Project Narrative

Project Overview

Our Community

Our community consists of the senior students of Naparima Girls High School, that is, students from Form Four to Upper Six, our Information Technology teacher, Ms. Carrie Bissoo and our computer technician OJT, Ms. Anastasia Thomas.

Trinidad and Tobago is undeniably one of, if not the most diverse nation in the Caribbean. Often referred to as the “melting pot” of the Caribbean Sea, people from numerous ethnic backgrounds and religions are able to co-exist peacefully in a manner that is rarely seen elsewhere on Earth. For example, one fifth of the entire population is of mixed descent! However, the most obvious demonstration of this fact is the diversity of our culture.

Our local music is heavily influenced by our Indian and African roots, examples of which are calypso and chutney. Our music also reflects the unity of our populous in the emergence of musical hybrids such as chutney-soca and pantar. Our art reflects the colourful, flamboyant nature of our peoples and is hardly limited to the canvas medium, the world-famous festival Carnival being the best example of our artistic expressions outside of the traditional.

Today, much of the nation’s youth take the unique disposition of our culture for granted. Before doing this project, there were members of the team who did not know the names of half the musical art forms you will find listed on this site! By taking part in this project, we had hoped to enlighten the community to the wonderfully diverse quality of our nation’s culture and present it an example and proof of the capability of our people to live together without prejudice.

In doing so, we ourselves benefited by coming to terms with our identity as Trinbagonians.

 

Problems We Had To Overcome

Our first obstacle was to overcome some minor organisational problems. We had problems holding meetings during school hours, due mainly to the time constraints of lunch and break time. As a result of this, we had to hold meetings on the school compound during the weekends, even though most members were unable to attend these as well due to travelling distances.

Despite this, and the lack of equipment that could have been used to make the most of our interviews, such as video cameras and tape recorders, everyone completed their assigned tasks and had them web-ready by the time we were ready to begin putting together the website.

Our final and largest problem was our unfamiliarity with HTML code, but thanks to our IT teacher Miss Bissoo and our computer technician OJT Anastasia, we were able to encode our site without too much difficulty.

 

How did your activities and research for this Cyberfair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?

Our Cyberfair project supported the standards of the CAPE and CXC curriculum for the subjects Caribbean Studies and Information Technology respectively, in the areas of culture and its impact on society for Caribbean Studies and the use of various programs in Information Technology.

This project also exposed us to concepts that weren’t on the curriculum, just as interviewing and research skills. However, skills that we had already learnt, such as writing and presentation skills, were put to good use here.

Doing this project especially taught all our members the value of teamwork. By learning how to work in a group setting, everyone was able to use their strengths to come together and do their part for the project.

 

Project Elements

What information tools and technologies did you use to complete your International Schools Cyberfair Project?

Relatively commonplace technology such as phones and e-mail services were used to exchange information with group members and set up appointments with interviewees. Also, computers and the Internet were used extensively throughout this project. The research lab at Naparima Girls’ High School contains thirty-two computers, all of which are on a DSL connection to the Internet. After interviews, due to the contemporary nature of our subject matter, the Internet was used as our main source of information.

Students used their own digital cameras, video cameras, tape recorders and other such media to get the most out of their interviews, and a scanner provided by the school was especially helpful in terms of the graphics design that went into this project. Programs such as Microsoft Word and Macromedia Dreamweaver were instrumental in the putting together of this projects.

 

In what ways did you act as “ambassadors” and spokespersons for your Cyberfair project both on-line and in person?

The team split up into three groups, each one devoted to carrying out research the area of music, art or culture. Heads of groups were established, and duties were handed out. All group members were involved in the interviews that took place, and everyone had a hand in putting together the final product, their articles.

We all bacame ambasadors of this project as most people had never heard of the Cyberfair project. As a result, when we represented Naparima Girls' High School we taught many people about how the Ministry of Education was using technology to encourage and unite the youth of our nation.

 

What has been and will be the impact of your project on your community?

The existence of this website will enlighten others around the world to the multifaceted nature of our country’s culture. By promoting this as an example to both the local and worldwide community of the possibility of peaceful collaboration between various peoples, we hope that this website will help us to take steps towards a better world.

 

How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers or volunteers?

We are very thankful to have received the assistance of so many people in the creation of this project. Our parents were invaluable as they responsible for us all getting to our interviews.

We greatly appreciate the efforts of both Anastasia and Miss Bissoo, who showed us how to use Macromedia Dreamweaver. They both went through great efforts to make sure that everything was done as cleanly as possible and for that, we deeply thank them.

Lastly, we would like to thank everyone who submitted to our interviews:

  • Mr. Trevor Byron
  • Mrs. Jacqui Koon How
  • Raquel Winchester
  • Lyndon Lai Tan
  • Khion De Las

Without their input this project would not be half of what it is today.

 

Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

Along the way, for the duration of this project, some of the team members discovered skills they did not have or were able to refine certain skills. Some were able to acknowledge and learn to use HTML code, others worked at their teamwork ability, and yet others their research capabilities.

Two of the team members, Diann Ramlackhan and Clarissa Ramgattie were able to learn to utilize html coding to help put together the website.

The team(including the patron teacher) learnt the value of patience, as this was most necessary for this project to reach completion.

 

-Shannon Haynes

-Giselle Kowlessar

 

Editor's Report

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.”- Andrew Carnegie

From the commencement of this project to its spectacular conclusion, it has indeed been a challenge, filled with many laughs and many learning experiences. I can say without a shadow of a doubt, that most, if not all of the team has honed their research skills, and some have even acquired extra programming skills, having been exposed to the html codes used to create the website, “South Pulse”.

At Cyberfair’s first meeting, the team consisting of fifteen members, between the ages of 14-18, were divided into three teams, with three people elected as heads of each team, be it Art, Music or Culture, and one as the group coordinator. The heads took responsibility for each team, calling meetings, organizing field trips and interviews, whilst the team members eagerly collected data. The job of the coordinator was to collect each team’s data, and compile them into, and help create the website.

The data was obtained within a timeframe of about two and a half weeks. Each student contributed in some way to the completion of the project, making it worthwhile on my part, as editor, to see everything come together the way it did. Indeed, it was stressful, and even frustrating at times, but it was all worth it as we saw the final product of our hard work. The fruits of our labour have been very satisfying, and as we learnt to work as a team, very rewarding.

Though there were many bumps along the way, the end product of “Cyberfair” was indeed very edifying. In spite of our examinations, and other social distractions, we pulled through to present to you, our website, citing “Art, Music and Culture”. This is how we ‘empower and unite’.

Diann S. Ramlackhan

Coordinator

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First and foremost, without God, this project would never have been possible, and would’ve probably been but a passing thought in our minds.

Thanks to the Principal and Vice Principal of Naparima Girls’ High School for allowing us the time and place for this project to progress.

Ms. Anastasia Thomas, on behalf of the team, we are much obliged to your continuing aid and support towards this project, helping immensely on the web design and layout of “South Pulse”.

The team thanks Ms. Carrie Bissoo, the patron teacher, for her ongoing support in research and design of the project. Without you, this project would be at a standstill, and to this, we have much gratitude.

Last, but by no means least, I’d like to thank my team. Without you, this project would not be possible (as quite frankly, there would be no one to do anything) and I am indeed grateful. You have all persevered to the very end, and this shows the determination of each character. It has indeed been a pleasure working with you.

If anyone has been left out, I am sorry, but to you, thank you. I am grateful for all your hard work.

 

Diann S. Ramlackhan

Coordinator.