CyberFair Project ID: 7914

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International Schools CyberFair Project Narrative
Title: Surfing Fun!
Category: 4. Local Specialties
URL: http://librarywork.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2015/gsh7914/index.htm
Bibliography: http://librarywork.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2015/gsh7914/surfingfun7-3.htm

School: Cheng Gong Elementary School
    Taitung, Taitung, Taiwan

7 students, ages 11-12 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 10, 2015. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): none

Classes and Teachers: I-CHU CHANG,CHUN-LIANG CHEN,YEN-CHUN LIN

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://cgps.boe.ttct.edu.tw/front/bin/home.phtml

Project Overview

1. Description of Our Community

Chenggon Township, visited by masses of tourists every year, is a famous township at the east coast of Taiwan. Neighboring with the Coastal Mountains Range on the west and facing the Pacific Ocean on the east, Chenggon is a village of fishery. Every morning, hauls of seafood are freshly delivered to Chenggon Harbor. Many food lovers are attracted to visit by its reputation, for enjoying the sailfish sashimi or seafood cuisine. Next to the township is a famed spot, Sansiantai, which is also a hot attraction for the sightseers.

2. Summary of Our Project

Taitung, with spectacular natural ecosystems and abundant marine resources, is the backyard of Taiwan. On the roadway of the east coast, the coastline is endlessly extended down to the horizon. We can say that ocean is a part of our life. However, we always share the beautiful seashore, but we rarely get close to it. Most of the tourists visit Taitung just for sightseeing, taking photos or collecting rare stones of Taitung along the coast. Seldom of them would notice that Taitung is also a place suitable for surfing. In recent years, Donghe has been becoming a popular spot of surfing. However, the only thing is that the people who come for surfing are mostly enthusiast surfers rather than the tourists with a special surfing trip. Therefore, in order to fertilize local tourism and popularize surfing, we organize a research group, including three teachers and seven students. We firstly search and gather the surfing knowledge on the internet. And then practically learn how to paddle, catch wave and take off. Through surveying the local condition and resources and investigating the needs of the visitors, the itinerary of the travelers can be thoughtfully scheduled. Thus, the tourists who have interest in surfing can be attracted to surf in Taitung. By which, the local tourism can be prospered as well.

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):

One computer classroom is arranged in our school, with twenty-eight computers for course usage. Each classroom is also equipped with one computer as well as WiFi access. Besides, thirty-five digital cameras are offered by corporate donation for the students. During researching this program, students firstly collect the information by the computers or the tablets at home or in the computer classroom at school. Thereafter, the students discuss and integrate the results, and then design the website together.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

Lesson 1: Fear Overcoming This project requires students to swim in the sea. In our group, however, there is only one studentwho has swimming skills while the other six students barely do so. Even though the coach pointed out that swimming is not a necessity for surfing, on the day we went surfing at the beach ofDuli, the occasional monsoon was greatly windy and the waves were bumpy and choppy, which made a successful take-off become more difficult. Watching the waves hitting the shore over and over, the fear spontaneously came across the mind. At the beginning in the water, the students had several sips of the salty seawater and variouswipeouts on the surfing board. Despite of which, instructed deliberately by coach Hsieh, they were able to control the board progressively and started to enjoy the pleasure of surfing. Little by little, the dread of open water had been conquered eventually. The students now have more acquaintance with surfing and all have a passion for it.

Lesson 2: Anxiety about Safety from the Parents The students all live in the fishing village close to the sea. The common occupation of most parents is fishing, but they hardly agree their children to play at the beach. They consider that water activities are dangerous and are also anxious about the safety of this surfing project.Hence, the parents all keep an opinion of hesitation in the first place. However, after the advisory teachersthoroughlyillustratethe plan of the surfing projectthatwill be progressed step by step in a safe way for the students to experience surfing, the parents turn to have a positive attitude. Besides, the parents are also invited to attend the tuitionwith the students. Subsequently, the project is supported by the parents and the students are now more confident about the activity.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

In order to coordinate the policy of Ministry of Education, the elementary schools organizeaquatic self-rescue class every semester to evoke the awareness and the attraction of the students toward water activities. Among all water sports, surfing is one of the most popular activities, featuring of pure,easy-to-launch, and self-rescue. In recent years, Taitung government has dedicated to popularizing “International Surfing Festival.”Among which, the crew of this project have an honor to getacquainted with the swimming coach, Hsieh Yi-Hsuan, who is also a master in surfing.Invited passionately by the crew, coach Hsieh agrees to join the project and to lead the students experiencing surfing. “Surfing is the best way to get close to the ocean,” said coach Hsieh.

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

1.Educativefield: Digitalize the investigating results by the information appliance; design the map of surfing spots by utilizing graphic process software; integrate the materials and construct the website

2.Linguistic field: Compose project proposal;record and train interview skills; improve ability to answer readily

3.Social field: Inquire community; design map of surf spots; familiarize community

4.Physical training field: Skateboard on land training; surfing exercise at sea; repeatedly practice; modify movement and self-challenging

5.Artistic field: Design creative surfing totem;embellish graphics by image processing software

6.Comprehensive field: Integratethe materials from interview, internet and books; learn how to access public resources; practice lifeetiquette; engage cooperation and cohesion in the group

7.Environmental field: Combine local marine resources; recognize safe water area along east coast of Taiwan; identify the variation in tide and ocean current

During elaborating the project, the students deliberativelyutilize their skills learnedfrom the schooland apply into the topic. Besides, the advisory teacher also let the students freely manage the contents of the project, such as selecting topic, area and community interview. As a result, this project is completed collaboratively by all the members in the group.

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Project Elements

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

Smart Phone: Group communication, interview record Earphones: Interview dialog review Digital Camera: Photography and material digitalization Tablet: Photography and video recording Personal Computer: Word processing and internet access Internet: Related information browsing Microsoft Word: Material integration Microsoft PowerPoint: Surfing lecture demonstration PhotoScap: Photo embellishing Google Chrome: Project material collection and online questionnaire creation Internet Explorer: Project material collection Xmind: Project discussion Flash: Website animation design Dreamweaver: Project website construction Photoshop: Website graphics edition Filezilla: Project files transmission to server

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

As soon as the topic of this project was selected as “surfing”, we held numerous meeting and discussion to manage an idea that we wish to widely promote our hometown, the east coast of Taiwan, by means of producing this surfing project. Therefore, we enhance our mobility to go out of school, to practically investigate the attraction and gourmet in Donghe community, and to go visit the owner and surfers in the surfing shop. All we wish is to appear the best smile of Donghe which was long covered under the veil. In practice, through professional coach introducing and tutoring in surfing at school as well as combining water area safety training, the students are able to thoroughly understand the purpose of the project. In the community, we have several interviews with the surfer and the owner of the surfing store. The project is also extended into the neighborhood by inviting the students and their parents in the community to participate surfing experiencing activity. By constructing the website, we try to popularize the surfing spot at Donghe for more people to know. Being introduced by our project, the passionate residents in Donghe are also looking forward to the popularization of local surfing.

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

We have been through countless interesting things in this project. However, every noon break in the school is managed as group meeting, and the weekends are also scheduled by project producing. For those students who play in the school sports team would have less available time. With much time occupied, it is precious that the students still fully look after their school works.All members in the group also give pep talks to each other from time to time. So now we own better chemistry in the groupand thus a stronger connection, which is a surprising giftfor us. Completing a project requires communication, coordination and cooperation. The first time interview is the most unforgettable, in which the students did their best and showed their persistence about the things that they have a passion for. This attitude made us start to reexamine ourselves once again. By this opportunity, we realize afresh the way of pursuing knowledge, broaden our horizons, and enhance the connection between us and our homeland. Living right next to the sea, we are long coexisting with ocean. Therefore, we should have more knowledge about the marine ecology and the local feature. Emerging into the community, we have gained much by this project. The marine education at the school would be propagated more effectively with the experience shared by surfer, surfer shop owner and the coach Hsiesh’s instruction. Thus, more swimming class or aquatic activities are going to be bought into the next semester so that more students can be affected by this project.

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

In completing this project, we deeply appreciate the advisor, the students and their parents who have made valuable contribution to this project. More importantly, we would like to convey our appreciation for some respectful person, who voluntarilycontributes their free time and offers us great helps. Mr. Hsieh Yi-Hsuan, Fuxin Elementary School, surfing coach, sacrificing his weekends to teach surfing tuition at Chenggon Elementary School, and further guiding the students surfing at the beach, plays anindispensablerole in this project. In addition, a great tribute to Mr. Juan Wen- Bin, Director of Student Affairs, Donghe Elementary School, gratuitously lends us four surfing boards for practicing, showing all his kindness so that the students can enjoy a professional surfing lesson with an unforgettableexperience. Last, but not least, a special thanks to Professor Shih Neng-Mu, Department of Art Industry, National Taitung University, for instructing students in flash animation during winter vacation, helping the students design the website with better quality.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

In order to achieve this project, we go out of the school, contact with local people in the community, and participate the surfing tuition. As for us, these experiences are tremendous gifts on ourboulevard ofstudy. We have concluded some interesting ideas inspired by this project. (1) Exploration: After interviewing the surfers and the surfing stores, we found that surfing has been prospering in Taitung for a while. Surfers are all around the street in the calm Donghe Township. On the other hand, we also realized that surfing takes guts and sense of equilibrium, which needs long term continual practice to be proficient.

(2) Lessons: In theinterviews, some students are still not courageous enough to ask people question face to face. In documenting the materials, lacking of experience sometimes leads to a disordered condition, costing the precious time. After a discussion in the group, we started to categorize the documents right after the activities and the interview. Then the work had become more efficient.

(3) Amazement: We thought that surfing was purely an aquatic sport. But actually the on-land training turns out to be based on skateboard practicing to develop the sense of equilibrium. Hence, the students in the group all had been through skateboard training and surf board training. Every student did their best to learn from the coach in the water. In spite of immature surfing skills, the fear of water is no longer existed between the students. Rather, they feel very proud of themselves and enjoy the delightful activity very much.

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