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1. Description of Our Community
When we are referring to the community, we can think of many different aspects. First, we live in the small community of Enchanted Lake in the city of Kailua. We live on the island of Oahu in the state of Hawaii. We attend a school called Enchanted Lake Elementary. Our school’s vision is Enchanted Lake Elementary School is a caring community of lifelong learners. At our school, we practice the four Rs. They are respect, responsibility, resourcefulness and relationships. We are learning to be effective communicators, risk-takers and problem solvers. Many of us attend church and participate in sports activities such as baseball, basketball and soccer. We also enjoy playing music such as the ukulele, piano and recorder. We also enjoy Hawaii’s warm climate and go to the beach where we swim, surf and boogie board. As students and future leaders of the world, we want to make a difference. We pledge to learn all we can, and to teach others so this world can be a better place. This project was a perfect opportunity for us to experience real, authentic learning, and then share our new findings with others.
2. Summary of Our Project
Our site honors the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and the 100th Battalion. These were Japanese Americans who fought bravely for their country during World War II. Many of these soldiers came from relocation camps that their own country imprisoned them in simply because of their race. They lived up to their motto, 'Go For Broke!" in other words give it all you got. They were one of the most decorated units in all of American history. You will learn about their bravery on the field of battle, and how they helped save many lives of their fellow Americans. Prejudice is very wrong. You will learn how wrong it is, and the ways you can prevent it from happening. You will see what the Japanese Americans went through after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. We want to teach others about the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and 100th Battalion, how they were treated by their own country, and what they did for their country. Can you imagine being imprisoned and having your rights, as an American, taken away simply because of the way you look? Let's make sure this never happens again. Additionally, we relate the event of the past to present days. Because of the horrible events of September 11th, innocent Muslim Americans are being discriminated against because of their ethnic background. We want to stop this from happening. In our site, we tell of ways to prevent discrimination and prejudice.
3. Our Computer and Internet Access
A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:21-50%
B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:2-3
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
We had many problems to overcome. First, we had to narrow down our topic. We read many books on the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and 100th Battalion. We then decide what we felt was most important. We also wanted to relate the events that happened in the past in ways to help the future. We related the incidents of prejudice of Japanese Americans during World War II to the prejudice that is happening to Muslim American of today due to the tragic events of September 11th. Initially, when we first started our project, we were going to draw graphics and create animations to match the content. However, when we dove deeper into the subject matter, we found that the topic was serious. We then decided to use authentic photographs. This, in turn, brought about a different problem. We had an enormous amount of photographs, and for each, we needed permission to use. We emailed each site, and asked for permission. In some cases we had to write letters and mail them via the post office. Another problem that we encountered was uploading our web pages. When we looked at them in Netscape, it looked different in Internet Explorer. We had to find a way to bring about a balance, so they looked good in both browsers. Lastly, we wanted to make our site interactive. We learned how to make polls, bulletin boards and different games to make our site more interesting. This took a lot of work; even our teacher was learning right along with us.
5. Our Project Sound Bite
Our participation in Cyberfair gave us the opportunity to learn about the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the 100th Infantry Battalion, and the concepts of prejudice racism and tolerance. Our goal is to educate our school and community (and hopefully the world) to have everyone use this knowledge to help make this world a better place.
6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?
Through our project, we were able to address many of our state’s content and performance standards. They were in the subjects of Educational Technology (Basic Operations and Concepts, Technology as a Tool for Productivity, Communication and Research), Language Arts (Reading-Range, Comprehension, Writing-Range, Composing Process, Conventions and Skills, Rhetoric, Oral Communication-Rhetoric, Social Studies-Historical Empathy, Global Cooperation, Conflict and Interdependence and Fine Arts). While creating our project, we also gained many skills groups concepts such as cooperation, collaboration, teamwork, compromising and balance. We all were creating pieces to our Webster. We had to make these small parts into a coherent whole. We now know that these skills are not only important in creating our project, but it can be applied to other areas of our lives such as extracurricular activities. From the project, we learned that learning in school does not only be textbooks and worksheets. Learning can take place outside of the classroom through the Internet and excursions. We were also able to use apply what we learned to present day events. We also learned that the Internet is an important tool for communicating and researching. It has been effective in finding the most current information quickly. However, we found that a variety of resources are the best way to create a comprehensive project.
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1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?
- 17 iMac Computers -Telephone to contact guest speakers and plan excursions - TV and VCR to watch relevant videos - Digital Camera to capture guest speaker and excursion experiences -Scanner - Tape Recorders - Library - Books - Newspapers -Magazine - Oral Interviews -Software-Hyperstudio, GifBuilder, Claris Homepage, Telnet, Fetch, Adobe Photoshop, Quicktime, Kaboom - Digital Video Cameras - Bus for Field Trip
The tools helped us by making it easier to obtain information. After we read and synthesized the information, they helped us publish our writing in a way that was easy and enjoyable to read. We had many of tools prior to starting the project. However, our teacher obtained a grant by the Cottington Trust Foundation. Through the grant, we were able to purchase software, a digital camera, books and videos about the topic and many other supplies to create our project. We are very thankful to the Cottington Trust Foundation, and their efforts to support schools. We found that our most valuable tools were the computer and books. Through the computer, we were able to read information on the Internet, communicate with others and publish our findings. The books also gave important information on the 442nd and 100th Battalion. As mentioned before, the computer was the most helpful technology that we used. Without it, we would not have been able to share our project on such a worldwide basis. As mentioned before, the computer was the most helpful technology that we used. Without it, we would not have been able to share our project on such a worldwide basis.
2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.
The project allowed us to be ambassadors for our school. We contacted one of our student’s grandfather, who was a Japanese American veteran of World War II. He was a member of the442nd Regimental Combat Team. He came to our class to talk about his experiences and feelings about being a soldier in World War II. Mr. Kubota, who is a member of the Sons and Daughters of the 442nd, came to visit our class when we first started the project to give us an idea and background to what the brave soldiers had gone through. From him, we learned the injustices that were put upon these men by the same government that they defended. We also sent emails to people who had created sites on the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and 100th Battalion. We asked them permission to use their photographs. We also sent them our URL (web address) so that they can see the site we created. We wish that many people view our site so they can be informed about what some of our fellow American went through. We also spoke to Officer McKreary of the Arizona Memorial. He told us the enormous travesty that America suffered when Japan attacked Pear Harbor. He told us about how the soldiers were trapped inside the boat as it was sinking, and how they are still to this day, entombed in the ship. At the Japanese Cultural Center, we spoke to Mrs. Shimamoto, who informed us about the 442nd and 100th Battalion. She and her partners gave us a tour of the gallery. From the museum, we learned a lot about the Japanese culture in Hawaii. She was able to answer many of our questions we had about the 442nd and 100th.
3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?
When people read our website, we think it will make a difference. Many people, even in our own state, do not know about these courageous local leaders of our community. To our surprise few member of our community knew about the 100th/442nd. We therefore think it was very valuable for us to create a website on these local leaders, so more of our community members know of who they were, what they went through, and what they accomplished. Through our website, we believe people around the world will gain knowledge about the courageous, loyal American soldiers. Additionally, they will understand some of the values that these soldiers, as well as many of our community members hold dear to their heart-Integrity, Loyalty, Perseverance, Gratitude, Honesty, Respect, Obligation, Sacrifice. Through our Guestbook and other verbal comments, we have learned that people who viewed are site are appreciative of what we have done. History should not repeat itself, in terms of the prejudice that was put upon the Japanese Americans during World War II. All of the feedback received so far was positive and encouraging. In retrospect, we are glad we chose the topic of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and 100th Infantry Battalion. We honor these brave and hardworking soldiers for their commitment and loyalty to their country. Through our Guestbook and other verbal comments, we have learned that people who viewed are site are appreciative of what we have done. They also understand that history should not repeat itself, in terms of the prejudice that was put upon the Japanese Americans during World War II. All of the feedback received so far was positive and encouraging. In retrospect, we are glad we chose the topic of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and 100th Infantry Battalion. We honor these brave and hardworking soldiers for their commitment and loyalty to their country.
4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?
Our Cyberfair Team received advice and help from people in our community. We would like to give a special "Thank You" to the following people: 1. Mr. Kubota, who is a member of the Sons and Daughters of the 442nd, suggested relevant excursions that we could go on to learn more about the 442nd and 100th Infantry Battalion. He even accompanied us on the excursions, and helped explain some of the artifacts and events that we saw. 2. His father, Sadaichi Kubota, who is 442nd veteran, came to our school to talk about his experiences in World War II. We are very fortunate to have met this brave and loyal soldier. 3. Mrs. Kanemori who supported in creating our website. We are so fortunate to have worked with you. We appreciate your time and efforts! 4. The Cottington Trust of the Hawaii Community Foundation for their generous grant funds. We have put the funds to good use by honoring the 442nd and 100th Battalion, and learning about the injustices that happened to them. As future leaders, we will put forth our best efforts to never have this happen again to another innocent group of people.
5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)
One important discovery we made from our website was not one instance of disloyalty by the Japanese Americans during World War II, and how they were sent to internment camps. Yet, they still joined a special infantry to fight for the country that distrusted them. They become one of the most decorated units of all time. Through the site we also learned more about prejudice, and what thing we can do to stop it. We are anxious to see the other ideas people have about preventing prejudice through our list on our website. People are able to add in their own ideas. As we went through the process of creating our project, we learned many new lessons and discoveries. From research, we gained valuable content that we will never forget. We also learned how to create a comprehensive and informative website to share with people across the world. We are very thankful for the opportunity to teach others what we have learned.
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View our CyberFair Project
(Project ID: 1865)
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