School: Agusan del Sur National High School
    San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, Philippines

4 students, ages 14-16 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on January 22, 2007. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2006, 2007

Classes and Teachers: Voltaire Ponce , Paul John, Keith Andrelie, Franz Danielle, Edjie

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.kyutnga2bulon.com

1. Description of Our Team

This incredible group is composed of the best students that the world could ever have. With their talents united, their minds combined and with one heart and with the attitude to pursue their goal to let the world explore and discover the greatness of the teachers in 4th world countries that made this project into a reality.

Paul John, 16 years old is our web designer. The mastermind of this group, he’s the one who plans and organizes the things that we must do. He’s a fun loving leader, a talented and versatile person, and jolly person; he also has that charm to other people that easily convinces them, which is big help in this project. Someday he hopes o be a successful doctor. It’s good to have an all in one person around our group.

Keith, 16 years old is our dynamic and unbelievable researcher. She omits a great talent that is boosting of talent, perseverance, graciousness and gorgeousness! This person is very responsible of her work; very committed and an inspiration to the group! Someday, Keith wants to be a nurse! A very gorgeous nurse! (Chuckles).

Franz Danielle, 16 years old is our showbiz material gal has many ambitions! So many, that she’s not sure which would she pursue. But for sure, she wants to have a bright future. These persons are not only beautiful outside but also inside! A total package!

Edjie, 16 years old is our chief editor; she is a very beautiful person inside and out! She is very fluent in English! Speaks many languages like visayan, tagalog, chabacano, French and et cetera. She loves connecting to other persons in different countries. Someday she aspires to be a veterinary! She has many pets in their house; she has a dog, cat, bird, fish, pig, goat and a baby snake (a very colorful one). It’s good to have someone like her in the crowd.

Voltaire Ponce, our Mexican look mentor, the supreme master of all computers. He is a very understanding, fair, inspiring, optimist and our energy booster! He keeps our fire burning, especially in the times that it is about to fade. He is the fuel to our fire! He’s a great person! Were lucky to have him and his guidance. We love and believe in him.

'Together, we make up a indestructible team.'

2. Summary of Our Project

The content intends to acknowledge and honor our hidden heroes specifically the teachers who risk and volunteer to share their knowledge to other students, not thinking of what they can get but what they can give and not doing it just for a living but for the sake of their students which is the future generation. In the poorest countries, the teacher has the only textbook available and must copy it content onto a blackboard. The poorly educated teacher may copy the content incorrectly. One step above, each child has one textbook in every subject each year. At the net level, each child has a range of resources and educational programs from which to choose. At the highest level the teacher has access to a wide variety of success, including the Internet sources, fulfilling the new function of being a manager rather than a provider of information. The challenges teachers face require solutions to the problems of poverty and purpose. We want them to acknowledge the effort and help of our teachers and there significance in our lives. We want to let the successful people to realize that they would not be what they are right now without the existence of teachers. That the world would not be perfect without them. Teachers play a big role in our society; they are the ones who let ourselves discover the abilities that are within you. So, we must not forget that they are our “unsung heroes”. Then after we discover it, they mold us to enhance our skills and they let us use there abilities, plus! They are the ones who push us so that we can budge and step forward in reaching our dreams and when we reached it they honor acknowledge us. But some people takes our teacher for granted that after they’ve reached their goals and dreams in their lives, they just forget that one of the reasons of their success are our hidden heroes, which is our teachers. And that once in their life their teachers are the ones who let us believe in ourselves and saw us like diamonds. And some successful people even forgets the name of their teachers. The purpose of this project is to acknowledge and give honor to our hidden heroes that started to lit our candles and started the fire in our hearts in reaching our dreams. And they are the ones who let us believe impossible is nothing! We also thank our teacher of this project that without him, this project would not be possible. Because we would have no topic to tackle about. To all teacher, we thank you! And God bless!

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:none

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:4-6

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

Before the completion of our goal, we had so many mind-boggling, brain-busting. Heart-breaking and sweat-dropping tests we took. First test is we were confused how to acknowledge our teachers and how to make our site appear the importance of teacher. And for that we posted many write-ups that complement the teachers’ ability. Next questions we had to answer are that what really are the problems of our teachers in their life and in their jobs? And for that, we surfed the net and find true stories of teachers and with their problems. We also asked or interviewed local and teachers that are offered less opportunity by our government. And lastly, is how to make the world believe that teachers now are facing problems. Especially those names as 4th world teachers or the less fortunate one yet perseveres to teach students all they know with their hearts on it. So in our site, we had posted pictures of our interview and with the presence of our beloved teachers that inspires us to pursue this project; moved us in many ways and opened our eyes, mind and heart of the reality of the situation that our 4th world teachers are experiencing. Next mind-bugling question we need to consider is that “what are the solutions we can recommend to help our 4th world teachers?” And with that we also questioned the teachers we interviewed if what do they need to help them with their teachings? It is also a problem to complete our objectives because of the fact that we are also learning students and we must not take other subjects or teachers for granted. And also had many problems in our assignments, activity and quizzes that we had to comply. But all of these were never an hindrance in pursuing our goal and it only challenged us more. And for the biggest solution that we could give is that we must apply it all first in ourselves, to never take our teachers and mentors for granted for they are our heroes that molded us into what we are right now. Look yourselves I the mirror and ask yourselves “Do I take my teacher for granted? Did I thank him/her for what he/she has done to me?” Answer it from your heart.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

We had many discussions and interviews we did for the completion of our goals. We had teachers, local officials, teachers, students, principals, ordinary persons, captains, parents involve in this. And they were very cooperative, we had so much fun, because of all the heartwarming activities we had, and with their support, this was all in all a successful and fun activity! This was a splash! Were proud to let the world scroll our site and discover the greatness and ability of the 4th world teachers.

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

With the guidance of our adviser and the contributions of our ideas, we make a step by step action leading to a perfect project. The contents serve as an information campaign regarding the issues and concerns about social environment. The definition of 4th world teacher and the things around them is our first actions. We make it sure that the idea around it tackles all the possible details regarding the topic. Many youth visited and sent us email about the project. In addition, the project challenges the youth, the society and the government to have its attention regarding the concerns of the unseen heroes. We use the web, being the best source of information, as a tool in discussing and informing the concerns about the poor teacher’s worth.

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

Recently, many information tools are present and can be used for our welfare. Ours, we used mostly computers and surfed the net. 5 computers were used all in all, with unlimited net access in our school, with our teachers supporting us. We also used many books, borrowed some on the library, read newspapers, magazines and articles about our topic. Adobe photo shop and FrontPage were really useful. To further expound and grow deeper on our project, we held interviews by using landline and mobile connectivity. While we were interviewing, we captured pictures using video cams and digital cameras. Our presentation was pot on local sites to disseminate our objectives and articles were posted also. To let our project be noticed, we asked our school paper to post it and to give information to other students on the importance of our project and how to thank them back for what they’ve done. That is why our site was well posted also, so that they can visit it anytime.

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

From the start, we considered ourselves as ambassadors and that we will be the first responsible in giving information to others. Our first plan was we wanted to finish first our site and then present it to others. Even though we were not yet registered on our target contest which is the “Doors to Diplomacy”, we already gave our sites to others. First, we started advertising it on our classmates, to our teachers, than to our school paper, then to our principal. With others support, we asked them to disseminate the information’s we’ve given and also to advertise our site. After our school, we then went to the Dep. Ed. Planning officer and advertised our site , then he agreed to us to involve our site in his plans and that he would love to advertise it o others. We also approached our past Mayor Jenny de Asis by calling her. And she generous and welcomed us. Next, we asked the neighborhood officials to help us disseminating it. This project was also presented to the upper Dep. Ed. Office in Butuan city.

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

In this project, not only student can relate, but everybody. That is why we remained this project or our site open to everybody. To let everyone be involved on this, we presented activities on our school, to selected baranggays, and posted or announced to our friends in other places that we accept donations though our site. We conducted meetings with the help of the president of every neighborhood. The collected money is then given to poor schools that need additional facilities and others were used to buy educational books for the students and teachers. We also gave flyers to people in our school that highlighted our site and our objectives of this project. And in our school we recently had a “Foundation Day”, in that day we build a booth and advertised our objectives, our site and our projects content. Then we contacted some officials in the Dep. Ed. And asked them to help us promote our project and support us in our fight for the welfare of our teachers. We presented proposals to them and passed to the head of the Dep. Ed.

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

We are all members of a community or society that is why everybody played a role in this project. Our family, friends, teachers, mentors, principals, school librarian, school paper organization both Filipino and English org., the SSG organization or the officials of our school and everybody in school played a big part of this. In our neighborhood, the captain, treasures, P.I.O, auditors and some officials were involved in this. In the Dep. Ed., the head, the treasurer and some officials helped us in this project. Our past mayor also helped us. And everybody stand as volunteers and helpers in this project of ours. Without them, we would not be successful, we would not be given importance and our objectives would not be acknowledged.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

Keith: I really had so much fun and experience during the days when we were on the process of making this project. There were so many heart-warming reality that inspired me to be an ambassador of the youth or of the society. Through out this project my eyes were opened wide when the view of reality struck me and touched my heart so deeply. I’m very thankful that I have been a part of this project, because of this I learned to appreciate my teachers and look behind at the people who helped me to stand when I fell, and who made me dream big and reach big. And because of this project, I have connected with other people in locality and in world wide. I’ve learned so many things, about each others role in society and how we can help on ach other to meet our objectives of this study. And in this project, I san accept if we would not win, but I just want to have an impact on the society and open their hearts to the awful truth. I want to be the one to start burning fires in our hearts and start doing something. Paul: It was just a compulsory project that I first take for granted. I never put all myself at first knowing that I never care about what is happening around me. As I woke up in a world of teaching (my mother is a teacher and my father is a preacher), I never appreciated the value of teachers since I thought it is just a means of living. As I took my journey to his project, I surprisingly discovered the things that woke me up to a reality, not just for searching and researching of the things needed for the project, but exploring the lives of our poor teacher. I realized that big men nowadays were the results of their efforts and courage. I also realized that our poor teachers, our living hero, needs help to pursue their dreams of molding the young minds to be a fruitful citizen for the benefit of a barangay, a city, a province, a nation and a world. Explore the lives of the 4th world teacher and you will see the unseen and hear the unheard.