School: Ho-Dong Primary School
    Chuang-hua County, Chuang-hua County, Taiwan

Elev students, ages eleven to thirteen worked together to complete this CyberFair project on February 21, 2005. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2004

Classes and Teachers: Cheng-wen Huang, Chin-chin Ho, Yu-shu Lin

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://163.23.93.65/

1. Description of Our Community

Homei Town is located at west side Taiwan, west of Pacific Ocean.It’s a beautiful town with paddy field and green grass. Across the Dadu stream at its northwest , you can see Dadu and Longjin towns of Taichung County.

As in arcadia like this, the town possesses its own uniqueness. In the activity hall of Ho Dong primary , believe-it-or-not scenes of martial arts practicing is going on daily. And H.D.M.A. team is doing its best to maintain and glorify this tradition-martial arts, culture of Chinese.

2. Summary of Our Project

Martial Art has its long history in China. It not only represents part of Chinese culture, but also has long been a bodybuilding exercise for the Chinese. This is not a legend! Right here at Ho Dong primary school, you’ll see this “real” Chinese martial art that has been well-known worldwide.

Ho Dong M.A. team earned its fame by many winning records. What’s the most admiring and amazing of all is its team members’ never-give-up spirit. They’ve put in lots of time and effort into practicing it. Now, our Fans’ Club is going to uncover the process of their training—the hard courses and difficulties they underwent and overcame .In order to provide a professional and systematic information in this project, the members involved in this project are divided into 5 groups with teachers for training and supervision. These groups will provide necessary support within each other.

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:1

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection

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):

(1)Network in school:There is 1 computer room in our school with 40 personal computers. Along with servers and administrative uses, total of 80 PCs are connected to a local network. The local network connects to the TANet (Taiwan Academic Network) through Chang-Hua County Network Center by 1 ADSL line.

(2)Network at home:Among 3 teachers and 11 students, there is only 1 student who doesn’t have Internet at home. Students and teachers are connected to Internet at home via ADSL.

(3)In order to have a instant information sharing, collecting and interaction between members, the information group has created a homepage on the Internet in order to strengthen the cohesion within members. The members can login to submit upload information and can leave a message for interactive discussion.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

(1)Martial arts team practices at PM 6:30. The coach lives in Nan-tou. Teacher and interview group have to reconfirm the schedule many times in order to set the final time for interview. The students in interview group have to ask their parents for a ride in order to go out during the night ,which makes it more difficult to set the interview schedule.

(2)The members are from different classes. The course schedules are different from classes. Therefore, the project activities are performed during lunchtime. Some students may not be able to come due to the engagement of class activities. Moreover, due to it is lunchtime, some students feel more like to have a nap.

(3)Even though most members are involved in computer club, 5th grade students are just at the beginning of using computers. Some basic knowledge and skills have to be trained. 6th grade students have better skills, but only 2 students are in the computer club. Therefore, a lot of time have been spent on training, more than the real operating time.

(4)The equipments required for this projects are supplied by the school, such as digital cameras and digital voice recorders. Sometimes a video recorder is required but the only one video recorder at school wasnt working well. Fortunately, teacher Chin-chin has volunteered to provided one for us. Sometimes, if a scanner is required, we borrowed from someone else.

(5)For us, martial art is a very difficult sport. For those people who knows and understands it, it is a professional training. At the beginning, we only know some basics about the martial arts. Eventually, we found out it is necessary to spend more time and put more efforts to get really understand it. However, we feel depressed due to lack of related information.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

“Working smoothly and successfully” and “appreciation” are the words which can be used to describe our emotion at the moment. This project and study started from the mid of September, 2004. Thanks to Coach Tang of HoDong M.A. team, Chief Shiao, members of martial arts team and the parents, who provide a lot of support and assistance continuously no matter how many questions and problems have been risen in this period of time. Also we have to thank County Mayor Wong, Principle Chiu, and the persons in the community who are willing to be interviewed and who care about this project. Thanks to music teacher Wu for sponsoring the music, Ms. Kuo and Ms. Lin for the translation. We will keep in our mind and cherish it! We truly hope that with the completion of this study, all the efforts can be comforted and project can be achieved.

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

The object of participating the Internet Exposition is hoping to apply the knowledge acquired in the course, to use the school resourses, to demonstrate the teaching effectiveness, to define the mission of school and to combine with the community activities during the studying process. This idea is similar to organize computer club and other clubs. Dewey, the American educator, mentioned: “education is life”. This means the knowledge, skills and techniques we learned are necessary for our life which can help our children to create future. This is exactly the meaning of 9-year integrated curriculum. Using what have learned to explore and discover the truth in our daily life. We have to apply the school-based curriculum to assist students to know more about their homeland starting from the things and persons students familiar with.That is why we chose the topic of “ Ho Dong Martial Arts team”. Students can connect to the world via Internet not only to spread our ideas but also to understand other people’s thought in order to create a mutual vision through the interactions. Below are some summaries about what we have learnt, both from students and from teachers, which are related to the 10 basic techniques mentioned in 9-year integrated curriculum.

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

Software:

(1)Namo V.5.5/ homepage design, flash button design. School license

(2)PhotoImpact 8.0/ Image process. School license

(3)GIF Animator 5.0/ Animation design. School license

(4)Windows Operation System/ imbedded functions (Internet Explorer, Paint, file processing). School license

(5)E-mail/ to communicate between group members. Individual mail box.

Hardware:

(1)Digital Video Camera/ to record the dynamic images during the project, such as interview, meeting and questionnaire collection.

(2)Digital Camera/ to record the static images during the project, such as interview, meeting and questionnaire collection. School equipment.

(3)Digital voice recorder/ to record voice during interview. School equipment Flash memory drives/ storage study information.

(4)Scanner/ scan the old photos and newspapers. Provided by teacher Yu-shu Printer/ print study information and questionnaire.

(5)Cell phone and fixed phone/ arrange the interview and for discussion.

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

(1)Interview group (interview and questionnaire survey): after the guide and hard training by teachers, the “cruel” process is documented in the study report, the interview group conducted many successful interviews and acquired firsthand and correct information. “Interview group” is our spokesman and ambassador on the front line. The successful activities of interview group made the famous martial arts team even more popular.

(2)Key feature: Chief Wen-Shiung Hsiao( VP od Ho Dong Parents Association) is the soul of martial arts team who has provided us a lot of information about martial arts and assist to arrange the interview of martial arts team members which makes out study more solid and complete.

(3)Principle Chiu: Since the martial arts team is invited by the county government to provide opening performance in “Traditional Sports Activities”, we got the chance to interview the county mayor. The principle of our school is also invited as a guest. The principle took this fantastic opportunity to arrange this interview with mayor.

(4)Using Internet and other communication equipment to forward our ideas:by the convenience of Internet and other communication equipment, we use instant messenger, E-mail, the Internet Exposition Interaction site constructed by us, and the national internet exposition websites to release all the information about our groups, to discuss and to share experience. Sometimes, the phone is used for communication. In some way, Internet and communication equipment are our spokesmen.

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

(1)Determination: during the study process, not only the study process but the practice of martial arts team require a determinate mind in order to reach the final goal. We have completed the project and obtained knowledge just like the martial arts team is rewarded by the prize in the competition.

(2)Team work: We never knew that to complete a mission with other persons can be so excited! When the Internet Exposition reached the end, we will remember the time that we worked together, to face problems together and to come out solutions together. We appreciate teachers’ guidance and the supports from classmates.

(3)Preparation and union: All the works has to be prepared and planned in advance. The individual ability shall be prepared and will be united to become strength to achieve the final goal. This is the combination of knowledge, physics and spirit.

(4)Culture inherit: Martial arts origin from ancient China. In Taiwan, we call it martial arts. In Mainland China, it is known as Wushu. No matter how we name it, martial art is already a part of our culture and it is also the typical activities for physical training. In 2008, martial arts will be in competition of Olympic Games. During the interview, we found out that the children who learn the martial arts are at our age and they are very serious during practice which remind us spirit of martial arts and the importance of culture inherit.

(5)Community expectation: From questionnaire and interview, we found out that the local persons have high expectation on the martial arts team, not only hope them to be qualified for Olympia Game but also expect the martial arts can be popular to become our own unique features and sport of Homei.

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

(1)Interviewees: Thanks to the county mayor Chiin-chu Wong, Chief Hsiao, the members of martial arts team, students, and students’ parents who allow us to conduct the interview, provide us the first hand information and let us have the chance to learn more about the martial arts.

(2)Residents of the community: In order to study the expectations and opinions about martial arts team in the community, we designed a questionnaire and went on the street to distribute it. Thanks to these warm-hearted persons on the street who completed the questionnaire and provided us many valuable suggestions.

(3)Supports from National Palace Museum: In our homepage, there are many beautiful Chinese paintings used as background that are provided by National Palace Museum. We appreciated for their help and hoped that we didn’t let them down.

(4)Parents of the students: All the interview time is scheduled during the night. For those students worked in interview group, their parents have to provide rides for them to go to the interview place and then back home. Thanks for their fully supports and cares.

(5)Supports from teachers at school: Teacher Jennie and Yi-wei for cyberproject’s English version, and the encourages and supports from other teachers which make us feel more confident to complete this project.

(6)Supports from School principle –Shuen-chin Chiu: Start from the beginning of the formation of this group, the principle keeps following our progress. He not only helped us to solve problems but also provided ideas and cheered us up! “Principle, Thanks that you are here”!

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

(1)We found out that we have the potential and ability to organize a team and complete the project and publish the study result!

(2)Through this project, we are aware that the Ho Dong martial arts team is very good,professional and well known around Taiwan. We also found out that the reason for the martial arts team to be so good is because they keep practicing their skills.

(3)At the beginning of the project, due to lack of the communication and mutual agreement within group members, there are some arguments in the forum of Internet Exposition Interaction Site. Fortunately, teachers stand out and provide their assistant to solve the problems.

(4)It is a trial and error process for information collection. We found out that nothing can be done in only one step. We shall have the patience and a comprehensive plan for any activities.

(5)We never knew that we are able to complete a project. We are surprised and satisfied with the homepages we made.

(6)The strength and beauty of Chinese martial arts have been interpreted perfectly in martial arts team. We have understood that martial arts are not only a part of physical traning but also a kind of art!