CyberFair Project ID: 7921

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International Schools CyberFair Project Narrative
Title: Community Leader-Mr. Lian-fa Lin
Category: 1. Local Leaders
URL: http://librarywork.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2015/gsh7921/index.htm
Bibliography: http://librarywork.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2015/gsh7921/narrative.htm

School: Chang Tai Junior High School
    Changhua City, Changhua County, Taiwan, Taiwan

10 students, ages 12-15 years old worked together to complete this CyberFair project on January 23, 2015. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2014

Classes and Teachers: Che-wei Lin,Chun-hsiang Huang,Teng-yi Wang,Che-yuan Hsu,Ting-jou Hu,Tzu-jung Huang,Yi-ru Wu,Yi-hui Chiu,Chih-ling Yu,Chiao-chun Wang,Li-li Hsieh,Hui-fen Cho,Chih-feng Wang

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.ctsjh.chc.edu.tw/

Project Overview

1. Description of Our Community

Chungchuan Neighborhood is located at the northwestern tip of Changhua city, Changhua County, in central Taiwan. It has a total of 16 vicinities, approximately 1,260 households and 4,050 residents. Chungchuan Neighborhood was previously a quiet place. However, everything changed after Mr. Lian-fa Lin took over the position as the neighborhood chief in 2007. Community parks have been built in the town center where land price is high. The community has been mobilized with the establishment of a team of volunteer workers. As a result, Chungchuan Neighborhood has become one of the best communities in Changhua City. In 2011, it received the award from the Ministry of the Interior for its outstanding performance in community development. Source: Mr. Lian-fa Lin, Taiwan Community Platform: Chungchuan Neighborhood, Changhua City, Changhua Count http://sixstar.moc.gov.tw/blog/jang/mapGuideAction.do?method=doCommunityMap

2. Summary of Our Project

Chang Tai Junior High School serves a catchment area of 14 neighborhoods, including Chungchuan Neighborhood. The parks in Chungchuan Neighborhood are the hangout place for students after classes or over holidays. They play basketball or organize evening gatherings here. We have noticed Chungchuan Neighborhood’s achievement in the creation of a clean and green environment. Residents share a strong solidarity. We were curious why this has been the case so we contacted the person who drives the pro.

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:2-3

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:2-3

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

1.A lack of info in relation to Cyberfair:Inability to obtain the info such as webpage productionand game rules of Cyberfair. Solutions:Teachers organized Cyberfair workshops to gather interested students and parents and provided detailed explanations.

2.Design ofInterviewQuestions:Numerous interviews conducted to gain a thorough and comprehensive understandingof Mr. Lin; difficulty in coming up with bespoke interview questions. Solutions:We drafted interview questionsunder the instruction and editingfrom teachers, who ensured thatwe covered all the grounds.

3.Invitationto interviewees:Interviewees includingMr. Lin, Mayor, Deputy Speaker of ChanghuaCounty Parliament, Wuchuan Neighbourhood Chief, residentsand volunteer workers. Necessary to accommodatethe schedule of interviewees. Solutions:The top priority was to decideon the structure of theCyberfair project. Ideally, Interviews should have been scheduled for summer vacation. Teachers coordinated withInterviewees for schedule planning.

4.Task allocations:If the same person onlydoes the same task, it will notbe fair because loadings are different from one task to another. Solutions:We rotated between different tasks.Everybody got to do the same taskeventually.

5.Webpage design:On our own, we were unable to resolve technical issues inwebpage design and production. Solutions:We tried to find relevant booksor searched for online resourcesto resolve problems. In addition,we asked teachers for help when there was no class each Thursdayafternoon.

6.Schedule planning:We all had different activities after school. It was not easy to coordinate and agree on the schedule. Solutions:We developed a master schedule for the project in advance so that we could plan our individual learning activities or ask for school leaves accordingly. We discussed on Facebook for issues in relation to data collection. We also asked our teachers for support and ideas.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

Chang Tai Junior High School serves a catchment area of 14 neighborhoods, including Chungchuan Neighborhood. The parks in Chungchuan Neighborhood are the hangout place for students after classes or over holidays. They play basketball or organize evening gatherings here. We have noticed Chungchuan Neighborhood’s achievement in the creation of a clean and green environment. Residents share a strong solidarity. We were curious why this has been the case so we contacted the person who drives the pro.

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

Language: Questionnaire design, interview question preps, transcription of interview notes, research logs for Cyberfair project and writing about our findings all require language skills. We all saw a massive improvement in writing.

Mathematics: Data collation and statistical analysis on the questionnaire survey require mathematic knowledge and expertise.

Society: We interviewed Major and Deputy Speaker of Changhua County Parliament. We also visited Changhua City Office, Changhua County Parliament and Neighbourhood Chief’s Offices. All these experiences help us to understand better the administration organization and structure of local governments.

Various activities: We became confident to speak with complete strangers and self-assured when dealing with others, through our interviews and questionnaire survey. We also learned about the meaning, functions and values of communities. Team members discussed, researched together and came to consensus throughout the Cyberfair project. We cooperated with each other to overcome difficulties. We worked together seamlessly to achieve our common goal!

Art & Culture: We learned how to use a camera to gather information. We acquired knowledge and built up skills in webpage production. We also developed a good aesthetic sense when we tried to make our webpages lively and attractive.

The tone of our speech, the expression on our faces and the language of our bodies all conveyed our sincerity and best intention to our interviewees. We developed the manners and communication skills required when interacting with others. We also learned how to present a good etiquette.

Computer and information technology: We learned how to use computer software to produce webpage and edit pictures. We used FLASH, Word, Excel, Power Point to complete our webpages.

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Project Elements

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

Computer hardware: Desktops,Laptops,Printers:Data gathering online, journal editing, reporting writing, webpage production, checking of printouts, printing of notifications, questionnaires and interview questions Flash:Animation production

Software: Free software: Text editing: Notepad:Writing and editing of Cyberfair project reports

Photo editing: PhotoCap, PhotoScape, Little Painter:Production and editing of photos and pictures

Browsing: Google Chrome31,32 , Internet Explorer8,9,10 , Firefox24,26:Web browsing

Licensed software: Microsoft Office Word2010,2003 , Microsoft Office Excel 2010,2003 , Microsoft Office Power Point2010,2003:Writing and editing of Cyberfair project reports,Statistical analysis of questionnaire results,Production and editing of photos and pictures

Microsoft Office Picture Manager,Photoimpact12,x3:Production and editing of photos and pictures

Adobe Dreamweaver CS6:Production and editing of webpages

Flash:Namo FreeMotion 2006,Photo Slideshow Maker Platinum:Animation production

WinRar,7-Zip:Opening of compressed files

Devices & tools: Telephones,mobile phones,and e-mails:Contacts with Mr. Lin, interviewees, team members, teachers and parents Cameras and tripods:Recording of the interviews and photo taking of various activities to enrich webpage contents Recorder pen:Recording of interview details

Others: Academic papers,blogs,2011 Community Development Evaluation Report by the Ministry of the Interior:Inquiries of data concerning Chungchuan Neighbourhood Questionnaire survey:Understanding of the reputation and opinions locals have for Mr. Lin Visits:Getting to know Mr. Lin from different perspectives Computer classroom at an access speed of 1GB/sec:Venue for us to work on website editing and data compilation Social media Facebook and search engines Yahoo,Google:Contacts with team members and collation of information

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

To collect information regarding Mr. Lin from different sources, we designed 14 questionnaires and issued these questionnaires to 145 respondents in the Cyberfair project. We drafted the interview questions in advance. Each team member designed the questions on a subset of the topics. We reviewed and modified each other’s questions before we presented them to our teachers. Once the questions were confirmed, we rehearsed the interview process. Our teachers provided feedback on our interview skills. As a result, we became better at interviewing others and interviewees were very impressed with the depth of our questions. We developed confidence in ourselves in this process. We felt embarrassed and upset when people declined to take our survey. However, we were not defeated by frustration. We confronted our fear, improved our skills and started again. Community residents gradually acknowledged our efforts and began to support our Cyberfair project. A few months later, questionnaire surveys became a piece of cake for us. We were involved in all the activities in Chungchuan Neighborhood. For example, we joined the volunteer team to clean up the community environment. We visited senior citizens with other volunteer workers. We participated in the curriculum of Chungchuan Learning Center and learned with grandmas, grandpas and children. We felt the dedication from Mr. Lin and the solidarity among residents. This was a valuable experience not available from textbooks.

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

We learned how to get involved in community services and this has broadened our horizon. The smiles from other people made us realize it is a bigger blessing to give than to receive. We can start to get involved now.

We learned from the Cyberfair project that enthusiasm to serve others is the key to community developments. We can effectively enhance the quality of life if services are part of our life philosophy.

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

Principal Ching-shan Wei and Director Hui-wen Wu: Thanks to Principal Ching-shan Wei and Director Hui-wen Wu. Without their great support, we could not have completed the Cyberfair project. We hope to win on the behalf of Chang Tai Junior High School. Teachers: Thanks so much for your instructions. You made sure that we were on schedule and doing our best. You gave us support and encouragement. You answered our questions and provided assistance. Thanks for giving us this learning opportunity. All the experiences will be treasured by us.

Mr.and Mrs. Lian-fa Lin: Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Lian-fa Lin for taking the time to speak with us. They were always happy to provide us with details or information throughout the project.

Volunteer Workers and Local Residents of Chungchuan Neighborhood: Thanks to the volunteer workers for showing us around and allowing us to take part in various events of Chungchuan Neighborhood. Also thanks to the community residents who responded to our questionnaire survey. We got to know Mr. Lin a lot better because of your assistance.

Parents: Thanks to our parents for driving us around to various venues and activities. Thanks for your support and we hope to make you proud.

Interviewees: Thanks to the Mayor, Deputy Speaker, Mrs. Tsai of Wuchuan Neighborhood, Teacher You-mei, Ms. Mei-tsu, Mr. De-yuan, Ms. Ya-yun, Mr. Jing-huan, and residents of Chungchuan Neighborhood. Because of your time to speak with us, we got to know Mr. Lin better.

Team members: Thanks for the great teamwork. This has been an extraordinary journey. All the efforts we have made are now the most treasured part of our lives. We are the best, the Ten Beauty Team!

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

1.Happy teamwork and great achievements: Each team member learned how to express opinions, respect others and take on board different viewpoints. We worked as a team so that we could achieve the best outcomes. Our work was more effective because we helped each other. We realized that team work can overcome many challenges.

2.Life is richer when we help others: We learned from the Cyberfair project that many people are willing to help others. We were just never aware of that because we were too preoccupied with school work. We learned from Neighborhood Chief and volunteer workers that helping others is the true happiness. It enriches our life and fill joys into our heart.

3.'We become better because of our services': We brought back to our school the philosophy of serving others. Enthusiasm helps us to do our jobs well. We also need the right skill sets and use the right methods to achieve efficiency. This is why we always ask our teachers for guidance and learn from the best of our peers. We have improved our competences, problem-solving capabilities and interpersonal relationships. Most important of all, we know that “we become better because of our services”.

4.Where there is a will, there is a way: We were so shy when we first started with the questionnaire survey. We felt upset whenever we received a rejection. However, we didn’t back off. Instead, we sought to improve our interview skills and etiquette. In the end, we received more and more positive feedback. We know that as long as we preserve, we will success. We should never give up easily.

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