Project Overview

2. Project Overview

1.Category:

Local Music and Art Forms

2. Description of "Our Community"

[Our Community] Lukang --- Lukang was originally known as Deer Harbor. It is located on the northern bank of the Lukang, to the northwestern of the Changhua Plain. It borders Sioushuei Township in the east, the Taiwan Strait in the west, the Lukang River and Fusing Township in the south, and Siansi Township and Homei Township in the north. Lukang was a hub for commerce in Taiwan in the early days, and was one of the historical towns, "Tainan, Lukang and Manka". It is a town with a rich history of arts and culture and an important center for the tradition of folk crafts in Taiwan. Lukang maintains its old looks, despite years of modernization. It is known for the variety and quality of craftsmanship. The large number of local artisans, masters and folk artists work day and night, in the quiet allies and lanes, to pass down this cultural heritage.

3. Summary of Our Project:

Spring flowers are a traditional craft with a long history. Lovely and dedicate, these flowers were very popular in Taiwan in the past as a symbol of prosperity. There were required as accessories for women on weddings or on a day-to-day basis, as well as decorations in living rooms. Spring flowers have gradually disappeared from the hair of brides as modern life set in. The making of spring flowers takes time and hence is an indication of cultural sophistication. In the era where mass-produced plastic flowers are readily available, the making of spring flowers seems to be a lost art. Fortunately, Lukang has been actively promoting folk arts and activities, and to keep the tradition of spring flowers alive.

Our research introduces the Origins and materials they require. It also examines in depth the art forms, craft techniques, and cultural implications of spring flowers. The artistic beauty of spring flowers in Lukang is presented with visits to workshops, hands-on experience and data gathering and analyses. The purpose is to bring spring flowers as a traditional art to other parts of Taiwan and the rest of the world.

4. Our Computers and Internet Access?

Our school has 3 computer classrooms and 136 computers, and the Switch Hub is the internet core (100MB￠10MB). The school has ADSL internet access, and virtual IP systems are used with File Server, WWW, Server, Poxy Server, and E-Mail Server. Most students have broadband internet at home, so we most frequently use school computers to write research reports, while using ADSL broadband at home for data searching and uploading.

5. Problems We Had To Overcome?

	Difficult	Solution
Experience	Difficult to come up with good questions due to nervousness and a lack of experience in conducting interviews	A: Preparations during group hours by assigning every member his/her tasks. Recording pens and digital cameras to make it easy to make notes and record the process at any given time. B. Questions gathered from team members and prioritization made to produce a question list, to ensure a smooth interviewing process and avoid any missing parts.
Time	The heavy school work and the limited timeframe as a source of pressure to participating students	Time management with a tight schedule planned, detailing the targets and follow-ups for each trip in order to maximize outputs with team work. All done during lunch breaks in the computer rooms.
Techniques	A lack of computer skills and familiarity with webpage products of some members, particularly regarding data folders, webpage text formats, file names and image processing	A. Avid involvement and instructions from Teacher Bing-fu Shih to develop computer and Internet competences among members and facilitate mutual support within the team B. Learning from each other to enhance computer literacy
Team Work	Members coming from different classes in different grades, and engaged in a variety of learning activities; difficult in synchronizing the scheduling for interviews and discussions; absence evitable sometimes due to class affairs, particularly during the monthly examinations; as a result, progress falling behind scheduled	Using group hours and lunch breaks to summarize reports and gather information, with every member taking initiatives and doing their parts; mutual assistance to overcome difficulties with techniques taught by teachers in order to meet the deadlin

6. Our Project Sound Bite?

This was the first time the participating students were involved in a group-led research project. This daunting challenge presented a great learning experience. Students were required to contact spring flower artisans, plan interview schedules, prepare question lists and assign tasks within the team for data collection, writing and editing. We obtained a lot of knowledge in the research process and were impressed with the skills and dedication and craftsmanship of traditional art masters. We feel we should learn from their devotion and persistency as a way of life.

Thanks to Director Bing-fu Shih who supervised this research project around the clock and to Teacher Li-mei Shih who demonstrates his mastery of spring flowers in an approachable manner. Lukang Township Mayor Chen-yen Huang, School Master Bo-lin W, Teachers He-hsin Wang and Hsien-ju Shih, all the other teachers in the school and parents’ association all poured in their support. Their great help facilitated our research activities from the beginning to the end.

It has been a bumpy ride. We did not know how much trouble was required to produce a webpage, but we managed it. We overcame difficulties and acquired valuable experience. Our efforts finally paid off. This challenging journey will always be a fond memory to all of us. We appreciate the help we have received and thank all those who have offered us a helping hand.

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