1. Description of Our Community
Taipei Wunchang Temple was built in 1960 and has been playing the role of faith center that not only offers positive merits but also serves as a non-profit organization that communicates regularly with its neighbors. Thanks to the convenient transportation of MRT, it has drawn in more pilgrims who visit the temple for inner peace, strength and faith. Wunchang Temple has been trying to encourage people to believe not only in the deities but also the drive that is derived from believing to help people become better and even help make a better community and society for more other people. It has inspired people so much and enriched their life both mentally and practically. With a large group united with well-organized management committee and a lot more enthusiastic volunteers, the power that Wunchang Temple conveys to believe in doing charity and making a better society is spreading out.
2. Summary of Our Project
Lord Wunchang is the God of Literature. Many students flock to worship Him before exams. Taipei Wunchang Temple is the only temple in Taiwan that enshrines Lord Wunchang as the main temple god. The temple holds twice a year in spring and autumn an enlightenment ceremony, and additional ones are also held before important admission exams to pray good luck for students. During these periods of time, the tourism is also thriving thanks to both the students flocking to the temple and its location right next to the convenient MRT Shuanglien station. Many local and foreign tourists have been attracted to here. Students in Jan Cheng Junior High School also go to the temple to pray for good luck before the Basic Competency Test. Our goal is to illustrate the popularity of Taipei Wunchang Temple through firsthand investigations and in-depth interviews from the perspective of community involvement.
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:more than 6
4. Problems We Had To Overcome
Three major problems encountered during the projects are the shortage of time for discussion, the brand-new challenge of conducting a street survey, and the scarce knowledge about the traditional culture and rituals regarding Wunchang Temple. We relied on Facebook as a convenient workstation and forum for date sharing, task assignment and discussion. Students worked on the survey from scratch and carried it out with more satisfaction than frustration. The most rewarding part is that by completing the project, each student learned to appreciate something so close to their life and the community they live in.
5. Our Project Sound Bite
Taipei Wunchang Temple is just one stop away from our school. Each year all the ninth graders visit there and pray for good luck before the admission exam to get into high schools. However, the only thing we knew about Wunchang Temple was good luck it could give us on tests. After the project, we learned that it is more than just a religious center local residents gather and pilgrims visit and pray for good luck. Wunchang Temple is also a charity center consisting of committee members, volunteer workers and neighborhood watch group members who carry out charitable works as their primary mission. Behind the popularity of Wunchang Temple, it is the positive message of “believe in the merit of giving” that these people want to convey to the society, and they show in person how powerful “believing” can be to make good deeds happen and come true.
6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?
In making this project possible and completing the project, students were exposed to a series of problem-solving tasks beyond their textbooks, be it the new software to get familiar with, the different methods to look for information, sort it out, digest it and then organize the information in understandable forms and words. Frustration to overcome when being rejected on the street, waiting for a smiling face and a helping hand to fill in the questionnaire make good exercise for them to overcome obstacles in reality and there is no one-and-only-answer available on this kind of test. It is a very practical way to stimulate students to put all they can together to fix problems, and only then will they treasure the exceptionally fruitful outcome.
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