CyberFair Project ID: 7163

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International Schools CyberFair Project Narrative
Title: The Shadow Play of datong
Category: 8. Local Music and Art Forms
URL: http://www.yellowsheepriver.com/~qh000025/2012
Bibliography: http://www.yellowsheepriver.com/~qh000025/2012/new_page_17.htm

School: Huangjiazhai middle school
    Xining, Qinghai, China

4 students, ages 15 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 13, 2012. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2009,2010,2011

Classes and Teachers: Yan haicheng

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://qh000025.edu.17888.com

Project Overview

1. Description of Our Community

Datong County is located in the north eastern agricultural areas of Qinghai Province, with the provincial capital Xining, total area of 3090 square kilometers, covering 22 towns and 6 towns with a population of 41 million. The population density is 129 / sq km. It is enjoying rich resources, 234 acres of pasture available, and 100,000 hectares forest area, whose coverage is 26.4%, ranking the first in the province. Its transportation is also convenient, just 35 km away from Xining and less than 50 km from Xining Caojiapu Airport. Datong is a national commodity grain base county and one of the country's 500 largest food counties. The existing 79 acres of arable land is rich in wheat, beans, rape, barley, and etc., among which beans and cole crops are the local features. Datong County is the opening of the inland city of Xining City approved by the State Council, enjoying the same coastal development policies.

2. Summary of Our Project

At the recent meeting of the sixth session of the party's seventh meeting, promote development and prosperity of socialist culture should be prised. However, cultural construction, especially the traditional shadow play as Datong Shadow, was almost deserted in the economic time around us. So we take the advantage of exploring traditional culture Datong Shadow, to get students involved in promoting traditional cultural activities, and to feel the charming traditional culture in the mean time, but also allow them to participate in the promotion of socialist cultural development among the ranks. This will not only respond to the call of the party and state, but also broaden their horizons, learn the out-school knowledge. While training students in the activities on the Internet information-handling capacity, help them to lay the foundation for future e-business.

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:none

B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:none

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection

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):

ADSL broadband local area network Composed by three sets of computers

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

First: the schedule is very tight. Because we are graduation students, it is not easy to interview with the heavy schoolwork. In order not to delay too much time, we must take advantage of a short period of rest time and weekends to. Second: travel is hard. On the day to the cultural centers, we chose to ride bikes to save money. After riding, we rushed to the interview tiredly. Third: the interviews are difficult. For further digging Datong Shadow as first-hand materials, we interviewed 62-year-old Wen Tingyuan. However, his hearing has been weak, which was resulting in some of the difficulties in the interview. We could have interviewed the shadow artist Zhou Banghui in Dongliu Village in our plan. But he was out for show, which was the biggest regret. Fourth: to overcome the difficulties. Due to busy study of graduation year for both we and teachers, we took free time and nights to write experiences and make web pages in school. Occasionally there were difficulties; we encouraged each other and so as the teacher. Even if particularly tight, everyone was confident. More importantly, we were learned through this shadow experience in Datong, and strengthened to overcome all difficulties.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

The concept of teamwork was involved in the whole theme research activity, when we helped each other through difficulties. We treated the team's interests above personal interests, made our best in cooperation, sharing resources and discussing problems with each other. We actively did our assignment with a sense of ownership in a team.

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

Teaching and learning in school is not only just in 40 minutes, or in books, but also about the more important of how to learn in real life and our environment, and how to practice knowledge learned in the book. So independence and autonomy should be focused, and students should be guided to ask questions, to do investigation, to explore, and to practice, and to learn by the promoting teachers, so that students can individually learn and make full use of the advantages of information technology and development in rich educational environment and powerful tools. Therefore, this subject is to give the students a great opportunity to practice and use of knowledge, but also to encourage students to learn more than in their textbooks and experience. Students can become masters. The activity is the best practical lesson for students. They are like computers, by which this approach to learning has never been experienced. Students showed great enthusiasm and experienced what they haven't learned in the actual process. It is the first time to combine curricular classroom knowledge and the outside with the help of their instructor, especially the four students' completion of the pages helped the integration of information resources of various skills. Although the results are still not mature somehow, the important is to make them understand that knowledge in textures can be rewritten and how to discover and create new knowledge. Students more clearly understand the Datong Shadow and felt profound of traditional culture, which makes them understand the affection between people, trains them to love peace and the spirit of plain live and inspires them to love the hometown.

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Project Elements

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

1,software Dreamweaver-Webpage making WORD 2003-Word processing Flash MX 2004-Web animation photshop CS4-Images processing Internet Explorer-Search internet resources FTP Server-Uploading and downloading 2,Hardware mobile phone-Contack Computer U disk and hard disk-Data copy and save Digital camera, Digital Video-Taking pictures and photography

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

In this activity, we clearly have recognized that this is not about a single subject waiting to be done, nor about a single person who can finish the assignment. We are an integral part of the team, and also part of the community, so apart from the daily school study, we have spent a lot of time. Each team member should listen to the organization, division of labor and management in practice. Members can also contribute their best on their respective positions.

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

I feel honored that Teacher Yan passed the glorious but arduous task to me, which brought me a lot. I was not familiar with our traditional culture, but learnt a lot after this period of practice about the Datong Shadow. I am glad, though the experience was full of time consuming and labor. We never complained, but caught up with other teammates. We have come across some difficulties which were overcome with our efforts. I truly realized that one is weak and a team is powerful. Meanwhile, there was a lot of pressure after the completion. First, socialist culture was called to be developed and prosperity. Huangjiazhai Town is rich in cultural heritage, which is a great foundation to the development of culture. However, as teachers, we were not so familiar with local culture. And this activity just was a beginning to promote and develop Datong Shadow as traditional culture. We will go on exploring and do more researches on traditional culture, as the accordance to Party and the government. Secondly, as computer teachers, the knowledge in books we have passed to the kids was not enough for the contest, and can’t meet the needs in the informational and Internet time. So I am planning to expand knowledge not just in books to meet the students' desire for knowledge.

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

We would like to take this opportunity to extend our gratitude to all the people, for their support to the project. http://www.datong.gov.cn/ Datong County cultural centers The People’s government of Datong County Town & Talent Technologies (China) Co., Ltd. Li Zhihua, Town & Talent Technologies (China) Co., Ltd. Li Yanbiao and Shang Qingsheng, 2 principals of Huangjiazai center school.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

We enjoyed the interview as TV reporters, which was too good for us. 1, more comprehensively understand Datong Shadow. 2, we can also do contribution to Development and Prosperity of Socialist Culture called by Party and the nation, which makes us proud. 3, this is a very exciting practice course.

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