School: Wagor International School Xitun Campus
    Taichung City , Taiwan, Taiwan

10 students, ages 7-12 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 22, 2023. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2023

Classes and Teachers: Wang Chia Hung?HU,HAN-JEN?WU,YING-CHEN

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://primary.wagor.tc.edu.tw/

1. Description of Our Community

While running a marathon in other places may feel like a personal event for the runner, participating in the Tianzhong Marathon is an event that represents the community spirit of Tianzhong Township. Known as the most welcoming marathon in Taiwan, the Tianzhong Marathon showcases the unique Taiwanese village characteristics, particularly the abundance of rice fields that earned it the title of 'Taiwan Rice Heaven.'

The township dispatches 6,000 villagers to demonstrate the warmth and enthusiasm of Tianzhong, providing support and encouragement to runners throughout the course. This event invites millions of runners from across the country to use their legs to support Taiwan's smart farming initiatives.

2. Summary of Our Project

Our Tianzhong Marathon investigation report is an in-depth look into one of Taiwan's four major marathons. Through interviews with local residents, runners, and organizers, we discovered that the Tianzhong Marathon is not just a sporting event, but also a community activity that embodies the warmth, enthusiasm, and kindness of the people of Tianzhong. In the investigation, we explored the marathon route, the scenery along the way, runner's replenishment, and the characteristics of the town of Tianzhong. In addition, we delved into the impact of the Tianzhong Marathon on the local economy and tourism industry and discussed its important role in promoting Taiwan's agriculture and smart farming. Through this report, we hope to educate more people about the Tianzhong Marathon and experience the friendliness, enthusiasm, and human touch that this event embodies.

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:more than 6

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

During the process of conducting our investigation on the Tianzhong Marathon, we encountered several challenges. Firstly, as our interviewees included local residents, runners, and organizers, we had to spend a significant amount of time and effort arranging and coordinating interview schedules. To overcome this, we contacted our interviewees in advance, confirmed the time and location, and allowed for flexibility to accommodate unforeseen circumstances.

The second challenge we faced was language barriers. When conducting interviews with local residents and runners, we encountered communication issues as some of them may not have been fluent in English or Mandarin. To address this challenge, we sought help from our parents to assist us during the interviews, allowing us to better understand their perspectives and experiences.

The third challenge was collecting information. We needed to gather a significant amount of information about the Tianzhong Marathon, including the route, participant information, and organizer information, among others. To address this challenge, we actively searched for the necessary information through internet searches and contacting the organizers to ensure that our investigation data was complete and accurate.

Lastly, we also faced time constraints. As the Tianzhong Marathon is an annual event, we needed to complete our investigation and report writing within a limited amount of time. To overcome this challenge, we utilized a collaborative approach, established priorities, and set clear timelines to make the most of our time and ensure the successful completion of the investigation and report writing.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

Experience kindness, feel the passion, challenge yourself at the Tianzhong Marathon! Run for community spirit: Discover the warmth and enthusiasm of Tianzhong through the Taiwan Rice Heaven Marathon.

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

Our CyberFair project addressed the following content standards: social studies, geography, language arts, and technology. In social studies, we learned about community involvement and the impact of local events on the economy and tourism. In geography, we explored the unique features of Tianzhong Township, such as its rice fields and landscape. In language arts, we practiced interview skills and writing, as we compiled our research findings into a comprehensive report. In technology, we learned to utilize various online resources and tools, such as Google Forms and websites, to conduct research and present our findings.

This project was incorporated into our school's curriculum as a part of our social studies and language arts classes. It allowed us to apply the skills and knowledge we had learned in class to a real-life situation, and helped us to better understand the importance of community involvement and local events.

Throughout the project, we learned new skills such as effective communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and critical thinking. We also practiced the concept of collaboration, as we worked together to gather information and present our findings.

Through our research, we gained a deeper understanding of the unique features and characteristics of Tianzhong Township, as well as the impact of the marathon on the local economy and tourism industry. We also discovered the importance of community involvement in promoting and supporting local events.

The use of the Internet for teaching and learning has been highly effective for our CyberFair project. It allowed us to easily access a vast amount of information and resources, and communicate with people from different parts of the world. It also provided us with the opportunity to develop our technological skills and utilize various online tools for research and presentation.

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

We used a variety of tools and technologies to complete our CyberFair project on the Tianzhong Marathon. We used desktop and laptop computers to research and write our project, as well as to communicate with our team members. We also used digital cameras and smartphones to take photos and videos of the marathon and the surrounding community.

In addition, we conducted oral interviews with local residents, runners, and organizers, using tape recorders and digital voice recorders. We also used online resources, such as websites and social media, to gather information about the marathon and its impact on the community.

Our most valuable tools were our digital cameras and voice recorders, as they allowed us to capture visual and auditory information about the marathon and the community. We also found online resources to be very helpful, as they allowed us to access information quickly and easily.

All of the tools we used were either owned by our team members or were available to us through our school's computer lab and library. We did not receive any tool donations from businesses or schools.

Overall, the technologies that were most helpful were the digital cameras and voice recorders, as they allowed us to capture firsthand accounts of the marathon and its impact on the community. Additionally, online resources were essential in gathering information quickly and efficiently.

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

Our students acted as ambassadors and spokespersons for our CyberFair project both online and in person. To gather information for the project, the students contacted a variety of people in our community, including local residents, runners, and organizers of the Tianzhong Marathon. They used various methods to contact these individuals, including email, phone calls, and in-person interviews.

During these contacts, our students explained the purpose of our project and asked for information about the Tianzhong Marathon. They also shared information about our school and the work that we were doing on this project. In some cases, the individuals that our students contacted were impressed with our project and expressed their support for our efforts.

One interesting outcome of these contacts was that several local businesses donated snacks and drinks for the runners participating in the Tianzhong Marathon. Additionally, some of the runners who were interviewed by our students expressed their appreciation for the support and encouragement that they received from local residents during the marathon.

Overall, our students' efforts to act as ambassadors and spokespersons for our CyberFair project helped us to gather valuable information and build strong connections with our community.

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

The involvement of our school in the CyberFair project has strengthened the relationship between our school and our local community. Our project has provided new information and insights about the Tianzhong Marathon and the unique characteristics of our community to people both locally and globally. We have established new working relationships with various individuals and businesses in our community, and received positive feedback and support for our efforts. Our project has also made a positive impact on our school, parents, and community by promoting teamwork, cultural awareness, and community spirit.

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

Our project involved various members of our community as helpers and volunteers. We reached out to local residents, runners, and organizers of the Tianzhong Marathon to gather information for our project. Additionally, we received assistance from local businesses who donated snacks and drinks for the runners during the marathon.

We found our helpers through various methods, including personal connections, online research, and outreach through social media. They helped us by providing information about the marathon and sharing their personal experiences with us. We would like to extend a big thank you to all of our helpers for their support and assistance throughout our project.

In addition to local helpers, we also received long-distance assistance from individuals across the miles via the Internet. We used online resources to conduct research, communicate with team members, and share project updates. This assistance was invaluable in helping us to complete our project and achieve our goals.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

We discovered new things about the Tianzhong Marathon and the community's support for it. We learned how to collaborate and use technology effectively to complete a project. The surprises included donations from local businesses and the positive feedback from runners and community members. This project has strengthened our relationship with the local community and we are grateful for their support. There were no other awards or recognitions received as a result of this project.