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1. Description of Our Community
The Wanggongs Temple situated in Er-jie on the south bank of the lower reaches of the Lanyang Creek, is the site where the three Wanggongs are worshiped. Since the Cing Dynasty, the temple has attracted numerous believers from the Northern and Estern Taiwan due to its pivotal geographic location at the heart of the Lanyang Plain.The Wanggongs Temple, the centre of local folk belief and one of the important religious sites in the Yilan region, has existed for 218 years. Since it was first built, locals have often come here to pray for having a safe journey or good health, Meanwhile the court in front of the temple has not only been the chatting area for the elder but also the playground for the children. As such the Wanggongs Temple has been part of collective memory for all residents in Er-Jie.
2. Summary of Our Project
The Wanggongs Temple is the center of folk beliefs and social life of the Er-jie community. Thus, a major part of the community rebuilding effort has centered on this temple. Community residents worked together to construct a new temple and to preserve and reuse the original temple. In the process, they have come to treasure traditional architecture and to appreciate its artistic beauty. This important religious site has been successfully preserved and given a new identity as the community’s courtyard. The achievements of Er-jie community are truly outstanding and set an excellent example for other communities to follow.
3. Our Computer and Internet Access
A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:21-50%
B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:2-3
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):
The majority of our information we get, at school from T1 and in our home from either ADSL or 56K dial-up modem connections. Our working hours apart from one hour on Thursdays Midday, where we discuss information input methods, meant that there were parts that could not be completed at school, so after class finished we continued working at home, but not everyone had computer or internet access, resulting in us sometimes falling behind schedule, fortunately the school having sufficient computer hardware, permitted us to continue working during vacations. The teachers also had ADSL broadband connection in their homes, which thus saved time and promoted efficiency. In examining and organizing the information we had collected, we needed to use an online FTP messaging service and email services in order to backup our data, ensure the flow of information between the teachers and students, understand our partners progress.
4. Problems We Had To Overcome
a) Technique: Members unfamiliar with usage of video cameras, digital cameras and website design. Teachers demonstrated usage, simultaneously gave members opportunity to practice, and instructed in usage of Namo WebEditor. b) Time Restrictions: In researching ‘Er-Jies Wanggong Temple’, after class and weekend festivities and activities, demanded members’ participation to collect data. Questionnaires given to participating members and asking for parents’ assistance. c) Teams: Not all members had Internet access or computers at home, time on-line was limited and distractions such as online games were tempting. Teachers reminded students of correct attitude and tried to ensure unrestricted Internet use. d) Information: Difficulty in finding information and pictures of the temples activities from its early days. Fortunately, temples significant archived documents and pictures and assistance in provision of such materials. Work was delegated and thus complications arose when information was collated, wasting time and energy. Information collected stored appropriately and members mutual understand of each others work and progress e) Gathering Material: With no previous interviewing experience whatsoever, everyone was nervous and stumbling over words. Prior to each interview, discussion of key points of interview, direction and holding of mock interviews with other members.
5. Our Project Sound Bite
The community wanted to build a new temple; this was by no means easy. It demanded the people uniting and putting in all they have; labor and material resources but mostly importantly it required a ‘collective consciousness’. In this community where we live in, Wanggongs Temple has been with us for more than half a century up to the present day. From this research our understanding of it is that much more, we know it is not just a place of worship or where one can find peace, it is like a good neighbor. Somewhere a place and we all feel a real connection with filled with collective memories. From this research, we have discovered many ‘first-times’. Our first experience interviewing, our first questionnaire, our first webpage, our first time carefully examining the beauty of Wanggongs Temple. And the first time we spent two hours running crazily through the streets… so many first times, not only have we learned so much but have come to really know our neighborhood environment and love our hometown.
6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?
Shyue Jin School’s educational objectives can be summarized prioritizing the following 4 objectives; health, appreciation, tenacity and possessing a global perspective. Of which ‘appreciation’ refers specifically to the children valuing their environment, understand the local people and issues in relation to themselves. The school emphasizes ‘Social Studies’ and ‘The Arts and Humanism’ and thus the development of courses related to this case study. By means of on-site observations, anecdotes from interviews, recorded visual and audio materials, written accounts and so forth, we hoped to further understand the relationship between school and Wanggongs Temple. And at the same time use this opportunity to help students develop an interest in the temple, its past, present and future.
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1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?
The hardware technology we used: a.) Voice Pen, b.) Digital Camera, c.) On-line Storage, d.) Video camera, e.) Scanner, f.) Computer equipment, g.) Printer, h.) ADSL Broadband, i.) Telephone. Our most valuable tools were the computers, digital camera, voice pen, and on-line Storage. The computer software we used: a.) Namo5.5 WebEditor: Webpage editing and management, b.) Macromedia Flash5: Multimedia authoring, c.) Ulead PhotoImpact8: Image editing, d.) Microsoft Word: Word processing, e.) Internet Explorer: Net surfing, researching information, sending downloading files, f.) Acdsee: Digital images management, g.) Microsoft Excel: Investigation statistics management, h.) Microsoft PowerPoint: Presentation work, i.) Outlook Express?Msn Message: Communication purpose.
2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.
While working on the project, a) we gave the teachers and students leaflets and questionnaires introducing our research website. b) Inviting interested residents to understand the New Er-Jie Wanggongs Temple, by means of our Webpages. c) Interviewing people important to this study, allowing the students to understand how valuable Er-Jie Wanggongs Temple is and the crisis it faced. d) Long term consultation with Er-Jie Wanggongs Temple’s people, promoting news of the community’s activities, using schools morning assemblies to invite all the teachers and students to attend and experience firsthand. e) All students were using the holidays to serve as Er-Jie Wanggongs Temple’s child narrators. f) Using Er-Jie Community’s local newspaper to promote their mission and the work undertaken. g) Child Narrators attending I-lan’s annual Children’s Folklore and Folk Game Festival, and at Er-Jie’s Life and Culture Museum activities meeting foreign visitors explaining the characteristics of local culture.
3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?
a) Appealing the residents to give consideration to the old and new Er-Jie Wanggongs Temples, appealing to the general public asking them to look after what is the ‘treasure’ of the community’s age old history. b) Increasing the number of people acting to protect Er-Jie Wanggongs Temple: By means of the schools curriculum, the communities awareness campaigns and volunteer child narrators, students acquired firsthand experience of the task of protecting Wanggongs Temple, representing a significant increase in manpower. c) Adding to the schools teaching curriculum: Through this case study, we expanded upon students teaching materials and their knowledge of their hometown, this integrated learning method, inspired children’s interest in our cause whilst allowing them to appreciate local culture. d) Discovering the difficulties encountered and hardwork necessary in establishing the new Er-Jie Wanggongs Temple.
4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?
a) Many thanks to Wanggongs Temple member of the Managing Committee member Mr. Li Yuliang, for generously agreeing to being interviewed and so enthusiastically entertaining us. b) Kind thanks to Wanggongs Temple Er-Jie’s Life and Culture Museums Secretary Miss Chen Shu-fen, for vividly relating to us spiritual and legendary stories relating to Wanggongs Temple. c) Providence University’s Department of Folklore’s Professor Lin Mao-Hsien (Director of Wanggongs Temple’s Managing Committee) for agreeing to be interviewed on Chinese New Year Eve and helping us to understand in detail Wanggongs Temple’s annual Fire Crossing Ritual and all the other religious ceremonies held there. d) With thanks to all the schools teachers, students and the principal, assisting in the distribution and collection our questionnaires. e) The research team and all the parents of the children involved, who during winter vacations painstakingly supervised the children and took them to and from activity sites. f) All those at Er-Jie Wanggongs Temple who provide us with all the information relates to the history and cultural background of the temple.
5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)
Having already lived in this community for more than 10 years, but with little opportunity to really get to know those around us. In the interviewing process, we found we are really lucky to live in a neighborhood filled with such amazing people, who not only showed us great kindness but also gladly shared with us so many interesting anecdotes. This research has left us with so many unforgettable memories and so many lesson learned, collating information, interviewing, drafting questionnaires, creating web pages, learning all kinds of computer skills, and most importantly how to work together as part of a team. This special case not only helped us broaden our academic horizons, get to really know the people around us but also love our hometown.
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View our CyberFair Project
(Project ID: 4104)
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