Home   Beaches   Caves   Reefs   Down The Islands   Museums   Nature Reserves   Swamps   Volcanoes   Waterfalls   Pitch Lake   Gallery   Bibliography   Interviews   Project Narrative   Maps   Project Introduction TITLE: Treasure Chest of Trinidad and Tobago. CATEGORY: Category 5: Local Attractions- Natural and Man- made SCHOOL: Naparima Girls’ High School ADDRESS: #4 La Pique Road, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago OTHER INFORMATION: : This is the second occasion that Naparima Girls’ High school has participated in the International Schools Cyberfair, the first instance being last year (2007). However, the students and teacher that participated this year were not part of last year’s team. A total of seven students and one teacher, Ms. Ramdass, consisted of the Cyberfair Team. The students who were involved were all fifteen to sixteen (15 to 16) years of age and all seven students, who are currently in Form 4, are Information Technology students. EMAIL CONTACT: naparima@tstt.net.tt OUR SCHOOL'S WEBSITE: www.naparimagirls.edu.tt BIBLIOGRAPHY: Bibliography Project Overview 1) Description of “Our Community Trinidad and Tobago are two islands that form a twin Republic. The islands are located just east of the Caribbean chain of islands. Being the last two islands in the archipelago, the larger island of Trinidad is in close proximity to the South American Continent and more specifically, Venezuela. Being a Caribbean island, Trinidad and Tobago experience a tropical climate and thus, many species of vibrant exotic flowers, trees and animal species thrive here, not to mention, the luxuriant, flourishing rainforests. Once being part of the South American Continent, both Trinidad and Tobago are home to an extensive range of plant and animal species. Ideally located away from the Hurricane Belt, Trinidad and Tobago abounds in lush, natural flora and fauna that exist harmoniously amongst our interesting man- made attractions. Naparima Girls’ High School is located in the city of San Fernando, South Trinidad. The location of our school alone is a testament to the beautiful, green environment that is ubiquitous in Trinidad and Tobago and which exists in perfect accord with man. The buildings that make up our school are nestled amongst trees and plants, on a hillock. The school commands a panoramic view of the city and the Gulf of Paria. 2) Summary of Our Project Our chosen topic was Category 5: Local Attractions- Natural and Man- made. Our website is aimed at highlighting the wonders of our beloved country of Trinidad and Tobago. We felt very passionate about this topic as it gave us the unique opportunity to convey our deep love and admiration for our local environment and our utmost respect for our country’s splendor. Our task was to present a website based on our nation’s attractions but as we delved into the depths of our country’s gems, we began to feel as if every new piece of information, every newly discovered attraction was a superb prize, not just mere words on a page with a picture. At that point, there seemed to be no other choice for the title of our pet project other than “Treasure Chest of Trinidad and Tobago”. We felt as if each of the attractions that we uncovered was a treasure, a precious gem to behold. Our foremost aspiration is to express our fervor and vehemence for our local attractions, in the hope that the viewers of our website, both foreign and local, would acquire this same passion and enthusiasm that has gripped our hearts. Our locals have managed to preserve these wonders amidst the constant development towards an advanced civilization. From our mystic waterfalls, to the grandeur of our beaches, we here in Trinidad and Tobago are truly blessed with an abundance of natural gems. In our website, we chose to highlight those local attractions that are well- known as well as those that are not. These priceless jewels lie in harmony, sprinkled amongst our numerous man- made attractions. Mother Nature has truly singled us out to be the host to an assortment of her marvelous creations. Our Cyberfair Web Project presents numerous, magnificent and majestic local attractions, both natural and man- made, that all make their home in our immensely blessed land of Trinidad and Tobago. We are proud to present “Treasures of Trinidad and Tobago” – Showcasing Our Local Splendor. So come on a treasure hunt with us and “Discover the gems, Unlock all the splendor.” 3) CyberFair Theme Our project harmonizes with this year’s Cyberfair Theme: “Learn and Unite” quite remarkably. As we progressed through the abundance of natural treasures that our wonderful twin isles are so fortunately blessed with, we were better educated on the diversified terrains of Trinidad and Tobago. We became aware of the vast collection of endemic species, scenic sites and uniquely designed man- made attractions. We were astounded to find out that famous people such Prince Charles and Theodore Roosevelt graced our shores. We hope this website enables man to unite with his local environment. Many a times our local people go abroad in search of adventurous locations when in fact we have them right here in our own backyard. Today, in our country, we are faced with the horrible reality of our own citizens having more appreciation and respect for foreign attractions than for their own local gems. Unity under the common grounds of environment is one of the bases of unity in a multiracial society. The knowledge we gained from the research and development of our pet project has lead us to have a brief bonding with our local and man-made attractions. There were many places which were previously unknown to us and like detectives we investigated these mysterious sites. The more we discovered, the more curious we became and the more knowledge we gained. We hope that the public learns as we learnt. 4) Our Computer and Internet Access A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home: 100% B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the school: 76 C. Connection speed used in our school: 100 Mbps ( megabytes per second) D. Number of years our school has been connected to the Internet: approximately 8 years 5) Problems We Had To Overcome During the course of the compilation of our website, many hurdles had to be crossed. One of the major issues that had to be dealt with was the setting up of meeting times. All of the students had tight schedules during the school week including club and extra- curricula responsibilities and extra lessons on evenings. All the students were also taking additional subjects outside of the regular school timetable and these classes engaged lunchtimes. The Cyberfair Team also had to work during the Easter Vacation. We had to set up meetings that accommodated everyone’s holiday plans and prior family commitments for the two weeks. During the Vacation, some students also had problems for transport to and from meetings. However, it was unanimously decided we had to make some sacrifices. Everyone had to compromise and make some sacrifices in order for the successful completion of the project to become a reality. In addition, technical or technology related hindrances had to be conquered. The students had to become familiar with HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), web site design software, photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop and web page templates. Guided with helpful advice from Ms. Ramdass and a little ingenuity and perseverance, we succeeded. 6) Our Project Sound Bite From a group’s perspective, participating in this CyberFair competition was both a challenging and learning experience. Our participation enabled us to develop our skills in the field of Information Technology and express our creativity by developing unique ways to put across our information. We learnt that dedication and perseverance are key elements in life for ultimate success which we hope from your judgments of our website, we achieved. The project allowed the school to give something valuable back to the country in the form of knowledge about their precious surroundings. Our school was given a chance to showcase the talents of its students and staff. The final product, our website, evoked a sense of pride, indeed in our eyes as our website; the outcome of our hard work exceeded our expectations. The fact that our work will be displayed globally gives us a feeling of awe as we realize that we are part of a bigger picture. 7) How did activities and research for this International Schools CyberFair Project support required coursework and curriculum standards? Participation in the 2008 International Schools CyberFair has been rewarding with regard to many areas of school as well as life skills. The topic that we selected was Local Attractions- Natural and Man- made. As a result, we were exposed to elements regarding the topics of not only, information technology but also geography, biology, mathematics and English language. Information Technology was the subject that was most related to this project. Computer skills were of the utmost importance and the ability to learn and interact with new programs and software was essential. Many skills and tasks that we were required to perform, using the computer, are compulsory to know. This project has enabled us to practice our previously learnt abilities and learn some new skills. Not only were we able to gain practical, hands- on experience but as they say, “Practice makes Perfect” which definitely applies to us. Geography, biology, mathematics, and unquestionably English language were subject areas that were involved in our project. In the area of English, we had to perfect descriptive writing, factual report writing and not to mention the perfection of grammar in general. The hours spent on word processing programs, like Microsoft Word, have made us professionals at it and we are positive that we can now handle any task using this program. Our closely honed research skills are sure to pay off in the near future. We have completely perfected the art of researching and finding information on the most elusive topics. We have developed a wide range of information sources that are sure to come in handy in the future. Do you need help with research for a project? We are definitely the people to call. Overall, this project has undeniably influenced various subject areas. The activities and research involves in the completion of this project has incorporated parts of the curriculum requirements for these subjects. Project Elements 1) What information tools and technologies did you use to complete your CyberFair project? Our Cyberfair Team used numerous tools in the processes of obtaining research for, building and creating our website. Technology has played an invaluable role where research and obtaining pictures, videos, and sound for use in the website were concerned. However, books and other printed media proved irreplaceable, at times. Computers were the most widely utilized technological devices, throughout this project. Without computers and Internet access, we would not have been able to use the Internet to obtain the invaluable information and research that we were able to access. Electronic mail, more commonly known as E- mail, was used to compare, trade and exchange information, research, and ideas. Though often undervalued and overlooked telephones were an extremely important means of communication amongst the members of the group. Both landlines and cellular phones were widely utilized and their importance in communication and dialogue could not have been more useful. Video cameras and digital cameras were used to capture videos and numerous pictures, some of which are featured in our Gallery. A scanner was used to transfer images to the computer. Newspapers provided useful information that aided us with research. Tourism brochures and magazines provided helpful information and great insight into certain areas of research. 2) In what ways did you act as “ambassadors” and spokespersons for your CyberFair project? In order to obtain information and to get better insight into certain topics that we were researching, we had to conduct several interviews. All the interviews were conducted over the telephone as this ensured that people’s schedules were not entirely disrupted. During such interviews, firstly, we had to introduce ourselves and state the purpose and necessity of the interview. We acted as ambassadors for our school since we acted as representatives of the school institution, on a nationwide basis, when we conducted the interviews. At first, the interviewees did not know about the CyberFair Competition and they were delighted to know that students were being given this opportunity. They were impressed with the work that we were doing. They were also most elated to know that their establishments were to be highlighted worldwide. 3) What has been the impact of your project on your community? Here at Naparima Girls’ High School, an eager team of form four students embarked upon the creation of a website with the hope of enlightening not only ourselves, the students of Naparima Girls but the wider community i.e. the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago. The wealth of wildlife and picturesque environments unique to Trinidad and Tobago is collectively displayed on our website tailored specifically for understandability across a wide range of ages. Learning is key towards progress. With this knowledge of our noteworthy surroundings that evoke one’s pride and admiration, we hope to revitalize our reader’s patriotism and unite our locals under a patriotic banner. The small group of students that participated in this activity worked arduously to create the innovatively designed site. We were indeed satisfied in the outcome. “Virtualize in the struggle not in the success” is a very applicable quote. We certainly took away many lessons from our endeavors; lessons about time management, cooperation, patience, hard-work and perseverance and off course lessons in the creation of a website. The blissful beaches, forested ranges swamps, wonderful waterfalls, caves and many other exceptional land- forms present in our twin island republic reminds us that we must appreciate God’s precious gifts. On a world wide basis, we hope our website promotes tourism by appealing to our international site visitors. As one cruises through our comprehensive web pages, one is compelled to dive into one of our real life site depictions. Some of our most popular locations were visited by esteemed individuals such as Theodore Roosevelt who visited the Gasparee Caves. Our foreign visitors will most definitely enjoy a concise and straight-forward tour through our simply beautiful Trinidad and Tobago as we most definitely enjoyed creating the establishment that made this possible 4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers? We received help for this project from a number of people. Their help was greatly appreciated. Our fellow classmates offered their help, ideas and threw in their support most willingly. They were eager and enthusiastic to render their unique ideas in an effort to assist us. We are thankful for their sincere encouragement. We were also aided by two teachers of our school’s geography department, Mrs. Deokie and Ms. Pariag. They helped us with some of the more technical information included in the site. Our sisters and brothers were also put to work and they happily came on board to help us in the quest to create a perfect website. Our parents were most corporative in our endeavors. They contentedly assisted us with anything that we required and without a complaint, they took time out of their busy schedules. We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to the three individuals whom we interviewed: • Ms Molly Gaskin and Ms.Kaitlyn Shephard (Wild Fowl Trust) • Mr. Saisbhan Jokhan ( Maha Sabha Indian Caribbean Museum) • Ms. Farah Gopaul-Fuller (Asa Wright Nature Centre) Their contributions to the project were greatly appreciated. Web site and all contents © Copyright Naparima Girls'High School 2008, All rights reserved.