School: Taipei Municipal Wuxing Elementary School
    Taipei , , Taiwan

9 students, ages 9-12 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on February 27, 2016. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2012,2013,2014,2015,

Classes and Teachers: Sue-Ching Li, Yinwen Chen, and Chefu Wang

E-Mail contact:

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

1. Description of Our Community

Wuxing Elementary School is located in Xinyi District, Taipei City. Buskers’ street performances are often seen in the nearby Xinyi shopping district. In addition, the Bureau of Cultural Affairs, Taipei City Government, which is in charge of buskers in Taipei, is close to our school as well. We can also take the MRT extending in all directions to visit the buskers all over Taipei.

2. Summary of Our Project

Wuxing Elementary School is near Xinyi shopping district, where we can often see a lot of buskers doing their street performances on weekends and holidays. We would like to know how to be a busker, and the joys and sorrows of buskers. In addition to visiting the Bureau of Cultural Affairs, we also interviewed street performers and audiences for in-depth understanding of busker performances.

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:1

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:1

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

The classrooms in our school are connected to the Internet using optical fiber, and there is a virtual host in the computer lab. Teachers can set each student computer desktop to the default operating environment to cooperate with the learning schedule before class in order to make students learn more efficiently. Currently, wireless networks are built through our school in order to help students use the tablet computers for action learning.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

The biggest problem we had was that buskers usually appear in the streets only on holidays, but most of our free time was in the afternoon on Wednesdays. Therefore, it was difficult for us to find the time when each of our team members was available to do the interviews with the buskers. Besides, time had been precious for the buskers as well, especially on holidays. To avoid disturbing the buskers’ performances, the best thing we could do was to have their consent and did very brief interviews, and then we invited the buskers to reply our main questions in details by e-mail.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

The buskers’ enthusiasm and dedication toward their performances and careers are definitely a way of loving life.

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

Fields of the Nine-Year Integrated Curriculums The Combination On the Field of Language Arts Our abilities of listening, speaking, reading and writing were enhanced through the process of interviews. On the Field of Mathematics We gained practical experience about measurement for the range of the performance venues. On the Field of Integrative Activities We got a better understanding of the experience and internal struggle of the buskers who have been pursuing their dreams. On the Field of Arts and Humanities We learned to appreciate the beauty of art through street performances such as dancing, painting, and the music played by the buskers. On the Field of Health and Physical Education When we walked from our school to visit and interview the buskers in the shopping district, we felt physically and mentally refreshed. We also saw wonderful folk sports such as diabolo stunts. On the Field of Science and Technology We learned how the sugar-blowing and sugar-painting buskers used the physical characteristics of sugar in their creation of art.

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

We use digital cameras, cellphones, computer programs, such as web design, illustration, video and audio, also the office programs. Library, books and newspapers, also the interview on the spot are also applied. Of course, the online resource plays the main role in our research project. Our website is mostly designed in Dreamweaver. We edited our pictures through the Painter, PhotoCap6.0, and Microsoft Office Picture Manager. And the videos were edited in the Windows Live Movie Maker. It is truly more efficient to use online learning programs than the traditional way. Because the first step of all our interviews starts from the internet communication. Without internet, we would not find so many interview targets.

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

We would like to introduce the buskers in Taipei to everyone, and hope you have the opportunity to see their wonderful performances.

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

We don’t need to reach far away for buskers. There are many good buskers around waiting for us to see.

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

In order to reduce the burden of taking repeated examinations around the country, we suggest that the exams should be unified as one, so the buskers can work even harder to prepare for their own performances rather than spending time, effort and money travelling around just for those repeated exams. Currently, the buskers’ performing activities are just like accessories of department stores or commercial areas, and most of the audience consists of shopping tourists and passers-by who unexpectedly see the performances there. Relatively fewer people come specially to see their performances. However, most buskers still have to perform at these shopping districts or downtown squares to make a living. Therefore, to enhance local art and culture, we suggest that the authorities concerned should gather these excellent buskers by planning special areas for them to do their performances, just like the SOHO in the U.S. or the Montmartre artists ' enclave in France. These special areas will not only attract a lot of street art show visitors, but also enhance the professionalism of busker performances through mutual emulating , and also allow distinguished cultural feature of busker performances shine in Taipei City.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

All photographs, video and audio recordings were put on our web page with consent from the buskers. As for the references cited from related websites and bibliography, the sources of information were clearly and obviously indicated as well.