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1. Description of Our Community
Taipei City, the most developed metropolitan area in Taiwan, is rich in ecological life, recreational facilities, historical monuments and cultural diversity. The city is located at a geographical vantage point and has the most advanced transportation system in the country. With its Metropolitan Rapid Transit (MRT) network and the completion of the Taiwan High Speed Rail system, Taipei is one of the most connected modern cities in the world today.
2. Summary of Our Project
2009 The International Deaflympic Games in Taipei is going be a very important event. It is also noteworthy that this will be the first ever Deaflympics to be held in Asia since the inception of the games in 1924. It is a landmark achievement for Taiwan, bringing the country one step closer to be able to apply to host the future Olympic Games.
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):
Information systems have been set up on campus. Two classrooms equipped with computers are available to all teaching staff and students, who have access to an intranet (fibre optic speed of 100MB), internet (external speed of 10MB) and hard disk storage space. This makes searching for data, providing software lessons, and designing homepages very convenient.
4. Problems We Had To Overcome
1.Since we did not have quite enough experience in tying, to type out the contents of the voice recordings was truly challenging our limits. It usually took us more than an hour to type out the contents of an interview that only lasted around ten minutes. 2.Setting up interview questions was not easy for students. The questions were not really in depth. We needed to imagine the responses and simulate the interview and then modify our questionnaire. We then practiced the interviewing skills on each other and practice to extend the questions based on the responses of the interviewees. After the task, we realized a reporter not only needs to have sufficient background knowledge but also a very quick response.
5. Our Project Sound Bite
In particular, a special word of thanks goes out to the coaches, participants, parents and teachers for contributing their wealth of knowledge and valuable suggestions. We were pleasantly surprised by everyone’s willingness and enthusiasm to help us accomplish our task. We are also mindful of our families and friends who provided their support during those long hours we spent working on the project. With their encouragement, we were able to deliver the project professionally and on time.
6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?
1. Integrated Personal Character Development Course Through this project we got to know many hearing impaired people, including hearing impaired contestants and coaches. By taking a grand tour of the school, we saw how the contestants were challenging their own limits and how determined they were to realize their dreams. The formal education at the school helped them to build confidence and strength of character. To see first-hand their courage not to allow their disability to restrict their dreams was an inspiration. 2. Integrated Special Education Course
Through the interviews and spending time with hearing impaired people, we have come to respect them tremendously. We appreciate the challenges they face on a daily basis. The hearing impaired people we encountered made great efforts and were very patient in explaining to us their situation. We found that most of them had some degree of hearing capability, and could communicate by means of hearing aids or embedded cochlear implants. And with the aid of sign language and by lip reading, they can communicate quite normally. In fact, they are not so different from everyone else. 3. Integrated Life Education Course We learned that communicating with the hearing impaired is in fact not that difficult. It was a matter of us paying a bit more attention to the minute things. By spending time with them, we became a bit more familiarized with other means of communication other than what we’ve been used to, and it helped us to be more patient and empathetic. No doubt this has been one of the most unforgettable experiences that students will ever have. 4. Integrated Information Course We made use of the internet, books and newspapers to assist us in the project. The internet provided extensive information and made the research process much more efficient and effective. After thorough discussion and negotiation, we decided on which of our experiences and thoughts we would post online. We were able to organize our research processes, compile the results and post them online on time on to a web page and share the fruits of our labour with everyone. The entire research process taught us many specific skills, such as how to search for information effectively, organize and file information, communicate effectively, interview, digital filming, and operating various computer programs. Having these skills will no doubt continue to benefit us in many ways in years to come.
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