School: Yung-an Elementary School, Luyeh Township, Taitung
    Luyeh Township, Tawain, Tawain

8 students, ages 10 and 11 years old. worked together to complete this CyberFair project on February 24, 2005. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2004

Classes and Teachers: Mr. Koming Lin, Mr. Wuyi Shen, and Mr. Mingcheng Chen

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.yaps.ttct.edu.tw/

1. Description of Our Community

East Coast Route goes through the less populated area of east coast of Taiwan. The Taitung section in Hualien-Taitung Line run along small towns like Chihshang, Haituan, Kuanshan, Luyeh, Puyuma, and Taitung.

There is the Bad Land of Lichi, which is famous for its geographic formation. Rices treasured by connoisseurs, like Chihshang Rice, Kuanshang Rice and Fulu Rice, are harvested here. Hardworking Minans, austere Hokkas, brightly-dressed Amis, brave Bununs, and retired-veterans Mainlanders all settle here and live peacefully together.

2. Summary of Our Project

Hualien-Taitung Line runs through the East Rift Valley National Park. It serves for both cargo and passenger transportation. There’re many tourists during weekends.

There’re many famous and less known scenic spots, and many well-known produce grown along Taitung section of Hualien-Taitung Line, and they’re a lot to know about them.

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:2-3

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:not sure

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:2-3

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

There is a computer center with 14 PCs shared by all pupils in our school. They were slow, as they were bought 6 years ago. The computer center uses Microsoft NT LAN, and links to TANet, a network for schools and institutes in Taiwan, before reaching Internet through an ADSL line.

It was what we relied on when we searched info and uploaded reports. We could hardly do anything after school because none has PC and networking except two of our teammates.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

1.It's a long way to go to any train station, and ere were 15 of us. The transportation we needed relied on the parents and teachers. We often re-scheduled because we couldn’t go along with the parents’ plans. 2.We spent tremendous time looking for many of the train stations, as they were abandoned for lon, had tumbled into ruins and being sabotaged. Some of them don’t look like train stations anymore. We had to ask local residents to know how they were like at their times.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

saw the transformation of Hualien-Taitung Line through the project. As the communities change, many train stations fall from their highs.

Trains were the most mean of important transportation. Many old timers still remember that they used to shout out loud when the train had a hard time going uphills, and always bought meal boxes whenever the train went by the stations of Kuanshan and Chishang.

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

Our project falls in the category of Sightseeing Highlights. Our target is Taitung section of Hualien-Taitung Line, including small towns from Chishang to Taitung. It’s deeply related with the topics of Nature and Lives, Societies, Arts and Humanities, Comprehensive Activities and Information Educations in our curriculum.

The courses of Societies mentioned our hometowns and means of transportation. Our project helped us look deep into them. Through what we learned from the advancement of railroads and changes in means of transportation, we learned more about the topics in Nature and Lives. The Comprehensive Activities gave us insights into the farming products and peoples in Taitung, which was contributive to our project.

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

Digital Cameras - Taking photos that we needed Digital Camcorders - Shooting interviews Scanners - Scanning pictures in brochures Recorders - Important tools for interviewing Station Masters and residents PCs - Searching info, designing questionnaires and making web pages/ briefings Printers - Print questionnaires Phones (cell phones) - Contact parents and setting time of interviews Fax Machines - Sending/ receiving related info Libraries - Searching for related info Interviews - Visiting train stations and interviewing Station Masters for related info

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

Our project received full support from the school principal, who communicated to the parents about our participation in CyberFair at every opportunity like the Parents Committee, Parent Education Seminars, and Sport Events. He wanted parents and people in the community to give us more encouragements. Village Representative gave his unconditional support for our team as well. While in the Yuanchang Community, we were approached by many people volunteering to help us, especially the elders, who were very eager to share with us everything they knew. They said we were the ones that should carry on the torch and we should give our best to this cause.

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

Many were willing to tell us stories, and our interviews reminded many of the good memories. We believed that even though some of them were tarnished or abandoned, the train stations are still the important landmarks in people’s minds.

Many businesses around the train stations rely on the passengers brought in by the railroads. They nevertheless went down when the train stations lost their charm. They can only hope that booming tourism would bring in enough customers.

But while Kuanshan and Chishang stations attract many tourists, many others can’t, perhaps because they’re not well known and not easily accessed. Besides, only the slow trains that stop at every stop would stop there now.

Maybe our project and the efforts of local residents will be enough to introduce to the highlights of the railroad stops to everyone, and the towns will not only prosper, but also keep their population.

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

Digi-Agents—PC Workshop from Department of Art Education, University of Taitung: 1. Helps in sorting out the documents 2. Instructing on the techniques in making web pages 3. Helps in making web pages Train Masters and their Staff: 1. Helps in contacting suitable interviewees 2. Taking interviews Parents and residents Providing information and encouragement

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

We had thought that, while standing on the platforms of train stations, we’d be sage if we stood behind the yellow line. But we were almost blown away when a Tze Chiang fast train approached Juiho Station. It was scary. We walked along many rail tracks in this project. We had to stay away when any train approached. And don’t ever look down on the diesel locomotives. They may not run on more advanced energy source like electricity, but they’re fast, indeed!