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1. Description of Our Team
Our team counts four members, a boy and three girls: Dragon M. (18), Elena G. (16), Aleksandra I. (16) and Ivan A. (18). Dragan is 18 years old and he is the webmaster of our team. He intends to continue his education at the University in our capital Skopje and study computer-science. He wants to be a computer programmer, he likes traveling and his wish is to go to Philippines. Elena is 16, she is our data-manager. She looks bright to the future, and sees herself as the future president of the Republic or an agent, and wishes to visit the White House in Washington. Aleksandra is also 16 and her aim is to be a successful computer-science engineer, and to have a chance to visit the whole world. Ivan is 18, responsible for all the contacts we have with the media and other important people. Her idol is Alexander the Great. She sees herself as a skillful diplomat and a statesman, she also wants to be a part of the Formula One team and take a part at the competitions at the European champion's league. Roza is our math and information technology teacher, and responsible for the technical part of the project. Zeleanka is English teacher, responsible for translations in English. She is Roma. We all got together to make this project because we have many ideas to share, and one of this is how young people can work and live together, to respect the differences and the basic characteristics of all other nationalities. We made an effort to work constantly together, so that we can finish the project successfully. We worked after lessons at school and at the weekend. If you want to know something more about the members of our team, visit our web site and see the menu at: About us :
2. Summary of Our Project
We live in a country, in a multi-ethnic society, where we live together with all the ethnic groups. Because of all the problems we face on our everyday living, which have appeared in the last few years (especially 2001 year), we see challenge in the attempt to solve all those problems that lead to multi-ethnic tension, According to us, the solution is in us, the young people and their prejudices and stereotypes should be broken. But we also must not forget our parents. Taking active part at many conferences, seminars and lectures as part of the non-governmental sector in Macedonia and the Balkan, all that had important influence to choose this theme and the solve the problems of the multi-ethnic tension. How did all begin? Our activities began with organizing workshops. Debates, questionnaires, sport competitions where we talk about problems and strategies and their solution. Without the support from the non-governmental sector, the teachers, families and the Peace Corps (USA) we wouldn't have managed. The project was introduced in many secondary schools throughout the whole country and with the results we got, we came up with conclusions, that we are on the right path. What we need now is your support for a much brighter future, for all young people. So let's change the world, beginning with us.
3. Our Computer and Internet Access
A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:less than 20
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:2-3
E. Additional comments concerning your computer and/or Internet access (Optional):
Thanks to CRS (Catholic Relief Services) and The School Connectivity Project for Southeast Europe, our school has Internet connection. Our classroom (computer lab) has 8 computers, all connected on-line, but at the same time other students use them to work on different projects, just as the needs of the school. Our teacher Roza Stamenkovska is coordinator on The School Connectivity Project and in charge for the timetable and when to use the classroom. We also had problems because only one of us has a computer and Internet at home, so most of the work had to be done at school.
4. Problems We Had To Overcome
The first problem we had was how to choose than category. At the very first beginning we thought of choosing the category under number 4 Science and Technology. After negotiating a couple of days we decided to choose the second category 'Peace and Democracy' and to name the project All Together – United World One of the main problems which we hade to overcome was the one we started to working on the project late. Second, because of all the obligations at school, we began work at the end of December. We live in a country where English is not a mother-tongue, that is why we face many obstacles working on the project. Translating all the information is a really difficult assignment. We have other school projects, homework assignments which we need to complete and finished at time. There is too much information and data about the theme we decided to work on that is we have to make selection very carefully. We also faced other problems, for example being ignored by people involved in politics and other students who thought than this was a waste of time and effort. Then, long distance from the capital, where important events take place and the financial situation is also one of the reasons that postponed our aims and their completion. But our effort and persistence were stronger than all the barriers. Our last obstacle was a technical one. There were many software and programs that we had to learn in order to make our web site correctly.
5. Our Project Sound Bite
The theme we choose to work is very sensitive and also talked a lot about. By making the web site, we feel proud and we hope that it will be useful and that we could show the world what our country looks like. We promoted our project in some of the local non-governmental, international and state organizations, our secondary school, the two primary schools, the local and the business sector. We tried to promote our web site at the local TV and radio station. We were interviewed by the reporter on how we became interested in the project, about the challenge of 'Doors To Diplomacy' and the purpose of our web site. You could see the complete interview on the web site
6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?
We got involved in the project after our math and Information Technology teacher informed us. We began the project somehow uncertain, but as we move further along we were more and more interested in it. Apart from being friends, working with a group taught us how to work together in a team, how to share our ideas and we can contribute our opinion to realize our goals and how to make a successful web project, with the best possible quality. With this project we tried to complete all our assignments that were given to us using the 'Doors of Diplomacy' regulations as our guide. The contents of the web site are just as important as a good design, so by making our web site we used the newest data from the Internet. The Internet service, as a tool is very useful, because there we can find informations, it doesn't matter which theme we are interested in, but this is only one search method, which needs to be completed by using books, newspapers, magazines etc.
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1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?
We live in the times when technology and new techniques are in enormous progress. We are very grateful to our school support and the Internet classroom we have. In the classroom we have eight computers with dedicated Internet access. It was like a station when we obtained almost all the information connected with our project. We also use our cellular phones for better communication and to arrange our meetings, HP photosmart Digital Camera, HP Scanner, our school library, our city library, a lot of books, newspapers and oral interviews. To realize our web site we had to spend hours and hours studying the new software which we needed to create the web site. We had to acquire basic knowledge of PHP script language, how to use it in the connection and creation of the forum, on-line questionnaire, guest book etc. To create the Flash intro presentation which is at the beginning of the site, we had to enter deeper into the opportunities offered by Macromedia Flash MX 2004. Using the local radio and TV we were able to present our project in public. All these tools helped us to be more flexible and radical in our work and the creation of the web site and the whole project. Our teachers and other people who supervised and assisted our work were also a big help.
2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.
As 'ambassadors ' of the project, we connected ourselves with the civil authorities, non-governmental youth sector, students from all high schools in Macedonia, teachers, academicians, our parents etc. Our mutual cooperation was direct, through e-mails, questionnaires, interview, and forums. First the presentation was made in front of a group of students and teachers from our school, and later in front of fellow-citizens via the local radio and TV station. Macedonian public and all nationalities found out about our work through Macedonian radio and TV. The whole work, put on the well organized web site, was available for everybody interested in it. Democracy was implemented in our project through the workshop and forum, where we had a really a 'brainstorm', above all positive one.
3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?
Our target group is high school students (16-18 years old). The results from our questionnaire are actually the results from our project. Obviously better results were got by our last questionnaire we compared the answers got 3 months ago with the new ones and we realized that we had positive influence on the young people conscious. It was achieved thanks to the workshop, where more than 150 students from our school (out of 800) took part in period of 3 months. We hope it would be reflected on the adults by their children. Our team work came to the fore, which was accepted without problems. The teams were made by students from different ages and nationalities. It wasn't an obstacle all opinions to be accepted, as well the mutual company and information about the differences between the participants. We also organize an artist's colony, supported by our Art teacher, the sport competitions in volleyball, basketball and table-tennis were also of great interest
4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?
Our work was assisted by the teachers from our school and people from the non-governmental organizations : 'CRS (Catholic Relief Services) and The School Connectivity Project for Southeast Europe', 'Children's Parlament of Macedonia', 'European youth parlament', 'Blue Sky' , 'Macedonian model of the United Nations', 'KHAM', 'Centre for support of the non-governmental organization', 'The Peace corpus' in Macedonia, local media etc. Part of the media programmes were used for our presentation. Children's parlament (European youth parlament), Macedonian model of the United Nations, Blue Sky helped us through their involvement in discussions about between nationalities life, joining our forum, where they presented their opinions, they took active part in our workshop, sport competitions, the artist's colony. Our English teachers helped us with the translations of the questionnaires and the interviews for the mayor, the members of the Parlament and for the workshop. Our Sociology teacher also helped us to realize our workshop. Our parents took active part in our project. Ivana's father, History teacher, gave us information about historical development in Macedonia, Elena's mother helped us to find information's about Turkish religion, Aleksandra's father enabled complete access to the statistical data, and Dragan's sister helped us with the knowledge about human rights.
5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)
Elena : I gained valuable experience while working on the project, as well other members of the group. Doing this project we learnt a lot about Turkish, Romany, Albanian tradition and culture. I learnt about the rights of the identities in Macedonia. I made a lot of friends who are from different nationalities. The biggest surprise for me was to discover my rhetorical skills. Now, of course, I have more friends and I hope one day we will all together be one successful team which will lead the state and will solve the problems. Everything depends on us; we hold the world in our hands.
Aleksandra: Working on the project, me, Dragan, Ivana and Elena, faced different newness and surprises. Personally I can say that during the research I educated myself about the origin, religion, culture of all nationalities that live in my country. I enriched my knowledge with more information's about the between-nations life. I should say that sometimes it was a problem to find different addresses, there was rejection of cooperation etc. There were also some surprises for e.g. when we questioned the students from our school about between-nations life we received answers we didn't expected. We were working during the winter holiday, and afterwards when the second term started, before and the other classes we stayed on in the school.
Dragan: Doing the project was a great experience for me. Beside I learn something about the culture and religion, way of living and customs of the other nationalities in Macedonia. The most important for me was that I, as a webmaster, learnt many things about the web. I spent many, many ours studying PHP script language, Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Java Tool and other software's, something that was a big experience for me and which helped me in my judgment about my further education.
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View our CyberFair Project
(Project ID: 3663)
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