鷺江國小內頁版0326

An estimable opportunity came, it was also the beginning of a fine harvest.

Last year my daughter Chi-rong participated the Luchou City Luchiang Elementary School Cyberfair project-food market research team. At first when my child told me the research subject of “food market”, I thought food market was nothing but a place to sell food, did it worthwhile to research? But after the contacting the activities of market interview, visiting theme exhibition and sharing of my child’s experience after she came home, my superficial idea was broken.

     Little did me think that the place that prepared three meals a day had a great knowledge inside! The history, human culture, traffic, commodity, price, supply and demand of food market and its effect on economy….etc, upon the on-the-spot verification, comparison and interview of research team, was actually so much closely linked to, interlocked with and affected operation of our daily life. When I had written hereto, thinking of the importance of food market and knowledge I got from this research, I couldn’t help but to have never-ending gratitude!

     At the beginning, the instructors fixed the places for research and interview on the traditional market and businessmen near the community, afterwards to let the children find difference, the footsteps were even more extended to the food market at other counties and cities to visit and compare, little did I think that greater pleasant surprise was yet to come…. The teachers and children actually due to a uncle who sold fish here from Yilan in the market, took the train and long marched to the local fish market, this was also the first time for my child to take train in her life, before leaving, she jumped for joy for the uncommon experience, after going back home, she was even more too impatient to wait to share what she had seen and heard in the tour, I could see her talk with saliva sputtering, both her eyes were brightening up!

       Also the thing very worthwhile to be mentioned was the food market theme exhibition, I remembered once I stepped into the meeting-place, I was truly startled beyond words, various related commodities and materials were arranged one by one elaborately by teachers and team members, there were so many categories and kinds that some were even unknown to me who as a housewife went to food market everyday! Moreover to let teachers and students of the whole school to together assist in the grand event, it also held the activities of soliciting articles and pictures, which was responded ardently in the school, this is a really successfully exhibition!

       Experiencing the so rich and multi-entity research process, thereupon, I saw……the instructors attentive preparation and guidance, I admired them and was touched….seeing the children interviewing businessmen and their earnest and lovely looks when they were experiencing food selling, I greatly admired……listening to the interviewed stall keepers who were unstinted to praise children and the valuable friendship they established, I was filled with joy……I also saw my child reaching maturity after facing setbacks, and the help, affirmation and encouragement of teachers, I was extremely grateful……

欣蓉的媽媽
When the children brought back the Cyberfair project materials from school did I bring to mind, since October 2006, from the subject setting to the on-the –spot interview, until today’s deadline for contributions, although the endeavor the children and instructors took could not say the best, their earnest attitude was what I couldn’t get ahead of anyway. Seeing the earnest interview record of the children, their logging on Internet to type literal drafts, I also with the group of children followed the uncle who sold neritic squid to go all the way from Luchou to Yilan Toucheng, watching the children experiencing the uncle and busy to go to market everyday, I could not but admire perseverance of the children, on the way,
I couldn’t see they were exhausted but only could see their desire of seeking knowledge, watching the receding figure of the uncle, I could feel the spirit of people of all trades who made great effort to struggle for survival, beside the uncle who sold neritic squid, there were still vendors who sold vegetable, fish and meat etc, no one did not struggle to support family and for a living depending on themselves. In usual times at home, they couldn’t understand the toilsome of their parents, through this activity, the children could even more have a grateful heart, and thank all people who helped them to have a fine life, every thing, every stuff were hard-won, they should cherish more the people, things and stuffs beside them, the children also grew much more to maturity, bless everybody can cherish good fortune and be grateful, also bless children’s endeavor will have a good result.
昱今的媽媽 That day I saw a miracle Thatday, led by Ms. Mei-chung, the children became the members of “market investigation” of the Cyberfair project, the subject was so unfamiliar to the group of children who were waited on hand and foot, could they t distinguish the difference of Makino bottle gourd and towel gourd? Tomato belonged to vegetable, why was it not fruit? If they wanted to eat fried chicken and chips, they could have it in McDonald’s, if they wanted to drink beverage, they could have it in the85℃ Coffee shop, there was round clock supermarket at home that demand exceeded supply, did they understand how the traditional market related to their life?

That day, when the children first came into the Jhunshan Market, they tiptoed, with great care they tried to find the point of fall of their shoes, they covered their noses, suddenly seeing the vision of fish, meat and chicken vendors hawking, they even quickly ran away. But in a short time, the steps of children appeared in Tamshui Old Street at summer, the bustling hawking rose here and subsided there, there were noise of engine vehicles accompanied by the smells of soot, scent, fishy and sweat, they followed the teachers to go into the traditional market with huge crowds of people, people jostled people, their small bodies were pressed among crowd, they really had difficulty in taking a step, they were also afraid if anything went wrong they would separate with their companions, although the procession was slow and a little toilsome, the eyes of children were brightening up, cameras, recorders, notebooks, it was all laid on, they began to find the target set in the tour.

That day monotonous reveille always resounded in every morning, it urged the black-eyed children to reluctantly and unwillingly part their dear beds, hurry through to school at the last minute. But in a short time, at 2: 30 before dawn they in high spirits went headlong into the icy wind, the teachers and students took the special car of teacher’s husband’s, arrived at the Huannan Market Fruit and Food Wholesale Center, they interviewed them the flow of vegetable and fruit and their operation mode, understood the process from origin to wholesalers to retailers, the group of team shuttled among busy working personnel, at any time they had to pay attention to stay away from the approaching electric truck, the speed was so quick that it made one frightened.

That day, the team moved market into school, the team members joined forces to arrange exhibition place and stalls, the various goods, phhotoes, materials, solicited article, pictures, every necessary is available, the children did not tire of and not omit major and minor issues to explain origin and usage of goods, and rise and fall of traditional market, they arose response of teachers and students of the entire school, even the local Community Antenna Televisions fell over each other to cover the news.

That day, school was no long a place of study and re-study, in drama performance, the children figured out the means of livelihood of small vendors in traditional market, they held in their hands and hung on their bodies the utensil representing the trade for making money, they hawked goods in a childish voice, the funny expression made on cannot help but to give an understanding smile.

Multi-entity education brought up characteristics of different children. I really wanted to thank the three hard working teachers, who led the group of lively and active children, due to your guidance, their characteristics had been exerted thoroughly. By utilizing time after school, led by teachers, the children actively tried new things, through countless team meeting, market interview and investigation, material collection, and uploading to website, the children gradually became swift in action and independent.

That day, they would be explorers…

That day, they would be adventurers…

That day, I saw a miracle…