CyberFair Project ID: 3735

Close this Window

NOTE: Due to URL changes, some links may no longer be valid.

International Schools CyberFair Project Narrative
Title: Taiwan Heart with Burmese Affection
Category: 2. Community Groups and Special Populations
URL: http://gsh.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2005/3735/index.htm
Bibliography: http://gsh.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2005/3735/bibliography/bibliography.htm

School: Chung-shan Junior High School
    Panchiao, Taiwan, Taiwan

13 students, ages 12-13 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 10, 2005. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): none

Classes and Teachers: Lai-fu Chen

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.csjh.tpc.edu.tw/index.htm

Project Overview

1. Description of Our Community

In addition to its relative large size, Taipei County has been a home of many migrating population from central and southern Taiwan, not to mention quite a few other ethnic groups. Around the 1960s, several Burmese Chinese arrived at Taiwan and began to settle in Hwa Hsin Street, Nan Shih Jiao, Chung Ho of Taipei County. They called themselves myanmapyipyan. They opened many restaurants featuring Burma food, shops, stores selling Buddhism ritual equipments, etc, which demonstrated a striking contrast to the surrounding culture formed by local ethnic groups. These Burmese Chinese successfully maintain the traditional Burma culture and emphasize the reappearances of situations, and also live peacefully and harmoniously with local people to build resourceful life outlook. As a result, the name “Burma Street” started to emerge. Not only have experts as well as scholars shown their enthusiasm to this phenomenon, but the local tourism industry has also been driven to robust development.

The research subject focuses on the cultural integration between the outside ethnic groups and their local counterparts as well as the consolidation of community consciousness. Apart from this, further discussions are made on the effects of multi-culture on Taiwan’s political, social and economic aspects in view of examining the current difficult state of Taiwan which is submerged into ethnic confrontation and division, and subsequently providing evaluation thereof.

2. Summary of Our Project

We have only one Taiwan and “she” is mother of every one of us. She is also the foundation that we are able to settle here and get on our pursuits. This held true in the past, and is still true regardless now or the feasible future. Thus, for those who were born and grow up here, the prosperity and demise of this land closely determines our own fate whereby a common life entity has been formed.

For the past few years, a force featuring disharmony seems to be generally felt in the society, which is tearing apart or dividing the ethnic groups of the society. The state of confrontation and conflict between the ethnic groups appears to emerge, serving as an alert which cannot be taken lightly. It has to be born in mind that the stable and abundant life enjoyed by us today is a product of hard work, hardships and contribution by the former generations. Moreover, harmony, respect and trust between the ethnic groups are the cornerstone of the society’s sustaining development. We cannot afford the collapse of the cornerstone. Instead, we shall carefully safeguard and maintain the cornerstone by upholding the principles of mutual existence, prosperity and trust.

Therefore, we introduce the research subject of “Taiwan Heart with Burmese Affection” in view of incorporating multiple viewpoints and eliminating bias or prejudice. In terms of depth, the research extends not only to the beginning of the history and culture, but also the practical aspects of life and subsistence. We hope that the general public will examine profoundly the confrontation and division between the ethnic groups currently witnessed in Taiwan by considering the hard work and great contribution by the Burmese Chinese for the past fifty years or so on this island. By borrowing others’ experiences to remedy our own divisions and settle disputes is in fact the true fortune of all of us.

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:1

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:1

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

1.Information Center of the school: Servers set up in the Information Center are listed below: (1)Domain Name Server (DNS Server) (2)Word Wide Web Server (WWW Server) (3)FTP Server (FTP Server) (4)Proxy Server (5)Teachers E-mail Server (6)Students E-mail Server (7)On-line Test Server (8)Media Service Server (9)BBS Bulletin Board Server

2.Information Center Extra Network Channel: 10Mbs fiber optic cable Information Center Intra Network Channel: 1GB two fiber optic cables

3.Four computer classrooms

4.Offices of the school: Each office is equipped with one PC, laser printer and area network lines.

5.Individual Information: As ADSL is set up in individual team member’s home, as well as most of them own notebook, wireless web card and even AP by themselves, network environment have been broadly promoted.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

(1)Uneasiness of data obtaining Myanmar Street is located in the Chungho City of Taipei County.Although it is not famous and doesn’t lead one to get into, it is a unique but vague local community gathered by Myanmar overseas Chinese immigrants.Difficulties of data collection, are, therefore, increased.

Fortunately, with assistance of teachers of the Assistance Department in contacting Assistance Department of Chungho Junior High School and Hsin-nan Primary School, required data of Burmese education, culture and economy are smoothly obtained.

(2)Difficulties of time match between team members With last time participating experience, the job has been started in summer vacation. Originally, in consideration of the longer summer vacations which will provide us more time to focus to teamwork, things do not turn out as we expected. Due to different team members’ on and off time, going home as well as going abroad, times used for meeting arrangement and group activities are contradictorily decreased. Therefore, time of interaction between team members is pretty deficient.

After time problem being assessed, we think that we have to emphasize the contents of team activities and time matching which is responsibility and liability as well. Hence, under instructors’ motivation, team centripetal force is gradually concentrated.

(3)Faced setback of being often refused during questionnaire interview Being conducted continuously several times of questionnaire interview, all team members’ feeling is understood. We are badly hurt. That kind of embarrassment and intolerableness caused by being refused to fill questionnaire or to accept an interview by interviewees again and again, if even more than reprimand from teachers.

Fortunately, with instructors and volunteer parents continuous showing sympathy, encouragement and affirmativeness, motive and confidence of “Re-start” are established.

(4)Innovation and training of home page design With regard to home page design, actually, innovation is more important than techniques. However, due to being used to think vertically, we are often fallen into difficult situation of being used up talent and energy.

Fortunately, again, instructors have lead us gradually and patiently on the right path by opening many training courses of home page designing, in order to motivate all team members with continuous innovation and unswerving fighting spirits so as to smoothly complete our works.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

“Discover Taiwan within Million Hours” and “Discover Taiwan Life and Vitality” is not a slogan of protecting Taiwan any more. During the study process of being thoroughly carried out step by step as well as being understood layer by layer, only to actually discover Taiwan, to understand Taiwan as well as to affirm this piece of Land of Our Common Mother – Taiwan, build-to-last development and operation will thus be come true. Furthermore, with process of this study and individual theme searching, through interaction and interchange, joy, affection and glories of being discovered Taiwan and being researched Taiwan can be shared with more and more people.

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

Life is learning. Contents of learning, of course, are unable to be disconnected with life, otherwise, what we learnt are just awkward and boring material. According to this concept and sense of mission, under units of general planning and convening call to arms, a team named “Aung San Suu Kyi” has been consisted with thirteen students and volunteer parents as well as three instructing teachers.

Top
Project Elements

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

(1)Software: Dreamweaver MX2004-Home page edition, PhotoImpact 8- image process, FLASH MX2004- animator production, WORD2003-Word documents process.

(2)Hardware: Notebook, Digital camera, Digital record pen, Floppy disk drive, Digital camera, Scanner, Wireless access point, Personal computer, Laser printer.

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

Just right before visiting and interviewing residents on the Myanmar Street, through volunteer parents’ segmentation relationship, several Burmese with special position and plentiful humanity experience have been found. During interviewing with them, some narratives of understanding through warm and bad human sentiment beyond the intellect being resided in Taiwan have been obtained. Meanwhile, from their description, many interesting experience and observation have been got. Therefore, “having encountered changes many times as well as experienced good or bad feelings”are really and deeply touched.

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

Due to we have devoted all efforts into this study topic plan, it makes us delighted that local district residents gradually think about their surrounding environment. Their actions are still vague and in a low-key attitude, but when they talk about life experience, their gleam of the eyes, firmness, as well as concentration with an indescribable self-confidence is well expressed. They not only endeavor to fit the environment, meanwhile, but more aggressively to amalgamate even to change local culture. Impacted by them, we deeply think after change, success and well-off will be happened here in the near future.

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

Owing to anxious participation and supports of volunteer parents, this study can be smoothly conducted. Especially, with Mrs. Chiang and Mrs. Yu’s interview arrangement, assistance in data collection, meeting venue and tea break arrangement, even accompanying us to take part in interview. In addition, volunteer parent Hung ming-li in Chungho City with her appropriate segmentation relationships to help us in searching for people related to the theme, completing study topic outline and reporting as well as making us understand this theme more in depth. Mr. Wang Shuo-yi who is very good at knowledge in the educational field, taught us how to integrate and analyze those complicated data as well as schooling situation of Myanmar overseas Chinese immigrants. And, it is worthy to be mentioned that deliciousness professional Mr. Yen-Wei’s abdomen and weight are getting more and more in order to taste individual style of Burmese snack on the Huahsin Street. Just because of so many people assistance, we have gradually overcome difficulties and achieved idea and goal that are not only to enforce depth of the study but also to broad its width also.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

At the very beginning, we know nothing about this topic. Through once and again meetings, discussions and amendment of S.O.P. (standard operation procedures), data collection, process, integration, and questionnaire, interview or home page design have been smoothly progressed with times. Teachers commented it: “Job well done with pre-arrangement, sequence and priority consideration and time management” . Within several months of activities process, the real meaning of this proverb is highly and deeply understood and touched.

With teachers’ patient instruction as well as timely and appropriate suggestion, we kept on practicing, improving and reviewing; meanwhile, due to practices, more knowledge, experience, techniques and skills are well equipped and accumulated. In addition, the importance of teamwork of division and cooperation, inter-observation in order to seek for progress are understood; furthermore, to work conscientiously and to learn steadily are cultivated. As a matter of fact, during the entire teamwork operation process, the above-mentioned is just one of the learning parts. Actually, impressive understanding of value of cooperation and dealings with others, with good communication as well as tolerance and respect with each other to substitute conflicts and friction; with cultivating spirits of concentration, inference, recognition and observation to achieve integrated standard and goal are highly benefited by us. This is absolutely not a simple learning; meanwhile, this is also a setup of the concept of value of multi-learning and participation.

Top

View our CyberFair Project (Project ID: 3735)

Close this Window