CyberFair Project ID: 8405

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International Schools CyberFair Project Narrative
Title: A Disappearing Traditional Craftsmanship-Heartwarming bronze scoops
Category: 4. Local Specialties
URL: http://librarywork.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2018/gsh8405/index.htm
Bibliography: http://librarywork.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2018/gsh8405/narrative.htm

School: Chang-an Junior High
    Changhua, Taiwan, R.O.C

10 students, ages 14-15 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 5, 2018. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2013, 2016, 2017

Classes and Teachers: Jui-wen Kuo, Hui-chin Wu, Kuo-ching Lin

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.cajh.chc.edu.tw/xoops/htdocs/index.php

Project Overview

1. Description of Our Community

Our local community is Huatan Township, Changhua City. According to the interview, many craftsmen engaged in bronze scoop making in Huatan Township in early days and most of the bronze scoops that can be found in the second-hand markets today were made in Changhua. But due to the social development and the change of the industrial structure, bronze scoops have been vastly replaced by the galvanized iron scoops made by machines. Consequently, many craftsmen shifted to other industries. For the past two decades, only Mr. You-hsin Huang in Huatan Township has been making bronze scoops across Taiwan. Therefore, our Cyberfair project aims to discuss the bronze scoop, an important craftsmanship in Huatan Township, according to the stories about Mr. Huang and relevant information.

2. Summary of Our Project

People would buy ice cream on hot summer days. But do you know what tool can bring us a perfect and attractive ice cream ball? The answer is bronze scoop! The theme of our Cyberfair Scoop is “bronze scoop”. Aside from becoming acquainted with bronze scoop through online news and media, we visited some professionals and the stores which used bronze scoop to get a deeper understanding of the gadget. After obtaining some knowledge of bronze scoop, we held an exhibition on campus to introduce bronze scoop to both teachers and students. Ultimately, we publicize the traditional craftsmanship through web page.

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:4-6

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:more than 6

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

Some students often failed to finish their tasks on time; worse still, they had their work done by others. As a result, there was embarrassment among the students. The labor was divided according to capability. Those good at drawing were asked to draw. Those not good at drawing were asked to do paperwork. Those not good at drawing or paperwork were asked to move the display board and do some chores. It often occurred that only 10% of the tasks arranged a week before were finished; consequently, the implementation of tasks was much slower than expected. The students had to work overtime in the library during the morning self-learning hours and the noon breaks. The submitted documents and orientation articles were often rejected and were constantly revised, which further slowed down the implementation of the tasks. We had to turn to the Chinese teacher to revise the problematic sentences. As it was the first time for us to make web page and we had only a little experience in this aspect, the result was far from our expectation. The computer teacher taught us how to make web pages. We could turn to the teacher for help in case of any problem. We were too afraid to interview strangers and thus chose to avoid it. Close friends and parents were invited for the companionship, and d the interview questions were prepared in advance to prevent the problem of being too nervous to speak.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

What the Cyberfair project cost the most was time. It took us three semesters to finish the project. Aside from the time for student associations, we asked for a leave during the orientation period to introduce the project to other classes. Moreover, we visited different places in vacation. Apart from time, we made enormous efforts in the project. Therefore, it was really a great project. Thanks to our endeavor, we have deepened our understanding of the industry and became aware of commitment and teamwork through the career life of Grandpa Huang. Although the cooperation among the group members was not a perfect one, finishing a task together brought us a strong sense of achievement. Most importantly, we finally completed the Cyberfair project.

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

Language: The document writing was a test on writing skills. We greatly polished our writing through the revisions. Nature: We came to know the different materials for scoop making, including bronze, galvanized iron and zinc, as well as the physio-chemical principles of the making and maintenance of bronze scoops. Social: We came to know the industry and its historical development. Also, we became aware of the bitter-and-sweet aspects of different industries. Arts and humanities: The design of the poster and the web pages and the spatial location of the display boards. Information and life technology subject: In the web page making, a group was established on Facebook. All the assignments were submitted online, and it was very convenient to share information through the platform. Moreover, the message of Facebook was adopted to interview the enterprises and Ms. Fang-chi Nian. Comprehensive activities: The experience of labor division for the group members, discussion, communication, negotiation and interview is very precious.

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Project Elements

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

Hardware: Computer, Recorder pen, Printer, Mobile phones, Camera, Earphone, Scanner Software: Word, PrintMagic, Windows Media Player, email, facebook, Macromedia Dreamweaver 8

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

The main targets of our publicity in the Cyberfair project were the students at school. We held exhibitions where bronze scoop was introduced to the students. To our surprise and delight, the principals of other schools and those from Hong Kong and Texas, USA were also attracted. Having accumulated some experience in curation, we will seek a complete understanding of bronze scoop and make web pages which will transcend the temporal and spatial obstacles and become accessible to a greater number of people. This is our way of popularization.

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

? For locals: It seems impossible for us junior middle school students to make a difference in protecting a craftsmanship that is about to disappear through a web page alone. In this project, we visited Mr. You-hsin Huang for several times and those who used bronze scoops. We hope that what we did will leave something about the craftsmanship in people’s mind and in the history of industry in Changhua. ? For students: We were not confident about organizing the exhibition, wondering if the students would show any interest in it. But according to the two-week exhibition and the students’ feedback, we found that most of the students made a positive remark and showed interest in bronze scoop. This delighted us and made us believe that we had done something significant. Moreover, the project could only be implemented by us of the same age to carry forward the craftsmanship. ? For us: Aside from showing us the craftsmanship of bronze scoop, the Cyberfair project gave us an excellent opportunity to acquire knowledge outside classroom, visit different places, interview people, plan an exhibition and get to know web page making. The learning was fruitful and unforgettable.

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

In the labor division, the tasks were distributed according to personal strength to avoid mutual complaint among the members. In this way, those not good at drawing would realize that drawing is not an easy task. If each member finished his/her task, we would get closer to the completion of the whole project, which would reveal the importance of teamwork. In the preparation for the exhibition, we had to lift a heavy display board from the first floor to the third floor. In the midway, the exhibition room was changed, and we had to move the board again and finally carried it from the third floor back to the biology classroom on the first floor. The board was moved by ten of us, but we still felt it was hard to move. If it had been moved by a person alone, that would be impossible. Therefore, it was in this event that we again recognized the power of solidarity.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

This Cyberfair project has shown us that an unnoticeable tool requires much knowledge and persistence. Unfortunately, the bronze scoop made by hands will vanish in Taiwan. The causes for this are known, but we are still reluctant to accept the fact. Besides, what deeply impressed us about this project was the teamwork. It is easy to shout out the slogan of “Solidarity is power”, but few people could put it into practice wholeheartedly in the Cyberfair project. Therefore, it is very important to seek a consensus. In the future, we will seek the partners who would like to make efforts with us to facilitate the fulfillment of objectives.

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View our CyberFair Project (Project ID: 8405)

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