School: Wenhua Elementary School
    Taipei, N/A, Taiwan

6 students, ages 11-12 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 21, 2005. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2005

Classes and Teachers: Mr. Chang-Yi Chen, Mrs. Win-Chi Wang, and Miss Hsin-Ju Li.The first, second , and the ninth classes of Grade Six.

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.whps.tp.edu.tw

1. Description of Our Community

Hot spring is the main attraction for Xinbeitou. It has been the most famous hot spring spot since the beginning of this century (when Taiwan was still a colony of Japan). The Xinbeitou Train Station was the terminal station of the sub-line of the Danshui Railway. It was the in-and-out hub both for visitors and local people. While the subsequent metro system took over the same job since 1988, we cannot deny the good memory the old railway and the station have left behind to us.

2. Summary of Our Project

The Danshui railway line which ran from Taipei to Danshui started in 1901. The main purpose to build this line was to transport the goods from Danshui Harbor. While its sub-line, the Xinbeitou Line, was built for another purpose – to bring people to the famous Xinbeitou hot spring. The latter was completed in 1937. It’s a very special building made of juniper wood.

The Danshui line was demolished in 1988, and replaced by a metro system. The Xinbeitou station was supposed to be torn down, too, but an amusement park in Zhanhua County showed interest in this building, so the Taipei City Government sold it for a symbolic one Taiwan dollar. It was rebuilt in this park. Through the years an appreciation for one’s own community has grown stronger. So the local citizens of Beitou and authorities began to think of the possibility to bring back this building. But the Park thinks that this station building has been in the Park for more than 10 years and has become a landmark. Whether the old wood can be separated and put together again is another problem. So the park rejected this proposal. Local Beitou citizens still have to go to Zhanhua County to see this monument.

Because of this past history, we decided to make this report. We hope that through the most trendy device, the internet, people get to know the past and the transformation of the Danshui Line and Xinbeitou Station, which belonged to us once upon a time. We also want to bring out the attention on other historical monuments in Beitou that are still ignored by 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:none

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):

There are two PC labs at school. Each lab accommodates 40 PCs connected by Fast Ethernet local network. Through Chunghwa Telecom’s ADSL, the PCs are connected with Taipei City Education Network Center and further connected to the Ministry of Education and academic networks. Power outages are occasionally seen on non-school days. But online services are maintained in normal and sound operation most of the time.

Every student who took part in the study has a PC at home and is able to stay online with Internet through broadband system. In the entire process, all students completed the respective tasks simply using their PCs at home. Then they discussed through e-mail with others and finalized the result of the study together.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

1.Difficulty in collecting antiquated photos and data: Xin Beitou station was erected approximately 88 years ago when Taiwan was colonized by Japan. It is an extremely hard work to find and collect data and pictures of that time. We interviewed the local community heads and seniors face-to-face, searched books and internets to get as much as possible. 2.Difficulty in webpage production. In the current semester, we learned only the introduction of webpage production in the Computer Science. Thanks to Instructor Lee Hsing-Ju for his thoughtful instructions and all teammates’ intense study, we successfully accomplished the tasks. 3.Difficulty in data organization and interview scheduling. All teammates had heavy load of homework and extracurricular classes to attend after school and could hardly arrange time to meet. The teammates hold a meeting on a weekly basis. Routinely they communicated and exchanged data through e-mail. All interviews were arranged in weekends or holidays.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

As time flies by, our study draws to an end. As the timeworn proverb says: It is hardest at the beginning for everything. Other proverbs say that: Well begun, half done; and where there’s a will, there’s a way. These proverbs accurately depict the process of our study. Thanks to our efforts and endurance, we have successfully completed the study, despite countless challenges. Meanwhile, we have learned numerous precious lessons during the process.

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

1.Language--By means of data collection, generalization, integration as well as on-the-spot covering and communications, we foster the writing and expressing comprehension. 2.Sociology--By making best use of the resources available locally to conduct project study, we cherish our community environments and show our concern about the historic attractions. By exploring the local community resources, we look into what the local expect from us and enlighten our awareness of the society. 3.Mathematics--Following the concept of statistical analysis, time, and location, we organize required data and accomplish part of our missions. 4.Comprehensive fields--Through the on-the-spot interview, data collection, communications and coordination, as well as post-interview reorganization and integration, we combine the skills of all fields into a whole. 5.Arts and cultures--We bring together the skills in painting, color matching, craft works, typesetting, photography, and incidental music to complete the webpage production. Meanwhile, we appreciate the attraction of the antiquated architectures to unfold the new vision of attractions. 6.Health and Physical Education--We come to effective management of time, routine schedule and sound physical fitness. 7.Nature and Life Technology--We make use of up-to-date information facilities to boost competence in webpage production. We extensively enrich the skills of life-oriented technology.

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

1.Desktop PCs--Search Internet, communications, webpage production, data integration 2.ADSL, 56K modems--Internet communications 3.Scanners--Scan all data and pictures we have collected. 4.Digital camera, video recorder--Snap shot during study and work and take required pictures. 5.Printer, copier--Duplicate the data, pictures and required data. 6. 3.5 floppy disks, ,flash disks--Data duplication and transmission 7.Software Microsoft Word, PowerPoint--Word processing during discussion, data transmission and assembling. 8.Software Macromedia DreamWeaver, Ulead PhotoImpact, Namo--Webpage editing and image processing 9.Software CuteFTP--Transmit our works onto Internet. 10.Telephones and cell phones--Make appointment for on-the-spot covering and schedule for two-way communications 11.Auto-recorders, auto-recording pens--Record the on-the-spot covering, the integral contents of the meeting ready for data integration and memo. 12.Newspaper, TV--Watch TV or read newspapers to find out any information related to our topics. 13.Other equipments--Computer labs, meeting rooms, library and Natural Science classroom

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

After we ascertained the targets, we read newspapers to search news reports within our concern. At that time the local community people were apparently carrying out a campaign by the name of “Reminiscent of the Old Station, Return to Xin Beitou” which exactly match our target. Jubilantly and excitedly, we launched our first step of interview of Mr. Chen Chang-sheng, the commissioner of the local Chang-An Li, the booster of the “Reminiscent of the Old Station, Return to Xin Beitou” campaign, and Chairman Lien Ho-Chuan, a local celebrity of Beitou area.

First of all, thanks to students’ parents who volunteered to help, we made appointments to interview Commissioner Chen and Chairman Lien. Subsequently, the Task Force members started discussion about interview questions and practiced in groups. One day prior to the interview, we requested the students’ parents volunteers to instruct us the key points during the interview. We tried by all means to assure a flawless interview.

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

We came to know during the process of study that there used to be a train station bearing striking characteristics built in Chinese cypress or juniper at Beitou which is settled in a strange town. We looked into the entire story and put it on the website for a panoramic presentation. Meanwhile, the local community carnival was held in Beitou, in the title of “Reminiscent of the Old Station, Return to Xin Beitou” which offered a database available for inquiry and search. By fulfilling the Project, we earnestly hope to remind the public into the close attention to the efforts to restore and preserve the historic attractions.

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

Since participating in the contest, “Superman” Webpage Production Task Force has been extremely indebted to the schoolteachers and the neighborhood residents for their enthusiastic support. As a happy result, we have been able to complete collection of data and obtained valuable data to verify the historic attractions of Xin Beitou Station. In turn, we have been able to complete the tasks item by item and step-by-step. Once more, to you all, we are extremely grateful. Please take a look at the table below: 1. 2004.9.22--Mr. Jo-Sung Lee, senior reporter of the United Daily News, gave speech at Cultural Primary School, Beitou, Taipei about how the primary school and high school schoolteachers instruct brainstorming of the internet knowledge. 2. 2004.10.16--Mr. Tsung-Min Tsai, a volunteer of Taipei Municipal Department of Cultural Affairs, enthusiastically lectured us about the internet guide. 3. 2004.11.13--Mr. Chang-Sheng Chen, the chief of Chang-An neighborhood borough, Beitou District Taipei accepted on-the-spot covering by the “Superman” Webpage Production Task Force. 4. 2004.11.21--Mr. Ho-Chuan Lien of Beitou District Reconciliation Committee, Taipei, accepted on-the-spot covering by the “Superman” Webpage Production Task Force. 5. 2004.11.22--Mr. Ming-Hui Shih of Taiwan Folk Village at Zhang Hua, accepted on-the-spot covering by the “Superman” Webpage Production Task Force. 6. 2004.11.22--Mr. Hung-Yuan Hsu of Taiwan Folk Village at Zhang Hua rendered enthusiastic guiding services for “Superman” Webpage Production Task Force. 7. 2004.12.13--Mr. Chang-Sheng Chen, the chief of Chang-An neighborhood, Beitou District Taipei accepted once more Certificate of Appreciation and photographing by “Superman” Webpage Production Task Force. 8. 2004.12.18--The “Reminiscent of the Old Station, Return to Xin Beitou” community activity under the auspices of Beitou District, Taipei. 9. 2004.12.18--Mr. Ming-Chang Chen licensed the new songs “Beloved Old Station” and “What an Attractive Flower, the Umbrella of the Grandma” to the ”Superman” Webpage Production Task Force as background music. 10. 2004.12.18--The neighborhood residents of Beitou District, Taipei helped us fill out the questionnaire survey.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

Highlights of findings: Through designing the webpage, we paid a visit to the scenic spots in the vicinity of Xin Beitou Station. We noticed that numerous antiquated constructions have toppled down and become obsolete as the time has passed by. Though some of them have been officially rated by the government as historic attractions, they have not received reasonable maintenance and care. We are afraid that they will pass into oblivion unless we take good care of them before it is too late.

Valuable lessons: We took Xin Beitou Station as the topic of our subject. What aroused out top curiosity is Xin Beitou Station even seen today in Zhang Hua in central Taiwan instead of Beitou in the north. As a native of Beitou, Xin Beitou Station was not a part of our childhood memories. We have only seen the MRT Station. We could only find out something about Xin Beitou Station through books, newspapers and magazines. We could not eyewitness it unless we travel to Zhang Hua around 200 km away. In the excuse of economic development, nevertheless, how many historic constructions are disappeared? The “Reminiscent of the Old Station, Return to Xin Beitou” campaign currently held at Beitou serves as a vivid lesson. Chairman Shih adopted Xin Beitou Station fifteen years ago. But what fate Xin Beitou Station would have had if no one adopted it?

Amazing: Due to the requirement of the research, we traveled to Taiwan Folk Village at Zhang Hua for an on-the-spot interview. We witnessed lots of antiquated constructions and tools. We were curious enough to have the ox-cart ride, the first time in our life. Watching Uncle Ox roaming in the field taking such a leisurely time, we felt like back to the old time of our grandpa and grandma.

At Beitou Hot-spring Museum, we were awed by the old photos about how Beitou looked like. It was simply the reappearance of history indeed. Those valuable historic charms were being repaired by a number of enthusiastic school children. What an amazing fact? It should be a bounden duty of everyone to take good care of the historic pieces. It is our earnest hope that with the enthusiasm by all, the precious cultural heritance will be carried on generations upon generations.