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1. Description of Our Community
Our school is dedicated to fostering social elites who can thrive on the global stage and preparing children for a successful future. They aim to achieve comprehensive education through a K-12 Curriculum that sets new standards in the field of education. Emphasizing the creation of an exceptional educational environment, the school actively promotes multicultural learning among its students. Community at our school is characterized by the development of strong character and positive values, coupled with a focus on physical well-being. Students are encouraged to build a solid academic foundation to unlock their potential and nurture their unique talents. Additionally, the school integrates core values such as 'honesty,' 'team spirit,' 'self-discipline,' and 'respect' into all aspects of life education, using these principles as guiding forces for students' behavior and personal growth. This holistic approach aims to shape well-rounded individuals who are not only academically adept but also morally upright and socially responsible. All our foreign teachers hail from various countries and are currently working here. In this diverse community, we aim to introduce Taiwanese Opera to everyone and enhance our understanding of the local culture. This will better equip us to expand and promote our cultural heritage when we establish a global presence in the future.
2. Summary of Our Project
Taiwanese Opera is a crucial aspect of Taiwan’s cultural heritage, representing the essence of the country. When it comes to traditional opera, the once-popular Taiwan Opera stands out since it is the first traditional opera originated in Taiwan. To the older generation, opera is akin to movies today, and it’s considered a blessing to sit and watch a performance during festivals or family celebrations. The most distinctive aspect of Taiwanese opera is its emotive singing style, known for evoking tears from the audience due to its dramatic atmosphere. It has been said that “Taiwan Opera is a native product of Taiwanese society,” illustrating its deep roots in the country's past agricultural society. Taiwanese opera not only served as a popular form of entertainment but also provided spiritual sustenance to the people outside of their work. This is why our project website holds significant importance. Within our website, we provide comprehensive information about Taiwanese Opera. Furthermore, we address the importance of preserving Taiwanese Opera as many individuals in our current generation lack knowledge of the Taiwanese language. Our aim is to raise awareness locally and globally about the existence of Taiwanese Opera and its uniqueness in Taiwan. Through our efforts, we aspire to elevate the prominence of Taiwanese Opera.
3. Our Computer and Internet Access
A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:less than 20
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:more than 6
E. Additional comments concerning your computer and/or Internet access (Optional):
Currently, our school provides a fulfilling e-learning setting with a variety of resources accessible to students and staff. We have access to computer labs and each teacher is equipped with a personal desktop computer. Moreover, the entire school is Wi-Fi enabled. Students in the fifth and sixth grades who are involved in CyberFair participate in e-learning sessions that utilize Chromebooks for various educational activities such as classroom lessons, assignments, and projects. Accessing the wireless internet across the school campus poses no challenges, and we can save our work on the school-wide server. Additionally, we can carry out research tasks and share our discoveries with our peers using online resources.
4. Problems We Had To Overcome
1) Language barriers: Since Taiwanese is the primary language used in Taiwanese Opera, students invest substantial time in comprehending the operas during their studies and research. They dedicate considerable effort to understanding Taiwanese, translating the content into English, clarifying meanings, interpreting them, and then incorporating them into the Cyberfair project.2) Interviewing: Due to scheduling conflicts between Ms. Sun’s performances and our school timetable, it took us approximately four months to arrange a suitable time and venue for the interview with this celebrated figure in the realm of local traditional art, Taiwanese Opera. Prior to the interview, students diligently listened to Ms. Sun's previous interviews to extract valuable personal insights and gain an understanding of her perspectives on Taiwanese Operas. 3) School Internet system: Regrettably, our school network experienced a security breach at the start of the second semester, leading to unstable Wi-Fi connectivity for students, causing challenges in generating audio files and other documents for the project. Nevertheless, with guidance from teachers and extra time after school, students successfully completed their work on schedule.
5. Our Project Sound Bite
Participation in the International Schools CyberFair holds significant value for our students and our school. Each year, both students and staff have the chance to discuss the project topic and engage in meaningful conversations. In this year's event, our students showcased Taiwanese Opera during the Opening Ceremony, presenting relevant information, and introducing it to our international staff members. Furthermore, they received feedback from their foreign teachers to enhance the connection between our culture and the school community.
6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?
Within the realm of academics, our language activities involved educational visits, conducting insightful interviews, crafting written pieces on focused topics, and presenting opinions. In the field of social studies, we undertook the essential task of mapping out our research strategy, establishing a robust project framework, formulating thought-provoking interview questions, and organizing interview transcripts. Throughout the information synthesis phase, students adeptly blended data and insights from diverse sources like surveys, interviews, and online and printed research materials to effectively conclude our project. Transitioning to computer science, students expanded their exploration by delving into thorough research and creating a dynamic website tailored to the project's requirements. The independent study served as a comprehensive educational journey that refined our students' research skills, covering aspects such as brainstorming, crafting engaging info-graphics, honing interview techniques, and adeptly organizing and managing extensive sets of data and information. This highlighted the progressive development of our academic competencies.
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