School: Public
    Hualien County, N/A, TAIWAN

6 students, ages 10~12 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 20, 2005. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2005

Classes and Teachers: Frank Lu

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.bcps.hlc.edu.tw

1. Description of Our Community

Hualien, closing to the Pacific Ocean, is in the east of Taiwan. It is a long and narrow area constructed by eastern Central Range, Longitudinal Valley, and Coastal Range. According to this special location and land forms, it has various characteristics, like complex geological structures, seasonal changing climate, and specifically industrial and agricultural products. Because of the block of Central Range, development in Hualien was much later than that in western Taiwan. This is the reason why a lot of natural resources are preserved and under protected in Hualien, now. And so many local cultures are unrevealed but are regarded as treasures nowadays. There are some tribal races in Hualien, like Tayan, Bunun, and Pangtsah etc. They present well in different art forms, especially in tattoo, chores, and dance. These skills are meaningful, and they have become marks of Hualien. To us, people in Hualien, learning to reserve and present our natural resources is important. Understanding, developing, and maintaining our local cultures are serious lessons, too.

2. Summary of Our Project

Hualien is not only a beautiful place, but also is the motherland of some tribal people in Taiwan. Long time ago, the ancestors of these tribal races came to Hualien, and they have stayed here for hundreds years. They have developed their own arts, like Tattoo, chores, and dance. These skills are well known as the beauty in Hualien. Even though, we do not know deeply about these arts that we appreciate a lot. Our team wants to do a project to study in this issue. Following are our methods and expectations: 1.We will focus on “Tayan Tattoo”, “Bunun Chores”, and”Pangtsah Dance” in this research. 2.Our team wants to know the legendary, historical, cultural, and environmental backgrounds of these arts. 3.We will find out the cultural effects and social influences caused by these artistic presentations. 4.We want to share the achievements of this project to students in my school and people in my community. We would also like to introduce these art forms with internet to people all around the world. 5.Students can learn how to do a project study. And they could enhance their abilities for using computers and internet.

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:21-50%

B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:2-3

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):

1.The computer equipments in our school: (1.1)The computer equipments: Two servers,one computer classroom. (1.2)Teaching: Students in the fifth and sixth grade have taken computer class from 1991. Students from in the third to sixth grade have also taken computer class until 1998. (1.3)The sources of funds: Each student has paid the maintenance of equipments each semester from 1998.

2.The situation of using computers and applying in teaching: (2.1)Computers applies in school’s administration: There is one computer at least in every administrate office. Each day the principal room replies the e-mails of which suggest and guide school from everywhere. Checking the school’s web and the official dispatch. Academic affairs make announcements and shows students’ learning works by computers. General office calculates the salary and auditing the forms by computers. Each teacher in charge of every grade uses the computer to make documents and decorating the classroom and so on. (2.2)Applied in teaching: Build the virtual CD-Rom drive to improve the plan of applying every class by computers. Encourage students to find net information by computers. Also, hold the contest of finding information. Jointing every teaching to finish the works.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

1.We were lack of abilities of using computers at the beginning. But we really needed to use computers to get some background information and to record some works that we did, especially our daily reports. It was very grateful that our school opened a computer class for us to improve our abilities. We practiced every day. Later, we can do most works with computers. 2.We did not want to use the time of formal classes to do this project. So we only kept this project going during every afternoon breaks. As working on the project, we found that time was not enough to share all the information to each other. And we did not have time to organize the materials that we got in the interviews, either. To solve these problems, we made a table list for each topic in the project. Then we filled the tables with information that we searched on the internet or in the books. Through this way, we could save time when we discussed each topic. 3.Sometimes, we could not only get the whole map of the issues in the project by searching on the internet or in the books. Teachers asked us to write the questions in our notebooks. Then we used another ways to find the answers. We could also ask these questions to whom we interviewed. They could give us some technical information or some specific answers that we did not find out. 4.At the first time, we did not know how to write daily reports. We could not figure out and write down the main points of our materials. Teachers wrote a sample for us to explain how to write it. We read it and tried to write what we did every afternoon into reports. And then we keyed in them into computers for updating. 5.We have not had experiences of interviewing someone. We did not know what we should prepare before having an interview. What questions should we ask? What words should we record? What pictures should we take? So we had a meeting before every interview. We got everything prepared and wrote the questions that we want to ask down. Even though, we still felt nervous sometimes. After lots of practices, we did better and better.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

1.“It is my honor to participate in this project.” one student said. He thought that he learned a lot from this activity, like Learning how to write a website, learning how to search information, and learning how to do in an interview. He was happy, because he could draw, discuss, and laugh together with other team members. He wants to do another cyberfair project when he goes to junior high school. 2.“To do my best!” one student thought. When teacher asked her about joining in this team, she felt amazing. During working on the project, she always reminded herself to try her best. She wondered that she could learn many things after finishing this job. 3.“What we did is what we have learned.” another student said. His typing speed was very slow. After finishing so many reports, he could key in faster and faster. He also got a lot of experiences of interviewing. Deeply understanding about the topics in this project was a really happy thing to him. 4.“Never give up until the last minute.” said one girl. At the beginning, we did not know how to do in a project. It was a mass and we are afraid of failing. Sometime we ran into some troubles. Sometimes we ware disappointed and lost our patient. Teachers encouraged us and made a schedule for us. We followed that schedule step by step. Later, we found that we did everything better and better. We thought that we could get it done. We would never give up until the last minute!

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

1.Chinese language: We have practiced all the skills in language, including listening, speaking, reading, and writing. First, we searched all kinds of information related to our project and then “read” it. Later, we went to interview some professors with “introducing” ourselves and “asking” some questions. We “listened” and “recorded” the answers. At the last, we tried to “write” those materials into a report: 2.Social study: Combining with the indigenous topics in social subject of fifth and sixth grades, we experienced and recognized more materials then those in the regular curriculums. 3.Nature and life technique: We learned that how to accomplish a project. We also learned to face problems in our lives and solve them through the most effective ways. 4.Art and Culture: We tried to develop our abilities of appreciating different art forms. And then we would be able to practice expressing what we think to others. 5.Informational and technological education: Through the whole process, we learned to use computers, internet, digital cameras, tape recorders…etc. We used these technologies to overcome our problems and to achieve our goals. 6.Human rights education: We have known a lot about some cultures that are different from ours. We now understand to respect different cultures. We are all equal. And now, we know how important the reservation of indigenous culture is.

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

We used “computers” and “internet” often. They ware used in writing and uploading our daily reports, searching information, making website, and emailing to each others. Appropriate “software” is needed at the same time. During the interview, we used “digital cameras” and “tape recorders” to get the materials that we want. When we make the webpage, we used a “photo scanner” to input our pictures and a “printer” to output the results we made or searched. Totally, we had used “computers”, the “internet”, some “software”, a “digital cameras”, “tape recorders”, a “photo scanner”, and a “printer”.

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

Because the main purpose of our project is to introduce indigenous art to others, we think that we are “cultural ambassadors”. We tried a lot of ways to connect with many people. Some of them are official leaders. Some of them are teachers. And some of them are tribal people. They really help us a lot. We have tried to email them or to give them a phone call. We also tried to have an interview with them. After we got the answers, we have shared them to our friends and classmates. Even our parents know that we ware doing this project. After we finish our website, we have been trying to tell others our website address. We want all the people in the world could see our project and know the art of indigenous people in Hualien.

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

We think the most obvious impact that we made is during the interview. The people whom we talked to have thought that their cultures ware respected. They were happy to hear about that there are another people who respect their cultures and want to reserve and introduce their art to world wiled people. This project encourages them to think highly of their own cultures. So they ware willing to answer our questions.

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

First, we want to thank our principle and all the teachers who have helped us in our schools. They spent lots of time to give us information and to help us to finish all the works we need to do. Especially teacher Lu, he opened the computer class for us. We also want to thank all the people with whom we had the interviews. They are official members, teachers, and people in the tribes. They are happy about that we work on the project related to local cultural art. They think we are doing an important thing. Thirdly, we are very grateful to some student parents who had been giving us a hand in driving us everywhere and helping us connect with people whom we want to visit. Thanks for the help of these people.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

We think the most treasure that we get is “abilities”. We improve our writing ability, technical ability, information Searching ability, talking skills, and the way to do a project. We learned that paying before getting. Although we worked hard, we learned much more than what we paid. We can not get these experiences only by reading our textbooks.