CyberFair Project ID: 8309

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International Schools CyberFair Project Narrative
Title: The Singaporean Medley
Category: 6. Historical Landmarks
URL: https://sninfocommwhites.wixsite.com/sninfocomm
Bibliography: https://sninfocommwhites.wixsite.com/sninfocomm/sources

School: CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School
    Singapore, Singapore, Singapore

9 students, ages 15-16 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 7, 2017. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 15 years

Classes and Teachers: Lau Yong Gnee, Choo Teck Chan, Ong Wei Jian

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://chijstnicholasgirls.moe.edu.sg/

Project Overview

1. Description of Our Community

Singapore is merely just a little red dot on the world map but we have a population of approximately 5.7 million people. Singapore, although small, has an increasingly prominent global presence. Our local community is formed on the basis of integration and multiculturalism. Our four intrinsic races are Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasians, which have since expanded into many different races and ethnicities with the increase in immigration flow to Singapore. Our community prides itself in our multiracialism and consists of everyone living together harmoniously, with mutual respect and understanding. Due to the extensive culture in Singapore, we have a rich history and tradition that we serve to uphold and preserve. Despite the extent of diversity present in Singapore, we have a strong sense of belonging to our nation and we are united by our deep-rooted connection to our unique culture and history. Racial harmony and social cohesion is vital and essential in building and bridging the various aspects of our community and in achieving one people, one Singapore.

2. Summary of Our Project

We share the culture of our young nation as we explore the different locations in Singapore, relishing in the bonds between the races and the roots of rich heritage. Singapore has developed rapidly and the sights featured are representative of the different races that we have collated so that our elders can recollect their memories and the youths may appreciate the past that has shaped their present. We believe that by understanding more about our historical and heritage sites, we can understand more about the culture and racial diversity in Singapore, uniting us as one people, one Singapore. The information is provided in an pleasing layout which includes parallax scrolling to enhance the user experience and make the site easier to navigate.

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:2-3

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

We encountered several problems throughout the course of completing this project. Firstly, as most of the students had very little time outside of school and had conflicting schedules, we had to squeeze in extra-curriculum time in order to complete the project. We experienced difficulty finding time to meet up and gather original photos of the heritage sites, before editing them and uploading them to our internet domain. Each file and text was hand-crafted and moulded by our members to maintain originality. However, it was due to our persistent efforts that we take pride in the website we created and our satisfaction was even greater when looking at our finished product.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

This Cyberfair project has raised our awareness on the different historical landmarks in Singapore and allowed us to appreciate the rich history of the diverse cultural society in Singapore. .

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

We incorporated many 21st century skills such as research, analytical and problem-solving skills to synthesize and authenticize our website, persevering as we worked together to set up the domain. We used creativity and curiosity to beautify our site and to present more enriching information. The map featured in our website is thought by our members and each colour represents the different races, united under one sunny island. “Yes I can” - a campaign that was initiated by our school, teaches us about perseverance and commitment. It encouraged us to step up and participate in this competition, giving us motivation to continue with our work. Through this, we were willing to contribute so much more as well as perform our best in the long run.

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Project Elements

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

The use of a variety of tools and technologies readily available to us has helped us make this project a successful one. Each of our members are provided with a HP Probook 440 G2, where we carry out most of our activities on. We made use of Google Drive, which allows communication between different users in real time, to share our research information as well as to collate them and share our ideas on a single shared platform. We made use of the world wide web to look for our website content and made references to various websites, which are cited in our bibliography. We used digital cameras as well as our handphones to take the photos found on the website, and used the Adobe Lightroom CC software on an Apple Macbook Pro in order to edit the photos to remove unnecessary details, as well as, to beautify the pictures. As for the building of our website, we made use of Wix as it was readily accessible and has an easy user interface for us to build our website and make it aesthetically pleasing. Through regular use of these tools and technologies, we have familiarised ourselves with them and these skills will no doubt be of help to us in the future.

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

Our project required us to travel around Singapore for long periods of time, and during our tours, we managed to interact with a few of the shop owners and other tourists in the area who took interest in our project. We were able to share our project with not only the people we met on the streets but our classmates and schoolmates as well, allowing us to tell them about Singapore’s little quirks and increase the viewers on our site. We promoted our project during our school assemblies and on our social media platforms, receiving feedback from our schoolmates and netizens.

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

We have raised awareness through fellow students as we provided a platform for students to comment their thoughts and opinions on Singapore’s historical landmarks. Through our website, they could be exposed to secondary data of the heritage sites we had collected and compiled as well as the pictures that we have taken. An member of the public will be able to understand more about the history and culture of the different places that we have visited and researched on through our site, while relating it to the theme, “Understand & Unite”. This will allow them to understand the importance of understanding and appreciating their culture, uniting as one country, one nation.

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

As we promoted our site, we were able to gather feedback and advice on how to improve the interactive functions of our site and the aesthetics that the locals would have liked to see. We were therefore able to edit and upgrade the website to make it more engaging. Hence, we would like to thank the local store owners as well as the friends and family who took time out of their day to view our website and leave their comments, especially those who gave us support during our fine-tuning process.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

On 31st January 2017, our group of 9 members went on an excursion to different heritage places in Singapore to photograph and document places such as Little India, Kampong Glam, CHIJMES, Fort Canning Park, Tiong Bahru and Haw Par Villa. About half of us visited Tiong Bahru, Fort Canning Park and Haw Par Villa. Tiong Bahru incorporates both modern and timeworn designs in its infrastructure, consisting of cafes, Tiong Bahru wet market, a hawker centre and many shop houses. The cafes add a modern touch to Tiong Bahru. We chanced upon a traditional lion dance customs at a Chinese temple. Illustrations on the walls of buildings create a more intimate and lively atmosphere. Eerie and intriguing sculptures can be found in Haw Par Villa that depict Chinese folklore. One of the attractions that we found the most interesting was the Ten Courts of Hell. It depicts how the sinners are punished in Hell, inciting both fear and fascination in those who come by. The other half headed off to Little India where we were greeted by colourful buildings, strong fragrances and characteristic shops featuring beautiful traditional Indian wear, accessories and food. Artistic pieces and structures could be spotted as we walked along the little roads. Little India is a visibly popular tourist spot, we also found the vibrant umbrella trees inspired by Little India’s rich history and culture. Kampong Glam surprised us with the bountiful modern shop houses and cafes as many locals and foreigners alike enjoyed the traditional foods. CHIJMES had been transformed into a 21st century complex. Geometric patterns and architecture added authenticity to the area. As observed, many locations have changed over the years, developing to engage visitors. There are many secrets and unknown places in Singapore that are rich in culture that even we Singaporeans have yet to discover. Hence, we must take the initiative to raise awareness of these amazingly beautiful places to allow more people enjoy and appreciate

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