School: Taipei Taiyuan Junior High School
    taipei, taiwan, taiwan

14 students, ages 12~13 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on February 14, 2005. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): never

Classes and Teachers: Lin-Feng Liu, You-Yang Tsou, Hua-Hsia Wen, Jia-Ling Liu, Yi-Mei Chang,Yin-Fang Lin

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.tyjh.tp.edu.tw/claire/index.htm

1. Description of Our Community

Beitou is in northern Taipei, and is next to Yang Ming Shan National Park and the Guandu Plain. During Japan’s dominance in Taiwan, Bitou’s main industries included hot spring hotels, the sulfur industry, and ceramic industry. Beitou ceramic products were very famous because of the abundant supply of white clay, and the active promotion of the ceramics industry. The unique sulfur hot springs, hot springs hotels, and the passing through of the Rapid Transit System’s Danshuei Line and New Beitou branch line make Beitou the top-pick where people in Taipei come to enjoy leisure activities and the hot springs during the holidays.

2. Summary of Our Project

By interviewing Beitou’s cultural scholars, ceramic artists, visiting clay pits and kilns, we will once again establish the understanding of the history of Beitou ceramics. We will demonstrate the rise, the prosperity, the fall, and the current situation of Beitou’s ceramic industry through interviews and images. In the weekly discussions, our team members will together formulate questionnaires, distribute work loads, record discussions, and complete notes on the interviews and the learned materials.

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:2-3

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

(1) Selecting the topicWe considered many topics when we were formulating the theme such as Beitou’s Airport or Batou Li Ren Associaton. The main concept of Cyberfair, “caring for the community and hometown,” made us think about whether there are topics that are worth further understanding in our living environment. Finally we decided that the topic of where we live – Beitou, and the topic is the long-lost culture of Beitou ceramics. (2)Confirming communications and interview schedulesAfter we select the topic, we then looked for the professionals on Beitou ceramics that would accept our interviews and would give us suggestions. Through research on the Internet, we picked four important people and locations: We had difficulties in contacting these four teachers. We found the means to contact them by asking different civil organizations, and our interviews were also delayed because the teachers were busy or went out of the country (Mr. De-Yang Hong and Mr. Shin-Shang Chen all have very busy schedules). We were also afraid that the teachers might not want to accept our interviews or give us instructions. (3) Equipment and the enhancement of students’ abilitiesWe also faced problems when we actually were conducting the interviews. Because we didn’t fully understand how to use the digital recorders, the two recorders shut off automatically while we were walking and recording at the same time, and we didn’t completely record Mr. Hong’s descriptions. The video camcorder didn’t record all of the footage because the battery ran out. In the learning-chart we received back along with the interviews, we discovered that the students’ ability to comprehend the content was a little insufficient. After many meetings and discussions, the students gained a better understanding of the situation, and the questionnaires they formulated became better.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

The traditional culture does not only need to be discovered and preserved, but also needs to be valued and continued by the coming generations. The mission of organizing the memories of our hometown and continue its life rests with our generation!

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

In the month since our participation in the competition, we have been glad to see what the team members have learned about team work and field research. Through interviewing the seniors in Beitou, our team members also came to know more about our hometown. Through this competition, our members gained a better understanding of the Internet as well as its efficiency and influence. We hope that through our research, Beitou ceramics can become a specialty of our school as well as the “root study” program, and it can be known by the people once again. Our hope for the social research is that through our effort, we can bring a new look to Beitou ceramics.

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

1.Telephone: local phones, mobile phones

2.Sony TCM-313 Televisions or radios: Sony TCM-313

3. Video camcorders or digital cameras: Nikon 4500, Casio Z40, Cannon IXUS 40, Sony Trv15,Fujifilm F700

4.Digital scratch pad and scanner: BenQ szw 3300v

5. Recorders/digital recorders: Sony TCM-313, Apple ipod 20G, Griffin italk

6.Video conference: windows messenger 6.2

7. Computer softwares: Macromedia ( Flash MX 2004, Dreamweaver MX 2004 ) Ulead PhotoImpact 8, Microsoft Office 2002 ( Word, Powerpoint ) QuickTime 6.5.2 pro for mac PowerDirector pro2.5 Reallusion Inc Reallusion Talking Slide educational version

8.Libraries: Daoshiang Libraray, National Library

We will demonstrate the rise, the prosperity, the fall, and the current situation of Beitou’s ceramic industry through interviews and images. In the weekly discussions, our team members will together formulate questionnaires, distribute work loads, record discussions, and complete notes on the interviews and the learned materials.

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

We discovered that the people that are related to Beitou ceramics by using the Internet. We later came in touch with several experts by contacting Beitou Community College, Hong-Gah Museum, and Beitou Cultural Foundation, and arranged interviews. After finishing the interviews, we scheduled lectures to be given by the experts we interviewed in next semester’s school schedule, as well as ceramics studies. This will help the students, their parents, and the teachers to have a better understanding of the environment and the culture of our hometown. Almost all of us participated in visiting Guizihkent. Under the scorching sun, we went to sites such as white clay hill and clay-washing oil, and listened to the explanations given by Mr. De-Yang Hong who understands Beitou culture very well. The scenes of mining and clay-making in the earlier years seemed to come to life before our eyes. This was an unforgettable experience of a test of our members’ stamina and perseverance. Mr. Shiao-Fang Tsai is a valuable ceramics artist. The tables, chairs, and tea wares that we used during the interview were all made by him, and we were nervous about damaging them. Hua Jen Kiln is located next to our school. Their main product is refractory bricks. It is rather a shame that we have never visited this place that has existed for 30 years up to now. When we met Mr. Shin-Shang Chen, we felt that it was a pity that we haven’t gotten to know each other sooner! During the 3 ~ 4 hour-long interview, we were utterly impressed by a cultural scholar who works so relentlessly on gathering materials about the history of Taiwan ceramics.

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

Our school has always lacked interactions with the community in the past. Fortunately, with this case study project, we had a chance to understand that besides the well-known hot spring businesses, Beitou also once had the best ceramic industry. After four interviews and investigations, we pieced together Beitou’s glamorous past, but also observed the sadness in the decline of such industry. The interviews with Mr. Shin-Shang Chen have moved us greatly. He has made the studies of the history of Taiwan ceramics his greatest life goal, and he spent his own money on making trips all over Taiwan to conduct interviews and gather information. Although he has faced many difficulties in the process, he never gives up and always stands strong. This project allowed us to understand that the hope of reviving Beitou ceramics lies on our shoulders – the children in Beitou. Every person in Beitou should know about this part of their hometown’s history, and should be proud of living in Beitou. The next time we go visit Yingge, perhaps the ceramics craftsman that stands in front us will be originally from Beitou, and even the Zhong Yi Community where our school is.

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

After we select the topic, we then looked for the professionals on Beitou ceramics that would accept our interviews and would give us suggestions. Through research on the Internet, we picked four important people and locations: Mr. Hong, De-Yang who is the instructor of “Beitou Cultural Tour” in Beitou Community College, “Hsiao Fang Kiln” that has excellent ceramics techniques and a long history, “Hua Jen Kiln” that is located near Taoyuan Junior High School, and Mr. Shin-Shang Chen who has studied the history of Taiwan ceramics extensively. We had difficulties in contacting these four teachers. We found the means to contact them by asking different civil organizations, and our interviews were also delayed because the teachers were busy or went out of the country (Mr. De-Yang Hong and Mr. Shin-Shang Chen all have very busy schedules). We were also afraid that the teachers might not want to accept our interviews or give us instructions. By interviewing Beitou’s cultural scholars, ceramic artists, visiting clay pits and kilns, we will once again establish the understanding of the history of Beitou ceramics. We will demonstrate the rise, the prosperity, the fall, and the current situation of Beitou’s ceramic industry through interviews and images. In the weekly discussions, our team members will together formulate questionnaires, distribute work loads, record discussions, and complete notes on the interviews and the learned materials.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

Our school has always lacked interactions with the community in the past. Fortunately, with this case study project, we had a chance to understand that besides the well-known hot spring businesses, Beitou also once had the best ceramic industry. After four interviews and investigations, we pieced together Beitou’s glamorous past, but also observed the sadness in the decline of such industry. The interviews with Mr. Shin-Shang Chen have moved us greatly. He has made the studies of the history of Taiwan ceramics his greatest life goal, and he spent his own money on making trips all over Taiwan to conduct interviews and gather information. Although he has faced many difficulties in the process, he never gives up and always stands strong. This project allowed us to understand that the hope of reviving Beitou ceramics lies on our shoulders – the children in Beitou. Every person in Beitou should know about this part of their hometown’s history, and should be proud of living in Beitou. The next time we go visit Yingge, perhaps the ceramics craftsman that stands in front us will be originally from Beitou, and even the Zhong Yi Community where our school is.