CyberFair Project ID: 4547

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International Schools CyberFair Project Narrative
Title: The Story of Sweet Potato
Category: 4. Local Specialties
URL: http://librarywork.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2006/gsh4547/index.htm
Bibliography: http://librarywork.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2006/gsh4547/e6.htm

School: Taipei Municipal Bin-Jiang Junior High School
    Taipei City, Taipei City, Taiwan

5 students, ages 13-14 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on February 20, 2006. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2006

Classes and Teachers: Mao-jui Chiu

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.bjjh.tp.edu.tw/bj/script2/default.htm

Project Overview

1. Description of Our Community

Taiwan, situated in the major juncture of East Asia, is a typical island. Because of its abounding coalmines and its crossing position of many international transportation courses, many countries occupied Taiwan for the purpose of acting as their base for international trade in the 16th and 17th centuries. Its special sea-surrounding geographical location and its various landforms have given birth to diversified culture and spirit as well as magnificent humanity and history. That is why Taiwan got the name of 'Formosa' - meaning beautiful island. Moreover, Taiwan is a fertile place producing numerous plants and fruits. From forests to valleys, we can spot groups of animals and plants everywhere. The abundant natural resources are another reason for Taiwan's being reputed as 'Formosa'.

2. Summary of Our Project

Sweet potato does not fear to be falling onto ground and decayed, it just wishes to sprout, prosper and hand down from generation to generation. Sweet potato was the most influential agricultural product when the Taiwanese people started to plant foreign crops at the end of the 16th century. Sweet potato not only witnessed our ancestors' courage in fighting against wilderness and natural disasters, but also was one of the most important agricultural products during the Qing Dynasty and the Japanese occupation period. It predominates an indelible position in Taiwan’s history of economic development. Therefore, we invite all of you to taste the beauty of sweet potatoes from the perspective of humanity, and hopefully to recall your in-depth memory of Taiwan's rural lives.

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

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

Our school uses a 2MB ADSL line to get connected to the Information Center of Taipei Municipal Education Bureau, which in turn gets connected to TANet. As for the Internet environment teachers and students use is the 512K/64K ADSL line provided by ChungHwa Telecomm.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

1.Insufficiency of Experience

Before we started, we thought it was a simple project. We soon realized this project was not as easy as we had imagined the minute we embarked on it. Plan outlines, the whole structure, the contents of the texts, and the persons to be interviewed, etc. etc. Each and every task made us hesitant and intimidated. Thanks to the guidance of the directing teachers and the assistance from the voluntary mamas, we were able to overcome obstacles one after another.

2.Insufficiency of Time

From the very beginning, we seemed to be racing against time. We had to gather materials, interview people in the Central and the Southern parts of the island, and carry out promotional activities in campuses while at the same time having to cope with various tests at school. It was unlikely that we could complete this project without extraordinary perseverance and energy.

3.Insufficiency of Knowledge

Besides its edibility, other specialized knowledge regarding sweet potato, e.g. its species improvement, its nutrition value and its relatives, etc., could not possibly appear in our daily lives. Luckily, the elaborations of the elderly and the experts complemented our insufficiency of knowledge.

4.Insufficiency of Technology

In the course of making web pages, the toughest situation we faced was the insufficiency of editing skill. We were very fortunate to have professional computer teachers to assist us. They patiently provided their expertise by continuously supplementing and modifying our works. An educational and illustrative works is being able to be viewed by all those who take interest in.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

Agriculture is the basis of food and clothing. Regardless of different times and different human races, when it comes to eating, we cannot avoid mentioning agriculture. The Western proverb 'when you eat, you are involved in agriculture.' best explains it. Ever since we began the project, we were deeply drawn by the abundant humanitarian touch of sweet potato. The process is like Alice in the Wonderland; from being curious at first, through adventures of many surprises, to the level of intoxication without being aware of self-existence. In addition to elevating our abilities, this learning journey has made our lives more colorful and interesting.

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

1.Homeland Education

Taiwan shapes like a sweet potato, extending to all directions; and symbolizes the unlimited vitality. For people who live in Taiwan, they have a warm feeling about sweet potato. As such, we chose this crop which best symbolizes Taiwan as our topic. It not only helps us know more about our homeland, but also cultivates the awareness and appreciation of this land. It coincides with the course objective of the course of Homeland Education in 'Nine-Year Consistent Learning'.

2.Information Education

In this time of swift advancement of technology, the impact of information technology is boundless. Through this project, we use 'ability oriented' education instead of 'intelligence-oriented' education to meet the information education promoted by CyberFair. It is also the new trend of world education in the next century. Under the environment of equal education opportunity, whoever can swiftly and effectively get hold of the latest, most suitable information will be able to start the race at the most favorable point. That is to say, who gets hold of information will get the best opportunity. Therefore, we apply knowledge to collecting, analyzing, and organizing information so as to realize the ideal of 'information is within reach at hand'.

3.Humanity Education

Importing agricultural products has inflicted heavy loss upon local farmers. The evolution of farming villages has brought another wave of economic effect. By virtue of the detailed elaborations of the elderly, we are given the chance of knowing more about our homeland and fortifying our identity toward this land. It also fosters the humanity education that our school actively promotes.

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Project Elements

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

Hardware

Computer

Web site page designed,data stored.

Printer

Print out the pictures, data, questionnaire. Scanner

Scanning the picture and photograph.

Digital Camera

Record the activity , Shoot Interview character , data reproduce.

Recorder

Record the interview and memo.

MP3

Stores the special subject before having no conjunction network

Telephone

Connection with interview organization , interview object and connection between team members.

Software

OFFICE 2003

A program that specialized sorting data also takes in to arrange in order.

PHOTOIMPACT10

Modify the picture to , make website page looks more exciting.

Flash MX Manufacture the small scaled animation short subject.

Dreamweaver MX

This is the more difficulty website page designing program , which can let work of formatting more apple-pie order.

FrontPage2000

Edit and store the draft content.

SwiSHmax

The literalness special effect processing for Headline,Home page etc.

Ulead GIF Animator 5

Manufacture the photograph animation.

WS-FTP95LE

Deliver the data file .

ACDSee32

Browse the picture.

MS-Outlook Express

Receive and dispatch the letter.

Printed Material

Library

The place where providing the date inquiry and search.

Museum

Collecting the data gathers and interview character .

Newspapers

Collect concerning report of the person, event ….etc.

Record Interview

The related personnel interview records.

Magazines

Search and collect the data.

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

In order that the content of this project coincides with the courses taught in the school, we have designed a series of relevant activities, i.e. kiln of the outside campus teaching, sweet potato season in the campus, exhibition of teaching result during school's anniversary, etc. In addition to teachers, students and the people in the community, the participants include City Mayor Ying-Jiu Ma and several city council members. Furthermore, we have also attended the 110th anniversary party of the Agricultural Experimental Institute and have been introduced to the farming experts during the speeches made by Chairman of Agricultural Commission of the Executive Yuan and Director of the Agricultural Experimental Institute. By way of different types of promotion, the school has strengthened its tie with the community and the interaction gets frequent and harmonious. We believe concern about hometown events and products is the foundation homeland education. Therefore, we use the campus as the base to cultivate our hearty concern over our homeland.

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

Thanks to the chance of participating this CyberFair project, for a bunch of teenaged junior high students, we began as green hands with no knowledge of sweet potato industry at all, continue to grow speedily through the interaction of teaching and learning, and finally become knowledgeable students who can speak eloquently about sweet potato. We have discovered the secret of life and turning point of history with such experience, and have observed the remarkable vitality of sweet potato that carries Taiwan's past and present.

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

(1) Dr. Jin-Long Lee, former Chairman, Commission of Agriculture, the Executive Yuan.

At the 110th anniversary party of the Agriculture Experimental Institute of the Commission of Agriculture, Dr. Jin-Long Lee took the initiative to converse with us. He encouraged us to continue participation and concerns over agriculture.

(2) Dr. Yong-Xiong Cheng, Director, the Agriculture Experimental Institute, Jia-Yi Branch.

The director has taught us lots of knowledge. He told us that Jia-Yi Branch was the largest one for species improvement in Taiwan and invited us to visit Jia-Yi Branch.

(3) Dr. Yong-Chang Lai, the Agriculture Experiment Institute, Jia-Yi Branch

Dr. Lai is the important player in promoting the domestic sweet potato seed breeding.

He spared some of his busy hours to tour us around the Jia-Yi Branch and provided us professional study material for our reference, which makes our final works more persuasive.

(4) 'Uncle Sweet Potato', Bei-Pu Xiang, Xin-Ju County Uncle Sweet Potato is almost a live dictionary.

He introduced us the sweet potato history in Taiwan.

(5) Mr. Ying-Jiu Ma, Taipei City Mayor

At the school's anniversary, he visited the school for the opening ceremony and toured 'The Exhibition of Sweet Potato Research' in person to give us physical support.

(6) Miss Xiao, Technical Advisor, the Agriculture Experiment Institute, Commission of Agriculture, the Executive Yuan

She prepared the useful data, poster and many precious materials for the use of our web pages.

(7) Mr.Wan-Qin Li, Advisor, Farmers' Association of Xi-Hu Xiang, Miao-Li County

Mr. Li led us to participate in the activities of Xi Hu Sweet Potato Cultural & Arts Festival 2005 at Miao-Li.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

(1) Discovery of borderless information flow-The students of the 21st century have to be equipped with global view so as to catch up with the pace of time. The swift dissemination of information has lifted the border between one country and another. The whole world has become a global village. The impact and influence of information is borderless and omnipresent.

(2) The lessons of agriculture from prosperity to depression-Agriculture used to be the root of a nation. Taiwan was established on the basis of agriculture. Today we observe from a broad in-depth view the prosperity and depression of the Taiwanese agriculture and how it can survive in the marginal space of little concern from the society. It shows us this island's diversified profiles and brings us, who are used to it without thoughtful observance, extraordinary recollections.

(3) The surprise of 'United will to solidify a city'-From nothing to something, from curiosity to indulgence, we combined the theory with the practice and demonstrated our concerns over the nation in a pioneering spirit. We faithfully recorded everything with a sense of inheriting the past and inspiring the future. Through the actual practice, all the team members have surprisingly realized that a tiny screw is indispensable in a team during the promotional activities in campus and community.

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View our CyberFair Project (Project ID: 4547)

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