1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?
Visiting Buteo Huang, his colleagues, and his friends in person several times to explore more about his stories, we conducted oral interviews in addition to reading books and magazines, searching for relevant texts/journals, and comprehending Buteo Huang himself and his extraordinary records of kites.
In order to explore more about Buteo Huang’s personal stories, we visited him, his colleagues, and his friends in person several times, and conducted oral interviews in addition to reading books and magazines, searching for relevant texts/journals, and comprehending Buteo Huang himself and his extraordinary records of kites.
(1) Hardware : Computer,The Internet,Digital camcorder,Digital camera Scanner,Flash drive,Printer,Voice recorder
(2) Software : Namo WebEditor6,Microsoft FrontPage,Unlead Photo Impact 12,Microsoft Word,Internet Explorer, CuteFTP3.5,Dreamweaver,Flash,Illustrator
2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.
We were highly interested in the International CyberFair when our teachers mentioned the information. It was not a problem to find team members because there are fellows in our class and swimming team that are good at computer and like surfing the Internet. The challenge was to find the topic. From November 2011 to January 2012, we could not reach the conclusion. Our parents encouraged us to take a walk rather than to stay home when we were stuck in discussions over topics. Spontaneously we strolled Daan Park nearby, and lay on the ground under the warm sunshine in the winter time. There were kites flying in the sky. While we were disputing whether the kite was introduced in the lesson ‘Traditional Festivals and folk events’ in the fourth grade’s Social Studies textbook, ‘Let’s do kites! I know a kite art master Bueto Huang, and there might be a chance to meet him,’ our team leader Ting-Han said suddenly. We decided our topic right afterwards. Through our fellow’s grandma Xue Huang, who is Beuto Huang’s aunt, Beuto Huang finally allowed us working on the project about him, which had never happened before. Grandma Xue Huang served as an ambassador arranging our visits to his studio and interviews of him, his wife, his relatives and friends. The debt of gratitude that we owed Grandma Xue Huang was huge because we could not make this project without her.
3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?
Bueto Huang’s persistence and will in kite art creation are the most touching feature among others. He is an inspiring story himself indeed. He has fulfilled his goals and honored our country because he realized his dreams bravely and feared for nothing. Further he places a spectacular record in the history of kites.
‘It is thought not technique that changes the world,’ once said by teacher Huang, evoked our aspiration that whether it is possible to arouse new perspective and innovative thought or actions if we realize our practices in addition to relying on the influence of the Internet. We take this action in the hope of disseminating the kite art to schools, communities, and other countries.
Besides webpage, we also produced motivational picture books as the guide in XinSheng elementary school, which initiate fellows’ curiosity about kites and touch their hearts by Huang’s inspiring stories. We had interchange over kites with Sanzhan elementary school in Hualien. We introduced his inspiring stories. We offered his kite pieces for appreciation. We learned from each other in the process of discussion and feedback. In the future, we are eager to domestically and internationally disseminate the kite art, the wing of Taiwan, via the Internet to display the influence of diplomatic relations.
4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?
Born in Sansia District in New Taipei County, the kite artist Buteo Huang very often has not only been invited to attend international kite festivals in the States, Frence, Holland, and Spain, but also participated in exhibitions or performances in Penghu and the east coast in Taiwan. He always contributes himself to the local as well. He was invited by Cultural Affairs Department of New Taipei County for the memorial event of Mei-Shu Lee in 2011, for example. He performed wild kite and taught crowds to color Mei-Shu Lee’s drafts on kites. The locals in Sansia thus recognize him as an world-class famous artist in Sansia, and acclaim his contributions to the kite art.
The colleagues or experts that have been working with Buteo Huang also highly praise him. Ya-Mei Chang, an elementary school teacher, was impressed by Buteo Huang’s passionate devotion to kite art and wholehearted teaching style once she had a chance to know teacher Huang in a teacher workshop for the kite art. Rui-Yuan Guo, who is a painter, compliments Huang as the artist he has ever known that maintains both ideals and reality by having his feet on the ground. Dr. Heng-Biao Jin, an ecologist and earth science doctor, acclaims Huang on his innovation of kite art, which has made kites more than a traditional craft. Huang has transcended limits of folk art’s style as well. He integrates scientific conceptions that emphasize on accuracy into the process of making kites, while his pieces embody the spirit of humanity. No wonder he won the title ‘Number one kite creator’ in the kite field around the world.
5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)
When we saw a kite flying in the sky, we usually only checked its height and appearance at first glance. We thought that a kite should be disposable after being flown once or twice, which would be a no big deal. After we interviewed Bueto Huang, however, we realized how profound the kite art is. From the production process including materials, shapes, and designs, to the kite-flying process such as the wind direction, materials of lines, techniques of controlling kite strings, and so on. Bueto Huang even created the standardized size for boxes that store and transport kites. We really broadened our horizon after learning the knowledge mentioned above. Teacher Huang made his experiences from hundred or thousand times of trials, practices, and errors. Everyone is impressed when he flies his creative kites. ‘Amazing!’ even foreigners say so. We came to deeply realized the meaning of ‘a grasp of mundane affairs is genuine knowledge,’ always said by elders, along the process of interviewing and designing webpage. We admire teacher Huang all the more for his determined and persistent mind. He is indeed our role model. ‘Your dreams are the force to success’ and ‘being unique rather than the first,’ which said by teacher Huang when we interview him, will definitely become our mottos.
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