CyberFair Project ID: 4645

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International Schools CyberFair Project Narrative
Title: Candyland-TAIWAN MORINAGA CO., LTD.
Category: 3. Business and Community Organizations
URL: http://librarywork.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2006/gsh4645/index.htm
Bibliography: http://librarywork.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2006/gsh4645/bibliography.htm

School: Wenhua Elementary School
    Taipei, N/A, R.O.C.

6 students, ages 11-12 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on February 28, 2006. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2005

Classes and Teachers: Mr. Chang-Yi Chen, Mrs. Win-Chi Wang, and Miss Hsin-Ju Li.

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.whps.tp.edu.tw

Project Overview

1. Description of Our Community

Between the Central South Road and the Daye Road in Beitou district, the aroma of milk drifting in the air all along the way. It comes from a six-story plant right standing by the roadside, the well-known TAIWAN MORINAGA CO., LTD., the most favorable place for field trip for many Beitou residents during their childhood, for such a amazing place is just like a candyland for every child. For more than forty years since 1961, it has been continuously providing study activities for elementary schools and kindergartens of Beitou district. The Company also make in-fashion cartoon toys to fulfill the dreams and wishes of children, which became pleasant and treasured memories of childhood, this is the reason why we would like to conduct an in-depth research on it.

2. Summary of Our Project

1. To know more about TAIWAN MORINAGA CO., LTD (hereinafter called the “Morinaga Co.” ) 2. To discuss on the main products of Morinaga Co. 3. To discuss manufacture and packing process of Morinaga Co. 4. To discuss the operation concept of Morinaga Co. 5. To discuss the interactive relation between Morinaga Co. and the residents in the neighborhood. 6. To understand the pleasant memories of consumers for Morinaga Co.. 7. To discuss the favorite flavors of Morinaga Co.’s various series of products chosen by elementary school students. 8. To discuss the consumer behavior and motives of the customers of Morinaga Co.’s welfare store. 9. To discuss the reflections of elementary school students after taking a field trip to Morinaga Co. 10.To realize the sale status in the stores selling the products of Morinaga Co. in the vicinity of Wenhua Elementary School. 11.To discuss the definition, characteristics, value, package, as well as the classification of confectionery. 12.The history of confectionery industry, traditional sweets, it’s past, present and future. 13.To discuss the methods purchasing confectionery of high quality. 14.To discuss the precautions for eating candy. 15.To learn more about the various world confectionery culture.

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:none

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dial-up modem

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:4-6

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

There are two computer classrooms in our school, each is equipped with 40 computers and use Fast Ethernet zone network for connection. Through ADSL of Chunghwa Telecom, it connects to the Taipei Education Network Center, then extends to the Ministry of Education and academic networks. During holidays, there were occasional blackout in school; however, the network services are quite normal at most of the time. Computer is available in the residence of every student participating our research program, they can therefore use broad band (ADSL, 2M/256K of Chunghwa Telecom) to access the internet. Therefore, in the whole process of the research, all the students completed most of their assignments at home, thanks to the convenience of the internet; they had discussions through e-mail and complete the work with perfect cooperation.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

1. As Morinaga Co. has been established in Taiwan for more than 50 years, it was indeed difficult to find a native resident of certain age, who has a complete knowledge about the whole history of Morinaga Co. Fortunately, under the assistance of the executive of Bashian Borough, and the enthusiastic help of the old chief of the borough, could we finally resolve the problem. 2. The set-up of this web page requires not only the computer technology, information collection, materials arrangements and date analysis, the creative appearance and the vividness of the web page are also vital important. Thus, we asked the assistance of fine arts teachers (who have abundant experience and skills in art design and the web page design). 3. In the beginning, the students were not able to be adapted to the routine work, such as to check the mailbox daily on the internet, or to hand in assignment every week. Therefore, the most difficult thing was the progress control. We conducted periodical meetings and many discussion, furthermore, we asked mother Kaijun to make phone call follow-ups for reminding the children to hand in home works, the problem was then solved. 4. It was impossible to arrange an interview with the board chairman of Morinaga Co. We were unable to contact the board chairman and general manager, and could not have any response even by means of official papers and telephone calls. Fortunately, a section chief agreed to be interviewed by us, which finally settled the issue of interviewing an important figure of Morinaga Co.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

A native narrates his native stories, tells his endless love for sweets. The continuous operation of a business depends on good reputation of the brand and the constant creativeness. Taiwanese people, concern for Beitou, attentions for culture, love of Morinaga Co.

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

Language:By By means of data collection, generalization, integration as well as on-the-spot covering and communications, we foster the writing and expressing comprehension. Sociology:To make use of the local resources to accomplish the special topic research; to develop the appreciation for the community environment; to be more concerned about the issue of employment of the community; through the research of community resources to better understand the needs of the community and to meet the expectations of local residents, to enlighten our recognition of the society. Mathematics:Following the concept of statistical analysis, time, and location, we organize required data and accomplish part of our missions. Comprehensive fields:Through the on-the-spot interview, data collection, communications and coordination, as well as post-interview reorganization and integration, we combine the skills of all fields into a whole. Arts and cultures:By integrating the techniques of painting, color blending, art designing, typesetting, photographing, and music-dubbing to complete web page design, and the performance art of poem chant, so as to develop a promising prospect spiritually. Health and Physical Education:We come to effective management of time, routine schedule and sound physical fitness. Nature and Life Technology:We make use of up-to-date information facilities to boost competence in webpage production. We extensively enrich the skills of life-oriented technology.

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Project Elements

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

In the entire process of study, we have used the following information technology equipment:

Desktop PCs:Search Internet, communications, webpage production, data integration ADSL, 56K modems Internet communications. Scanners:Scan all data and pictures we have collected. Digital camera, video recorder:Snap shot during study and work and take required pictures. Printer, copier:Duplicate the data, pictures and required data. 3.5 floppy disks, ,flash disks:Data duplication and transmission. SoftwareMicrosoft Word, PowerPoint:Word processing during discussion, data transmission and assembling. Software Macromedia DreamWeaver, Ulead PhotoImpact, Namo:Webpage editing and image processing Software FTP:Transmit our works onto Internet. Telephones and cell phones:Make appointment for on-the-spot covering and schedule for two-way communications. Auto-recorders, auto-recording pens:Record the on-the-spot covering, the integral contents of the meeting ready for data integration and memo. Newspaper, TV :Watch TV or read newspapers to find out any information related to our topics. Other equipments:Computer labs, meeting rooms, library and Natural Science classroom

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

Our research team truly wish that the Beitou residents would acquire the facts by our research work that we have such an excellent, sweet and amicable neighbor in the community. That is why we utilize various ways to arouse the memory and attention of the public.

1. To solicit writings and feedbacks on the internet: to keep a special space on the internet in order to solicit writings and feedbacks of the visitors to narrate their passions and old memories for Morinaga Co.. 2. To interview the children who have paid visit to Morinaga Co.. 3. To interview the owners of the convenience stores nearby the Wenhua Elementary School. 4. To interview the customers of Morinaga Co.’s welfare store. 5. To conduct some tasting activities with 300 elementary students. 6. To hold representations to introduce our research achievements, and to invite the students, the teachers, the parents, and the community residents to present. 7. At last, we wish to make internet connection with the web sites of the School, the region administration, the borough chief, and the community associations, in order to discuss with each and every one on the internet about the research work of our team as well as to share with them our feelings and the achievements.

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

1. Morinaga Co. is a Japanese enterprise. The goal of research team to set up this web page is not only for the natives but also for the foreigners to have a better understanding of the contribution that Morinaga Co. have offered to Taiwan. The Morinaga Co. is not an enterprise with a single aim to make profits in running business, but also to associate with the people of Beitou community, so they could gain the friendship of the Taiwanese people as a result. 2. The foreigners, while browsing this web page, could have a perception of Morinaga Co.’s successful experience in running business in Taiwan, so it would be quite possible that they come up with an interest of investing in Taiwan too. In recent years, quite a number of large businesses have moved out of Taiwan for various reasons. We are in the hope that our web page would have some contributions to Taiwan, the beautiful land. 3. The former chief of Bashan borough expressed particularly his gratitude to Morinaga Co. for the numerous job opportunities they have offered to the local residents in Beitou since their establishment, the Chief borough also hopes that Morinaga Co. would offer scholarships to the students of the community; besides, their participation in the activities of the borough will be most welcomed. Morinaga Co. gave favorable responses to both requests, i.e., to positively cooperate with the activities of the Bashian borough, and to offer scholarship as a feedback to the residents of the community, also they promised that they will continuous assistant in holding the field trips for the students of elementary school. 4. This special topic research work has changed the study behaviors of the students and their parents, which enables us realize the amazing convenience for communicating and the prevailing influence of the internet. In addition to broaden one self’s scope in the domain of informative knowledge by surfing on the internet, moreover, we have understood the fact that, even a small potato like us, an elementary school student, could play the role as an important bridge between the community and the world, this realization allows oneself to be more positive and more confident than before, that by working hard, one will absolutely make some contributions to the humankind.

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

1. In the first place, we asked the parents to be sure that they would assist the students in solving all kinds of difficulties arising in the course of their research work, such as: to guide the children to think deeper, to correct their errors whenever they made mistakes in the writing, and to instruct them in effectively using computer software. 2. Secondly, in order to do some in-depth surveys and interviews outside of the school, we are therefore need some volunteer parents to transport the children with their own vehicles, so that the safety of the children could be even more assured. 3. In order to have a more dynamic research and a more attractive web page, we asked the borough chief, Mr. Chen YinLing, section chief of Morinaga Co., the customers of the welfare store of the Morinaga Co., and the students of Wenhua Elementary School to accept our interview invitations. 4. With the view to let the visitors be able to browsing smoothly our web page, we asked the experienced specialist to instruct us as unpaid volunteer in doing the web page designing work.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

1. When we paid a visit to the Morinaga Co., we were requested by the guiding personnel of the Morinaga Co., that we should put on dust-proof clothes and dust-proof hat before entering the disinfection chamber during our visit in the factory. We are also not supposed to take the picture of the facilities whenever we wished to take any photos. The manufacturing process is really extraordinary, the amazing machine could function perfectly with very few employees, but with remarkable efficiency. As to the working staff, the extremely serious working attitude of these Japanese impressed all the visitors. Besides, it seems that the nature of the Japanese are pretty conservative, they were not so comfortable with our interviews nor would they take the initiative to make a statement. 2. During the course of our research work, we interviewed more than 300 elementary students for our special topic study, and have realized that children are truly deeply fond of all kinds of sweets and various cartoon pictures. Although it is the adults who have the purchasing power, but obviously, they are willing to buy the products as a present to encourage the youngsters. The most interesting thing is, the irresistible charm of these idols and the popular cartoon figures is sometimes much greater than sweets itself. 3. Morinaga Co. are doing quite an excellent job regarding the selling access and marketing. For normally, we could buy their product almost everywhere. Not only they maintain the original flavor and packaging of the sweets, but also they constantly develop new techniques to present new products and new flavors to the consumers. I think this spirit of taking both tradition and creation into account in managing business is an ideal model for us to learn. 4. We have learned by doing the researching work that Morinaga Co., is an enterprise who persistently manufactures products with high quality, and constantly holds field trips for the elementary students in response to the demands of neighbors; of course the neighbors themselves are deeply appreciate the excellent products of Morinaga Co., also the visitors are filled with gratitude and satisfaction after paying the visit to the Morinaga Co. We do believe that by fulfilling the interviews and doing the surveys, there will be so much more gratitude, support, and blessing for both the Morinaga Co., and the residents in the community from each one of them.

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