School: Jie-Shou Primary School
    Matsu, Matsu, Taiwan

8 students, ages 11 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 19, 2004. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2004

Classes and Teachers: Teacher Lin Wei-Chieh

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.jsps.matsu.edu.tw

1. Description of Our Community

Niu-Chiao Village was historically a prosperous fishing village, but it faded away with the decline of the fishing industry. Some of the ancient stone temples crumbled or were abandoned, becoming eyesores for the community. With the dogged efforts of Councilor Tsao Yi-Chiong and the assistance of a number of volunteers, attention has been lavished on the old houses of Niu-Chiao Village, becoming a pioneer in the preservation of settlements on Matsu.

2. Summary of Our Project

Our research on the revival of the old settlements on Niu-Chiao began with a tutorial on the preservation of settlements, followed by field visits (to Niu-Chiao Village), to learn about the efforts regarding the preservation of the settlements, followed by the filming of the fruits of the preservation efforts and the release of an report of understanding. This is complemented by interviews of Mr. Tsao Yi-Chiong, Mr. Hwang Hwa-di and a number of artists and cultural workers to learn more about the historical background, geography and the architectural characteristics of Niu-Chiao Village, as well as the status of the restoration work. We also went to Niu-Chiao to draw sketches of the old houses and stone temples in the area, and, finally, we collected the materials and began developing the web pages!

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:more than 6

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection

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):

Our school computer room was expanded with the help of a subsidy from the Ministry of Education in 1999 as part of the domestic demand expansion plans. We have 34 computers, and we connect to the Internet through an ADSL connection. It is quite fast, and the speed is comparable to that of Taiwan island.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

1.Our biggest problem concerns language, since our children were not familiar with the Matsu dialect, and had trouble communicating with the local senior citizens and residents. But, after asking our parents at home and our teachers during field trips, as well as many trips to Niu-Chiao, we have picked up some of the Matsu dialect ourselves.

2.Before interviewing Mr. Tsao, we were not familiar with recorders, digital cameras and other such tools. We learnt how to use these tools only after detailed demonstrations from teachers and actual use.

3.All the work was distributed equally between us, be it questionnaire design, interviews, word processing or drawing; if there were issues, we discussed together, and asked for information from teachers or other relevant people if we did not know about it, so as to avoid discord causing disruptions to our work. When we went to Niu-Chiao, some of us inevitably could not join us, which meant that what we produced was not to our full satisfaction, although this was supplemented by mutual assistance. Also, we were not competent in computing, but, after guidance from teachers, we finally managed to complete the web pages.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

1.We learnt a lot about computers as well as getting a lot of knowledge outside of the curriculum; hopefully we can join this project again next time.

2.Old houses are very special and are worthy of preservation; if destroyed, it may never be seen again.

3.Old things are not necessarily inferior or bad; with some creativity and changes, your perspectives will become different, and standards of living will be improved!

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

We went to the computer room to take lessons on web page design during afternoon breaks, and used Wednesday afternoons to conduct interviews, where transcripts were entered into the computer. Pictures of Niu-Chiao were drawn and were sorted. Since we could not type too slowly, this allowed us to train ourselves in typing speed and in drawing pictures. We learnt that concentration allows us to work faster and work better.

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

We used digital cameras to photograph the local areas, and recorders to record verbal discussions, etc. These tools belonged to the school. They allowed us to have more accurate answers and a better understanding, increasing our knowledge in the areas. We also researched through books, newspapers, magazines, the Internet and at the library, to gaterh information and pictures on settlements, etc.

I think the most valuable tools are scanners and digital cameras, allowing us to fully present our work, and for our work to be posted on the Taiwan Schools network. The most useful tools were computer software; we used Word 2000, PhotoImpact 6, Dreamweaver 4, CuteFTP 4, IE 5.5, Natural IME 99, The Extreme Color Maniac 3, The Magic, etc.; the creative designs that we made and the skills that we picked up on using these applications become part of our skills and abilities.

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

We conducted our research and information collection in groups and the role of the ambassador is played by all of us! This allows us to work cohesively, and to conduct focused research. We went to Niu-Chiao ourselves to interview the locals and to look at the old houses, gathering a lot of information for our web pages.

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

This Project has not made any impact on our local environment so far. We directly interviewed the locals, and used books, and the Internet to look for information, and discussions were held at school. We have not contacted local newspapers as yet, so the locals were not aware of our activities. Since the completion of the project, we have been contacting local newspapers and Internet sites (in the Matsu area), hoping that many more people can see our research plans, progress reports and our web pages. We are not concerned about winning prizes; rather, we hope that everyone can learn more about settlements. Our research can at least help to discover some of the unique characteristics of Matsu, attracting more tourists from Taiwan. For locals, we hope that after they have seen the research plan and the homepage, they can pay more attention to their roles, and pay more attention to local treasures and artifacts (and not just old houses), or even come out and start promoting their protection efforts like ourselves.

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

1.Our teacher, Lin Wei-Chieh lead us through all our activities from the beginning to the end.

2.Our teacher, Chen Gong-de, assisted in the teaching activities of Mr. Lin, and drove us (with the school bus) to our destinations.

3.Officer Tsao Wai-ya helped us to borrow drawing boards and tools and made the library available for us to do research.

4.Councilor Tsao Yi-Chiong told us about the ideas behind the preservation of the historic settlement at Niu-Chiao, and shared his insights into the reconstruction of old houses with us.

5.Our teacher, Hwang Hwa-di, told us about the history of Niu-Chiao Village, and taught us how to understand the beauty of the architecture of the old houses.

6.A number of cultural workers supplied information on the preservation of settlements and photographs on cultural activities held in Niu-Chiao.

7.Lianjiang County Government, The Matsu Daily and Lien Chiang Water Monthly supplied a large number of books and reports regarding Niu-Chiao.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

1.We found a lot of information on the old houses in Niu-Chiao, and learnt that data entry must be done seriously, and cutting corners will not work. As a result, we have become more earnest in our attitudes towards work. During our research, we discovered lots of secrets regarding old houses, which really opened our eyes.

2.We found out that the materials used in the houses rocks can be used to identify the relative wealth of the families, or the time in which the house was built. We learnt as a result the value of the old houses, even an old house that is dull on the outside can become an object of beauty.

3.After one semester, though computer-assisted learning, we not only have new ideas and new thinking on new technologies, and learnt more about team spirits. Through cooperation, we think that there is nothing we cannot achieve!