Taiwu Primary School in Pingtung is a traditional Paiwan-culture-based primary school for native people. The Taiwu Chorus Folk/Traditional Group led by Chamak is well-known and a “Proud of Taiwan” because the chorus has been invited to do many performances around the world and receives warm applause. However, it’s hard to image that this world-famous Taiwu, in the past time, had experienced the Typhoon Morakot Disaster and four relocations. In those days, although both students and teachers suffered from the difficulty of reconstruction and relocations, they still resisted on maintaining Paiwan tribe culture. Fortunately, with the help of government, non-profit organizations and local companies, they were able to have a new permanent campus for students to study safely.

The new campus was completed in September 28, 2011. A great launch ceremony took place at that day as well. The invited guests were those who used to help during the reconstruction of Taiwu. They are the representative of government, BenQ Foundation, Red Cross, and AClass; who set up the TEAM Model Smarter Classrooms (TMSC). To congratulate Taiwu, AClass has Dr. Jen-Kai Liang attended this ceremony. President Ma didn’t attend the ceremony but gave his congratulation by phone. For students and teachers in Taiwu, this new permanent campus is special because it is the first post-disaster reconstructing campus in relocated site.

In the day of launching ceremony, many wonderful performances were arranged in the way of native people. Taiwu invited the guests to have fun with us and were full of joy at that day.

Most students in Taiwu are from Wu-la-lu-tzu tribe. Therefore, for the purpose of the tribe cultural heritage and giving kids the Paiwan-culture-based learning environment, Taiwu adds the design of Paiwan the pot and hundred-pace snake legend into the building. Other than the tribe-culture-driven building, Taiwu also creates a new green campus that has a solar power system on the roof, which not only provides enough electricity for the school to use but also can sell the power to others.

To develop the competence of tribal kids, AClass exerts all its strength to help the reconstruction of Taiwu. Li-Hua Wu, the Principal of Taiwu said that an artisan must first sharpen his tools if he is to do his work well. So, it introduces the advanced educational technology into the new campus to reach the trend of internationalization and technology in future. To avoid waste of sources and make the most use of educational technology, Principal Wu knows well that what she needs is to carry out a long-term and perfect plan.

Therefore, the situations Principal Wu needs to deal with not only are the educational technology set-up, applicable software choosing and the way to use the information technology into teaching, but the most challenging one for her is training teachers to put the information technology, which both teachers and students in Taiwu are not familiar with into use in the teaching plan.

After knowing the idea of Principal Wu and the school needs, AClass came up with a complete set-up project for TMSC. And explained the ICE features of TMSC – Convenience, Efficiency and Intelligence – to Principal Wu, who gave a big thumb up to this project. Then, the team of AClass has devoted themselves to establishing TMSC for the school since the reconstruction begun.

The team of AClass has been with Taiwu through establishing and planning TMSC step by step since the beginning of new campus reconstruction.

In the first stage, AClass installed all the advanced technology software and hardware devices the TMSC needs, such as Haboard, ezVision, IRS and HiTeach and e-podiums that can control the operation of all devices in all the classrooms of Taiwu. To do so, the teachers would be able to conduct instructions in the convenient, efficient and intelligent environment.

The second stage was to train the teachers to operate the teaching tools. To help students and teachers get used to the advanced teaching environment from the deficiency, AClass has held many training. In the training, not only are there professional team training and assisting the teachers and students individually but even intensively accredited the specialists to the school so that the teachers can learn how to operate the educational technology tools in the short period of time and merge them into the class without worrying about anything. Under the ICE environment, all the teachers and students in school can quickly put the educational technology into use. All the students enjoy learning.

Information technology is highly adopted among the students and teachers in Taiwu , and the kids study actively as well.

It’s amazing to see such high acceptance of students and teachers have for the information technology while taking the class in the perfect TMSC. Even senior teachers who are unfamiliar with information technology accept this way of teaching and are able to use the technology to teach the student right away. In the process of training tribal kids to use the information technology, their passion is obvious and extremely contagious. They were not only quick learners but even are eager to instruct the guests to use the devices. The guests and teachers were all proud of their capabilities.

Taiwu is special among the native people schools in Pingtung because it is the first one that fully deploys TMSC into the campus.

With the tribe-based environment and intelligent technology in TMSC, it boosts concentration in students and improves their learning achievement. Principal Wu is satisfied with this result and appreciates for the effort and passion AClass put into the school. So, she records a short film to describe the journey Taiwu has been gone through. AClass also thanks President Wu too for giving this opportunity to join such a meaningful reconstruction.

The Words from Li-Hua Wu, the Principal of Taiwu

It is a good beginning for this post-disaster reconstruction. The even more exciting news is that after seeing the campus environment and TMSC, the school is highly appraised by many parents. Some even decide to have their kids transfer to Taiwu at once.

Hereby, we sincerely hope this native people ancestor blessed school can develop and grow in future. Give our blessing to Principal Wu and Taiwu.

Come to visit the beautiful mountain in Taiwu and experience the passion of native people.