CyberFair Project ID: 6647

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International Schools CyberFair Project Narrative
Title: Help nature, Help yourself
Category: 7. Environmental Awareness
URL: http://www.cnaic.ro/projects/verde/
Bibliography: http://www.cnaic.ro/projects/verde/bibliografie

School: School
    Focsani, Focsani, Romania

6 students, ages 11-17 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 11, 2011. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2010

Classes and Teachers: Mereuta Elena Camelia

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.cnaic.ro

Project Overview

1. Description of Our Community

Focsani is a city of medium dimensions. It’s considered a city with a medium population, from the density point of view. Ethnically, Focsani is a compact city, where the Romanian population is predominant. The Gipsy, the Hungarian and the Jewish are just a few. Focsani is a compact city, almost entirely re-built during the communism. This re-building involved the demolition of old buildings in order to built new flats, in a communist way. That’s way nowadays Focsani, although recognized for its appellative of “The Union City”- is a city with historical tradition but without palpable history, from an urban point of view. There are few green-spaces and trees on the sides of the rows, contrarily to other cities in the country. The green of the nature supplies, in spring and in summer, the gloomy look of the city. Our analysis led to the following conclusions: Advantages: -The natural beauties of this region represent the advantages that can be exploited. -Qualified and accessible workforce at relatively small costs. -Population, including the young, which is decided to improve the present situation. -A receptive and opened administration of new ideas. Disadvantages: -The community does not promote enough through proposed projects, the industrial or touristic future of the area. -There is a pollution potential of natural areas, involved by industrial agents which have less-developed endowments. -There is a pollution potential of natural areas through lack of developed projects of ecological education for adults. -Communication is sporadic between people involved in local activities. Opportunities: -The good quality of the soil helps at re-planting the area with trees -The establishment of a dialog between the young, between the young and the authorities Threats: The exodus of members of the community: qualified workers leave to Occident; the young emigrate abroad

2. Summary of Our Project

In order to survive, we need an adequate environment. Though, we are those who destroy it because we exploit it without mercy. That’s why everybody’s mentality must be changed. A great responsibility comes to the young who, through instruction and education can awake that wish of respect towards nature and everything that surrounds us. The ecological education made in schools is the main way of saving the nature. Shaping a responsible attitude towards environment and making the others understand that nature must be respected represent the purpose of the “Help nature, Help yourself” project. The ecological education is the key of involvement of the young and through this project we propose to contribute at the formation of new generation’s civic spirit through participatory methods. The series of educational activities that are proposed will take place both at the National College “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” and in other locations that involve the interaction between man and nature (parks, natural reservations, the section of Natural Sciences at the Museum of Vrancea). The activities have been planed gradually so that, through the joint of learning and theater, pupils would understand better the signification and the importance of the ecological education, would observe specific details related to field research in order to develop a solid sensibility and respect for an un-polluted and always green environment, a responsibility for our own life, but also for the life of the next generations. At the end of the project we expect to observe an improvement of ecological information given to pupils in school units.

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:1

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dial-up modem

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

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

Restriction of team members’ schedule: It was hard for all the team members to attend meetings because either some had after school program or club activities during lunch recess. We often fell behind the schedule. Webpage production: Most of our team members were the first time to participate in Cyberfair Project. It first sounded too hard for us to post the project on the website. For this reason, the teacher offered a computer course to teach us how to utilize various software, such as PhotoShop and Dreamveawer to set up a web page. It was not easy to comprehend. We learned a lot from our mistakes.We had translation problems because we have spent a lot of time trying to find the right English words. We thank our teachers for helping us.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

What we really wanted to achieve was to recover human attachment to land and the connection among people and it was achieved in the process of exploring our surroundings step by step.” It was a valuable experience to learn to become part of the natural and cultural environment and to cherish and enjoy it

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

Curricular standards have allowed the formation of knowledge, skills and behaviors that have been acquired by the pupils in project activities. Activities targeted formal education, but non-formal (theater, fashion, debates, educational classes, surveys). Activities allow the development of a process of lifelong learning to continue, and don’t care about age. The ultimate goal is to transform individual actions and lifestyle to be more friendly with the environment. In the environmental education activities propose in the project, in addition to understanding events developed in ecosystems, the interrelationships between humans and environment, it is necessary to insist on developing analytical and synthetic capacity, rational critical thinking, the use of logical argumentation, the capacity of data analysis and problem solving, creativity and independence of thought, development of communication capacity, team work, artistic sense /esthetic and ethical /moral foundations, etc. It has developed the capacity analysis, synthesis, awareness of problems, and trying to find solutions to environmental problems.

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Project Elements

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

Internet network has been used for communication between members but it has also used the network existing in the school. The school has an internet network. They created a group for communicating information, news and activities. Besides Internet, as a means of teaching, there were used video projector, camera and video cameras. The school activities have benefited from the existence of logistics there. Interviews, surveys, opinion polls have been the tools used in the activities designed

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

There has been a permanent dialogue with the partners involved, communication being made through the phone or Internet. Together with our partners we have tried to promote keeping a clean environment, unpolluted, prevent environmental destruction because of the ignorance, indifference and our non-involvement in the issues facing our community

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

From the research process, we believe that human being and the Earth are a life together entity. However, nowadays, people for their convenience to develop land without considering the consequences, and to waste the resources and to make pollutions. In so doing, it not only endangers human health, but also brings crisis to the Earth. The development behaviors forces urban green land less and less; there are steel forest everywhere with high rise buildings. We simply live in an urban cement forest. Should we not to care more to the Nature, pay more consideration, we eventually will face the slash back of the Nature.

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

“Al. I. Cuza” National College showed friendship to community by initiating the project of ecological education following life quality increase in the community and the promotion of values such as responsibility, cooperation, participation, transparency and communication. The partnership between our school and community has meant sharing of responsibilities in the project. To ensure the proper conduct of the project, the institutions have consented to the principles of good partnership practice, mentioned below: 1.All partners know their role in the project. 2.The beneficiary must consult regularly with his partners and inform them on the progress of the project. 3.All partners must receive copies of reports – narrative - and participate in all the project stages (design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation). 4.Proposals for major changes in the project (e.g. activities, partners, etc.) must be agreed by the partners. 5. Partners can’t be remunerated and can’t be contracted for consulting services. The project is based on volunteering.

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View our CyberFair Project (Project ID: 6647)

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