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1. Description of Our Community
Tainan Municipal Wenhua Elementary School is an elementary school in Taiwan. It is located in the downtown of Guiren District in Tainan. Because of a market nearby, it has great vital functions. Guiren District is the most southern part in Tainan. It’s in the southeast of Jianan Plain and belongs to Erren River. Next to it in the east is Guanmiao District, and in the west is Rende District. Two Districts, Alian and Lujhu, in Kaohsiung are in its south; Yongkang District and Shinhua District are in its north. The agriculture in Guiren District develops well . The Hong Wa Cuo Tourist Science Leisure Farm was built by Xiu Fuchang couple. Its area is about 43200 square feet. There are a butterfly museum, an insect museum, a herbarium and an organic papaya garden. Every construction and plant took the couple more than three years to achieve. They still expand now. The farm becomes a good place for students in Guiren to take field trips because of its natural environment and the idea of environment protecting. Besides, there is a bikeway around the farm. Since the Tainan Station of THSR operated, the wild road and well-done bikeway have attracted many bicycle riders to start off or take a rest here. On holidays, you can see riders and their friends move on the routes they planned. It is suitable for family activities around our school and in the whole farm. Our project focuses on how to reform our school environment with Guiren community resources. What the little team members often did was riding “iron horses” (bikes) to make a surrounding inquiry. By discussing how to reform school environment and cooperate with local community (tourism industry), we know our native surrounding, Guiren, more.
2. Summary of Our Project
We wanted to not only create a learning environment to benefit students, but also solve the predicament of ecology teaching in Science before. Therefore, we combined with the community resources to reform and activate the old facilities and space in the campus. Teachers, parents in our school and the people in Hong Wa Cuo Tourist Science Leisure Farm designed an innovative planning to build an ecological learning corner, “Dream Insect Ecology Park”, which is integrated with the resources of community and school. The insects and the information how to rear insects were provided by the Hong Wa Cuo Tourist Science Leisure Farm. Teachers, students and parents in our school maintained the park together. The opening ceremony was held on our school birthday, December 28th, 2013. On that day, we leaded children and community people to observe and explore the ecology park. Today, the 'Dream Insect Ecology Park' has been set up for one year. Some students as a team are not only ecological conservationists but also ecological commentators. They preserve the ecological environment around the park hard. Many knowledge about environmental education as a little seed has grown in their mind in this year. These part-time conservationists and commentators would tell you not only what we do about environmental education and reformation but also how to make the park fit into the community ecology and our living surrounding!
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:4-6
E. Additional comments concerning your computer and/or Internet access (Optional):
We finished our project search by using six computers with network in normal classrooms after school every Friday. These six computers are provided by school or instructor’s personal computer. Most search and work are uploaded to the website platform (Wenhua Elementary School ePBL) set up by Miss Xu. In addition, we made good use of Cloud, such as Google Drive and dropbox, to access, upload and share our documents, videos and photos (taken by digital camera or smartphone). Using the software and website platform made us work more efficiently. Used information technology: (1) Desktop computer, Laptop, Pad: search information on the internet, data integration, project website processing (2) Printer, copy machine: copy or print data, worksheet, questionnaire, interview draft, etc. (3) Telephone: Contact with the interviewer. It’s also an important tool to connect between team members.
4. Problems We Had To Overcome
Problem 1: Our team time was limited since we came from different classes. We only have one hour (4 p.m. – 5 p.m.) after school on Friday. Solution: Divide the work to complete. Problem 2: It’s hard to share information when the word had been parted. The data in USB drive is mass and mess. We can’t share easily. Solution: We access drafts in Google Drive and Dropbox and upload to the cyber fair space after modified constantly. We share information to each other without the problem of data missing with the web platforms below. Problem 3: What we presented on the website was mass and our reflections were unfocused. Solution: Use the software XMIND to make us focus when we not only discussed the ideas and thoughts, but also wrote the reflections and plan the schedules. Problem 4: It’s too difficult to make webpages. Solution: Use simple software and templates on websites to make up for our abilities of making webpages. (1) First, put the information and photos together with Powerpoint. And then, saved each page as a picture and export. At last, apply the pictures to the templates on websites. (2)Make web contents with EXE. And then, apply the contents to the templates on websites. The software, EXE, was very helpful to us who didn’t understand the HTML syntax. (3)Enhance our webpages with FLASH e-book. Wow! Our webpages are cooler!!
5. Our Project Sound Bite
Our project focuses on how to reform our school environment with Guiren community resources. What the little team members often did was riding “iron horses” (bikes) to make a surrounding inquiry. We further hope beetles and flying-butterflies can be seen on campus, not just in the insect area or Leisure Farm. Moreover, make the campus become a homeland where insects love to stay. Make a natural ecological path on campus. Teachers, students and parents become the environmental education volunteers to do something for the community environment.
6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?
What we learned:The skills of interview: We understood contact and draw up interview drafts (or question list) before interview. When the interview starts, be polite and clearly speaking. Convey thanks after interview. So that will be a successful interview. The skills of the questionnaire survey: In order to know if the teachers, students and parents realize about and agree with the “Ecology Insect Garden”, we made a questionnaire survey. And then, gather the written questionnaire to tabulate and draw. After experience the completed investigation, our abilities are greatly enhanced. The skills of active exploration and researching: This research is a brand-new topic for us. It’s precious to participate and implement to complete it. So, everything you want to learn, you can learn everywhere. Active exploration, team cooperation and problems solving are the most important factors to support and lead us to succeed. The skills of web authoring: The article writing, content arrangement, image processing, video processing, graphic design, Webpage editing etc in webpages are discussed and worked together by us and teachers. We benefited a lot. Implement and practice ideas and methods of team cooperation to finish our project: (1) Whatever questionnaire, interview the owner of the farm, promotion activities or report writing, we separate each big task into many small tasks. Allot tasks by personal strength, interesting or will. Everyone elaborates his part, and then put all results together to become a complete work. (2) Some tasks cannot be allotted equally, therefore, the one first completed would assist the unfinished ones. We work together and cooperate with each other to complete the project smoothly.
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1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?
Used information technology: (1)Desktop computer, Laptop, Pad: search information on the internet, data integration, project website processing (2)Printer, copy machine: copy or print data, worksheet, questionnaire, interview draft, etc. (3)Telephone: Contact with the interviewer. It’s also an important tool to connect between team members. Introduce our research to the local farmers and ask them to accept our interview by telephones (4)Mobile phone and pad: Nowadays, the mobile phone can be a tool for taking picture and recording. The communication system, such as LINE, is very convenient for us to have video interview with the owner of the farm on line directly. (5)Digital video, camera, audio recorder, single beam projector: Photography, videography and record of our events, projector for presentation (6)USB / CD: (7)Software / document: Word, PSPad editor (8)Software / brief: PowerPoint Software / image processing: PhotoCap 6.0 Software / : Xmind Software / Flash photoalbum: Flash Slideshow Maker Professional Software / video editing:Movie Maker, FormatFactoryPortable_3.3.5 Software / webpage processing: EXE, Dreamweaver (9)Cloud platform: Google Drive, Dropbox
2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.
Through participate the project, we know further about the environment reformation on campus. The ecology environment should be protected by everyone to let the beautiful butterflies live sustainably. Basic on it, we have the sentiment to protect the environment and active concern about the community surrounding. (1)The way of data collection and arrangement: Search information through the internet, take photos and videos by ourselves, record local field observation The ambassador: Know the environment reformation on campus by discussing the external experiences and the cooperation of the internal folk force. (2)Project interview and forums Contacted people: The owner of the Hong Wa Cuo Science Education Farm – the Xu Fu-chang couple and our principal, Lai Ming-chuan The ambassador: Understand how to run a insect garden and the related knowledge (3)Questionnaire survey: Contacted people: Teachers and students at our school and communities The ambassador: Discuss and understand if they agree or oppose the environment on campus reformed and the insect garden set up. (4)Field investigation Contacted people: The owner of the Hong Wa Cuo Science Education Farm – the Xu Fu-chang couple and teachers at Wenhua Elementary School, Lai Qiu-yu, Chen Fong-gui, Zhang Ming-zheng. The ambassador: Visit the Hong Wa Cuo Science Education Farm to understand deeply the insect feeder’s efforts, faced difficulties and the value of environmental education in the farm. By actually interview understand how the environment reformation affects our living. (5)The way of policy forum: Seek advices from related communities about setting up the insect garden on campus. The ambassador: To know other methods of environment reformation or leaning paths at other school (6)The way of practice and experience: Participate in the insect garden conservation and explanation The ambassador: Experience, implement environment reformation, participate in conservation, nurturance and …
3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?
With the care of all the teachers and parents, many guests – little animals have increased on campus. We can see cute squirrels in the insect garden. Sometimes, we can also see magpies. I hope there are more and more animals at school. I would treasure them because it’s important to learn to live in harmony with nature. When we treat animals and human beings as friends and no harm them, we can find out our value of life.
4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?
1. We promote our project with community promotion. Through the print media, students at school and parents in the community are interested in our project. It proves the effect of the publicity. 2. We hope we can rouse the masses to maintain the environment on campus together. Share our activities with friends on the internet, act to move our classmates, families and communities. We expect more people protect the most beautiful natural environment.
5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)
(1) Discoveries We watered, fed bugs and swept in the insect garden at noon every day. It was hard and busy, but we were happy. When the flowers become beautiful, the butterflies fly around, and the bugs are strong and pretty, we felt a sense of achievement! (2) Lessons As we investigated the insects’ ecology, we reformed the environments on campus and maintain the insect garden. At the same time, we set up our webpages. The research took us more than 7 months. From the start of the project, we had a meeting and worked every Friday. Without hard-working, our web-pages would complete smoothly. (1)Amazement There are more and more animals at school. We would treasure them because it’s important to learn to live in harmony with nature. When we treat animals and human beings as friends and no harm them, we can find out our value of life from that. We lead by example as the little moving force of the environment reformation to explore the secrets of the insects. And then, promote to teachers, classmates and parents in many ways. This project made me get a deeper understanding for the insects. Further, I realized that it’s a good virtue to protect natural environment and respect for life.
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View our CyberFair Project
(Project ID: 7927)
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