School: Lu Chiang Primary School
    Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan

12 students, ages 10~12 years old worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 20, 2008. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2004,2005,2006,2007

Classes and Teachers: Li-Shu Weng,Mei-chung Wu, Hsiou-yen Chang, Mei-hui Chiang

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.lcps.tpc.edu.tw/

1. Description of Our Community

Luchou City is situated on the west bank of the downstream of Tamshui River, and is bounded by the river on the northeast side facing Shilin District of Taipei City. It is adjoined to Wugu Township on the west side, and Sanchung City on the southeast side in a vertical rhombus shape. The area is 8,321 sq.km, and is only larger than Yonghe City among all 29 townships and cities in Taipei County. Because of the convenient geographic location of Luchou, it is the main path connecting Bali and Wugu to Taipei City. Therefore, Luchou Food Market is an important gathering place for the local residents.

2. Summary of Our Project

Luchou Market has 30 years of history. It became the shopping center of Bali and Wugu during 1960~1970s due to its convenient geographic location. Through interview and field investigation, we attempt to understand the history of Luchou Food Market. By interviewing with the vendors and customers, we try to discover the relationship between the market and the local life, and reveal the touching life stories took place in the market. By experiencing the peddling work in the food market, we aim to explore the interactive relationship between the vendors and customers. Lastly, we promote the Luchou Food Market on our campus to help all teachers and students understanding the close relationship between the market and our daily life.

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:more than 6

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

Problem 1: insufficient life experience When we visit the shop keepers, every vendor would give us some life experiences and words of cheer, maybe team members' insufficiency of life experience, they could not get deep perception. Way to overcome: teacher explains and leads in good time, and gives stories, examples and explanation. Problem 2: heavy schoolwork pressure The schooltime is longer and there are more school activities in higer grade, on one hand we need to train for the popular songs and dance competition, on the other hand we need to participate in the poster and slogan competition, furthermore, we need to go to the after-school class and talent class, so we have meetings at lunch break and communicate with each other by telephone. We could only visit shop keepers group by group on our holidays, because some students went to talent class on Saturday and some went to talent class on Sunday, they had to manage their time very well for diaries and perceptions. Way to overcome: adopt division of labor and cooperation, check out all team members' hours can be spent on research. Problem 3: limited ability for interview and research Awkward silence often occurs in interview, and we seem to be still lack of questioning sensibility, teachers always need to step in the interview if necessary, or train us for it at the review after the interview, that let us deeply feel that we still need to strengthen our interview and research ability! Way to overcome: consult specialists, read frequently and do and learn at the same time.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

Every start is a beginning of story. Intently studying let us have different discoveries. As long as you are willing to make mental efforts and physical efforts, you could initiate a sky of your own in whatever you do! Even if selling vegetables is also living in wisdom and significance!

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

Chinese learning:In this project, we must learn how to compose an interview draft firstly, how to interview shop keepers and customers, how to plan and propagandize the market exhibition activities and act as an exhibition guide, and make self reviews and afterthoughts on the whole project to find out our difficulties and solutions. Mathematics:When we were experiencing selling vegetables and sundry goods in the market, we found that all the knowledge we learned in mathematics class came in useful. Social:We obtained different understandings and cognitions of traditional market through this in-depth visit of Luchou Market, and we knew a lot of unbeknown deep feelings and affections in the traditional market through the interviews of shop keepers. Therefore we would like to hold an exhibition for exploring market in order to reserve traditional market, and endeavor to introduce it to every child in schools and combine the propaganda of local radio station to let people in Luchou know more about beauty and truth of Luchou Market, and then they would be willing to walk into traditional market. Art and human culture:In this Cyberfair project, we applied visual arts and performance, and we made propaganda posters and story drafts, we performed drama and designed webpage etc., and we occupied the position of little reviewer in the market drawing collection competition. Synthetic activity:We deeply felt the significance of Luchou Market and local culture through this project, and we could express our opinions and apply our methods to observing and thinking how to create different development for traditional market, and plan an ideal market combining modern times with tradition. Environmental:Sanitary issue is the main reason for decline of traditional market, therefore in the course of this research, we regarded how to improve the environment of traditional market as one of the subjects of the research.

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

mp3-Recording the interview, carrying files. Internet-Searching related information, sending email, transmitting files. Digital camera -Taking photos of various events, scenes, and paintings. Digital camcorder -Recording the public hearing, performance, and interview. Image capture card - Capture the recorded images of events and interviews to the computer. Printer -Printing data, posters, cards. Telephone -cell phone Communicating with interviewees and team members. USB, DVD-RW -Storing related information, recording to DVD. Applications - Namo-for creating webpages, PhotoImpact-for image processing, SwitshMax-for creating animations, Microsoft Excel—for creating questionnaire and charts, Microsoft Word-typing the information and log, Microsoft powerpoint—creating the presentation.

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

(1) collect drawings from teachers and students of whole school: We hope the teachers and students of whole school can give more observations on markets through collecting drawings, and we hope they can draw what they think a market should be like, let the original close relation between market and our lives become closer! (2) introduce our tied shops: We visited tied shops to know in depth the role shops are playing in the market, we knew the relation between markets and people's lives through interviews, and we endorsed the market for its deeply contained people's human cultural feelings! (3) Blog: At the very start of activity, our teacher applied for a blog for us, in which we can have discussions, place records and photos, this blog is our secret garden too, it contains teacher's advice, project log, our mutual concerns and parents' encouragement! We believe that people who have the luck to see our research and struggling course will like our market. (4) Story performance during morning assembly: At the end of activity, we decided to write a story based on our achievements and act for all schoolmates! Ah! People in market are virtuous as well as passionate, if only everybody could have an opportunity to make friends with market. (5) Collect drawings and exhibit campus market: We collected drawings from the whole school, and we held a campus market exhibition at the end of term. We found that the Luchou Market exhibition attracted media to come for interviews! Strong human interest and warm concern in the market always so deeply attract us, no wonder that a shop keeper told us that someone often came back to the market for visitation though he had already moved to another place. Luchou Jhunshan Market is really a nice place worth while people all over the world to come and walk about here and take a look at it.

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

<1>Impact on teachers and students of this school In the course of research, we used multiple modes including collecting drawings, exhibition and acting to present the close relation between food market and our lives, teachers and students of the whole school actively participated in our activities. Nearly fifty classes had come to our exhibition gallery for visit according to the scheduled visit time during the five-day exhibition. Thus the feedback forms we received just flew to us as snowflakes, teachers and students overwrote their favor in food market and great admiration for the exhibition. <2>Close the relation between school and community Due to our endorsement of market was one-week exhibition, parents and people of community would also enter our exhibition gallery for curiousness when they passed by, and they would say hello to us. We felt that the residential is like a big classroom in fact, it let me obtain different inspiration and experience from people and things in it, especially when we went to the food market for surveys and interviews, there were always some residents or people in the market saying, 'Luchiang Elementary School is truly nice! Let children come to the market for study!' <3>Increase food market's persistent life Although in ordinary people's mind, the food market is full of noise and mess, but we found that the food market actually had a value worth to be reserved and cherished through two-year research. Because most of shop keepers in the food market are outgoing and passionate, especially they are always able to observe people's words and deeds. They contacted various people in the market, they have a great many precious life philosophy, especially they have a virtuous and munificent heart and seldom argue with customers, even actively help people they often contact. By the hand of introduction of Cyberfair, we hope that people all over the world can know that as a matter of fact, the food market is ordinary and precious, whereas market stories go on day after day, we are the one who had recorded the stories for it.

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

Vendors in market--Allow interviews and provide data. Luchou business circle-Chairman Guo--Allow interviews and provide old photos. Taipei County assemblyman -Ms. Gui-lan Huang--Allow an interview, provide related data, contact TWT Cable TV and Quan Lian Cable TV to conduct on-the-spot shot and interview TWT Cable TV?Quan Lian Cable TV--Conduct on-the-spot interview and report of food market exhibition activity. Yilan County Renwen Elementary School-Principal Yang--Assist visit and interview of Ilan fishery harbour. Luchiang Elementary School Dean of academic affairs, Dean of student affairs, Dean of general affairs, counsellor and teachers of all grades--Assist supervising market exhibition activity. All students in Luchiang Elementary School--ssist and sponsor goods visit and exhibition in exhibition gallery and write feedback form. Luchiang Elementary School Principal Chen-Assist and sponsor goods exhibited Professor Da-hsiu Wang-- Supervise research approach. Ms. Mei-hong Lin--Help team members with computer problems. Mr. Lai (Ms. Shu-li’s husband)--Provide refreshments and midnight snack. Parents, shop keepers and people of community--Accept invitation interview.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

(1) Believe myself that I can do better Being in the encouragement and research process all the time, every one of our team believes that we are bound to have chances to be better in the future. (2) We found every story of market is precious life philosophy We found that almost every shop keeper in the food market had his own living means through our careful observation and over-absorption of mind. And the most identical point is that all of them have positive and optimistic attitude, facing their own vocation with responsibilities, endeavoring to struggling, being clement and polite to customers and create their own sky at last. All these people are life model deserving us to study, we become friends because of interviews, also due to on-the-spot experience, we treasure up these precious life experiences. (3) Solidarity is power, build neat and comfortable home together We believe that the shop keepers will draw together to make efforts for Jhunshan Market, and Jhunshan Market must has its reason for continuous existence, and it will become a home operated by shop keepers together.