School: Wuxing Elementary Schoo
    Taipei, , Taiwan

10 students, ages 11-12 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on February 28, 2015. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2011,2012,2013

Classes and Teachers: Sue-ching Li,Chefu Wang

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.wsps.tp.edu.tw/bin/home.php

1. Description of Our Community

Wuxing Elementary School is located in Xinyi District, Taipei City. In addition to the natural resource of the Mt. Elephant nearby, there are abundant cultural and educational resources around, such as institutions of music, languages, dance, sports, and education, for instance, Liuhe library and Lan Yang Catholic Cultural Center. The instructor specially retained by the harmonica team of our school also has a music studio nearby. Therefore, the school district of Wuxing is a good place for multiple developments of the children.

2. Summary of Our Project

Over the years, the harmonica team of our school has made shining achievements each year, and we’d like to know how they made it and what makes them such a successful team. So we interviewed the principal, teachers, team members and their parents, and thus got to know more about the development of Wuxing Harmonica Team. In addition, through books, internet, and consultation with teachers, we learned about the fundamentals of the harmonica. We hope that this web page can help to popularize the team. May Wuxing Harmonica Team keep on the great achievements in competitions, and the team spirit be passed on as ever.

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: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):

Our school is connected to the Internet by means of the local area network T1, and there is a virtual host in the computer lab. Before the class, the teacher can set each student computer desktop to the default operating environment to accord with the learning schedule, in order to make students learn more efficiently.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

The biggest problem we had was when we tried to interview the harmonica team members, we found that they were too busy or shy, and thus there was no way to access the whole team. Fortunately, we still had opportunities to interview certain members, and they talked and showed us how they play their favorite melodies without conservation. Besides, we visited their harmonica class and brilliant ensemble performances. And the principal, directors, and harmonica teachers also provided us with a great deal of information which enriched our research contents of the harmonica team, and the assistance from the parents allowed us to complete the task without a hitch as well.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

As the saying goes, 'Ten minutes of brilliant performance on-stage comes from ten years of hard work off-stage.' Such remarkable achievements of the team were not something gained without labor. Should we learn from the never-give-up attitude of the team, I believe we can have good developments in each field we are engaged in.

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

Fields of the Nine-Year Integrated Curriculums The Combination On the Field of Language Arts Our abilities of listening, speaking, reading and writing are enhanced through the process of interviews. On the Field of Mathematics Through the questionnaires and interviews with new and old members of the harmonica team, along with the data provided by the school, we learned how to gather statistics for the proportion of male and female and age distributions of the team. On the Field of Integrative Activities Our ability of collaboration was built and EQ was developed through the teamwork. On the Field of Arts and Humanities We learned to appreciate the music played by the team members, and our ability of artistic creation was enhanced through the web illustrations designing as well. On the Field of Health and Physical Education We learned that the beautiful music can cheer people up and enhance them spiritually. On the Field of Science and Technology Our computer skills of typesetting, drawings, image retouching, and film editing were enhanced through the process of web page designing.

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

We used digital cameras with filming function, mobile phones, and computer software including web page designing, graphics illustrating, audio, video and word processing programs, along with libraries, books, newspapers, and field interviews. Our web page was mainly designed with Dreamweaver, and images were retouched and edited with Paint, Photo Cap 5.0, as well as Microsoft Office Picture Manager. We also used GIMP and Paint to draw illustrations. What’s more, the works made with the professional SAI drawing software and the LINE Brush App, which were self-studied by the students, surprised all of the teachers. The films are processed with Windows Live Movie Maker, and we also used Facebook and e-mail to contact for ongoing consultation with one another on the proofreading work.

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

We want more people to know about the distinguished Wuxing Harmonica Team. In addition to their craftsmanship, the team’s indomitable spirit is the focus of this project.

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

The project led us to believe that if we stick to it, we will succeed. Therefore, we're following the example of Wuxing Harmonica Team, and thus trying our best to get this web page done.

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

Most of the photos used in this web page were taken by us, and some images were adopted from Mr. Yao’s website with consent. The source of each photo or image was clearly and obviously marked. As for the materials from harmonica books, the sources of information were clearly indicated as well.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

In the process of interviewing the team, we learned that team members may play different types of harmonicas in an ensemble, and that melodicas can be a part of a formal harmonica ensemble. As for the making of the web page, we found that lots of students have achieved a professional level in computer drawing skills, which was gorgeous and stunning.