School: Taipei Municipal Shezi Elementary School
    Taipei, Taiwan, Taiwan

7 students, ages 11-14 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 9, 2012. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2007

Classes and Teachers: Ting-fang Yang, Mai-man Chen , Yue-hsian Chan

E-Mail contact:

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

1. Description of Our Community

Shezi is an island in the water and was barred by water on three sides, Fancai Trench in the southeast, Keelung River in the north, and Tamsui River in the south. The meeting place of the two rivers in the west is the tail end of Shezi. Elongated like a duck’s head, it gazes towards Kuanyin Mountain, and boats can row towards Sanchung Luzhou, Guandu, and Beitou. Now, because of the highway construction and the completion of Chongyang Bridge, Bailing Bridge, and Zhoumei Boulevard, the water route era has ended. From the standpoint of Yanping North Road Section 5 and 6 meandering to sections 7, 8, and 9, the long, narrow roads are like the ribs of Shezi Island. On the banks of the Keelung delta riverside ferry pier, other than factories and garden, there still lives the master craftsman of handmade dragon boat---- Master Ching-cheng Liu. He has preserved the almost-lost craft of handmade dragon boat intact in Shihlin’s triangle crossing. Such an ardent guardian of culture heritage like this gives us the chance to reacquaint ourselves with Shezi and Shihlin from a different angle.

2. Summary of Our Project

Dragon Festival is one of Taiwan's three major festivals. Modern society is that increasingly relying on information technology, and although traditional holiday customs has changed with social transformation, the meaning of these cultural heritages should not disappear in the flood of time.

'The Heirs of the Dragon Boat' allows us to have the opportunity for a deeper understanding of the Dragon Boat Festival, and through a well designed “dragon birthing nine sons” series of local cultural and the arts events, we join the Dragon Boat Festival. We enter the community to interview a dragon boat master, dragon boat contestants and dragon boat activity promoters, use internet resources to find related Chinese Dragon Boat Festival customs, classic stories, arts, etc. Personally making handmade dough Dragon Boats, understanding the elements and hardships of making a dragon boat, brainstorm together to discuss the cultural significance represented by the 'dragon”, and comparing the difference between Eastern and Western dragons... From these activities we understand the insistence of cultural heirs in the life around us, and in the learning process, experience dragon boat and the cultural depth and meaning behind the dragon boat festival.

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

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

In this Cyberfair, we have to spend a lot of physical strength and time, and some teammates could not withstand such pressure and did not hang on until the last. In fact, the pressure was great on all of us, but we grit our teeth and held on. All this was from teammates supporting each other and the encouragement and support of teachers, which allowed us to pick ourselves up and walk to the end.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

Dragon Boat Festival is closely tied to the Taiwanese in a Taiwanese society that increasingly relies on information technology. Although there are changes in form regarding these holiday customs and culture unique to the Chinese people along with the social transformation, the heart of these cultural heritages should not be lost in the flood of time.

The project theme this year allows us to understand the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival through discussion and exploration, and to know the cultural inheritors in the life around us through actual implementation. In the learning process the students understood cultural implications behind the holiday unique to the Chinese people.

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

Considering to Partnership for 21st Century Skills, we focus on learning and innovative information, media and technological ability, mastery of core academic subjects, and contemporary life issues and career ability. The arrival advanced technology allows us to conduct specialized studies using new ideas and new actions. 'The Heirs of the Dragon Boat' teaching activity design uses the core competencies should posses in “Partnership for 21st Century Skills' as a starting point, combining with the Grade 1-9 Curriculum indicators and major issues to proceed with designing a series of activities. 'The Heirs of the Dragon Boat' curriculum is researched and designed by the teachers themselves, using 2 years of extracurricular time, cooperating with school and community courses. Leading fourth, fifth and sixth grade “Little Shezi Dragons” team members in an in-depth study, and using a digitized classroom and google collaborating platform to integrate data system producing resulting web pages. The teaching objectives of “The Heirs of the Dragon Boat” correspond to the “Partnership for 21st Century Skills', so that the children can receive the following abilities in the event:

1. The flexible application of all kinds of books and computer networks, gathering information, organizing material, and extensive reading. 2. The ability to transfer their reading contents and thinking into everyday life problem solving abilities. 3. Develop communication ability and organization planning in their planning and discussion. “The Heirs of the Dragon Boat” course has a total of nine units, with each unit a different nature covering: Mandarin Chinese,social science, natural science field, IT education, major issues in career development and education etc. During the activity process Intel Thinking Tools is used as a discussion medium to trigger the children’s mutual aid thinking, initiative data collection, and develop high-level thinking skills and problem-solving abilities.

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

E-mail: Contact interview subjects, transfer files, and modify documents, etc.

Internet: Brows Dragon Boat Festival and dragon boat racing related sites and related information on the Internet. Use E-mail to contact group members, and use the forum to discuss and share their research records.

Video and digital still cameras: Videoing the process of interviews and visits and.

Scanners: Photos, picture scanning

Voice recorder, tapes, and tape recorders: Tape the content of interviews for easy organization.

Type of computer software: Web page editing (Muse,), store photos and modify photos (PhotoScape, Picasa, Flash SlideShow Maker), as well as information collected online and editing text files (Word, Google Sites)

Burner and USB: Burn data and the flow of electronic files

Specialized E-classroom: Using specialized E-classroom’s electronic whiteboard for interactive teaching and learning, and using group computers to conduct Internet data search, collection, and organization.

Intel Thinking Tools: Use Visual Ranking, Seeing Reason, Showing Evidence thinking tools to trigger higher level thinking.

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

In this research project we had first hand contact and interviews with local people, and through interview questions prepared in advance we allowed the interview subjects to speak frankly. At the same time, Cyberfair project team members listened, recorded, and organized these memories into words, delivering not only the process of dragon boat production and historical footprint, but further expressed the care for the land into action. In this activity, we played the ambassador for promoting unique local culture!

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

Learning activities became more interesting and fun: In “The Heirs of the Dragon Boat,” local curriculum and arts and culture programs was combined with Intel tools to trigger higher order thinking activities, and in the knowledge exploration our “learning and innovative ability” were raised. Frequent group cooperation, actual visits and interviews, self-exploration, interpersonal communication, etc. improved our 'life and career ability'. The use of information tools and collaboration platform completed and matured our “information, media and technological ability”. From the cutting edge through time to the customs of thousands of years, this gave us a very special experience of “access to the ancient and modern'.

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

(1)Members of the society (Mr. Qing-cheng Liu, Mr. Hsu-yao Song, Teacher Mei-yue Chen):Oral materials,providing information and photos, professional and technical guidance.

(2)Shezi Elementary School (Principle Jin-chun Liao, Director Hsiu-juan Li, Teacher Chi-tsong Chang, Teacher Chen-fu Chen):Oral materials, providing information and photos, provide advice, spiritual encouragement, provide drawings and new information, planning consultation.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

After the “The Heirs of the Dragon Boat” project, we found that:

Learning knowledge has become systematic and efficient. We belong in a knowledge-based economy - the amount of knowledge has dramatic increased, information explosion, and technological tools advance rapidly, so information management becomes even more important in this information saturated age. From the perspective of knowledge management, we not only transformed from the passive role of acceptance in learning to actively exploring in our learning activity, but the thematic curriculum activities also effectively enhance the basic concepts of knowledge management. We know how to “select the correct information”, filter inappropriate messages, make the best use of the tools, use Internet tools to collect information, “integrate information” after collecting large amount of data, listing key items to share with peers, and organize personal experience through discussion.