 |
|
 |
 |
|
1. Description of Our Community
Luzhou City is situated near the western bank of Tamsui River. Shilin District, Taipei is across the river and to the northeast of Luzhou. Wugu Township is to the west of Luzhou, while Sanchong City is to the southeast, which forms a diamond. Louzhou City's area amounts to 8,321 square kilometers, which is slightly bigger than Yonghe City among the 29 counties, townships, and cities in Taipei County. In the Qing Dynasty, Luzhou Yonglian Temple was renovated and expanded to gradually become the local religious center. During the period of Japanese occupation, a big fair developed in front of Yonglian Temple with businessmen, travelers, and believers passing by in an endless stream. Soup Noodle was also sold in front of the gate of the temple at that time. Today, nearly a hundred years later, Yonglian Temple is lively as before. The several stalls of Soup Noodle have been run by three generations successively. Now, Soup Noodle has become a part of the local snacks of Luzhou.
2. Summary of Our Project
Our school is located near the business district of Luzhou Yonglian Temple, surrounded by shops of Soup Noodle which are always full of customers at mealtime. And we have grown up eating Soup Noodle. The warm greeting by the owners, good scents of noodles, and antique flavor of appetizer dishes mingled together to form the taste of our childhood. This is the common memory of Luzhou residents, so we planned to study Luzhou Soup Noodle, write its stories, and share them with friends all over the world.We carried out our study and promotion of the cultural delicacy of Soup Noodle by collection of data, interviews, field surveys, promotion, questionnaires, and experience. Through activities, we hoped that we could better understand the relationship between the culture of Soup Noodle and the history of Luzhou. Besides, we participated to experience how to make noodles in person and took specific actions to promote the traditional delicacy. Therefore, we have deeper understanding of Luzhou and hold the wisdom of our ancestors in awe and veneration.
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:4-6
E. Additional comments concerning your computer and/or Internet access (Optional):
Our school boasts complete information equipment. Each classroom has a computer. There are four computer rooms and an information center in the library with a 100MB fiber optic network. The host computer room is equipped with Window 2003 and several Linux servers. Our team members have computers at the home mostly connected to a broadband or fiber-optic network to communicate via our school blog, hard disk, email, and so on.
4. Problems We Had To Overcome
Challenge 1: Difficulty to balance between schoolwork and the CyberFair project Before the implementation of each task, our team members must make a task plan. And then visit here and there in their spare time after school. For the activities of promotion, they must make posts and props during each noon break and often stayed up till midnight to write journals. Therefore, it was our biggest headache to complete the schoolwork as well as the CyberFair project. Fortunately, our instructors used their noon breaks to guide us how to prepare interview manuscripts and how to write a good journal effectively. Finally, all the seven members of our team had not lagged behind in our schoolwork due to the CyberFair project. Moreover, we learned how to schedule our time more efficiently. Challenge 2: Limited capabilities of interview and research Since a child, the way of learning for us was to sit and listened to the explanation of all kinds of knowledge by our teachers in a systematic manner. However, for this project, we must search data by ourselves, take the initiative to interview scholars and professionals, and summarize interview manuscripts, which was totally fresh to us. Fortunately, our instructors offered us tips on interviews before the interviews, reminded us constantly the do's and don'ts during the interviews, and taught us patiently how to summarize and simplify piles of interview recordings. Through the project, my biggest gain was that I learned how to make an interview and summarize an interview manuscript. Challenge 3: Too much data, requiring a strong ability of integration and summarization From September last year, the seven members of our team started to conduct the activities related to the CyberFair project, including 5 off-campus interviews, 2 firsthand experiences, and various promotional activities. For the past five months, each interview and activity generated mountains of text data and other information, which we incessant grumbled at. …
5. Our Project Sound Bite
The five-month CyberFair project was about to end. No matter what the results are, I would always believe that our team is the best. During this time, we divided tasks, cooperated and supported with each other, and gave full play of each other's strengths. I realized that as long as a team could unit together, there would be no impossible missions. During our activities, we made acquaintance with many who devoted themselves to Luzhou, served the place by working diligently at work, and contributed to the inheritance of the culture of Luzhou. Through the interviews with them, we had deeper understanding of Luzhou and hoped to contribute to our hometown in the future as well.
6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?
From the beginning of the project, the students of our team must read a lot of articles on the Internet to look for the information related to Luzhou Soup Noodle. During their interviews with local gentry and the noodle shop owners, they not only practiced their oral expression ability, but also needed to summarize the information conveyed by the interviewees systematically, which greatly practiced their listening skills and the ability to summarize data. After each activity, they must write journals on the process of the activity, their experiences and feelings. Thus, their writing skills gradually enhanced. The students had improved their skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing of Chinese required by Grade 1-9 Curriculums through this project.
Grade 1-9 Curriculum puts 20% of flexible classes in the hands of schools. Lu Chiang Elementary School has been participating in CyberFair for over 10 years. Each project completed was shown on the school website for the teachers and students to use. It has almost become one of the highlights of school-based curriculum management. This kind of CyberFair project is a very suitable activity for students and teachers to participate in together. In this project, we can demonstrate our local cultures in diverse ways and arouse students’ interest in learning through lively activities. We led the students into the communities to observe. We also led residents in the communities into schools to join in the activities and help the students to learn and grow up. When we saw the enthusiasm and energy of participating students, we knew this kind of curriculum was very worth advocating and promoting.
|
|
 |
 |
1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?
Recorder pen:Recording. Internet:Searching for relevant data, email delivery, and transmission of files. Digital camera:Taking photos at the scenes of a variety of activities. Digital camcorder:Recording of promotional activities, interviews with the noodle shop owners, Mr. Lian-fu Yang's speech, an interview with Yueh-e Li Weng, the City Councilor, field surveys, and so on. Printer and poster machines:Printing of data, large posters, and the questionnaire to customers. Internet & Email:Search for information, communicate, hand in the interview records. USB Drive:Storage of the data related to the CyberFair project. Computer software:Dreamweaver—production of web pages, PhotoImpact—image processing, PowerDirector—production of films, Microsoft Word—journals, Google Map—production of the map of delicacies.
2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.
Through various promotional activities, we made more people including our schoolmates aware of the stories about Luzhou Soup Noodle and its role in the fair culture in front of a Luzhou temple. Also, through a questionnaire survey, we promoted Soup Noodle, our local delicacy, to the customers who come to the noodle shops. We served not only as researchers, but also 'ambassadors' of our local culture. In the past five months, we had the following specific practices: (1) The Achievements Presentation of Associations of our school When it comes to the end of each academic year, our school will hold a grand Achievements Presentation of Associations to allow each association to present their achievements of the whole year on the Student Activity Center on the fifth floor. All the students from grade one to six will visit each booth under the guidance of their teachers. We seized the opportunity to introduce the origin of Luzhou Soup Noodle by serving as an 'ambassadors' of research plan and posted our research results for the convenience of explanation. Our activity received high praise from all the students and faculties of our school who believed that we led them through a profound journal to our local culture. (2) Announcers We compiled the history and the culture of Luzhou Soup Noodle into a lively radio drama with interesting and funny content and broadcasted it during lunch time as a type of edutainment. (3) Promotion in the classroom We made posters and props and advocate the culture of Soup Noodle in the classroom to carry out interaction with our schoolmates. We also invited them to participate in activities via learning sheets. During holidays, they could go and taste the delicious Soup Noodle in those old shops where they could observe well the working conditions and surrounding environment of the noodle shops. (4) Production of the Map of Delicacies Through visits and Google Map, we marked several famous Soup Noodle shops on our map of local …
3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?
Impact on us: The five-month CyberFair project, for us, was a brand-new learning experience. All the outputs of knowledge were obtained through our own efforts, including data collection, interviews, field surveys, promotional activities, and so on which was greatly different from the way of sitting in the classroom and listening to the teachers' explanation. In the past five months, I learned how to cooperate with my teammates, collect massive data, write journals, conduct an interview, and deliver a speech. It was an unforgettable experience. Besides, our understanding of Luzhou was deepened gradually during our interviews and visits. We also became aware of the efforts and devotion by many to the place. “Luzhou” is no only a name of my hometown. Rather, it becomes an imprinting of my acknowledgement of my hometown. Maybe several years later, due to study or work, I will leave my hometown and head for faraway places. But whenever I eat Soup Noodle, the taste will appear in my mind once more with my memory of primary school and my nostalgia. Impact on the local: 5. We participated in Soup Noodle Festival and interviewed Ms. Yueh-e Li Weng, the City Councilor and driving force behind Soup Noodle Festival in person. During our interview, we repeatedly expressed our hope if Ms. Li Weng again could promote Luzhou Soup Noodle again and help the shop owners find new creative power, and good publicity media. We hoped that Soup Noodle would be more than a traditional delicacy. It should combine with new cooking methods and be transformed in a diversified and refined manner so as to make it a feature of Luzhou and one of the representative of Taiwanese foods.
4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?
We'd like to extend our thanks to the following people for their contribution to this CyberFair project: 1. We'd like to thank the shopkeepers of Asan Noodle Shop and Damiaokou Noodle Shop who told us the history of Soup Noodle and their own experiences. 2. We are grateful to Ms. Yueh-e Li Weng, the City Councilor, who explained how to promote Soup Noodle to the entire Taiwanese market and facilitate Soup Noodle Festival. 3. We are grateful to Mr. Lian-fu Yang who elaborated the development of the fair culture in front of Luzhou Yonglian Temple and evaluation of Luzhou Soup Noodle. 4. We'd like to thank Teacher Chia-rong Li and Teacher Yao-yen Yang who helped the students to participate in and complete successfully this CyberFair project. 5. Thank Chun-sheng Chen, the Principal of Lu Jiang Elementary School, for the support and encouragement. Thank, Li-chen Lu, the Director, Ming-gui Tsai, the Supervisor, and the staff of the Educational Affairs Division for solving many administrative affairs for us and problems, answering our questions on some information, and providing guidance to our research topic. Moreover, we'd like to thank all the students, faculties, and other administrative groups for all their support to this project.
5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)
(1) Our biggest discovery: Along with the implementation of the activities related to this CyberFair project, we found that a seemingly simple bowl of Soup Noodle contained the wisdom of our ancestors and the insistence of quality ingredients. As our life becomes increasingly modernized and internationalized, it becomes more and more difficult and important to preserve the traditional snacks of Taiwan in face of the impact of many foreign food cultures. The participation in the CyberFair project enhanced my respect to the shop owners who stuck to the traditional taste of Soup Noodle. We hoped that, through our reports and research, we could help pass down and carry forward the traditional Luzhou culture of Soup Noodle. (2) Our biggest lesson: The biggest difficulty we met during the CyberFair project was about the interviews of the noodle shop owners. Due to the insufficient communication in advance with them, their low willingness to accept the interviews, or failure to appoint the time of interview, we failed to carry out some of the interviews and thus lost many valuable data. In addition, due to personal reasons, some team members failed to attend our team meetings for common research and discussion. We realized in the end that teamwork was a must for its success. It was necessary to sacrifice one's own time for a team. Moreover, before the making of an activity schedule, we should make good contacts and communication in advance, express clearly the topic and key points of our research to the respondents, and appoint interview time so as not to delay the schedule. (3)surprise: The culture of Soup Noodle implies the culture of traditional Taiwanese snacks and the food culture of the common people. A bowl of Soup Noodle contains the efforts and devotion of many people. While eating the noodle, we should not only thank our ancestors for their contribution to our hometown, but also inherit and carry forward their persistence and enthusiasm to good things.
|
|
 |
 |
|
 |
View our CyberFair Project
(Project ID: 8144)
|
