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1. Description of Our Community
Our Community: Guotianzi Neighborhood, Lingya District, Kaohsiung
1. At the heart of Kaohsiung City, Lingya district is where the Kaohsiung City Government is located. The population in this district is about 180,000. It contains four neighborhoods: Linyaliao, Lingdeguan, Wukuaicuo, and Guotianzi. With a longer north-south side and a shorter east-west side, its shape is like a valuable “Jade Rui Scepter.”
2. As the development of Lingyaliao reached its utmost, it extended towards the east (nowadays the east side of our school gate on Tzu Chung Road) to encompass enormous fields. That was how Guotianzi got its name. During the early Ching Dynasty period, there were only five households: Hsu, Tsai, Wang, Lin, and Zheng, living and cultivating in the Guotianzi neighborhood.
3. Ling Jhou Elementary School is situated in Guotianzi area, a bustling downtown nowadays. It is surrounded by department stores: Hanshin, Talee, and President department stores are to the north; Dream Mall and Mega FE21 are to the north; Pacific SOGO and Shinkong Mitsukoshi department stores are to the east.
4. Once there were two glorious and dynamic yurts at the English Village in our school. They were ruined due to time and weather, and finally abandoned in the southern corner of coconut groves after old buildings were torn down.
2. Summary of Our Project
Once there were two glorious yurts in our school. They were ruined due to time and weather, and finally abandoned on campus. As it is such a pity, our team determined to rebuild the yurts. Since we do not have rebuilding fees, we thought of the glamorous department stores in our neighborhood. There must be a lot of discarded trash.
After much discussion, we decided to get acquainted with our community environmentt by interviewing the senior citizens in Guotianzi Area, Chengsi Neighborhood Chief, and our principal. Then we tried to do research by questionnaires to understand whether the community residents are satisfied with the environment and what they expected for the restored yurts.
As the last main event, we started to visit some department stores, such as FE21’ MegA, Dream Mall, and New Century, and sought their agreement to donate their recyclable resources to our school. Then, with many people’s help, we used the recycled materials to decorate the yurts and turn them into a place that everyone can use.
In the course of the study, we built a bridge that connected our community and our school. In the opening ceremony, we invited the community residents to share our joy with us. Through the project, the strengths of our school and local department stores were united. Being the best ally, they set a good example of working together to benefit the community, and to care for the Earth.
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:1
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):
We used computers on an optical fiber network, which were connected to Taiwan Academic Network through a T1 line at school.
4. Problems We Had To Overcome
1. Tight Schedule: As every team member’s free time differs, we reached an agreement to meet on Wednesday afternoons. Even at a later phase, in order to work as a team and complete the project on time, we spent weekends working. Sometimes, we gave up our after-school classes and then made up the missed lessons afterward. We all tried and worked hard.
2. Contact Difficulties: We owed thanks to our teachers and parents. With their good personal connection, the managers of the department stores agreed to accept our interview. On our own, it would be very difficult to do it.
3. Computer Skills: At first, it was difficult for us to collect and integrate information, and to make webpage because everyone’s spare time and computer abililities are different. It was hard for us during the learning period, but after our continuous discussion and modification, we finally made our web pages.
4. Interviews: Our interviewees are busy executives of department stores. In addition, we didn’t have any skills and experiences with interviews. We were all worried about the interviews. Therefore, to be comfortable with interviewees, we prepared well and practiced several times before interviews.
5. Questionnaires: It needs courage to ask strangers to fill out questionnaires. At first, we were shy and hesitant to speak to strangers. Sometimes, we were rejected and we felt hurt. But after frustrating attempts, we finally learned how to successfully ask people.
6. English Translation: We hope to participate in the international contest, but translating our web pages into English is very difficult for us. We therefore spent an enormous amount of time on checking up dictionaries, writing sentences, and learning grammar. We also asked our English teacher’s help to correct our writing.
5. Our Project Sound Bite
We thought environmental issues are the responsibility of every global citizen. Through the study of the project, we achieved the outcome of cross-industry alliance and of caring for the Earth together, and we hope to awake the community’s awareness of environmental protection.
6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?
Language and Arts: After each event and interview, we wrote down our work content and reflections, sorted study information, practiced interview skills and distributed questionnaires. Thus, our planning, conceiving, expressing, reading and writing abilities were enhanced.
Integrative Activity: We obtained social resources, visited and interviewed people with proper manners, and built up the abilityof integration.
Science and Technology: Through Internet searching, using digital cameras and making the post-production, using a computer mind map, and creating our team blog and web pages, we explored related issues and presented our study results. We also cultivated the ability to use technology and information in our daily life. Social Studies: Through the study, we cooperated as a team, did work individually, and learned to coordinate. We further observed and documented our community environment. Eventually, we learned the dependences between people and the environment. We appreciate and care about everything, and would like to further our appreciation and put our knowledge to work.
Arts and Humanities: We tried to use various materials for completing the yurts. We designed logos, pins, e-books, cards, and gift packaging. Our rich imagination was triggered. We enjoyed the pleasure of creation.
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