School: Taipei Municipal Guang Fu Elementary School
    Taipei, Taiwan, Taiwan

9 students, ages 8~12 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 13, 2008. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2006

Classes and Teachers: Ms. Huang, Mei-ni

E-Mail contact:

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

1. Description of Our Community

Taipei Municipal Guang Fu Elementary School is located beside Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and contains a thick flavor of art. Although “Speak and Sing Art Club” has only been around for a bit over two years, its reputation has already been very resounding. There have even been students that have won contests. Mr. Lin, Wen-bin who is reputable in the art field, directs the “Speak and Sing Art Club” of Taipei Municipal Guang Fu Elementary School. Under his direction, members are not only familiar with the structure of ?Kuai- Ban-Shu?, but also understand the beauty of phonology of Chinese characters, the allusions of set phases and their usages. The effect is fairly good.

?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu? is a kind of performance art of considerably high difficulty that needs language and performance skills. The bamboo clappers with the sound of “Pi-Pa” makes it pleasant to hear and lively. Thus, this is also the most bright, vivacious and easiest to learn in the art of talking and singing. During the time we are learning ?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu?, we also started to have a passion in studying about ?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu?. Although it is a type of traditional art, it is not “old stuff ” at all. We hope though through this study and performance demonstration, we can let more people enjoy this type of art as well.

2. Summary of Our Project

?Talk?is the indispensable tool of communication in our daily life. ?Talk? though common, had become an unique knowledge-“Speak and Sing Art”! Its scope is very broad, ranging from comic dialogue, rhythmic storytelling to clapper accompaniment( ?Shulaibao?), Big drum of Peking rhyme, ?Iron Plate Kuai- Shu?, ?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu?… etc., which have their ingenious parts. This time we use ?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu?as research topic - introducing the origin of ?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu?, forms and skills of performance, and progress of form ties between bamboo clappers, Mr. Lin, Wen-bin and ?Zhu Ban Kuai Shu?, and also interviewed Ms. Chen, Yu-xiu, Secretary General of National Cultural Association, to speak glowingly of the innovation of traditional arts.

?Speak and Sing Art?belongs to the learning field of ?Arts and Humanities?in Taiwan's 9 years mandatory education. ?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu? is?Speak and Sing Art?of Chinese tradition, Peking dialect with clear articulation and a mellow and full tune, and add bamboo clappers with sounds of Pi-Pi-Pa-Pa. This is interesting, pleasant to hear and lively. ?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu? is the easiest to learn in the ?Speak and Sing Art?. The students hit bamboo clappers, simultaneously speak the fascinating story with clear articulation and a mellow and full tune; to follow learning with relaxed, remember many idioms & verses and general knowledge of Chinese imperceptibly. We can say it achieves many things at one stroke and is the most interesting language teaching and studying. Taipei Municipal Guang Fu Elementary School founded the “Speak and Sing Art Club” two years ago. The motive is to train students to get acquainted with speaking arts, and developed ?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu? as the major characteristics of the organization. Students often performed ?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu? at school’s celebration events, and got many favorable comments. The time the special subject was focused on ?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu?, to interview senior performers and to introduce the origin and form of performance of ?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu?, to let more people acquaint this traditional art.

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:more than 6

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

Our school provides ADSL for linking to internet with an upload speed of 2MB and download speed of 384 KB. We have completed a wireless internet this year and can receive the internet message in the campus everywhere. There are four computer classrooms and a multi-media center for making teaching materials in our school. In each computer classroom, there are 35 computers for the students to have the computer class. Also, there is a desktop computer in every classroom of the school and there are more than 90 notebooks provided for teachers to personal use. Totally, we have 106 classrooms at school. So, approximately, there are more than 350 computers in our school, including the computers for the administrative use. Every computer is provided with an exclusive line for connecting to internet and various web services are available for application through the server. The school's servers include Web Server, Mail Server, DNS Server and Proxy Server that provide convenient online application environment. Every student has his or her own E-mail address and has the capability of web making.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

*Time Is Tight?The Gap of Members' Ages is Large We got the information of this contest at a tight schedule, from December we just start the planning and process of whole research subject, there are only two months to prepare if we deduct the period of final exam and New Year’s holiday; so whole the activity is prepared in a hurry situation, from find the research theme, allocate works, collect inforOvermation, plan interview activity, questionnaire design, various software learning, webpage design etc. all the preparation need to seize time, share out the work and cooperate with one another, make great efforts to run with time. In addition, our team members range from Second Grade to Sixth Grade, and it’s difficult to match everyone’s schedule. There is also wide learning gap in computer and writing abilities; hence in allocating the jobs, we have to be aware of the specialty and age of each member in order to do the most suitable arrangement in manpower. And the members of younger age are very interested in this topic, so they spent more efforts on creativity and to write what they have learned from work. They hold meetings on weekends to discuss, arrange interview and questionnaire. Of course other works have to be done after school by the members in their utmost effort. In the entrance website, the members also set up family website as information contact point, fully utilize Yahoo Messenger as mutual contact, and maximize the utility of every minute. *First time participation-Lack Experience To attend this monographic study, the most exciting thing is to interview many professional people. The first time when we interviewed Ms. Zheng, the leader of “Speak and Sing Art Club” of Taipei Municipal Guang Fu Elementary School, we had still not stressed the skills of interview, hence asked the questions tongue-tiedly, and couldn’t remembered the whole answers, passably we had recording pen to make up this deficiency. The second time when we interviewed Ms. Chen, Yu-xiu, Secretary General of National Cultural Association, because the interview site is a little bigger, when we asked questions, voice was not loud and clear. Fortunately we have told Ms. Zheng the digests of interview in advance; she answered all our questions clearly and cordially. The third time when we interviewed Mr. Lin, Wen-bin, and our experience was better and abundant; not only we emailed all the questions to him in advance, but also asked the questions more naturally. Mr. Lin spoke …

5. Our Project Sound Bite

Club activity at the school gives us the opportunity to get acquainted ?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu?. After the initial contact, we discovered that ?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu? has a humane feeling behind the far-reaching history; we couldn’t help being proud of our culture. And through the interview of Ms. Chen, Yu-xiu, Secretary General of National Cultural Association, we then understood that fully comprehension of our own culture enables us to obtain respects from other countries. And thorough understanding our traditional culture, we could have better ability and creativity to carry it forward.

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

'Speak and Sing Art' belongs to the learning field of 'Arts and Humanities' in the 9 years mandatory education. ?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu? is ?Speak and Sing Art?of Chinese tradition, Peking dialect with clear articulation and a mellow and full tune, and add bamboo clappers with sounds of Pi-Pi-Pa-Pa. This is interesting, pleasant to hear and lively. ?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu? is the easiest to learn in the?Speak and Sing Art?. The students hit bamboo clappers, simultaneously speak the fascinating story with clear articulation and a mellow and full tune; to follow learning with relaxed, remember many idioms & verses and general knowledge of Chinese imperceptibly. We can say it achieves many things at one stroke and is the most interesting language teaching and studying.

This project is to train students for speaking arts, and developed ?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu? as the major characteristics of the organization. Through the research of ?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu?, and from the contents of 'Speak and Sing Art', to comprehend the interest of Chinese language and characters, and drops of life in the early stage of people; let students thorough understand traditional art, and move forward to enjoy traditional art. We hope this research can inquire how people’s daily life and social consciousness reflect on the cultural art, and how the people of modern times use their life experiences to start brand-new cultural style.

We combined various courses including 'Language and Literature', 'Nature Technology', 'Social Study', 'Arts and Humanity', 'Comprehensive field', 'Local Culture', 'Information Education' as well as 'Human Right Education'. In addition to enhance the knowledge of traditional arts, we also learn some research methods. For example : interview skill, the patterns of discussion, the ability to arrange key points, the skill of photography, the use of digital equipment, and computer technology such as application of internet?and photo filings...etc,.

In the process of the research study, we divide the work according to individual ability and willingness, stressing on the spirit of teamwork and sense of responsibility. We share the results with team-mates. This kind of division of labor increases the efficiency and reduces the unnecessary errors.

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

There are many information tools and technologies we use to complete our Cyberfair project. Please link to http://librarywork.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2008/gsh5160/web_en/narrative03.htm

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

Common people do not quite understand ?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu?, many still think it's the same as ?Shulaibao?. We call on the senior performer, Mr. Lin, Wen-bin who introduces the origin and forms of performance of ?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu?, and demonstrates the skills himself which allows more people to know this traditional art. In addition, we also arrange some interesting games on the website, to make ?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu? not look like 'a fuddy-duddy', it also can be very interesting art. We hope that these can attract more people to have interest in this art.

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

From participating in the extra-curricular activities of “Speak and Sing Club” of Taipei Municipal Guang-Fu elementary school to organizing the “Bamboo Clapper Good Friendliness”, our team members have influenced their acquaintances and their communities as well by constantly introducing the bamboo-clappers through performances at school and in the neighborhood areas. The bamboo clappers classes in the community center of Fu Sheng Neighborhood always draw big attention of the local community. This is the main reason why we decided to register in the International Cyber-Fair. We hope to introduce the depth and pleasure of bamboo clapper to more people who are interested in this traditional art. The complete and detail origin and history of bamboo clapper of our website has already got great feedbacks from the community. People respond that our website has given them insight and understanding of bamboo clapper and further arouse their interest to learn this traditional art. The favorable comments and advices give us the encouragement to devote more time and effort into our project. We feel that we now have more responsibility to introduce the profound Chinese culture not only to other communities but to every corner of the world.

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

In normal times we often gather together to practice. This time we research more thoroughly the origin, the forms and different performing skills of ?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu?. The teachers of school and volunteer mothers are also very eager to assist us to collect materials. The assistance of Mr. Lin, Wen-bin is especially appreciated. We not only interview him about his process of learning bamboo clappers, but also learn from him a lot of knowledge of ?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu?. For example, how to choose the bamboo clappers? What kind of contents we should sing in the beginning level and advanced level of?Zhu-Ban-Kuai-Shu?? What are the advantages in learning bamboo clappers? From Mr. Lin, Wen-bin, we can see the hardship and insistence of traditional artists, thus we respect them more.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

Through this research, we discover many things that can’t be learned from the classrooms. ¦ The ability of integration including the harmonization of reason and perceptivity, knowledge and action united as one, the integration of humanities and science): In the process of completing the monographic study, we must draw up complete plan, and then advance with following the prescribed order, from discussing the structures of monographic topic, collecting material, and arrangement of interview papers etc., all above mentioned work need the ability to integrate materials, and we have gradually acquired this kind of ability through doing the study. ¦ Democratic Knowledge Including self expression, independent thinking, communication with others, respect others, team cooperation, social service, be responsible and abide by the laws etc.: This monographic topic has been completed through the solidarity and cooperation by all who involved. In the process, we have freedom to show our opinions as well. We get the consensus through discussion which let us have achievement, and also let the work go more smoothly. For example, before the interview, everybody will provide one’s questions in advance, then one specific person will organize all the questions into the outline of interview, and the outline will then allocate to everybody, this is very efficient. In the process of interview, everybody is indispensable. Without the help of our members, teachers, volunteer mothers and interviewees, this monographic topic will never be completed. ¦ Whole life learning including automatic research, issues solution, utilize information and language etc.: In the process of this monographic study and web pages making, we have learned to use digital cameras to record images, use MP3 to record all the process of interviews and discussions, use DV to shoot the performance of Mr. Lin, Wen-bin and team members. Besides, we have also learned to use web family, blogs, and Yahoo Messenger, to communicate with each other, internet discussion, and use mapping software to make cute photo files, and use editing software to edit wonderful films. We benefit a great deal.