CyberFair Project ID: 7673

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International Schools CyberFair Project Narrative
Title: The Nine Prodigies Of Huang-Xi
Category: 2. Community Groups and Special Populations
URL: http://librarywork.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2014/gsh7673/index.htm
Bibliography: http://librarywork.taiwanschoolnet.org/gsh2014/gsh7673/web/intellectural-property-rights.html

School: Jing-Siou Elementarry School
    Changhua County, , Taiwan

10 students, ages 11-12 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on January 31, 2014. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2013

Classes and Teachers: Hsiang-ting Lin,Hsiung-chih Liu,Chih-yung Lin

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.sjses.chc.edu.tw

Project Overview

1. Description of Our Community

Huangsi means the Changhua County, a old town with great culture, especially the development of the art of calligraphy. Ming Dao University in Changhua County is the first facility to set up a calligraphy department in post graduate study. The members of the Nine Huangsi Calligraphic Prodigies are all from Changhua County, and most of them serve in the education system. They all actively participate in the teaching of calligraphy, as well as creating new works. The ambition is to induce calligraphy as the new era. The current eleven members are: Hong-Liang Chuang, Hui-Yu Cheng, Zong-Song Chao, Bei-Yuan Chang, Liang-Peng Chuang, Jia-Hua Liu, Chi-Xin Liu, Rong-Sen Huang, Jin-Fa Hsu, Ann Cheng and Ming-Liang Liao. Jing-Siou Elementary School is a school with near 2000 students, and Principal Rong-Sen Huang was graduated from it. He has served in the school for over twenty years as soon as he graduate from Teachers’ College, and he is one of member in the club of the Nine Huangsi Calligraphic Prodigies. Not only has he established the calligraphy classroom, planned the curriculum for the third and forth graders, conducted the extra curriculum of calligraphy, he also combined the resources from the club and held activities such as the writing of Spring Festival Couples, exhibition of calligraphic art, calligraphic environmental embellishment, as well as the interflow of calligraphic art with Japan. Under the influence, the students, the teachers and the environment of Jing-Siou Elementary School are filled with the artistic calligraphic atmosphere, because “beauty” is our faith.

2. Summary of Our Project

Huangsi is the old name for Changhua County. The Club of the Nine Huangsi Calligraphic Prodigies (Huangsi Jiu-Guai) was founded in 2010. The name of the club was originated from the old term “the Eight Yangchou Calligraphic Prodigies”, and wish the members all make accomplishment and achievement to be the top in Huangsi as the members of he Eight Yangchou Calligraphic Prodigies did. The name “Jiu-Guai” has the similar sounds as the term “Gao-Guai” in Taiwanese, which does not mean to act silly after drinking. It implies the expectation for the members to demonstrate and perform as something unique. On-line questionnaire was designed to understand students’ knowledge about the art of calligraphy by taking the students to visit the exhibition of the club members’ art work. Club members were interviewed with questions about how calligraphy has influence their values of lives. Postcards were designed and sold for charity purpose to support the construction of an orphanage built by the Amitofo Care Center (ACC) in Africa. Research members also discovered the benefit calligraphy has for life through the learning activities “Reflecting and Accomplishing”.

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

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

Computer Science Education 1.Use Internet to collect information 2.Use email, Power Point, and PrintMagic for mails, presentations, and posters. 3.Learn to use camera and photo editing software 4.Learn to design online questionnaire and use Excel to analyze the survey result 5.Use graphics software to draw self-portraits of NEH 6.Use recording pen and camcorder to record interviews 7.Learn to create webpages

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

1. Choosing a category for the contest: The project studies eleven calligraphers and calligraphy art. We focus on how the association members incorporate the art of calligraphy into public service and life. Therefore, we registered for “Category 2: Community Groups”. 2. Difficulty with High degree of professionalism in the theme: Calligraphy is an essence of Chinese culture, but it is not an official curriculum of the education system yet. Due to the limited professional knowledge, we collected expansive information from Internet as a remedy. 3. Difficulty interviewing all masters: Currently, there are eleven members in the association, and all serve in different fields. We overcame the problem with time and completed interviews with each of them, as well as stayed in touch with them via mail. 4. Expensive production cost of postcards: The cost of making postcard sets is very expensive. Without NEH members’ donations, the activity would not have happened. 5. Big range of respondents for the survey: In order to understand the status of the calligraphy education in Changhua County and increase the reliability of the survey, we had paper and online surveys for middle school and primary school students in Changhua County.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

To the Japanese, calligraphy is like “an art dancing on paper”, whereas the Taiwanese keep and use the legitimate Chinese characters to write history. Because of the project, Chingsau Elementary School held charity fundraising events selling calligraphic works while promoted calligraphy art. The events touched the hearts of the busy crowd.

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

Language 1.Learn the history and characteristics of Chinese calligraphic scripts 2.Collect stories of famous Chinese calligraphers 3.Compile articles regarding the NEH masters’ interviews 4.Write reflections regarding interviews and activities 5.Take an eight week calligraphy course 6.Write the methods of postcards Art 1.Make NEH postcard sets 2.Hold NEH coloring contest 3.Make paper clay charms 4.Make posters for the activities in the charity sale 5.Play recorder 6.Learn picture framing skills 7.Make book cards General 1.Design survey questions about calligraphy education 2.Analyze the result of survey 3.Hold calligraphic activities for 5th graders 4.Hold a couplet writing event for charity sale 5.Hold street fundraising activities

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Project Elements

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

Computer Science Education 1.Use Internet to collect information 2.Use email, Power Point, and PrintMagic for mails, presentations, and posters. 3.Learn to use camera and photo editing software 4.Learn to design online questionnaire and use Excel to analyze the survey result 5.Use graphics software to draw self-portraits of NEH 6.Use recording pen and camcorder to record interviews 7.Learn to create webpages

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

1. Knowledge Ambassadors: The members have learned to recognize and appreciate Chinese calligraphic scripts, stories of famous calligraphers, calligraphic works in daily life, and others. 2. Art Ambassadors: Through an eight-week calligraphy course, the members gradually became interested in calligraphy art. 3. Striving Ambassadors: Through the interviews, the members realized how the masters strive to learn calligraphy and overcome difficulties. 4. Goodwill Ambassadors: In the activities, the students got familiar with calligraphy art through setting up the activities of writing couplets, blowing pictures, treasure hunts, and rubbing. 5. Philanthropy Ambassadors: The students held many charity fundraising events and received more than $70,000. They donated the money to Mandarin Daily News, and ACC in Africa for building orphanages. 6. Survey Ambassadors: The students used survey to learn how the public feels about calligraphy, NEH, and calligraphic education.

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

It took us six months to complete the Cyberfair project. Without the support of the administrative team, parent volunteers, and community members, the project could not have been done. After eleven face-to-face interviews, the interviewees had more expectations on the current education system, and the members started to have more artistic appreciation ability and independent living skills. During this period, Mandarin Daily News and three cable television companies have introduced us in the media. The webpages are created to display the masters’ artworks and stories, while emphasizing that calligraphy art is diverse, which includes the beauty of the modern age, being entertaining and sharing, and doing good deeds.

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

In order to provide more realistic information, we regularly visited exhibitions and used phones or emails to keep in touch with interviewees back and forth to make sure our information is accurate. During the survey, we happened to meet the chief magistrate of Changhua County, Po-yuan Cho. He also participated in the survey. The support of a higher-level administrative unit means a lot to the promotion of calligraphy education. In addition to the donated artworks from all association members, Sansheng Temple, Yuanching Lion’s Club, and Councilor Cheng-hsiung Yo also supported our charity fundraising activities. Many people of goodwill who donated money didn’t take the charity goods. We are deeply touched by Taiwanese warm, humane deeds.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

We can see this promotion of calligraphy through students' points of view, and conduct the teaching of Clerical script instead of Regular script. Not only do we make it interesting, but also less frustrated for the students. It is a more successful implantation of calligraphy education. By adding in music and dance, as well as the format of live performance into the direction of calligraphy education, a breakthrough of the current contest system can be made, which is similar as having an indoor band, and then progress to a marching band performance. Fitting in the art of calligraphy into daily lives will be the force that never gives up.

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View our CyberFair Project (Project ID: 7673)

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