School: Ji-Lai Junior High School
    Hualien , Taiwan, Republic of Chinese

10 students, ages from 14 to 16 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on February 14, 2001. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2000

Classes and Teachers: Li-chen Liu , Demo Y.Y. Liu , Chia-Feng Lin

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.cajh.hlc.edu.tw/

1. Description of Our Community

The beautiful east coast of Taiwan ever called " Formosa" by Portuguese, however now which was taken possession by the cement block here; and not only the east coast, almost all the coast around this island were surrounded by the terrible cement block . We could see the cement block by the seaside, tuffet, roadside and farm (Farm? That¡¦s right, even in the farm, we could see the cement block). You might wonder why place the cement block everywhere? What¡¦s the reaction of the resident?

2. Summary of Our Project

There¡¦s no such thing as cement blocks in another countries, but the Taiwan government see it¡¦s the coast savior to save the seaside not to erode by sea water. But in recent years, the cement block doesn¡¦t save the seaside without sea endured and it ¡§eat¡¨ all the east coast. The beautiful coast is gone, only the huge ¡§meatball¡¨ left there! That¡¦s why we start to do this project and interview the government¡Bprofessors and the residents, we want everyone to realize what¡¦s the cement block.

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:dial-up modem

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:4-6

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

The LAN of our school is ADSL which transmit speed is 512 k. and download speed is 2 mbs. Though sometimes its might too slow or shutdown, but it¡¦s quite ok. At home, we link to the Haulien Teacher College or Education Website Center of Haulien County, though the speed slow and condition isn¡¦t stable, we still appreciate within all the equipment to use.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

Because last Net Expositions, we already had the tacit understanding to each other, therefore it compares last time, we have less problems. The trouble we met¡G 1.Primarily we want to interview one of the ¡§Bay Graduate School¡¨ at Taichung, see what the official think about the cement block ? Why, where and what; with all this questions we have. We had kept mailing lots E- mail to them, but we did not receive their reply, which made us feel very disappointed. Finally we gave it up! And we do our project by looking for their website and guess why the officials put those cement block. 2.After we finish our project, we all worried about what if this environment issue might too bored or heavy; therefore we ask for some parents¡Bteachers and computer designers to view our work and give us some ideas, we really thanks for their suggestions.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

¡ÖTaiwan was surrounded by the cement block, when it could return to the past beautiful ¡§Formosa¡¨? Digging mountain to fill the sea, this is absolutely shortsightedness.

Let's not to lay the cement block anymore! Let's save Taiwan Coast now!

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

Because of searching more cement block located in different areas, we went many different places such as¡Gthe east coast highway¡BHualien River¡BMei-Loun River¡BSan-Chon Rivers¡BNo.12 Wild Bridge Rivers¡Bany peaks and seasides¡BShoei Lien Mountain and even the Ho-Pin cement areas. Not only looking for the cement block, every time we also learn lot about the ecosystem in each location. However every time when we prepare for each interview, it¡¦s another learning and challenge for us. From each interview, we get more understand how to catch the main questions and key points in to do the interview. Because of the issue is about the environment, besides personal we have to know details about the cement block, we search for information¡¦s from the websites and interview the scholars or professors. From each way, we all learn lot of experiences, which we¡¦d never learn from the school.

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

For making the cement pictures in the WebPages, our important tool are the camera and digital camera. For searching more cement blocks, which located in different places, our teacher¡¦s husband took us by his Jeep to do the searching. About the text, the main body of the project are the interviews and diagrams. We collect the data and design the questioner, then by the telephone contact or interview to get our information. Therefore we also read the articles and reports from the newspapers and tape recorder. Also by using the scanner to get the photos and slides; we read many computer books about the cool 360¡BGIF animation manufacture¡BDHTML¡BPhoto Impact 5.0 and FrontPage softwares. The most important tool is the camera, because of a picture could see the truth. However the Internet is the most useful tool, too, because of searching anywhere have the cement block.

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

When we do this project, we ever visited the residents to do the interviews, to hear from them about the cement block, we are their announcer. Teacher Chyi Su Ing is the one who always cares about the environment issues. After she viewed our WebPages, she decides to publish our project to a book. She will take this project to Taipei to have a donation and look for the publisher. She also use our website in his speech and let more people to know about this issue. The Educational station program interviewed us, through the broadcast to let all the people in Taiwan to care about cement block issue.

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

Before when we drive on the east coast highway and see the cement block, we feel which is ugly but we never care about why and how they¡¦re put there. Since we start to do this project, we study and search about this topic, and we discover this serious and terrible problem. Just discover this and is a very widespread existent of serious problem. " Hualien is the last clean place in Taiwan¡¨, now this sounds really satirized. When we realize the serious problem, we found this ecosystem is harmed and damaged by us, what a sorrow! However before the San Chon River was clean and beautiful as a diamond, but now its without much water ¡K how sad it is!

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

Teacher Chyi Su Ing explained us about international ecosystem issues and showed us many pictures by the slice. She also guided us to the Mei Lan River by taking the bicycles to observe the cement block. Aunty Jong Bao Chu took us to the Ho Pin Mint area to see how terrible about the cement problems. Teacher Hwang Yong Shi and his wife, Liaw Huey Ching also gave us lots of suggestions and ideas about our WebPages. They showed us the slices of the with and without the cement blocks areas; we also went to listen to his speech about the river/streams. Wilderness Association and World magazine also borrowed us many slices; they also help us to solve the copyright problems. However the teacher¡¦s husband became our tour guide and driver, he explain to us about the a the nature ecosystem.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

The cement block is a big monster. People who put the cement blocks in anywhere without doing the environment investigation and water experiment, therefore the cement block wouldn¡¦t show its effect and result. Professor Lee Sy Geng ever said that cement blocks could lay in somewhere but not anywhere; besides different types of cement blocks should lay in different certain places. What we could see now is that the first stratum of cement blocks been placed then which sinked to the ocean; then the second stratum been added on¡Kbut the coast still continue retreating. Digging the mountain to make the cement then drop on the coast, which still couldn¡¦t solve the problem. We should think about a best solution which could prevent the coast keep retreating. The governor should stop doing the meaningless matter, adding more and more cement block. It¡¦s time for us to do get together and save our land! Expectly everybody to view our website and think about how to do is the best way to save our beautiful island.