School: SCIS-Hongqiao
    Shanghai, Shanghai, China

4 students, ages 15 worked together to complete this Doors to Diplomacy project on March 7, 2012. They have participated in Doors to Diplomacy in the following year(s): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012

Classes and Teachers: Amy Brill/ Jenny, Jae-eun, Jaime, Sophie

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.scischina.org

1. Description of Our Team

In our team, there are Jenny, Jae-eun, Jaime, and Sophie. Jenny and Jae-eun are Koreans, Jaime is from Hong Kong and Sophie is Taiwanese We are all 15 year old girls. It was the first time we meet each other at the beginning of the project. At first, we don't really talk to each other, but then we started to get along well. Our thoughts are similar. We all love animals so we became a one team. Our coach was our English teacher, Ms.Brill. She told us what we have to do for the project and when things are due. When we have trouble with things, she would always solve our problems.

2. Summary of Our Project

Our Doors to Diplomacy Website is about the issue animal abuse. We show about what animal abuse is and how diplomacy could solve the problem. Our goal is to let more people know about animal abuse in China. We would really want people to stop abusing animals, and in out site we provide several options for visitors to support us and help stop animal abuse. People also can watch video or photos for the animal abuse.

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:not sure

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

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

Since both of the team members were from Korea, one from Taiwan, and one of us from HongKong, so we had problem with communicating each other. But we overcame with everyone speaking English which is our common language. Also, we had some technical obstacles, with creating the website. But we overcame with asking help for other students and teachers.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

All of our group members were glad to do this project, and we were excited that we can contribute to saving animal by making this website.

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

We had a interview with a lady who volunteers with animal rescuing. This helped us to improve out skills. We learned how to use iweb to create new web site and upload photos and videos on that site.

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

We used macbook for made web site and used camera for taking photos. The tools' owner took them and kept safely because bought them by our own money and like macbook which was most valuable tool, we also usually use in normal school classes. We paid money and got macbook from school. The iweb was the most helpful technologies. If we didn't have that application, maybe we got hard time to make web site.

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

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

The whole point of our project, is that we wish that people could see this and start to realize and help out the abused or is going to get abused animals. We hope they do learn new things from our site. And that they would start to show an interest in abusive animals and starts thinking ways to help out. My parents really encourages this topic of ours and says that it's really cool of the school to give us such project to work on. The pictures and the movie we've got on our site may be a bit disturbing for some people, apology for that. Some teachers had looked through out site, and the feedback we received includes keep up the good work, nice job ladies..etc.

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

One of the group member's friend is a animal lover. Therefore, she had been telling us thing's she saw when she went visiting the animal shelters. She said, it was truly heartbreaking. Seeing some of the animals wrapped up in bondages, some having to walk on two legs, and some.. just laying there, not moving. It gave us ideas, to write it into articles and to research more on how animal shelter's are helping out the animals ( the ones we researched on is mainly in Shanghai, China) Also, we went interviewing this lady on the weekends. She was really helpful, telling us her thoughts and opinions on animal abusing. Thank you, Mrs Nihenhao.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

Discoveries we've made includes the fact that, there is only one member in the team whom is taking the lead and ordering things together. If she doesn't, we're going to be really lost ( HUh? Should I be doing the web designing or researching? ) Lesson's we've learnt; That working and discussing stuff together as a group is way better off than just ' Okay, you do this, you do that. And we put all our research's together after we're all done.' It's more efficient talking things together. And more fun. Surprises me, that our site turns looking unexpectedly quite nice. We used Iweb, so compared to the other peoples site who had used weebly.com, wix.com ..etc there sites looks really professional. But we're good, we're really satisfied for all our hard work we've put into this project.