School: Wu-Chang elementary school
    Taipei, Taiwan, Taiwan

10 students, ages 9-10 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 19, 2008. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2008

Classes and Teachers: Tr.Lin li Lun,Tr. Cheng Yung Feng, Tr. Lien Wen Chih

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://web.wcps.tp.edu.tw/english/index.html

1. Description of Our Community

The annual dragon boat races in Taiwan usually hold in main rivers in every city. We make it the most traditional and liturgical way. Taipei city’s dragon boat festival celebration is no exception.

Taipei is a international city with Dan-shui river and Keelung river running through it. It’s no surprise that you can find almost every modern things here. The annual dragon boat races happens to be in our school’s neighborhood—Da-jia riverside park. It has a distinctive retro style.

The Chung-Cheng district is right in the middle of Taipei city. It has the most convenient traffic routes. We have Da-jia riverside park which provides excellent recreation, also Rong-Xing garden serves as the center of culture and art. We’re at the alternation of old and new generations, our school is obligated to preserve and promote our culture.

2. Summary of Our Project

The main point is to discuss the various traditional or customary practices, document the origin of the rice dumpling, as well as the making procedure, and how modern people see the traditional food. We also roughly explains the making process of a dragon boat, give interviews on senior master workers, ask them how to preserve the technique, also the origin of dragon boat race. We interview some foreigners about how they see the dragon boat race. By using digital technology, we document every move and interview process, to gain more identification of the customary practices. At the same time, we aim to use internet distribution, for people to understand and experience the beauty if this traditional art and race. We combine the methods of featured interview, survey, interview, visual-audio technology, and students creation. All together we present you a perfect display of our research.

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: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):

Wu-Chang elementary school has the most state-of-the-art internet equipment. We use optical fiber network here, with download speed 100M and upload speed 10M. We use optical fiber backbone network for local area networks. Our webpage was finished in a computer classroom equipped with more than 30 PC. Due to the constant use of the whole 60 classes in our school, the chances of computer breakdown is relatively high. Thanks to Teacher Wei for being our technique advisor, he can always solves our computer or internet related problem easily.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

1. Computer operation: Since we only start computer lessons on third grade, we need to learn easy PowerPoint making, word process, also webpage and pictures editing. Luckily, the teachers are very patient, and we make our best effort to this project. 2. Interviewing senior master workers: We made contact with master Liu, found out time to Three-legged crossing. Since there’s no direct bus, we walked for quite some distance. However, this is nothing compared to the chance of interviewing the precious master. 3. Rice dumpling making on our own: We’ve never make rice dumplings before, so when we cross the bamboo leaves, we can barely hold it, let alone putting rice and filling, and then tie it up. Luckily, with the help of grandma, we can finally taste the fruits of our own labor. 4. Rice dumpling making survey and practice: We brainstorm 3 to 5 questions per person, then select the best to make surveys for adult version and kid version. Afterwards, we use random number generator to choose the sample tasters to fill out the survey. 5. Designing dragon boat race survey and practice: After another brainstorm, we came up with the survey for foreign dragon boat racers. We turn to English teacher in our school for help, to translate our survey into English. We then interviewed many foreign dragon boat racers on 2007 Taipei International Dragon Boat Race. 6. Language barrier: We have to cope with Taiwanese first. Dragon boat making master Liu speaks Taiwanese, though he can understand a little Mandarin, he still uses Taiwanese to express some particular terminology. Luckily there are some parents who are willing to help, otherwise we’d have difficulties understanding master Liu. We use simple English to interview foreign dragon boat racers, however sometimes we’re timid to talk to them. Those foreigners are more passionate than we are.

7. The weather: We experienced the after summer in autumn while interviewing master Liu. The heat was unbearable. And we were caught up in a big rain while worshiping Chu Yuan. On the very day of the international dragon boat race, it was a scorching hot sunny day. The rise and low of the temperature may cause some sickness, but we manage to stay healthy.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

This is our first time attending the cyber fair. Though we’re not experienced, we manage to overcome all the difficulties. We all learned so much from this research process, and gain knowledge of the local traditional art and race. Moreover, we learned the meaning of researching and the importance of cooperation. Our teamwork may be more smoothly in the future. We hereby thank all the advisors and parent, work crew who has helped us. Your much help made our success in this project.

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

We engaged in this research plan, occupied much of our school hours and some extra time. But it actually helped a lot in many aspects of 1st – 9th grade curriculum alignment in elementary schools, such as:

? Language aspect: including data collecting, data organizing, research journal writing. We also trained our listening ability during interview process, transcribing work and reorganizing ability.

? Mathematic aspect: file all survey data, using excel for random number charts, gather statistics, make charts, and learn how to conclude from statistic numbers.

? Science aspect: learn more about computer equipments and how to use them. Learn how to create and design a webpage.

? Physical aspect:To watch dragon boat racing,understand the rules of the game, and become a good spectator.

? Social aspect:To know the significance of traditions and customs in our daily life, and put into practice.

? Art aspect:Learn to appreciate the beauty of dragon boats including the carving, painting, architecture, etc, and able to understand artificer’s hard working.

? Integrated aspect:Learn to help and show understanding for each other, able to fit in the group and participate in group discussions, fulfill the task.

What’s more important is that we all gain a better knowledge of traditional customary practices. In our team, both teacher and student, boy or girl, we all participate and experience the whole process together. We took the chance of National Dragon Boat Race on dragon boat festival, not only did we experienced the atmosphere first-handed, but also interviewed some foreign racers from all over the world. We established a diplomatic relationship on our own, also a rewarding field trip. We also learned how to from a group with solidarity, so that we can accomplish a difficult task together.

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

Our theme is the customary practice and race of dragon boat festival, therefore when collecting data, not only do we need to find introduction about dragon boat race, the distinctive features of Taipei city, the experience of making a rice dumpling, and local people interview had all become a very important part of our data collecting. Basically we go on field trips for our interview, we set up interview time by ourselves or made by phone calls. During interview process, we tend to have a five people group, and we bring recording devices, MP3 player, recorder, so that we can review the whole conversation when we’re back, to documents the best quality of it. While we were making this webpage, we think the first hand interview experience and field trip interviews were the most exciting and fun part for us.

Hardware: Telephone Computer Recorder/Player Recording device Video recorder Digital camera Scanner Tape recorder Library Books

Software PhotoImpact12 Microsoft Word WindowsXP DVD working dreamweaver mx Namo Internet Explore

Others Verbal interviews

First-hand experience

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

Our theme is the about all the traditions of dragon boat festival, therefore what we want to stress most is the first-hand experience and interviews of local people. Besides, after interviewing foreigners through our surveys, everyone gained a strong interest on our local traditional art and customary practice. When they know we’re creating a homepage of this local traditional art and customary practice, they immediately took our survey, for those who didn’t get a chance to do the survey, they even felt regret about it. They asked us to share with them once the webpage is finished. We all felt their passion about our traditional art. Being encouraged by the enthusiasm, we felt very strong and excited. We wish we can promote and preserve our local tradition via cultural exchange and internet distribution, in a way that we can actually develop and promote our diplomatic relationship.

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

When our teacher first suggested us to research this topic, we think it’s really troublesome. After all, we are in our third grade which is not a very mature age. We have to find time to learn new computer skills, also go out on field trips and interviews. We literally think it’s an impossible task in the very beginning. However, our teachers thought this is a good way to increase school and local neighborhood interaction. And we wish through the presentation of our webpage, the local tradition may be more appealing to some people, even foreigners may give it a second chance and to know it better. After a few interviews, we’re surprised to find out that how supportive everyone can be. This is not only a whole new experience to us, but also a brand new thing for those interviewees. The teacher also told us that the traditional atmosphere is getting thinner nowadays, so it is our responsibility to call for public awakening, make everyone rediscover the beauty of those tradition and activities, even the art of our tradition.

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

In our researching process, not only our teacher but also the director helped us from start to end. All the parents are willing help us, no matter it’s sunny or raining out there. They help, coach and encourage us. Also every teacher and students in our third grade, all the faculty in the school, and community members, with much of their help, we can have a perfect ending for the interview, and also a smooth researching process.

When we’re collecting data, it is very likely that we may quote articles or pictures from others. Therefore it is extremely important to make a footnote of your original source. Our teacher also told us, you need author’s permission before quoting their material. Otherwise it would be counted as plagiarism. This shows no respect to the author, and is a very irresponsible behavior. We all come to understand that data collecting is not simply copy and paste, you need to digest all the material and make it into your own words. If you’re quoting from someone’s work, you need to make footnote of the source or get permission from the author, this is the true spirit of honoring the intellectual property right. Therefore we always keep this in mind, and learn to make footnote about every quotation we’ve made.

*Students team 50% 1. Interview interviewees or related person 2. Videotaping. 3. Keeping conversation journal. 4. Editing written document. 5. Draw up project schedule outline. 6. Fill out progress information. 7. Data collecting. 8. Create webpage.

Directing teacher30% 1. Call up a group meeting. 2. Conclude and analyze project research data. 3. Create feature webpage and examination. 4. Project title draft and planning. 5. Computer skills coaching.

Interviewee (Teachers, students)5% 1. Getting interviewed. 2. Writing teacher version’s journal report. Community resident, Foreigners, Art master, Parents.10% 1. Getting interviewed. 2. Providing information. 3. Fill out survey. 4. Writing parent version’s journal report. Others (e.g computer instructor, English teacher)5% 1. Webpage consulting. 2. Software consulting. 3. Translate English survey.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

Just when we set our mind on this topic, we heard a funny news that may of our traditions or even festive food is now affected by Korea. We almost can’t believe our ears. It is said that “A repeated slander makes others believe”. We all worry that if the other country would be mislead by that. Therefore, our research become more and more essential. When we arrived Da-jia riverside park to interview the foreign racing team, some of the interviewees actually mistaken our tradition for some other countries. We then come to a firmer belief that we must use the webpage to make a very clear statement.