1.
Description of Our Community
Erlin Township is located in the southwestern part of Changhua
County. The area is flat and most of the locals are farmers.
Grapes, Chinese leeks, red Job’s tears, and buckwheat are some
of the well-known agricultural products in this area. Wanhe
Elementary School is located in Wanhe, a small village in Erlin.
There are many traditional houses in our community. People lead
a very simple lifestyle here. One problem we are facing is that
the population here is decreasing dramatically. Young people
tend to relocate for job opportunities. Most of our students
live with their grandparents. Over the past few years, we have
less than ten first graders entering our school every year. The
number of our students has dropped to 57 this year.
2.
Summary of Our Project
When Mr. Luke Lin realized that rural students in Jhutang
Township were at a disadvantage due to lack of educational
resources, he sprang into action. With the assistance of a local
Buddhist monastery, Luke began offering free English classes on
Sundays. As parent support developed, Luke was able to expand
his offerings to include annual English contests and numerous
educational events during the summer break. These selfless
actions and the enthusiasm displayed by Luke and other
volunteers led to increased community support and the founding
of a non-profit organization in 2009. My Culture Connect’s
founding purpose was the development of wide and free access to
educational resources for the schools of Changhua County. The
year 2010 was a turning point for Luke’s organization. Because
of helping the international organization, Up with People, when
they visited Taiwan, My Culture Connect became a platform for
cultural exchanges between Taiwan and other nations. Selfless
acts, of this nature, proved to be critical in breaking down
national and cultural boundaries.
Luke, the subject of our project, is one of several people we
interviewed. Nine people, including the American volunteers,
Mike Dishnow and Jerry Becwar, offered their thoughts on Luke
Lin and My Culture Connect. All together, we recorded more than
40 hours in our quest to understand this incredible selfless
man. Luke Lin’s dreams come to life in the words of these
witnesses and participants in his life. Our goals go beyond
exploring Luke’s dreams and extend to sowing the seeds of hope
in the minds of students. Careful cultivation of these seeds
will promote the growth of young people who grow up to give back
to the society that has nurtured them.
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
4.
Problems We Had To Overcome
First, it was difficult for us to choose between the Local
Leaders and Community Groups and Special Populations . We were
intrigued. How could an organization with such limited resources
be so effective in assisting rural schools with English
education? As we learned more about the successes of this
organization, it became more and more obvious that the founder’s
dreams were the underlying foundation of this impressive slate
of accomplishments. We decided to focus on Luke Lin and his
dreams for our research project for 2014.
Second, as Erlin Township is in a remote area without good
public transportation available, it is not a desirable place for
economic development. This leaves agriculture as the major
source of income for people here. Young people have a tendency
to relocate in their quest for job opportunities. In the recent
past, and today, agriculture has not been a lucrative endeavor.
Farmers have relatively low incomes. People living here are poor
compared to those living in towns The disadvantaged economic
environment leads to fewer and less rich educational
experiences. This research project is one effort to overcome
this disadvantage. By conducting interviews with Luke Lin and
foreign volunteers working with My Culture Connect as well as Up
with People members, and the foreign Skype volunteers, students
engage a much more sophisticated audience. Our programming
actually provides a global outreach, something usually available
only in affluent urban areas.
Third, the project team members, who are sixth graders, have
limited English skills. Luke’s strong advocacy of international
educational exchanges leads to interviews of native English
speakers. We interviewed two of his American volunteers, Michael
Dishnow and Jerry Becwar, in person here in Changhua. In
addition, we have requested testimonials from visiting Up with
People students and Skype session volunteers. We use e-mail for
this purpose. Students must rely on the assistance of their
English teachers, Winnie Zheng and Jessie Qiu.
Fourth, only five of our students have Internet access at
home. This leaves only the students’ spare time during the
school day for research. Time is limited. In addition, we should
mention, that parents usually do not have the skills, or the
equipment, to help the students with their research projects at
home.
The fifth problem is the lack of time. Regular classes and
homework leave little time to do interviews. This leaves lunch
breaks and, perhaps, a little time in some of their more
flexible classes. Good research practices mandate collecting
data and outlining interviews beforehand. They often exchange
thoughts and think up questions using the Internet, phones, or
simply writing down ideas. Being well prepared is critical to
their success or lack thereof.
5.Our
Project Sound Bite
Is there a direct relationship between a person’s achievements
and his/her vision? Many say that this is so. Taking Mr. Luke
Lin as an example, we note that, during his 12 years of
volunteer service, he has offered free after-school programs,
produced and presented English newscasts, developed and promoted
Skype sessions and developed many English teaching materials.
His newest venture is a project named the Renshi Academy. Renshi
will develop and make learning materials and teachers available
to all who desire to improve themselves through education. There
is often a price paid for pursuing dreams. Luke is a fortunate
man who has enjoyed the support of his family and friends as he
follows his dreams. It may be counterintuitive to many, the idea
of working selflessly for others, but the result is good works
and the role modeling so valuable to our young people and
others.
6.How
did your activities and research for this Cyberfair Project
support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?
The activities and research for the 2014 Cyberfair project
supports standards, required coursework and curriculum standards
through its design, implementation and activities. First, it
adheres closely to the core values and goals as stated for Grade
1 through grade 9 curriculums. Second, the research integrates
nicely with the subjects of language, writing, information
technology and the arts. Many integrative activities cross
course boundaries. Third, we, at Wanhe Elementary, believe the
best character education is in real-life models like this. Our
activities, under this year’s project, seek to promote good
character traits. Students interviewed Luke’s colleagues in My
Culture Connect, international volunteers and community members
to gain a better understanding of the good that he does. They
also participated in the following activities in this endeavor:
1.They sought community support by asking people to add their
signatures to student prepared cards.
2.They held a sale to raise money for Luke’s cause.
3.They prepared a presentation to share the results of the
project and their thoughts about Luke.
4.They asked every student at school to write positive
thoughts on a card shaped like a leaf, which they placed on a
tree named Luke’s Tree. To sum up, this project is an exercise
in character education. Students exposed to role models like
this have the seeds for positive societal impact and community
involvement sown early. These seeds will develop and produce
productive adults in the greater Taiwanese community.
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1.What information tools & technologies did you used to complete
your Cyberfair project?
The students used digital camera to record their interview
processes, and use notebook computers to compose PPT reports.
Team members used messaging software to discuss project issues,
and used email for communicating their experiences and
accomplishments to their teacher.
2.In
what ways did you act as “ambassadors” and spokespersons for
your Cyberfair project both on-line and in person.
There are a number of ways. First, the research done into the
goals and practices of Luke Lin and his associates leads to a
much clearer understanding of the organization, My Culture
Connect, and its reason for being. This requires community
outreach on the part of the students, in both the research
itself, and in the follow-up sharing of research findings with
the greater community. Second, our belief in character education
and the importance of positive role models for students is
enhanced by interviewing community service participants like
Luke and his associates, Taiwanese and foreign volunteers. We
foresee students who may become community service leaders as
they grow and mature into responsible adults in our Taiwanese
and global community. Third, the research activities and the
resultant record keeping requirements enhance student abilities
in interviewing and searching for data and information. They
become the purveyors of information to others in their own
right. Fourth, once the research is complete, the participants
become the teachers of, and role models for, younger students.
Younger students become knowledgeable as to the goals of the
research and the methodologies employed. They become
spokespersons for the Cyberfair projects. Fifth, the use of
modern technology during the project enhanced student skills.
Students utilized the Internet for research, used software to
design cards for the project, used Microsoft Word for word
processing, communicated with e-mail, and made numerous videos
and took photos. Their technology quotient increased
significantly.
3.What has been the impact of your project on your community?
The impact on our community has been significant. The
enthusiastic team members have influenced not only their
classmates, but their families and friends as well. Selfless
devotion and hard work as models for a life’s path are
immeasurably valuable to all exposed to Luke Lin’s story. Of
obvious local impact was the sale students organized to raise
money for Luke Lin and My Culture Connect. Every student donated
something and the event was open to the entire community.
Numerous local people were able to purchase items at a
reasonable price. Following our sale, we invited Luke to join
our project presentation on Christmas Day and donated the sale
proceeds to My Culture Connect to help with promoting English
education in rural areas. The contrast with past Christmas
celebrations, when we sang songs and drew names for gifts, could
not have been more obvious. We enjoyed the recognition of the
local residents for a job well done. Students and teachers
showed their appreciation for all assistance, and were happy to
donate the money to a good cause. The community reacted quite
positively. Some in the community simply donated money without
taking any of the sales items. It was a ’heart-warming’ time.
4.How
did your project involve other members of your community as
helpers and volunteers?
Our project included many community members as volunteers and
helpers. There were the interviewees themselves, plus teachers
and the parents of students. Initially, we interviewed Luke’s
friends and his colleagues. We gained insight into Luke’s
philosophies and heard some anecdotes from those that are
closest to him. This was very inspiring for our students and the
people who were helping us. Teachers who participated worked
diligently transporting students to interviews and then,
teaching the students how to organize and sort out the data
collected. Parents were a wealth of good ideas and helped
students practice interviews through role-playing. Some of the
parents even provided gifts for us to give to interviewees.
Others helped with directions on the best routes to an interview
site. This direct role by the parents was invaluable to our
success. We really appreciate their encouragement and material
support. |