CyberFair Project ID: 2754

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International Schools CyberFair Project Narrative
Title: Excellent Rice in Taiwan
Category: 4. Local Specialties
URL: http://gsh.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2003/2754/index.htm
Bibliography: No bibliography page cited

School: Ji-Shuen Primary School
    Haulien, Haulien, Taiwan

8 students, ages 8-12 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on February 8, 2003. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2001

Classes and Teachers: Ms. Chao Jung Chen, Mr. Ming Yi Hsu, Mr. Kuang Lin Yu

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.jsps.hlc.edu.tw/

Project Overview

1. Description of Our Community

“Huatung Valley” is the rife valley between Central Mountain Range and Coastal Mountain Range, containing many steep rivers and creeks which form some fertile alluvial fans. Due to its wide area and low density, it still preserves its pure and abundant natural resources. People in the east have cultivated the land together, which has developed it into an agricultural society and even made it become the major producer of rice in Taiwan. Recently, the government has been actively promoting the theme tour of the native specialty, which makes the Huatung Valley become the “Green Valley.”

2. Summary of Our Project

The Huatung Valley has been the pivotal granary of Taiwan. Its warm climate and the environment without pollution let it be the major producer of excellent rice in Taiwan. Meanwhile, it also has developed the unique rice culture and agriculture tourism. However, what kind of rice has been grown in the valley, what sort of culture does it have, what are the natural attractions interest people to visit here? Let’s explore it!

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:less than 20

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

E. Additional comments concerning your computer and/or Internet access (Optional):

The classrooms and offices are offered computers, which can get onto the Internet. Besides, there are 32 computers in the Computer classroom for the students . In our school, we use ADSL to get onto the Internet, and it is fast and convenient to send out or download information.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

(1)The insufficient time: We were allowed one semester to finish it; however, there were many activities we had to participate, such as the final exam, the graduation trip and some extracurricular activities; moreover some students went to versatile classes, so we didn’t have enough time to finish it and all what we can do was do our best. (2)The lack of experience: Except Mr. Yu, none of us have been the Homepage Exposition; therefore, we had little experience, but we cooperated to make the work done smoothly. (3)The traffic problem: We hade to interview some characters and paid a visit to the museum, but we had no car or van. However, Shang-ru’s mother drove us to the places we wanted to visit. (4)The perseverance of the teammates: Some were serious and worked hard in the beginning, but they were getting bored later on and wanted to quit. However, they still continued it in the end. (5)The application of the information: Through the workstation structured by the director I-feng, we could collect the information quickly. It saved lots of time. (6)The Loyalty to the team: At first, some couldn’t work together, so there was some trouble. But later on, we all hung on and completed the homepage successfully. (7)The completion of the whole teaching materials: In the beginning, everyone thought we just sat down without doing anything; we gradually faced many setbacks, so we gave up the thought and worked hard.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

The team instructor: We always had unexpected discovery in every activity, and the exploration is full of surprises and knowledge. No matter what the result is, we all have gained plenty. The team leader Shang-ru: The activity increased my knowledge and interest in rice, although we encountered many difficulties, like some couldn’t hand in their essays or we had the exams, our teammates all cooperated well. Finally, we overcome every difficulty.

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

Our activity is mainly designed to match the curriculum, “About Ji-Shuen”. We combine all the subjects and focus on the rice culture in the east. Simultaneously, we joined all kinds of activities, field trips, extracurricular activities, and seminars to make students feel the attraction of rice and provoke their interest in studying it; then we select our teammates from the above activities. At the same time, we use the computer as our tool to integrate our materials and let students become familiar with the Internet to search for the information they want and enhance their capability of combination. Through field trips, we intend to strengthen their ability of recording, collecting, analyzing, integrating, expressing, writing, and etiquettes; meanwhile, they can form the good interaction.

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Project Elements

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

(1)Interview:Interview the related units, characters and join the rice seminars, exhibitions and relevant activities. (2)Visit, Study and Participate: By visiting, studying, participating, we know the meaning of the theme. (3)Telephone, Fax machine: Interview and communicate with the relevant characters and units by telephone or fax machine (4)Newspaper, Magazine,Book: Search for the relevant reports, books, periodicals to gain more basic information and update the messages of the activities (5)Recorder: Record every interview and write it down. (6)Digital camera, Auto camera, Scanner: Use the cameras to record every activity and store the photos and essays. (7)Computer:Use the computers to deal with all the information. (8)Internet: Search for the relevant information. (9)E-Kids’ Work Station: Set up a workstation to manage the materials, discuss, and keep the schedule. (10)Printer: Use it to dispatch the materials to the teammates to study them. (11)Software: PhotoImpact6.0, word2000….

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

Most of the activities were read in the newspapers and magazines by the teachers, informed by friends, or gained from the TV news or on the Internet. Then the teachers contacted the units to make appointments to interview and pay a visit. The students recorded it or wrote it down and arrayed and digested the data soon after returning to the school. Later on, the articles were posed on the Internet and every student could share their studies.

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

Before we participated in the project, we had no idea where the rice we ate every day came from. Then the teachers took us to interview many people and visited lots of places and we finally knew its origin and the farmers’ hard work and the species of rice, Penglai rice, Tsailai rice and glue rice, but except the above three kinds, we even knew other kinds of rice and also knew the tips to select good rice and the better way to cook rice .We didn’t know these until we participated in the project. Of course, we have also discovered something that even the local people don’t know.

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

During the period, except the team instructors, many teachers and interviewees helped us, like Mr. I-feng Huang, Ms. Mei-si Chin, Mr. Ge Li, Mr. Ming-I Shu, Shang ru’s mother the volunteer driver, the volunteer mothers, Uncle King Rice, Ms. I-hong, Uncle Puffed Rice, Tzen-zi Mochi, the Hualien Reformation Farm, the Hualien Rice Hulling Factory, 4-H club, the Hakka Culture Museum. They not only accepted our interviews but offered us plenty of materials. Moreover, the encouragement among the teammates supported us to carry on and some messages left on the bulletin from the other teams also inspired us. Thanks for their encouragement!

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

(1)Discoveries During the period, we have discovered many things that we didn’t use to know, such as “equinox” and “solstice.” But now we know their meanings and also find the secrets of rice, like how to distinguish the species, how to cook well, what gourmet it can be made …. (2)Lessons In the project, we have learned a lesson; we have to take a lot of effort to finish one thing. We used to think we didn’t have to concentrate on it and we could do it without any effort; however, it lasted for a quite long time and spend plenty of energy and time. (3)Surprises Before we started to enter into it, we thought we could just see rice. However, we saw not only rice but also living things like Fu-shou snails’ eggs, birds stealing rice, beautiful rape flower filed. They all are the things we didn’t expect.

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View our CyberFair Project (Project ID: 2754)

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