School: Fang Yuan Junior High School
    Changhua, Taiwan, Taiwan

10 students, ages 13~15 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 10, 2017. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2014

Classes and Teachers: Lin PeiChun

E-Mail contact:

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

1. Description of Our Community

As the second largest township of Changhua County, Fangyuan Township (its old name is “Fanzaiwa”) is situated in the southwest corner of Changhua County and faces Taiwan Strait to the west. Fangyuan Township has the rich coastal ecological resources, traditional fishing village and 3-section courtyard settlement. Aquaculture industry is the more developed industry in Fangyuan and it is also the only region where cattle cart is used to carry oyster in Taiwan. Fangyuan intertidal zone has the rich ecological resources and it is also the habitat of migratory birds. During the falling tide, the length of intertidal zone can reach 6km and diversified natural ecology and human landscape are the greatest wealth in this place.

2. Summary of Our Project

Cyberfair project mainly introduces the sightseeing, ecology and humanities in southwestern coast of Fangyuan Township while the principal line of special topic focuses on the introduction about Fangyuan intertidal zone, so that everyone can have a better understanding of the ecosystems in Fangyuan intertidal zone; meanwhile more tourists who like being close to nature are attracted to come to Fangyuan intertidal zone, experience various ecological activities and get acquainted with marine organism; then the principal line is extended from intertidal zone to sightseeing and humanities, from oysters to oyster farmers, sea cattle cart and traditional fishing village settlement, which is an example where ecology is extended to sightseeing and humanities. The local ecological resources and humanist feature are combined to make the outsiders pay attention to the little fishing village -- Fangyuan. It can not only promote the environmental awareness to protect sea but also attract tourists to experience the special culture and scenery in the southwestern coast of Changhua and drive the local economic development of Fangyuan.

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:more than 6

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

60% among our members can access internet through computers and mobile phones at home. Downloading speed of internet is 20MB. Classrooms of the school are based on exclusive line of academic network and downloading speed can reach 100MB. The school is installed with Wireless Access Point for internet use of Notebook Computers. Downloading speed of network is 80MB.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

1. It was difficult to arrange project research and manufacturing time. We discussed about the time when everyone could participate in and decided to develop more efficient work division within limited time. 2.Information could not be transmitted immediately. We exchanged information and sent the files by Facebook and email. 3. We lacked project experience and thus we consulted the instructor, studied other awarded works and introduction of Cyberfair website on line and clarified the framework and objective of the whole Cyberfair project. 4. The members’ levels were extremely different in terms of web page making and web page writing. We consulted the instructor to teach us regarding web page making and the classmates with better writing competence assisted with those with inferior competence. 5. We had language gap when interviewing local grand elderly. The members who spoke Taiwanese were in charge of the interview. The members who could not understand them would rely on the teacher’s translation or discussion with the companions.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

Students, with their little efforts, integrate the school and tourism resources of the community to disclose the beauty of Fangyuan to people around the world.

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

Fang Yuan Junior High School is a coastal little school. There are rich marine ecological resources in the surrounding. School-based curriculum is marine education. We include the themes related to sea area of Fangyuan in the curriculum, including human history, traditional culture, ecological resources of intertidal zone, life of oyster farmers, traditional building and local characteristics. In Cyberfair project, we learned the spirit of team work, competence to use information technology, skill of interview, capacity to collect information and sympathy. In the groups, we learned to be more modest, we helped and communicated with each other, endured hardships in order to accomplish Cyberfair project, contribute to the area and make efforts for the goals. We normally study in school and what we have learned is the knowledge in textbooks. We are ignorant about the community even though we live in this place. By making this Cyberfair project, we absorbed more precious life experience of local grand elderly, investigated and obtained more complete tourism resources of community and strengthened emotional exchange with community residents. We transformed the research content in Cyberfair project into briefing and designed the activity as the guide tour in and out of the school. In this Cyberfair project, we practiced web conference, file transmission and organization and data collection. Thus, the whole Cyberfair project manufacturing became more efficient and more convenient with more diverse information.

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

School facilities we employed included 10 Desktop Computers, 1 Notebook Computer, 2 telephones, 2 cameras, 1 recorder, and 1 scanner. The members’ personal devices were 5 mobile phones, 1 cameras and 5 Desktop Computers. We applied these devices to the contact before interview, photo and recording in the interview, scan of the members’ hand drawing and photos of all sites. By computers and Notebook Computers, we reorganized research data and made web page of Cyberfair project. By Photoscape, Photoimpact, Microsoft Word and Dreamweaver, data were reorganized. During the period of Cyberfair project, we have visited the library and township office of Fangyuan Township and conducted numerous interviews. The cameras allowed us to record each interview. The attractive landscapes and characteristics of Fangyuan were the most important tools. The interviews were the most precious since we could directly perceive everyone’s strong affection and value of Fangyuan and they provided us with critical historical data.

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

In Cyberfair project, we contacted all people in the community personally. We walked everywhere in the community and invited all oyster farmers and residents we encountered to participate in the interview. We told the grandparents that we would introduce the beauty of Fangyuan to others. In the visits, since almost all oyster farmers were local grand elderly and some classmates could not speak Taiwanese fluently, the community was difficult. As to the photos, the grandparents were lovely and they were too shy to be taken by photos. We kept encouraging them and finally they were willing to take the pictures. It was rather to listen to the precious memory in life recalled by the grandparents than an interview. When visiting the trip of sea cattle courier station, we obtained the experience of the tour freely and the first-hand experience from the tourists. After sharing the research of Cyberfair project in Changhua Fisheries Association, we were invited to perform in ecological experience activity of southwest corner of Changhua Fisheries Association. The content of performance included human customs and the nature of Fangyuan. Our performance was applauded by local residents. After interviewing the painter Ping-chen Chen, we became good friends with him. When we were tired during the visit, we took a cup of tea in the artist’s studio. In the Cyberfair project, the most touching point was that we walked through everywhere in the community, including the neighboring elementary school, office of township, library, water culture farms, intertidal zone, lanes in the village, temples and characteristic snacks. We were assisted by many people and perceived strong human kindness.

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

In Cyberfair project, we collected all tourist resources and related introduction in Fangyuan District and allowed local residents to approach their hometown, recognized rich ecology in intertidal zone and further protect natural landscape and humanity of Fangyuan and enhance local students’ intention to work in hometown. We placed Cyberfair project on the web page and facebook of the school for the visit of the parents and community residents. In the interview, we realized that the grandparents were too old to use information technology and local government did not pay attention to the point. Thus, we integrated and transformed the complete tourist resources of Fangyuan District into web page on the online platform. At present, the tourists are increasing and people fond of ecology and photography visit Fangyuan. In addition, many elementary school students experience the nature in Fangyuan intertidal zone.

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

We appreciate all residents in Fangyuan District. As long as we informed them of the making of Cyberfair project which introduced Fangyuan, they always stopped the work to assist with us friendly. We appreciate Teacher Ching-hai Cheng and Teacher Peng-lin Huang, EIET team of Taiwan Nature Research Society of Taichung, who taught us about ecological knowledge and architectural style of three-section courtyard. Thanks to the team of sea cattle courier station which allowed us to completely participate in the tour of intertidal zone. It was a wonderful experience! We appreciate the painter Ping-chen Chen who told us the direction of tourism in Fangyuan and who encouraged us. Thanks to the manager of Fan Wa Farm who not only introduced the cultivation of water culture vegetables, but also described the context of tourism development in Fangyuan. We thus re-learned Fangyuan and even made contact with Professor Chia-yang Tsai of Providence University who guided us to take the aerial photograph of Fangyuan intertidal zone. On that day, due to the great wind, aerial photograph vehicle fell and was broken after taking several photos. We felt sorry to the professor and the photos were thus more precious. We appreciate Fu-hsiang Hung who shared his life of sea cattle and it was a touching and inspiring story. Many thanks to Fangyuan Township Office, Fangyuan Township library and Fang Yuan Elementary School which provided many references with historical value.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

At the beginning of the Cyberfair project, we have thought that the tourist resources in Fangyuan District were insufficient. Nevertheless, with continuous visits, interview and after reorganizing data, we recognize many historical buildings and facilities in Fangyuan District. There are natural ecology and attractive landscape, simple customs of fishing village and sea cattle culture which do not exist in other places. Hence, we further cherish the primitive tourist resources. By making Cyberfair project, we obtain more the tourism characteristics of Fangyuan District. Thus, now we tend to play the roles as the little guides of Fangyuan in school and we invite the visitors to walk in the fishing village and experience oyster farmers’ lives in Fangyuan and to search for 12 wells. We take the elementary school students to experience ecology of intertidal zone and introduce Putian Temple to the visitors. Originally we thought that we were the students and could not contribute to our hometown. However, after participating in Cyberfair project, we realize that we can expose the hometown and promote tourism by information technology competence and thus the efforts are worthy.