend in to the life of Taiwan. He had done much more than anyone could have done. He did so much and that's probably why he is still so often spoken about today.

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