CyberFair Project ID: 6924

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International Schools CyberFair Project Narrative
Title: Anthuriums Sparkling, Green Marketing Booming
Category: 3. Business and Community Organizations
URL: http://librarywork.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2012/gsh6924
Bibliography: http://librarywork.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2012/gsh6924

School: Kaohsiung MunicipKaohsiung High School of Commerce
    Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC

12 students, ages 16-17 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 12, 2012. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2009~2011

Classes and Teachers: Ms. Chang, Ms. Li, Ms. Liou, Mr. Hsie, Mr. Wang

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.ksvcs.kh.edu.tw/

Project Overview

1. Description of Our Community

'Green Flower Marketing Cooperative,' which is famous for planting “anthuriums,” is chosen as the topic for research that we are planning to participate in the Global CyberFair Competition. The Cooperative is located in Neimen, Kaohsiung. Neimen is renowned as the home of Sung-Kiang Martial Matrix (an ancient troupes in Taiwan), and Zon Po Sai (The Touring Chef). But recently, the increase in sales of flamingo flowers around the world makes Neiman the biggest production center, pitifully which is still known to few people. So we specifically choose this industry as the focus of our study.

2. Summary of Our Project

Upholding the spirit of participating in the former three global Cyberfair competitions, we focus on the research of 'MIT' industries. This time the object of project is 'Green Flower Marketing Cooperatives.' In the past, Neimen was devastated by the recessive agricultural sales because of Foot and Mouth Disease. Nowadays, it has been transformed to a center of fine agriculture in floral cultivation. It has been producing unique and bright anthuriums and getting higher and higher production value in the international market. In doing the project, We hope to promote Neimen and help this once foot-and-mouth-disease-devastated town to improve its agricultural economic development and to create a new Neimen, so that domestic consumers can have a better understanding of it, making the reputation of its finely-cultivated anthuriums spread far and away.

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:4-6

E. Additional comments concerning your computer and/or Internet access (Optional):

School Internet is high-speed fiber transmission and family-use ADSL is wide-band.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

1. Striking a balance between school work and research We are all students of the 11th grade, having lots of courses to cover. Besides studying, we are also busy on extracurricular activities and certification exams; to smoothly finish the project, we can only attend the training sessions, hold discussion panels and write and compose the assigned topics around lunch breaks, on weekends and during winter vacation. 2. Difficulties during interviews When interviewing Mr. Lin, the Chairman of the Green Flower Marketing Cooperative, we were excited and nervous. Due to lack of experience of doing interview and being unfamiliar with the flower industry, no one dared to raise any questions. But fortunately, we were well-prepared in data collection and topic investigation, After asking the first one, we realized it was not that hard, proving that a connection between theory and practice can be reached. 3. difficulties of collecting information The biggest problem we faced was that we were all freshmen to this project. Information gathering is a common practice, but organizing it was hard. At first, we were so sloppily uncertain. Luckily, we had three good teachers to help us when needed. By doing this project, we’ve grasped this rare opportunity to learn how to sort out and aggregate the collected data.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

Participating in the Cyberfair project competition offers an opportunity for both the instructors and students to unite together and do a thing as a team and then finish it, which is really great!

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

This project is named “Anthuriums Sparkling, Green Marketing Booming.” We integrated information collection, in-depth interviews, field trip observations, and questionnaire investigation into our school courses. Through it, we cultivated our abilities of organizing knowledge and solving problems. Here are some examples: 1. Business introduction: An Introduction to Business classes, which contains marketing, logistics, cash flow, and information flow, equip us with necessary knowledge of commerce. With the background knowledge of this course, we can study the research object: Green Flower Marketing Cooperatives. Through doing the project, we know the importance of the commercial mechanisms more clearly. 2. Economy and commerce: These two courses are to equip us with the abilities to observe and understand the exterior environment and the restrictions in which we are doing business. So We visited the Cooperative to understand the production and sales of anthuriums, and also learn the business organization of the Cooperative and how the marketing strategies work. We applied what we learned in the classroom settings to solve the problems we encountered. 3. Project making: This project is based on the combination of theory and practice, so we observe and study the flowers market and single out the questions through collection of the materials, group discussions, and then we choose the best solution in order to reach the goal.

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Project Elements

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

1. Telephones and cell phones were used to implement communication between teachers, team members, and interviewees. 2. Digital cameras were used to record every discussion and activity (such as visits to the Green Flower Marketing Cooperative and auction sites and situations arising from handing out questionnaire copies. 3. Recording pens were used to document contents of interviews and discussions with teachers, team members, and interviewees. 4. Microsoft Word 2003 was use to process word files, organize data, and key in work journals.

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

At the stage of collecting information for the project, besides gathering the materials through the Internet were adapted, we also went to our school library and community and library to search for what we needed to accomplish the project. For the purpose of getting the stories on TV news and the official website about the Green Flower Marketing Cooperative in Neimen District, Kaohsiung and for having a better understanding about Lin Ching-shan, the chairman of the Cooperative, we had interviews with him, the flower traders, and the buyers near the community. In order to substantiate the content of the case study and understand how the people are aware of the exquisite agriculture products, we conducted questionnaire investigation. These approaches not only helped us carry on the case study in the school but gave us more time to go out to the community and have a talk with people in the neighborhood. We have learned what we could not from the books and improved the project. After our interviews and questionnaire investigation, the locals had a better understanding about MIT flower industry.

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

Before this study, most of us don't manage time well. Through the project, we finally learn how to make the best use of our time after classes, and we also learn how to get rid of the unnecessary materials, keeping only the useful ones. By so doing, both time and man power for this project were saved. In the beginning of doing the project, we were often refused because we didn't know how to make our intention clear. After several trials, we learned the trick and always get people's volunteer help.

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

First some teachers doubted about our ability of finishing the project. But when the project went on, they gave us encouragement and even some advice. School and local librairans alike helped us out when we couldn't find what we needed. Special thanks should go to Mr. Li, who gave us unselfish aides and made the project possible. Finnally, we want to show gratitude to the student parents for their support.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

1. Discoveries: Through this project, we are aware that the flowers which we planted in the pot have much for us to learn. We also realize how persistent the Cooperative is to plant this flower and how active to expand the market in other areas. Mr. Lin, with high diploma, decided to go back to his hometown to engage in farming. He started from nothing. But years later, he has created a new career in the anthurium industry. Recently, he has been leading the young men in his hometown to work with him, successfully making anthuriums become a high value-added exquisite agriculture. This kind of spirit will be a model to us. 2. Surprises: We realized the fact from the collected materials and the interviews that Mr. Lin selflessly devoted himself to this completely new field in spite of having suffered much under the harsh environment when he was young. He worked so hard researching how to plant the target flowewrs that he finally got the 2007 Shennong Award, whcih is a reward to the best farmers in Taiwan). His efforts have helped the local florists improve the living environment and made anthuriums a special local product. An amazing story, isn’t it? 3. Lessons: In regular curricular design, we don't have much time doing projects with schoolmates from other classes. From doing this project, we realized the importance and value of working as a team. Through repetitively being turned down our project assignments by the instructors, we changed our learning style from passive to active. Moreover, we also learned the ability of considering things in others' shoes, tolerating others different from ourselves, caring about schoolmates, and listening to different opinions.

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View our CyberFair Project (Project ID: 6924)

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