FableVision Learning Spotlight Blog
Categories
- Animation-ish 42
- Books 21
- Civics! 2
- Classroom Spotlight 17
- Conferences and Events 20
- Creative Educator 3
- Creativity 25
- Distance Learning 13
- Dot Day 22
- FabClassroom 28
- FabFriday 19
- FabMaker Studio 66
- FabMaker Studio Classroom 13
- FableFive 7
- FableVision Games 3
- Free Educator Resources 36
- HUTCH 1
- Home Activities 5
- In the Classroom 34
- In the News 11
- International Dot Day 23
- Ish 1
- Library 1
- Mapping the World by Heart 7
- Paul Reynolds 10
- Peter H. Reynolds 54
- Professional Development 9
- STEM/STEAM 20
- Storybook Academy 2
- Teacher Spotlight 14
- The Dot 17
- The North Star 2
- Words and Their Stories 1
- Zoombinis 3
Going Places Family Night with Portland Public Schools and The Portland Art Museum
Young creatives revved their engines at Maine’s Portland Museum of Art in October for the Portland Public Schools/FableVision Going Places Family Night featuring author Paul Reynolds.
Paul welcomed families to the museum and started the night with a reading of Going Places, the perfect picture book for any STEAM library, and then launched into a showing of the animated film version of Ish, written by Peter H. Reynolds and animated by FableVision Studios. As a bonus the museum purchased a copy of Going Places for every child. These stories set the stage for what was to come.
WIth books in hand, families journeyed to another part of the museum for dots and dots of activities that were centered on sparking creativity and collaboration. Every Family Night hosted by FableVision is customized for the schools and this one was no exception. The first-ever Going Places Build-Your-Own Go-Cart station was a hit with young engineers as they built a moving vehicle with recycled materials.
Check out the photos from the night.
Would you like to host a Create Bravely Family Night? Send an email to Andrea Calvin at andrea@fablevision.com
FableVision/Reynolds Center Celebrates Creativity at the ED Games Expo
FableVision/Reynolds Center Celebrates Creativity at the ED Games Exp0
From engineering a building that could withstand an alien invasion to rescuing Zoombinis to crafting a hit broadway musical about the national parks to exploring the culture of the Sugpiaq tribe in Alaska, the 9th annual ED Games Expo in DC was fueled by creativity and FableVision Games.
FableVisionaries Paul Reynolds, Andrea Calvin, Mary Johnston, Nadya Karpova, Snow Dong and Elizabeth Rowe from TERC worked with students from the DC area as they explored the different learning games on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts REACH Center.
The ED Games Expo is a showcase of game-changing education technology innovations developed through programs at the Institute of Education Sciences, the U.S. Department of Education, and across government. FableVision/The Reynolds Center was invited to highlight several of their tools including: Zoombinis, FabMaker Studio, Civics: An American Musical and Nunaka.
At the event students got hands-on with the tools in the larger expo where specific classes were invited to join a one hour master class either using FabMaker Studio or Civics.
The following day, FableVision/Reynolds Center co-founder and CEO Paul Reynolds and vice president Andrea Calvin shared about FabMaker Studio at ScIC13: Science is Cool 13 UnConference. You can check out the replay here.
Nebraska Educators Preview Peter H. Reynolds SEL Program
When Nebraska educators joined together July 17-19, 2023 for the Nebraska State Education Association -University 2023 summer conference, they were joined by Peter H. Reynolds and his team to share his powerful message on resiliency and bravery. His team included his sister, Jane Reynolds, from England, Deanna Braunlin from Wyoming, and Sara Smith from North Carolina, who all enjoyed seeing Nebraska!
Earlier in the year, NSEA President Jenni Benson visited Nebraska elementary schools reading Peter’s book Be You! for Read Aloud America and was amazed at the impact of the book with students.
Jane Reynolds, President, FableVision Learning with Jenni Benson, President, NSEA
Peter joined virtually from Paris projected on two enormous screens in the ballroom. He reminisced about the time he was at NETA (2004) when he was asked to step in as keynote speaker. He had an advance copy of the newly created animation of his book The Dot which he shared with the audience. So they were the first to see the animation before it was released.
Just as Nebraskan teachers were the first to see The Dot animated film back in 2004, this time they were the very first to see Connect & Thrive: Story-Powered Circles, launching this week. Developed in conjunction with Partnerships in Education Resilience (PEAR), this new program provides off the shelf activities to use with elementary students in morning meetings or circles, using 4 of the books by Peter H. Reynolds to strengthen the students' sense of belonging.
This time Peter read his book Say Something and shared his inspirational story of being invited to think differently about math by his 7th grade math teacher, which opened his eyes to a career in animation. He emphasized that we often do not know the impact we make on students, even life changing impacts.
Following the keynote, Peter’s team delivered 3 sessions, each one with a different way to use storytelling to make a difference in student lives. Teachers who attended received copies of Peter’s books as well as the chance to use FableVision Learning programs for the next academic year. These included:
Start with a Story - storytelling, journaling, SEL and STEM cross-curricular activities linked to Peter’s books
The North Star Classroom - help students discover their potential and map their personal journey using Peter’s first book The North Star
Connect & Thrive: Story-Powered Circles - strengthen students’ sense of belonging within elementary school using Peter’s books, lessons and activities in morning circles
The FableVision Learning team enjoyed meeting the amazing teachers of Nebraska. We hope to soon be in a city near you!
Dalton Schools Create Bravely with Peter H. Reynolds and FableVision Learning
Dalton Public Schools in Georgia opened its doors and arms to Peter H. Reynolds and the FableVision Learning team for three days of creativity starting with a family night.
Family Night with the Dalton Community
Hosted at the impressive Junior Achievement Discovery Center & The Hammond Creek Middle School Theater, the evening included a film festival, a reading of Peter’s new book “When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left,” and “dot and dots” of family activities. This unique evening brought together the entire community and inspired bursts of creativity.
School Visit: Westwood Elementary
Westwood Elementary IS a Peter H. Reynolds-inspired school! During the daylong visit that included two assemblies, student tour-guides led Peter through the hallways filled with projects based on his books.
PD: The Creative Classroom
Rounding out the week in Georgia, Sara Smith, FableVision Learning’s Director of Creative Education, led 50 district teachers in a day of creativity. They dove into creativity research, played games, and explored their own creative strengths, leaving ready to ignite creativity in their classrooms.
Educators also got a chance to explore FableVision Learning’s tools, FabMaker Studio & Animation-ish.
The team was sad to leave the warmth of Georgia, but as we like to say - our dots are connected.
Curious about how your school can host a family night and PD? Send an email to the team at info@fablevisionlearning.com, we would love to connect the dots.
FableVision Learning Connects with Gifted Educators in Georgia
FableVision Learning’s Sara Smith, Director of Creative Education, and Andrea Calvin, Vice President, roadtripped to Athens, Georgia to connect the dots at the Georgia Association for Gifted Educators conference. Held on the beautiful University of Georgia campus the conference saw over 500 educators from across the state.
During three hands-on-sessions educators dove deeper into the works of Peter H. Reynolds and creativity skills.
At the Start With A Story session, participants explored the SEL and Creativity themes of Peter’s book The Dot as they made their mark in Animation-ish.
Later in the day Sara encouraged attendees to Unbox Creativity and stretch their creative muscles as they explored divergent thinking and tools to bring into their teaching practice. If you weren’t able to attend the session, we encourage you to explore FableVision Learning’s Certified Creative Educator Course.
A special thank you to Lisa B. Hackney at the Georgia Department of Education for being an amazing host during the conference and beyond. And to Desiree Isis Sharpe and the team at the Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development (housed on the university’s campus), for hosting the FableVision Learning team, Georgia Department of Education’s gifted program manager Mary Jean Banter and program specialist Lisa Hackney, and Dalton gifted educator Molly Carlson for lunch and conversation.
Peter H. Reynolds and FableVision Learning Create Bravely at the Detroit Institute of Arts
Our third collaboration with the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) brought excitement and laughter as we were in person celebrating the world of Van Gogh. Peter H. Reynolds and FableVision Learning teams’ time at the DIA in November included a visit with students followed by a PD day with teachers, as we connected the dots between digital storytelling, creativity and STEM.
Kicking off the event, eager Detroit-area students filtered into the DIA’s gorgeous, vintage theatre to spend an hour with Peter H. Reynolds. The room was filled with delight as Peter shared one of his most recent books, Our Table. Then, the students surprised him with a book they had created, inspired by his art and stories!
Peter drew his favorite characters on large easel paper and passed them out to each class, and then the students got a turn with the microphone to ask questions. To everyone’s surprise, the question-and-answer time turned into a joyful singalong! Peter’s message to the students and teachers was encouragement to be brave, create, and never stop. The unanticipated message from the students ended up being just as important: a reminder that collaboration and creativity are always there, waiting to be uncovered, and that amazing things can happen when we are together.
The following day, despite the cold and snow, over 70 teachers came to participate in workshops aimed at creativity and digital storytelling, with the backdrop of the DIA’s new Van Gogh exhibition providing lots of inspiration along the way!
In the Animation-ish workshop, teachers were inspired to use animation as a new and motivating way for students to express themselves and show what they know. Teachers got to dive right in and create their own animations and experiment with ways to bring stories and concepts to life in the classroom.
The Creative Classroom workshop challenged teachers to think about creativity outside of the realm of art. They engaged a creative mindset, practiced creative skills, and learned creative tools to bring out the best in their students. The group collaboratively brainstormed ways to use the “5 magic words of possibility thinking” to foster divergent thinking in the classroom, no matter the subject, and they also played games and drew some silly pictures along the way!
Fortified with paper, glue, and digital fabricators, teachers joined the FabMaker Studio workshop to create a magical 3D world of art and engineering. Using the online, STEM tool, they designed 3D objects inspired by Van Gogh’s work and discovered the brain benefits of seeing objects with an engineer’s eye. Teachers left with tons of ideas for bringing hands-on creation into the classroom.
It was a great day, but don’t take our word for it! Here are some comments from participating teachers:
“What a very enjoyable and creative day we had together. Thank you for sharing your new inspirations and ideas for our classrooms and even our personal growth.”
“Thanks so much for the inspiration yesterday! I had so much fun.”
“I liked that the workshop introduced many new ideas but we also had time to talk to others, relax and create.”
“It was the most fun and useful PD that I have ever attended!”
Interested in bringing a dash of creative PD to your school district or program?
Contact the team at info@fablevisionlearning.com.
About DIA
The Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), one of the top 6 museums in the USA, has an absolutely amazing collection of works and currently has a magnificent Van Gogh exhibit on until January 23, 2023. They also have a fantastic educational program providing professional development for teachers and trips for students.
Somerville Elementary School Creates Bravely With FableVision Learning
Outside the sky was gray and rainy, but inside Somerville Elementary School in New Jersey there were rays of laughter, beams of creativity, and of course, lots of lots of dots! The FableVision Learning team journeyed to Ridgewood New Jersey to run a creativity teacher PD session, a family night, a virtual author visit with Peter H. Reynolds and student workshops on writing and animation.
With a focus on creativity and divergent thinking, Sara Smith, FableVision Learning’s director of creative education, led teachers through exercises in thinking outside the box. The school has also implemented Start With a Story, a program designed to activate books by Peter H. Reynolds as students explore STEM, SEL, and digital storytelling.
Following the teacher PD, the gymnasium was transformed into Creativity Central with a selfie station, collaborative mural, scavenger hunt and Peter H. Reynolds Film Festival. Jumping from spot to spot, kids did ishful drawings of each other, created book plates and solved challenges for a special prize.
The FableFun continued the next day with a school-wide virtual assembly with Peter H. Reynolds followed by workshops with students around animation and storybook writing. Every student ended the day encouraged to Create Bravely.
If you’d like to bring exciting programs like this one to your school or district, contact us at info@fablevisionlearning.com.
Teachers Recharge at SPARK! Retreat with FableVision Learning and Clarkson University
Relax and reboot - that was the goal of the Spark: Recharge your Creativity retreat held at The Clarkson Beacon Institute in New York. Educators from nearby New York and New Jersey joined fellow creatives from Georgia and Arkansas for the hands-on workshop held Monday June 27.
Click the video below to watch a video from the day!
In the beautiful space along the Hudson River, we created a space for teachers to decompress, connect, and explore creativity together. The Creatrilogy (The Dot, Ish and Sky Color), by Peter H. Reynolds was our guide.
Starting with the message of The Dot, we rolled up our sleeves and donned our courage to begin - to open ourselves to creativity. It was such a delight to see each teacher’s representation of their unique mix of creative strengths of heart, mind, spirit, and action. And watching them employ those strengths to make their very own novel creations was inspiring.
Ish opened a discussion into the creative climate and how to be open, playful, and motivated enough to engage in divergent thinking. We put these skills to work to solve the age-old question of how to get a walrus out of a library and give each other invisible gifts!
Sky Color inspired us to look at problems in new ways, and we discovered the magic words of possibility thinking.
It’s a joy to connect the dots with educators from around the country that are driven by a creative spark. We hope to see more and more of you in the next year! In the meantime, we encourage you to take some time to recharge somehow.
Here’s three ideas for your own creative recharge:
Get out into nature. Like Marisol in Sky Color, try noticing the things around you as you go about your day. Mindfulness is a creative skill and can even help you to solve problems you’ve been dealing with by helping you to see things in new and interesting ways. Try this mindfulness exercise we created.
Get playful. Humor is a creative strength and playfulness invites new ideas and openness. Plus, allowing ourselves to be silly and imperfect, quiets that critic that lives inside us, like Ramon does in Ish. Create a fun character to be for a day, play a game, or sing your favorite song from high school at the top of your lungs.
Find someone to connect with. At the end of The Dot, our main character shares her new-found creative courage with someone else - and that boy goes on to star in Ish! Finding someone to share your creative interests with builds you both up and feeds your creative spirits. You can also try connecting online with other teachers in The Creativity Circle.
If you would like to bring the Creative Spark to your school/district, send us an email at creativity@fablevisionlearning.com .
Paul and Peter H. Reynolds Share Stories That Matter During 3-Part Literacy Event
Peter and Paul Reynolds had a packed dance card on their recent trip to Washington, DC & Maryland, as they celebrated their love of books, films and “stories that matter” with thousands of kindred spirits in Montgomery County.
Their first stop - Flower Hill Elementary in Gaithersburg, MD, with Library Media Specialist Melissa McDonald, who is also on the Gaithersburg Book Festival Planning Committee, and was the original “dot connector” who pitched the Reynolds brothers to attend the book festival.
The brothers presented to a group of very enthusiastic Flower Hill students from grades 3 to 5. Peter and Paul shared their stories and offered encouraging messages about using one’s creativity and compassion to move the world to a better place. This was the culmination event of a week-long Scholastic Book Fair, which was funded through support from Educational Systems Federal Credit Union, Lafayette Federal Credit Union and the Reynolds Center TLC. The funding, which Melissa McDonald worked alongside the Reynolds brothers to secure, allowed every one of the 430 students in the elementary school to take home two new books.
In addition to each child getting free books to take home, Flower Hill Elementary School received Scholastic Dollars™ to enhance the school’s educational resources - from bookshelves, rugs, and STEM materials, to additional books.
The following day, the brothers set off for the Gaithersburg Book Fest, where Peter was a featured speaker, and both brothers signed books for nearly two hours. Book sales were handled by DC’s beloved independent bookshop Politics and Prose. Since its inception in 2010, the Gaithersburg Book Festival has quickly become one of the nation’s top literary events, attracting hundreds of award-winning and best-selling authors, poets and songwriters from across the country to its beautiful park setting. A little over half an hour from Washington, DC, the GBF event now attracts more than 20,000 attendees each year.
The following day, the Reynolds were featured presenters at the Gaithersburg Public Library. Friends of the Library, Montgomery County (FOLMC) handled book sales, which went to support the work of the library. The event featured story readings, hands-on creativity activities, and a book signing.
Later that day, the Reynolds brothers hosted the inaugural unveiling of the STORIES THAT MATTER/STORIES THAT MOVE Animated Film Festival, which features film adaptations of many of Peter’s best-selling picture books, including The Dot, Ish, Sky Color, The Word Collector. Be You!, and Say Something!
The animated films, which were co-produced by FableVision Studios and Scholastic Weston Woods, were shown at the Black Rock Center for the Arts’ Main Stage, the leading venue for the performing and visual arts in Upper Montgomery County, MD. Reaching more than 40,000 people per year, BlackRock presents performances featuring top regional, national, and international touring talent from the worlds of jazz, blues, Celtic, folk, world, and bluegrass, as well as a contemporary theater for audiences of all ages, along with free gallery exhibitions, and arts education classes.
Along with generous financial support from Educational Systems Federal Credit Union and Lafayette Federal Credit Union, the weekend’s events were also made possible by the generosity of educational entrepreneur and author (“InnovatHERS”) Dr. Bobbi Kurshan.
For more information about the STORIES THAT MATTER/STORIES THAT MOVE Animated Film Festival, as well as bringing the Peter H. Reynolds Collection to your school or district, contact info@fablevisionlearning.com.
Paul and Peter H. Reynolds Create Bravely with Hosmer Elementary School Students
The following blog post was written by Tyler Stott, an intern at FableVision Learning.
New York Times best-selling author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds, and his twin brother and creative counterpart, Paul, spent a special day with the students at Hosmer Elementary School in Watertown. During the assemblies and classroom visits, they encouraged students to use their creativity to make their mark on the world.
The students started by painting their own dot inspired by “The Dot” by Peter H. Reynolds.
As you can see, they’re already starting to create bravely. Check out some of their cool creations below!
Would you like to bring Peter H. Reynolds to your school? Click here to learn more about the different speaking engagement options.
FableVision Celebrates Civics at Bridgewater State University
FableVision’s co-founders Paul and Peter H. Reynolds were delighted to join Bridgewater State University’s College of Education and Health Sciences and the Martin Richard Institute for Social Justice for a Universal Children’s Day celebration focused on civics and student voice.
FableVision’s co-founders Paul and Peter H. Reynolds were delighted to join Bridgewater State University’s College of Education and Health Sciences and the Martin Richard Institute for Social Justice for a Universal Children’s Day celebration focused on civics and student voice.
Kicking off the day, Paul Reynolds and FableVision Learning’s Andrea Calvin Zoomed with middle school students that have been using Civics! An American Musical in their studies. The free game available through FableVision Games, is a production of FableVision Studios, Maryland Public Television, Maryland Humanities, and Tufts’ Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. A part of the Library of Congress’ Teaching with Primary Sources Program, Civics! Is designed to teach middle school students how to analyze primary sources and have fun while doing it.
In Civics! An American Musical, players work with the different theatrical departments to learn about a number of important aspects of creating a musical, such as costuming, set design, writing, and music. As the producer, players select the subject matter for their musical from four historical topics: the desegregation of public schools, the National Parks, the FDA, and the Chinese Exclusion Act. It’s then up to them to create a new smash Broadway musical hit that is historically accurate and celebrates the power of everyday citizens in creating change.
The afternoon continued with a fireside chat. BSU pre-service teachers and Martin Richard Institute for Social Justice Fellows had an intimate conversation with Paul Reynolds as he shared FableVision’s message of creating bravely they shared their experiences from the classroom.
A highlight of the conversation included a video, from the education music department at BSU. Using the lyrics from Civics! An American Musical, students put their spin on The Poison Squad song. Check it out below (and play the game to hear the original).
The evening concluded with the MRISJ Civic Speaker Series chat Using Creative Arts to Spark Civic Action in Youth. The virtual conversation was moderated by Dr. Sheena Manuel, Assistant Professor of Special Education, and featured Paul Reynolds and Peter H. Reynolds. Peter, who was on his national tour for his new book Our Table, zoomed from LA and read from his best-selling picture book Say Something, which includes an illustration that pays homage to Martin Richard holding his now world-famous poster, which reads “No more hurting people. Peace.”
Martin was the youngest victim of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, and the son of Bridgewater alumni Bill and Denise Richard, who met each at the university.
To play Civics! An American Musical, create your free account here. Read more about the research study behind Civics! An American Musical.
FableVision Learning and Eduscape Announce Strategic Partnership
Amid COVID-19 Disruption, Two Edtech Firms Forge Alliance to Expand Product and PD Offerings for Educators Globally with Focus on Creativity and Innovation
In the COVID-19 era, the educational landscape has changed dramatically. So are industry partnerships and alliances. Cue FableVision Learning and Eduscape. Powered by investments in more nimble, web-based products and professional development, educational services providers FableVision Learning and Eduscape have announced a partnership to combine their edtech and professional development offerings. The resulting, robust portfolio now offers one-stop shopping for engaging, edtech/hybrid products optimized for remote learning conditions, and PD programs supported by industry-recognized certifications. Both organizations share a unique focus on fostering teacher and student creativity, and, over the past two decades, have reached nearly 25% of the nation’s educators with award-winning products and exemplary service offerings.
Together, FableVision Learning and Eduscape will deliver and expand high-impact professional learning for educators and school leaders, as offer a combined suite of creativity-focused digital products including robotics, coding, digital storytelling, animation, game-based math learning, and STEM/STEAM engineering design and fabrication.
Alex Urrea, founder and CEO of Eduscape shares, “Our team of experienced educators has been championing efforts to rethink education for years. Now the pandemic has forced the issue. As we’ve seen, just throwing technology at learning challenges isn’t the solution. School leaders must invest in developing a culture and shifting mindsets towards nurturing purpose-driven classrooms where teachers become active participants in the learning process and feel comfortable in a new paradigm of instructional design. By partnering with FableVision Learning, we will accelerate the impact both firms are already having across the nation – and increasingly around the globe.”
President of FableVision Learning Jane Reynolds adds, “Creative educators and leaders really rose to the occasion amidst often debilitating conditions over the past twelve months. But this massive, global education experiment has also highlighted how far we still have to go to deliver quality, engaging web-based learning. Together, FableVision Learning and Eduscape will be able to accelerate the development and delivery of high-impact, high-quality professional learning offerings for teachers and school leaders supported by award-winning products.”
The companies will mark the launch of their partnership with the Creativity Symposium, a series of virtual workshops starting in May 2021. The three-day event will bring educators together to assess and address a myriad of challenges as the world braces for years of recovery ahead – especially in education. Topics include accessibility, collaboration, community, and assessment and an invitation to join a global cohort of creative educators and leaders who want to be part of developing practical, achievable, and scalable solutions.
To that end, Creativity Symposium attendees will join The Creativity Circle International, an initiative to support all stakeholders in education, including school leaders, as they seek to develop and deploy creative solutions to address some of education’s biggest challenges.