1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?
* Laptop Windows 7 and MacBook Pro OSX - record interview and operate project
* Telephones - contact members and teacher
* Digital Camera - take pictures
* Adobe Photoshop CS3 & CS6(MacBook Pro) - photo editing
* Microsoft Office Word 2010 & 2011(MacBook Pro) & 2013 -
* Dreamweaver CS3 & CS6(MacBook Pro) - website design and upload
* Dreamweaver CS6 - software reference book
* Interview - Independent Volunteer Association interview
* USB - transfer informations
Digital Camera is our most helpful and valuable tool. Without it, the photo gallery on the website wouldn’t have been so amazing.
2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.
We first contacted the Independent Volunteer Association for the available to interview. The Independent Volunteer Association is not made public to donation, so all the money comes from people that voluntarily donates.We first set the questions for the interview and sent it to Mr. Rack. He answered the questions in order and sent it back to us to backup. As “ambassadors”, we successfully finished our project with his support.
3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?
Our project will make a difference in not only people’s lives but also the cat’s lives. Now that our website is finished, people in our community can learn a lot of new things from our web page like how bad the cats situation are in and how people can try their best to help them. Our web page influenced everyone in the world to get to know the place Houtong and to learn to love. During this process, we got a lot of feedback, especially learning to respect lives. We hope our project can affect everyone around us and that people would stop thinking cat village as a tourist attraction.
4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?
Our biggest helper for this project was Mr. Rack, the club leader of Cats Independent Club of Volunteers. He was the greatest contributor to this project outside of our CyberFair team. He was our main contact when arranging visits to Houtong. Our visit was successful and without obstacles because of him. He provided much information and insights on the stray cats problem in Houtong. He sent photos that contribute to a better understanding of Houtong. He was also very cooperative and helpful during our visit to Houtong and arranged several interviews with various residents in Houtong. This gave us a better knowledge about the abandoned cats in Houtong and the possible methods to solve or reduce this problem. Furthermore, he shared personal experience regarding the rescuing of abandoned cats, which was extremely valuable in our project. We would like to give a big thanks to Mr. Rack. Without him, this project probably wouldn’t have been possible. Other helpers from the school include Principal Wu and Ms. Harriet. They gave our team a great help in terms of providing administrative and educational/researching resources.
5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)
After this research, we most deeply understood Life Education. The main reason why Houtong is renown is because of the many stray cats that wonder there. During the earlier times, what originally was Utopia for the cats raised by miners in Houtong, suddenly transformed into a hot tourist attraction from a little quite mountain town because of constant disclosures by the mass media. After becoming a popular tourist attraction, although giving business opportunities to the wane little mining town, created two major issues: Ecological effects on cats, and the increase of animal abandonment.
1. Ecological Effects on Cats
Because of the rising fame of Houtong, the increase of visitors actually brings oppression to the easily startled cats, which need serenity; the bacteria from the human skin, may also bring about contagious diseases between the cats, and in addition, the mess from street pedlars causes messes to the environment, seriously threatening the health and well-being of the cats.
2. Increase of Animal Abandonment
Many think that Houtong is a cat paradise. But according to researches conducted by Cat Village Independent Volunteer Club, during the recent years, what is thought to be a cat paradise, is actually a place where in average, 2 cats per month are abandoned. Little do they know, the residents and volunteers who take care of the cats, to rescue the stray animals (including dogs, rabbits, etc.) from the fate of being euthanized, exhausted their own strength to protect them.
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