Project Elements
This project is designed in accordance with Grade 1-9 Curriculum administered by the Ministry of Education.
Grade 1-9 Curriculum centers students' life experience and aims to quip students with carry-on capabilities, which include abilities:
- to accomplish teamwork (self-express, communicate, and share)
- to research (plan, organize, and execute),
- to adopt technology and information. We can learn and develop all these capacities through the themes.
Our research topic can be integrated with the Grade 1-9 Curriculum.
Language Learning
During the research process, we practiced the four language skills-- listening, speaking, reading and writing. For example, before interviewing Ms. Kuei-Yin Lin , the anchorperson of Hsinpintao CATV, we read the related information, planned and designed our questions, and practiced questioning with our Our Members. After the interview, we not only transcribed the recording, sorted out the key points, and matched the texts and the pictures but also wrote and shared own reflections and feedback. Besides, working as campus reporters or anchorpersons, we improved a lot on our language competence in terms of organizing information and expressing opinions when we interviewed, drafted and reported.
Repeatedly practicing expression of speaking
Drilling of raising questions to each other
Typing report on computer after meetings.
Being an interviewee while reporters interviewed on-site.
Notes taken right on the spot are valuable.
Discussion on revising news drafts
Arts and Humanities
Arts are a part of life and can be found in our project. When we carried out our interviews, we designed our own T-shirts. The logo was designed and voted among our Our Members. Plus, we also designed and made exclusive Dove NEWS stickers, which were given as a present to the interviewees. Moreover, we decorated our studio backgrounds with recycled foam boards. We often drew pictures on interview records to illustrate our thoughts and feeling. Finally, we handmade thanksgiving cards for Mr. Liu, the manager of Hsinpintao CATV.
Social Studies
Social studies are targeted to explore people relationships with selves, with others, and with the environments. Through our project, we got to know the corporation structure of Hsinpintao CATV, which is subjected to Kbro Inc. Under the general manager, there are six departments - News, Engineering, Customer Service, Sales, Financial and Management. We were able to see how each department works separately however, at the same time, cooperatively. Moreover, while making our own news program, Dove NEWS, Our Members learned the essence of teamwork and had hands-on experience, interviewing, reporting, anchoring, which in turns gave us opportunities to practice various capacities and also gain a great sense of achievement. Plus, the news program has brought about more interactions between teachers and students, as well as mutual understanding between school and the community since the news program was broadcast on PTA meetings.
Realizing Hsinpintao CATV
'Let's Chu-Meeeee!!' activity gathered everyone's heart in school.
Visit to National Museum of Natural Science
Little reporters and interviewees of grade 1
Acting as anchors on campus
Projecting Dove NEWS program on screen in PTA meeting.
Integrative Activities
While doing interviews and reporting for Dove NEWS, we really came to understand the importance of cooperation. We had to work closely together to make the program successful; for example, while interviewing, we had to assign work like questioning, camera shooting, editing, etc. It was never a one-man job. Therefore, we have really learned to work together and make an effort to accomplish for a common goal.
Making card together
Discussion on distributing task
Completing interview records separately
Key issues: Information Technology Education
Our team often met at school's computer lab because we needed the computers there to search needed information and to hand in our assignments. We used web browsers to search and word processing software to write our reports and journals. We certainly used computers to make pictures and process our video and audio recordings. Finally, we also used social networking sites to share and discuss our work online. Therefore, while working on this project, we bettered our computer skills and learned to use cameras, digital voice recorders, scanners, smart phones, and other devices. We now are better at these electronic devices and really understand how important the technology is to our daily lives.
Information tools & technologies we use to complete our project
We adopted different technology tools on different tasks:
Activities |
Information Technology Devices and Applications |
Group discussions and information summarization |
Tools : personal computers, printers, pens and paper. Applications : We met at the computer lab and each member used a computer to search for needed information and read. And then we discussed and wrote our meeting records on the computer and had them printed out. |
Interview |
Tools : telephones, personal computers, video recorders, sound recorders, digital cameras, pens, and paper. Applications : We called interviewees on the phone in advance to confirm the time and place of appointments. Computers were used to organize our questions and notes. We used video recorders, sound recorders, digital cameras, pens, and paper during interviews to record and keep notes for future coverage. |
Covering news and video shooting |
Tools : telephones, personal computers, video recorders, sound recorders, digital cameras, pens, and paper. Applications : We called the reporter and the program director of Hsinpintao CATV on the phone in advance to confirm the time and place of news interview. We used video recorders, sound recorders, digital cameras, pens, and paper during interviews to record the whole process and keep notes. Finally, we used computers to write individual reflections and journals and illustrated drafts with pictures to complete reports. |
Designing personal and group logos |
Tools : digital cameras, personal computers, scanners, pens, and paper Applications : We designed personal logo on the paper first and then scanned it. And we took our own portrait photos with digital cameras. Then we edited the pictures and photos to create an unique logo for own self. Plus, Dove NEWS logo was created with painting software on the computer. |
Visits |
Tools : digital voice recorders, digital cameras, smart phones, pens, and paper Applications : When we visited Hsinpintao CATV and attended the presentation, we used digital cameras and smart phones to record the whole presentation and what we saw in the visits. We also recorded and noted the key points of the presentation with voice recorders, pens and paper. |
Creating webpages |
Tools : personal computers Applications : Teachers showed us how to make web pages. Each member used a computer to practice making a webpages. |
Creating feedback on Dove NEWS |
Tools : personal computers, printers, pens and paper Applications : We designed and revised our feedback sheets on computers and had them printed out. |
Discussions on Facebook |
It is convenient for all our members to meet online. Therefore we formed a Facebook discussion group for collecting information, sharing, discussing, drafting, and doing reports. |
Interviewing and news coverage |
Tools : video recorders, sound recorders, digital voice recorders, microphones, personal computers, printers, pens, and paper Applications : We used video and audio recorder to take our interviews and kept notes at the same time. And then we used word processing software on the computers to draft, edit and print out news reports. We also used video editing software to post-product video clips. |
Dove NEWS video shooting |
Tools : video recorders, sound recorders, headsets, personal computers, pens and paper Applications : Our anchorpersons used headsets for news reporting. While doing camera shooting, we used caption machine for fluent reporting. The video clips were post-produced after shooting. Narrations were recorded with digital voiced recorders afterwards for better audio quality. |
Post-production |
Tools : video recorders, personal computers Applications : Video recordings were uploaded and saved in the computer. We used video editing software to edit and match sounds and pictures and finally saved as MPEG files. |
Dove NEWS reporting and broadcasting |
Tools : Media classroom, personal computers Applications : We played and broadcast Dove NEWS on the computer in school media classroom. All the students of our school could watch it in the classrooms. |
How can you play the role of the International CyberFair project ambassador?
Hsinpintao CATV is one of Kbro Co., Ltd.'s sub-companies, located at No. 768, Sec 2, Chungshan Rd., Huatan Township, Changhua County , is about 5-10 minute drive from our school, Pinghe Elementary School. Its broadcast covers Changhua City and other 10 townships of of Changhua County, shich are Huatan , Tatsun, Fenyuan, Hemei, Shenkang, Hsienhsi, Lukang, Hsioushui, Fuhsing, and Puyen. Therefore, it is indeed a local broadcasting corporation.
We would like to be a cable TV expedition for Hsinpintao CATV
Hsinpintao CATV was set up in July, 2000 and licensed to broadcast covering all Chunghua area. When we first began to look at this company, many of us did not know the name. However, we all knew there is a cable TV broadcast provider. When we stepped into the company, the first thing we saw was the smiling faces of the customer service agents working at the front desks. They helped to answer questions concerning registration, broadband connections, etc. Most people do not know there is a news department and the news program studio right on the second floor. The staff in the department is responsible for news program production and commercial sales. The first-run news program, Pan-Changhua, is broadcast at 7:00 p.m. every day. The reporters interview in the morning, draft in the afternoon, followed with editing and video shooting and other post-production, and then broadcast on air. It is a very compact process. We hope the research project can give a clear introduction of Hsinpintao CATV, not only the programs or set up application but also the news program production.
Visit in Hsinpintao CATV
Mr. Liu gives presentation to us
Experience in shooting studio
Quick look in secondary control room
We would like to be a campus news expert for our schoolmates
Most of the students at school only know cable TV provider allows people to watch more TV channels. We hope to give a clearer and deeper coverage of our local cable TV corporation, Hsinpintao CATV. We would like our friends and classmates to see through our eyes to look at how a news program is produced from the records of our participation in the behind-the-scene production of Hsinpintao CATV news program. Moreover, we also produced our own news program at school, Dove NEWS. We simulate the production of a real news program, which are selecting coverage issues, interviewing, drafting, video shooting, editing, and broadcasting. And hopefully we can become the news experts of our school and bring about more interactions and understanding between students and the news team, so our schoolmates will have a better understanding about news program production. We also invited news professionals to our school as our instructors or interviewees, so we, as well as our fellow students at school, can have a first hand encounter with these professionals.
We would like to be a news broadcast station for our community
Most people of our community know Hsinpintao CATV is a cable TV company but they merely have come in contact with the customer service and probably never have a chance to take a look at other departments of the company. We had a person-to-person contact with staff of the news department, including broadcast directors, anchorpersons, reporters and camera operators. We also got to observe on site during their interviews, and commercial shooting so to look at the whole process of program production. Therefore we would like to show people in the community what we have seen and get them to know better about the company and news program production. And we also would like Dove NEWS to become a community news broadcast station to show the community what we see.
Mr. Liu set up a series of activities.
Program shooting in crab farm
Movie press conference
Friendly Public Toilet press conference
Observation on commercial shooting at Nan-yao Temple
Taking photo with the Mayor, Mr. Chien-Fu Chiu
What has been the impact of your project on your community?
While doing our research project, we had a close look at Hsinpintao CATV. Going along with the staff for interviews, visits and video shooting, we had more frequent interaction with people in our community and they were interested in our project. We produced our own news program, Dove NEWS. We worked as reporters and anchorpersons and tried to cover whatever is interesting on our campus. So our teachers and students could get know what happened on our campus. And now they are also interested in and looking forward to watching Dove NEWS. We have a lot of positive feedback on our program from students and people of the community. We have known better about Hsinpintao CATV and even got interviewed by United Daily Newspaper because of the project.
How others help your project?
From doing this project, we learned a lot outside of the classroom. We really thank Hsinpintao CATV for their assistance and instructions. We also thank our teachers and fellow students for their firmly supports and sustained help. That's what really helps us to complete our work.
The activities related to Hsinpintao CATV
The activities related to Hsinpintao CATV were touring and attending presentation in the company, observation sections of anchoring, video shooting, reporting, post-production, and commercial shooting. We also interviewed the anchorpersons and invited them to instruct us on the production of Dove NEWS.
Thanks to Mr. Tao-Yuan Liu, the manager of Hsinpintao CATV, for his great help, we were able to look at Hsinpintao CATV more closely. Thanks to the three anchorpersons of Hsinpintao CATV, Ms. Shu-Wen Huang, Ms. Kuei-Yin Lin , and Ms. Shu-Ching Yang. They not only agreed to be our interviewees but also our guides during the visits and observations of the video shooting. And they also shared secrete of how to be a good anchorperson. Thanks to Mr. Chun-Ling Tseng, the broadcast director, he explained the process of program production and allowed us to have a first experience of video shooting. Thanks to Ms. Kuei-Yin Lin , Mr. Hsi-Liang Chang, and Mr. Wen-Hsing Chen, the reporters of Hsinpintao CATV. Even though they had a really tight schedule, they still spared time to teach us what to look at during observation and how to draft news reports.
Mr. Tseng, the broadcast director
Anchor, Ms. Shu-Wen Huang
Anchor, Ms. Kuei-Yin Lin
Anchor, Ms. Shu-Ching Yang
Camera operator, Mr. Fu-Ling Lu
Reporter, Mr. Hsi-Liang Chang
Shooting and broadcasting of Dove NEWS
Thanks to the principal, Mr. Shuei-Mu Lin, and office directors of our school, we were able to use media classroom as shooting studio and computer lab to work on our project. They even helped to repair lights and broadcast equipment in order for us to produce news program. Thanks to Ms. Li-Huei Tsai, English teacher for her great help to perfect our English pronunciation in English reporting. Finally, our thanks also go to Ms. Min-Chu Liu for her assistance to shoot news program smoothly in the studio.
Feedback on Dove NEWS
We really appreciate the support and assistance from teachers and fellow students of our school. They filled in feedback sheets after each and every broadcast. Their suggestions and advice inspired us to work harder and showed us what and how to make a better program.
Observation on program production—Ching-Rong Chinese Mitten Crab Farm
We thanked Hsinpintao CATV's broadcast director (Mr. Tseng), the anchorperson (Ms. Yang), and the camera operator (Mr. Lu) for allowing us to observe while they were video-shooting news coverage. We also thanked Mr. Szu-Wei Chen for guiding us through the tour around Ching-Rong Chinese Mitten Crab Farm. He shared a lot on crab farming, both sweetness and hardships. He even taught us how to catch a crab and let us do it on our own. We had great fun and learned a lot at the same time.
Outdoor video-shooting— Let's Chu-Meeeee!!
We were thankful for all the teachers and students who participated in this activity. It was a success in involving teachers and students in Dove NEWS.
Interviews of Dove NEWS
Thanks to all the interviewees -- the teachers, students, and parents. We really think you enriched our program.
Observation on commercial shooting—commercials of Matsu Pilgrimage at Nan-yao Temple
Again, our thanks go to Hsinpintao CATV's broadcast director (Mr. Tseng), vice manager (Mr. Chang), and the camera operator (Mr. Lu) for giving us an opportunity to watch how a commercial is made. We also appreciate our mayor, Mr. Chien-Fu Chiu and temple staffs for letting us observe on site while they were shooting the commercial of Matsu Pilgrimage. The host of temple even gave us lucky charms as a souvenir for our visit.
Dub and art design
We gave thanks to our school's student orchestra for the background music played in the Dove NEWS program and to our art teacher, Ms. Yu-Cheng Lai, for her wonderful design of Dove NEWS logo.
Group discussion and webpage design
Our school's Information Section provided us with equipment and places to work on this project. The teachers also instructed us on web page editing. We are really thankful for their help.
Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises
Hsinpintao CATV is located near our school but it was a very strange place for the project members. We passed it by but never got to look at closely what goes on inside. After we entered the building, we found a studio which was far from what we had speculated. There were wires tangled up on the floor and the anchorperson's desk was not a real desk at all, not sturdy but fragile. It was an interesting experience playing an anchorperson. It was until then we found the caption machine to remind the anchorperson of the report texts. And we also found the background is changeable according to the broadcast director's instruction. During the anchorperson experiencing time, we found the lights really stung our eyes. The anchorperson, Ms. Huang, put on the headsets for us gently. We could hear the broadcast director's instruction through headset. When he asked us to start reporting the news, we found it so difficult just to read the sentences on the caption machine. We stuttered on every sentence we said. Now we really understand how hard it is to be a good anchorperson.
With the help from Mr. Liu, the manager of Hsinpintao CATV, we were able to observe the video shooting of News Program. Ms. Lin, the anchorperson, wore a lot of make-up on her face because the lights were very bright. She was going to report the news all in Taiwanese. It was a mission impossible for us who speak lousy Taiwanese. We found Ms. Lin worked very hard on memorizing the texts when she was not taken by the camera. But once she was on camera, she could start reporting immediately. This is so called professional! And the broadcast director, Mr. Tseng, gave all kinds of instruction from the sub-control room. We were so amazed at what we saw in the studio.
We didn't know what an anchorperson does until we interviewed Ms. Kuei-Yin Lin , the one of the anchorpersons of Hsinpintao CATV. We though an anchorperson just waited in the studio and read the news lines. After interviewing Ms. Lin, we knew that she has to interview people for news coverage outside of the studio and has to make her own program projects, too. Her daily routine is working outside of the studio for news coverage in the morning, organizing and drafting in the afternoon and then prepared for video shooting. We were very surprised that Ms. Lin could not speak Taiwanese in the beginning but she worked really hard practicing it. Now she is the anchorperson of news reporting in Taiwanese. This is so inspiring because it is a real life example of "practice makes perfect".
We went along with the reporters for interviews and news coverage for three times. We got to know better about the profession of being a reporter and understand that it is really a hard work. When going out for news coverage, cameras and microphones are a must. A reporter has to ask right questions in order to gain insights of the issues or events. Open-ended questions are often asked to get the interviewees to talk more, and from which, a reporter is likely to find even more and better topic. The reporters of Hsinpintao CATV have really tight schedule, they often have to cover more than one piece of news a day. And they have to draft and edit their news coverage within a very short period of time to keep up with the news broadcast on time. We think the reporters are amazing.
It was an unforgettable experience visiting Ching-Rong Chinese Mitten Crab Farm. We went with Hsinpintao CATV's broadcast director (Mr. Tseng), the anchorperson (Ms. Yang), and the camera operator (Mr. Lu) to observe while they were video shooting news coverage. We found it was not an easy job because the work staff had to make appointments with the interviewees and make sure of the time and place for the interview and camera shooting. Even one or two pre-visits for setting up interview plan were necessary. On Ching-Rong Chinese Mitten Crab Farm, Mr. Chen was very kind and answered all the questions. Ms. Yang was busy taking notes and asking questions at the same time. At a point of time, Ms. Yang asked Mr. Chen to demonstrate how to cook a Chinese mitten crab with pumpkin cuisine. Mr. Tseng and Mr. Lu were busy operating cameras to take better pictures. Ms. Yang told us that the news staff has to plan in advance but work flexibly and respond to the people and settings on the spot. We learned a lot during the visit, not only how a news program is made but also how hard it takes to keep a crab farm. We were deeply moved and inspired by Mr. Chen's insistence and efforts to run a clean, organic, chemical-free crab farm.
We never knew how a TV commercial was made until we went along with Hsinpintao CATV's staff and observe the production of commercial of Matsu Pilgrimage at Nan-yao Temple. It was so interesting. The mayor, Mr. Chien-Fu Chiu, and staff of the temple were on camera. The video shooting site was full of energy. The broadcast director, Mr. Tseng, gave professional instructions for camera operations to take different pictures. The full length of commercial is only a couple of minutes, but it took more than an hour for video shooting. It really took time to get the work done perfectly.
We took what we learned from observing news program production at Hsinpintao CATV to produce our own news program, Dove NEWS. We target to cover what's interesting on our campus. We paired up and look for subject materials to cover on campus. We have to hand in three pieces of news each the time limit. We had to decide the topic, interview, collect information and materials, draft and record the video clips and narrations. Every single step was a challenge for us and luckily we had teachers and parents to help us. We all found drafting the most difficult because we had to put the materials together under an eye-catching headline. We were very excited about video shooting. We kept on making mistakes even though we practiced a lot of times before we came to the studio. Three pieces of news report took more than two hours and we were all exhausted. When we watched the Dove NEWS broadcast and saw our classmates focus on the program, we were so proud. We felt our hard work was paid up. The program is only about fifteen minutes long but takes more than one month to produce.
Compared with reporters of Hsinpintao CATV who interview and collect materials in the morning, draft in the afternoon and broadcast in the evening, we still have a whole of room for improvement. They are really our heroes.
Source：Dove NEWS
