FableVision Learning Spotlight Blog
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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.
5 Ways To Celebrate International Dot Day
International Dot Day is a celebration of creativity, courage, and collaboration. It was celebrated for the first time in a single classroom in 2009 and has grown into a global event. Today, people from across the world participate in a dot-filled day of making your mark!
1. REGISTER
The first step to celebrating International Dot Day is to register for the celebration! In 2020 over 19 million people from 194 different countries participated. Click here to register for 2021!
2. READ THE DOT
A good way to start your celebration is to pick up a copy of The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds. This book was the catalyst for International Dot Day! You can get the book here.
3. GET INSPIRED
Here are some amazing projects from the past few years:
Dots Take Flight: This perfectly instagram-able display demonstrates the power of many dots together! First, decide on your display shape, keeping in mind the number of dots necessary for the display. Next, allow your students to create their dots. Finally, put the dots together and enjoy by taking a ton of photos! Find more about this particular display from @believeinstevens or using this link.
Dots Gone Bananas: This Dot Day activity harnesses the dots we see in nature! Give your students the opportunity to brainstorm and think of natural occurrences of dots! After, have them incorporate their found-in-nature dots into their dot day drawing! Find more about this particular display from @Juan Huerta or using this link.
Dot-Dot-Dot (Or To Be Continued): Challenge yourself to create a dot-inspired optical illusion! Our friends at the Moco Museum created this awesome endless dot dot display! While there is a limited amount of dot lanterns in the room, no one would ever know! Think about how you could create a dot display where there is more than what meets the eye! Find more about this particular display from @Moco Museum or using this link.
WWW-Dot-Sphere: This display transcends the 2D world and breaks into the 3D world. @stem4kids utilized the app QuiverVision, to turn their dots into a 3D sphere. This activity incorporates creativity and STEM into your dot day celebration! There are endless possibilities when you turn your dot into a sphere! Find more about this particular display from @stem4kids or using this link.
4. ANIMATE, FABRICATE AND SHARE THE STORY OF YOUR DOT!
FableVision Learning’s Animation-ish provides an opportunity to animate your dots! Activities on Animation-ish combine technology, animation, design, and more for a creativity packed experience! Learn more about Animation-ish and see examples of past projects here!
FabMaker Studio is the perfect tool for cultivating your inventive spirit! With this paper prototyping and fabrication software, flex your design muscles and create 2D, Pop-up, and 3D paper models inspired by The Dot. It’s easy to get your design mind rolling when you start small - you can always try again and again! Try fabricating dots that fold, roll, spin, or transform!
5. SHARE YOUR MARK
Dot Day is September 15th! Be sure to share your mark with the world. International Dot Day is about creativity and inspiration so be Post on Instagram and Facebook using the hashtags #InternationalDotDay and #MakeYourMark.
Create Bravely this International Dot Day
International Dot Day might look a bit different his year - but there are many creative way to celebrate. Are you ready to join the over 17 million students, teachers, librarians, community groups and more this International Dot Day, celebrating creativity and courage in 185 countries on or around September 15th-ish!
To support your International Dot Day festivities we’ve pulled together a few ideas to “connect the dots this year.”
Discover The Dot
Read The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds to see where all of this started - you can grab a copy over at The Dot Central. Once you read the book, go behind the scenes with Peter H. Reynolds.
Let Us Know You Are Celebrating
Join the growing community celebrating International Dot Day by registering over at The Dot Club! Once you register, you can download the updated 2020 Educator’s Handbook for Dot Day, which features student handouts by Peter H. Reynolds and Dot Day activities by creative educators -including ideas for remote celebrations. Visit the Reynolds Center for more resources and posters.
Fabricate Your Dot
FabMaker Studio is a perfect tool for cultivating your inventive spirit! With this paper prototyping and fabrication software, flex your design muscles and create 2D, Pop-up, and 3D paper models inspired by The Dot. It’s easy to get your design mind rolling when you start small - you can always try again and again! Try fabricating dots that fold, roll, spin, or transform!
Animate Your Dot
With Animation-ish it’s never been easier to bring your drawings to life. Three distinct levels let you practice and animation motion techniques by making your dots roll, bounce, squish, grow, morph, and much more. What can your dots do? Just make your mark and see where it take you!
The Story of Your Dot
With virtual coaching by Peter H. Reynolds, Storybook Academy, our book writing and design program is the perfect way to encourage your students to share their voice. Students can write and illustrate the story of how they will make their mark this Dot Day!
Get Inspired: Check Out Celebri-dots
Head over to the Celebri-dots website to check out dots created by a variety of individuals, from authors and illustrators to actors and astronauts! Packed with dots from all walks of life - paint dots, pie dots, and even Earth dots - you’ll be sure to find inspiration there.
Connect the Dots with Other Educators
Looking to "connect the dots" with other classrooms nationally and internationally on Dot Day? Whether it's through email or web-based video connection, use the Dot Day Google Doc to make connections. Thanks to creative librarian/educators Shannon McClintock Miller @shannonmmiller, Andy Plemmons @plemmonsa, and Matthew Winner @matthewwinner for overseeing this effort! Check out Shannon’s blog post, here.
Connected Dots: A Virtual Celebration
Dot Day founder Terry Shay, introduced a create way to “connect the dots” this year to a virtual template. For more details on how to participate and to download the template, click here.
Dots for Doors: A Community Celebration
Inspired by Amanda Overholt of Exeter, Ontario community-wide scavenger hunt, we are excited to share the Dots for Doors project. Amanda explained that the scavenger hunts are a way to stay connected during the pandemic. “The best thing about these scavenger hunts is everyone can participate! If you're not able to get out to count the houses, while practicing social distancing due to COVID isolation regulations, or other reasons, you can still Participate by simple posting something on your front window/door!” Through the community Facebook page, Amanda shares activities (like this Dot counter), photos, and more.
On September 15-ish, students, teachers, schools, and communities will celebrate International Dot Day. A celebration of creativity, courage, and compassion, Dot Day encourages everyone to #MakeYourMark. Ready to join in on the International Dot Day 2020 Celebration! Share your story with us! Let us know you are celebrating and download the new handbook: Register at The Dot Club. Share your mark across social media with #MakeYourMark and #InternationalDotDay. Stay connected on Twitter @DotClubConnect, Instagram and Facebook!
Classroom Spotlight: Tudor Elementary Connects the Dots on Dot Day
Michelle Carton is an accomplished global educator and librarian at Tudor Elementary School in Anchorage, Alaska. She is known for her innovative curriculum and has taught in many diverse school environments, but her deep passion for making education relevant and empowering for students while building a lifelong love for learning and exploring has remained a constant. To celebrate International Dot Day, 2017 Michelle and her class connected the dots around the world - so we connected with her to learn more about how she inspires students every day to make their mark!
How did you first learn about Dot Day?
We first learned about Dot Day when I was searching out global and international activities for students. Our first year, we simply read the book, talked about international and global activities. We then created our dots. Our next year, we took it further to talk about how we will make our mark on the world, and why that matters. This year, we took it global and connected with schools all over the world, from Pakistan to Sri Lanka, Canada, and the "lower 48," connected it to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and shared how we will make an impact on being good earth citizens and taking care of each other and the planet.
How does Dot Day tie into your work as a global educator and the mission of Global Education Alaska?
Global Education Alaska initially started out through my Fellowship, Teachers for Global Classrooms sponsored by the U.S. State Department and the International Resources and Exchanges Board. It has now become an opportunity for teachers all over the world to find ideas and resources to take their class global, through workshops, seminars, and simply perusing our website. As a teacher in Alaska, I know our students come from all over the world (we have one the most diverse districts in the country), to a place that is quite isolated and remote, they just need a platform to embrace the world's people, lives, and stories, in a way that will help them embrace their own.
Dot Day is an opportunity for young people to celebrate their marks on a global scale. By connecting with schools around the world, we are making global citizenship more attainable and realizing that young people, no matter where they live, innately want to do good and be a part of the solution. Dot Day does a great job of setting the foundation for International Day of Peace and also United Nations Day, where we delve further into the idea that we are all connected and by learning about the world, understanding the perspectives in the world, and connecting with the world, we are in deed "taking action" which is what it means to be a global citizen. Global Education Alaska provides an opportunity for Alaskan students to learn about the world and for the world to learn about Alaska, the real Alaska (not the one on television).
Do you have tips for educators looking to take their Dot Day celebrations global?
Taking your Dot Day global can be easy, mostly because I have laid out on our website, just how to do that! Also, a few things I learned along the way. Using a tool such as signup.com, makes managing a calendar really simple. Also, making sure to double check a few days before, as we are busy educators, really helps solidify the process. Having students set goals for connecting creates a strong sense of buy-in as well.
My students' goal for next year is to connect both with Emily Arrow to learn the Dot Day song and the team at FableVision to share how they are making their mark on the world AND how they intend to do that in their future as well. What is being done through Dot Day many do not realize: for students to have a voice and see it be heard and honored builds an incredible foundation for growth, both academic, personal/social.
What is your favorite memory from your Dot Day 2017 celebration?
My favorite moment from Dot Day 2017 is when my students who normally are quite disengaged, shy, or overwhelmed by their life outside of school, get incredibly excited, and truly become children again, to laugh, and clap, and remember. Students all year will tell me, "Remember when we connected with _____ for Dot Day, that was really cool." They will remember these moments, all the way into their adulthood. For children to be able to have something to grab onto, even in the most challenging times, is incredibly precious!
How do you inspire students to make their mark and what’s your own inspiration?
Inspiring students to make their mark, care about the world around them, and a desire to be a part of the solution, comes from my own passion for these things. Students want to be engaged and excited; when an educator is, and gently guides students to take suit, they are carving a lane for students to be vulnerable. My own passion comes from being that kid who didn't really engage, teachers just pushed on, struggled in school, went to 9 different elementary schools, was in an out of foster care, and didn't really have something to be passionate about. I had one teacher, in 4th grade, who reached out in a major way and it changed my life. I aim to reach that student, and along the way, bring with me lots of other excitable young people.
I left Corporate America to do something I believed could make an impact on the world, and I haven't stopped yet. Now, I have 350 developing young global citizens who are beginning to see the impact of their dedication and passion. To be a global citizen is to embrace the possible, push past the maybe, and explore the unknown--but to always come out in a much more aware state of being. We are building future peace leaders, one dot at a time.
How did you Make Your Mark on Dot Day?
We love seeing all the Dot activity on social media! Share your Dot Day celebration and tips by using #DotDay and #MakeYourMark.
If you would like to be featured on the FableVision Learning blog, send us a message: info@fablevisionlearning.com.
Classroom Spotlight: The Cannaday Elementary Community Make Their Mark on Dot Day
Rochelle “Ro” Menendez is both an innovative librarian at Cannaday Elementary School and an avid Dot Day enthusiast. As a dedicated teacher-librarian on a mission to “prov[e] to readers that the reading experience is a gift, not a heavy load, through our shared experiences in a safe and inspiring environment,” Ro does everything from curating the library’s collection to providing access to a makerspace to leading the Dot Day festivities at her school! After seeing Ro’s creative tweets and Instagram pictures on Dot Day 2017, we reached out to Ro to connect the dots.
1) How did you first learn about Dot Day?
In 2015, I started my journey as a school librarian, and missed the opportunity to celebrate Dot Day because I didn’t know about this amazing celebration! I learned of it after the fact, when my Twitter PLN (Professional Learning Network), composed of new and seasoned librarians, were sharing their wonderful and inspiring activities! I was sad, but vowed not to miss it ever again, that is why during my second year, and this my third year, we have celebrated the magic of creating and believing in ourselves on September 15-ish!
2) Based on your dot-filled Instagram, it seems like Cannaday Elementary School really made their mark! Would you please describe a memorable moment from your dot filled celebration in 2017?
As each grade level created their dot using particular materials or techniques, the excitement of creating was infectious. When they saw the result of their efforts, hearing them gasp and exclaim “It’s so beautiful!”, “Look what I made!”, and “WOW!” confirmed what the message of The Dot is all about, taking a chance, giving it your best, and marveling at the results. I feel so privileged to have been able to provide them with this experience, regardless of the mess we created in the library!
I also have to mention our Dot Day Family Event - it fills my heart with joy to see readers coming after school with their favorite adult … and providing a space where they can bond, create, take risks, laugh, and live memorable experiences that make the home-school connection a valuable one.
3) Can you share more about the Family Dots and expanding the Dot Day experience beyond the classroom?
I love displaying the work readers create in the library throughout the year and our hallway was filling up with dots, and it looked spectacular. I had asked for the second year in a row that faculty create dots for a Faculty Wall, but as I was looking at our hallway I felt something was missing. It all starts and ends with family, I heard someone say that once, and it is oh so very true! So I decided to take a risk and invite families to create dots together, I wasn’t sure they’d take a chance to “make their mark,” but I thought it was worth it to give them the opportunity. So many families sent their dots! I intermixed them with the faculty dots, and placed them next to student created ones to give the full picture of how together we can make an even greater mark on our readers’ and each others’ lives!
Some families made a dot for each member, some did a side by side, their child made a dot and an adult made another. I could just imagine the conversations, excitement, laughter and fun they had creating them! I made sure they were all displayed for our Family Event. I saw some of our kids taking their adult to the wall to find their Family Dot. One mom even told me “The first thing I did was go to the Family Dot Wall to see if it was true, to see if our family’s was up there, and it was! We loved working together on this!”
When I sent home the Family Dot request, I included two YouTube links; one of Peter H. Reynolds reading The Dot, and another of the story being read in Spanish, because we have many Spanish speaking families. Kids and parents shared with me that they had listened to the story at home. This connected the experiences we had in the library, the discussions of what we thought the message of the story was, with more personal discussions at home. As a parent, I know how hard it can be to get kids to talk about what’s going on in school. Sometimes it’s hard to visualize what kids, that are more willing to share, describe about their day. Hopefully being able to listen to the story facilitated those conversations!
4) On your blog, you mentioned creating a script and having students act for Dot Day 2016. That is an awesome idea! Did this come to fruition?
It’s still one of my goals, but it didn’t happen this year. Thinking about how crazy busy the beginning of the year is, I’m hoping that it is a project 4th and 5th graders can work on during the end of Spring Semester, that way when the new school year comes around in August, we will have a script, props, and most of the actors in place, then we will make it happen! #GOALS !
5) You seem to be an inspiration for young dot makers in your community. Who or what inspires you to make your mark every day?
My biggest inspiration is my father. He was so influential in whom I am today, that I always try, in everything I do, to make him proud. He is kind, compassionate and so giving to everyone he meets. He taught me that reading is magical and powerful. He made sure I understood that you never give anything less than your best at everything you do. He showed me by example that I must answer the call to serve others, even at personal cost.
My drive and dedication comes from my students, my readers. They are so willing to trust, to learn, to be vulnerable even when their lives sometimes have been so much harder than anything I have lived through, that I cannot fathom showing up with anything but my full heart to teach and to learn with them, every day.
How did you Make Your Mark on Dot Day?
We love seeing all the Dot activity on social media! Share your Dot Day celebration and tips by using #DotDay and #MakeYourMark.
If you would like to be featured on our blog, send us a message: info@fablevisionlearning.com.
Classroom Spotlight: Dammam, Saudi Arabia Makes its Mark on Dot Day
This blog post was written by Patrick McDonagh, FableVision Learning marketing intern.
On Sept. 16, Nouf Arar Aldossary a 7th and 8th grade math teacher in Dammam, Saudi Arabia celebrated International Dot Day. For Nouf, it was a special celebration.
“Dot Day 2017 is a special day for me for two reasons” Nouf said. “First: It is the first Dot Day I celebrated. Second: It is the last days for me in The Sixteenth Intermediate School in Dammam. I will be moving to teach in a small village for primary school - a new community, a new school level, a new life!”
The school joined over 10 million dot makers in 170 countries for International Dot Day, a truly global celebration of creativity and courage. To learn more about Dot Day, celebrated every Sept. 15-ish, click here.
We were excited to connect the dots with Nouf to learn more about the school’s first Dot Day celebration. Read on!
How did you bring the Dot Day experience to the classroom?
I gave 7th graders worksheets with a circle divided to 4 sectors, and told them to make their mark - just begin with dot and see where will take you.
For 8th graders, I gave them a large amount of colorful magnetic circles (400 pieces), and asked them to design a creative artwork on the whiteboard.
Then, students asked me to continue to celebrate Dot Day on the next Sunday Sept. 24; to celebrate the national day of Saudi Arabia (it was on Friday 23 September 2017). They put a black magnetic circle on the whiteboard, then put the green magnetic circles surrounded by white circles, and put colorful magnetic circles around it. They mean that Mecca (black circle) is the heart of Saudi Arabia (white and green circles), and Saudi Arabia is the heart of the Arab and Islamic worlds (colorful circles), the investment powerhouse, and the hub connecting three continents, which align with 2030 vision. We spent another 3 hours to complete the creative art work. The students and I are so proud of our work!
How did you use Dot Day themes in your mathematics teaching?
When I introduced Dot Day to students, I first asked the students: “In mathematics, what does a dot mean? Is it an important concept?”
They said that a dot is so important in mathematics because everything consists of a dot. A straight line can be drawn between any two dots ( Euclid's elements).
Then I asked them: “what about life? is the dot an important symbol in our life?” they said that the dot refers to the beginning of everything, the beginning of success, the beginning of creativity, the beginning of our journey into life.
Who or what inspires you to make your mark every day?
Because a dot of blood saves a human, a dot of water quenches thirst, and a dot on the letter gives meaning to the word; so the dot deserves to be celebrated. It inspired me and inspired my students to make our mark in our community. In future, I will do another Dot Day with students in grade 1 and grade 3 in the new school to inspire me to a new happy life.
How did you Make Your Mark on Dot Day?
We love seeing all the Dot activity on social media! Continue to share your #DotDay celebration with by using the #DotDay and #MakeYourMark.
If you would like to be featured on our blog, send us a message: info@fablevisionlearning.com
2017 Dot Day Newsmakers
On September 15-ish, over 10 million people in 170 different countries celebrated International Dot Day. A celebration of creativity, courage, and compassion, Dot Day encourages everyone to #MakeYourMark - so it comes as no surprise that many Dot Day celebrations ended up making their mark in the news! Here’s a peek at the newsworthy Dot Day celebrations around the world.
Akron Public Schools on Akron.com
In Ohio, students in Akron public schools made their mark by raising money to benefit victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in partnership with local chapters of the American Red Cross as part of International Dot Day. Students earned money through their own efforts, taking responsibility for running lemonade stands, walking dogs, weeding gardens, and more!
Make Your Mark on Cozad Award on Lexch.com
The Wilson Public Library in Cozad, Nebraska, awarded their annual Make Your Mark on Cozad Award to Ila Davenport and her late husband Gerald Davenport. The Make Your Mark on Cozad Award, presented as a part of the Wilson Public Library’s Dot Day celebration, recognizes Cozad community members who are active supporters of Cozad, its library, and the arts. Congratulations to the Davenports - talk about making your mark!
NIFT-TEA College of Knitwear Fashion in The Hindu
Students at the NIFT-TEA College of Knitwear Fashion in the Kongu Nadu region of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu designed colorful clothing, wall hangings, and decorated bottles based on a Dot Day theme of dots! Up to 202 students worked on their designs over the course of four days until they were finally displayed by students on the college campus in a dot formation. More beautiful photos of the NIFT-TEA students' Dot Day masterpieces can be found here.
Szczecin's Elementary School no. 7 on Głos Szczeciński 24
Students in Szczecin, Poland’s Elementary School no. 7 decorated little trees together for Dot Day, using a variety of materials from paper dots to yarn! This is the school’s third year in a row celebrating Dot Day and these little trees can now be seen brightening up the school’s hallway.
Porter Elementary School in The Daily Times
The Porter Elementary School in Tennessee celebrated Dot Day school-wide - from the classroom to the cafeteria! Students learned Braille, dot balloons floated around the school, and even the cafeteria had a round-food themed menu.
Westfield Area YMCA on Tap Into Westfield
In New Jersey, children from the Westfield Area YMCA Early Learning programs read The Dot and engaged in fun activities such as creating their own paint and paper dots, playing Twister, and participating in a scavenger hunt for dots!
Ready to join in on the International Dot Day media frenzy? Register at The Dot Club if you're still celebrating Dot Day this year or to prepare for next year, and share your mark across social media with #MakeYourMark and #DotDay. You can also stay connected on Twitter @DotClubConnect and Facebook!
Peter H. Reynolds and The Dot Rolls Into Dorchester on Sept. 15
On Friday, Sept. 15, millions of people in 169 countries will celebrate International Dot Day, and among them will be students and faculty members at William E. Russell Elementary School in Dorchester, Massachusetts — a historic neighborhood of Boston known locally as “Dot.”
Inspired by Peter H. Reynolds’s acclaimed picture book The Dot, in 2009 Iowa educator Terry Shay and his students decided to celebrate creativity and courage on Sept. 15. The Dot is the heartwarming story of a perceptive and caring teacher and a reluctant student who thinks she can’t draw. Vashti’s teacher encourages her to trust in her own abilities and be brave enough to “just make a mark and see where it takes you.”
Exploring the themes of creativity, bravery, and self-expression, The Dot has been translated into many languages, including Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, French, Spanish, and even braille. Since International Dot Day’s founding, over 9.5 million educators, schoolchildren, celebrities, and everyday readers have spread Reynolds’s message by creating their own dots and sharing them via Pinterest, Twitter, and classroom walls, among other outlets.
This year, Reynolds himself will celebrate Dot Day at Russell Elementary School with 375 students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
“Picture books can change lives, and The Dot is doing it around the world with children and adults who are being encouraged to make their mark. We’re proud to be able to take care of these awesome students right here in our own backyard,” said Karen Lotz, president of Candlewick Press, the publisher of The Dot.
Reynolds is expected to be joined by Boston Public Schools Superintendent of Schools, Tommy Chang. The guests will tour the school and enjoy presentations of the students’ work.
"We are very grateful for the gift of literacy, which Peter is providing to our students," said Russell Elementary Principal Tamara Blake-Canty. "We are incredibly proud of the rigorous academic scholarship we pursue at the Russell, and celebrating International Dot Day here not only gives us another occasion to highlight our students’ pursuits, it also fuels our teachers’ and students’ ingenuity to reach further heights."
Reynolds says he is especially pleased to be sharing his message in Dorchester, Boston’s largest neighborhood, often locally referred to as “Dot.”
“I like to choose a significant physical location to celebrate Dot Day each year,” Reynolds explains. “Besides, its an awesome nickname. Dorchester is just minutes from my educational media studio based in Boston’s Innovation District, where I hope Russell Elementary School students will one day be using their creativity to make their mark as innovators in tomorrow’s workforce.”
The Dot Day Celebration Continues
Where: at the Blue Bunny Bookstore in Dedham, Massachusetts
When: 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.
Children and adults can stop by to create their own DOTS! (Paper and art supplies provided)
Enter to win a Dot Day basket, drawing at 6 p.m. – you do not have to be present to win!
The first 50 people who purchase The Dot book get an art supply goody bag.
Dot cookies by Ginger Betty and Dot Chocolate will be available for sale.
Peter H. Reynolds joins the festivities in the afternoon.
Make Your Mark
#DotDay is right around the diameter (because dots don’t have corners). Sept. 15th is the day to celebrate. If you haven’t done so yet, register, and join the growing community and share your mark using #MakeYourMark and #DotDay!
Travel around the World on Dot Day
This blog post was written by Adrienne Poon, FableVision Learning Marketing Intern.
One of the best things about International Dot Day is just how international it truly is! Over 9 million people across 169 different countries have already registered their Dot Day participation, making it a truly global celebration of creativity, courage, and collaboration. In the spirit of this global International Dot Day community, here’s a sampling of ideas from around the world for how to #MakeYourMark.
Nepal
To kick off this International Dot Day tour, here’s a video of a small group of Nepalese students wishing you a happy Dot Day on the International Dot Day Facebook page!
United Kingdom
Dot Day love is palpable. Our friends in England at the Lammas Independent School know how to celebrate.
International @DotClubConnect #DotDay2017 in England! pic.twitter.com/l9EbQmblIu
— Lammas Indep School (@LammasSchool) September 15, 2017
Poland
Now take a look at one of the most dot-happy countries in the world! Poland absolutely loves International Dot Day - there is an entire Polish blog dedicated to Dot Day, which includes a very populated map of Polish schools participating in Dot Day this year. These photos are from a school in Studzionka, which celebrated with painted dots, Quiver dots, and even dotty photoshoots! Poland even has their own Dot Day song, with an impressive accordion cover by Michał Sawicki.
Denmark
Students in Denmark also celebrated Dot Day, creating vibrant dots in all colors, sizes, and mediums with their art teacher Tatjana Knudsen.
11 Likes, 1 Comments - Tatjana Knudsen Art Teaching (@tatjanaknudsen) on Instagram: "#dot #dots #dotday #dotday2016 #internationaldotday2016 #internationaldotday #tatjanaknudsen..."
Lithuania
In nearby Lithuania, Kedainiai special school students celebrated Dot Day last year by creating dots with markers, collage, and more!
Canada
Not be outdone on the other side of the Atlantic, the Summerside Rotary Library of Prince Edward Island is preparing a special 2017 Dot Day Family Storytime and is inviting every visitor to make their mark through stories, drawings, and a community painting!
Puerto Rico
Further south, students at the Academia San Jorge in Puerto Rico celebrated Dot Day in their computers class. This video not only shows off the students’ drawn dots, but it also includes photographs they took related to dots!
Dominican Republic
In Santo Domingo, Pekepolis EduPark hosted a Dot Day bonanza with artists, a storytime, and a medley of dot-making materials available for everyone to make their mark!
Italy
Back in Europe at Atelierstorytime’s school in Milan, students celebrated Dot Day with fun activities that also reinforced their English language skills through learning numbers, sizes, colors, and action verbs! This year, they will be celebrating Dot Day again with a storytime and workshop.
Spain
Teacher and pedagogical advisor Jenny Silvente painted dots in Spain - but not with paintbrushes. Instead, she used spin painting and elbow grease!
11 Likes, 1 Comments - Ver Pensar Sentir (@verpensarsentir) on Instagram: "Puntos que se mueven y se transforman... #internationaldotday #diadelpunto"
Invited by Jenny Silvente to participate in Dot Day and also located in Spain, promoter of play Yessica used many tiny bead dots to make a single big dot in yet another creative example of how to make your mark!
30 Likes, 5 Comments - Rejuega (@rejuega) on Instagram: "Me ha invitado @ver_pensar_sentir a participar en una preciosa iniciativa inspirada en el libro "El..."
Malaysia
Across an entire continent over in Malaysia, Tadika Impian Kita had a wonderful Dot Day celebration full of classroom activities - and they uploaded video to share with all of you!
Indonesia
Last but not least, from the jungles of Borneo, here's a video of a large group of creative students wishing everyone a happy International Dot Day!
Ready to join in on the international fun? If you haven’t already, register at The Dot Club and share your mark across social media with #MakeYourMark and #DotDay. Stay connected on twitter @DotClubConnect and Facebook!
FableVision Learning’s Teacher Spotlight: John Long
Let Helping Teachers Develop Students that Learn Through Creating
“My classroom is a bit large these days,” explains John Long, technology program specialist in the Department of Educational Technology for the School District of Palm Beach County. “It involves working with several hundred teachers and thousands of students at about 30 schools a year…I like to consider myself a digital learning architect at any of the 183 schools in Palm Beach County. My role involves designing professional development for the schools and implementing professional learning communities for integrating technology embedded into the curriculum.”
John recently chatted with FableVision Learning about his unique method of integrating technology into the curriculum, his work with programs like Animation-ish and Fab@School Maker Studio, and plans for Dot Day! If you are curious about what he is up to in the classroom, follow John on Twitter: @adigitallearner
Can you share a bit about your creative teaching style?
I focus on coaching, modeling, curriculum design, and creating professional learning networks for educators. I believe it is important for students to create based on their learning instead of constantly consuming content and having to be assessed on it.
I started years ago training in educational technology on how to use programs but they never seemed to understand how to use it in their classrooms. Over the years I changed my methods to include ongoing professional development with time to implement and receive feedback. Then took the professional development into the classrooms and talked with teachers, librarians, administrators, and parents. I researched their standards and curriculum. I have built quite a community of teachers over the past 20 years and decided to head back into the classroom to work directly with teachers and students on integrating. This was the key to getting teachers comfortable with using technology into their curriculum.
The first emphasis was to focus on teaching and learning. It is hard for teachers to see this because they focus on the “wow” or “cool” factor and it is more show and tell and not about learning from technology. The second focus is to design a project where the teacher is comfortable enough to watch and learn. Teachers are still learners too. Focusing on a core set of apps or tools that allow students to create projects. Once teachers get comfortable they turn it over to them and observe and give feedback. Each project and class is different so the learning never stops. This process is my methodology in a nutshell.
You have created a fantastic collection of videos that show how Animation-ish can be used in the classroom. Can you tell us about the subject of some of these videos and the inspiration behind them?
I believe in developing a core set of apps or tools to work with in the classroom and then supplement with more tools based on grade level and subject area. The core set of apps should be used in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade. One of my apps in that core set is an animation app. Animation allows students to design and draw concepts that they have learned and demonstrate that learning. It allows them to synthesize and apply the learning. I learned about Animation-ish back in 2009 talking with a dear friend, Dr. Peggy Healy Stearns. I started to see all kinds of uses in Science but also in language arts. One of my first projects was to create a animated dictionary of words. Here is a great example of this in action..
Animation-ish is great in Science. Using it to document things like the water-cycle, or the butterfly life cycle, and even things like cell mitosis. This got me thinking of another project creating digital student portfolios in iBooks Author or now Book Creator. Students can create e-book portfolios by recreating through word processing, video, pictures, or animation using Animation-ish. I started working with a biology teacher and a fifth grade teacher to design these projects. This is an ongoing project that keeps evolving over the years.
A few years ago, a librarian colleague of mine shared with me her fairytale project, which was part of the second grade curriculum. I got to thinking about making it digital and letting students create a digital fairytale. The premise was to start with writing a fairytale including the characteristics then let the students animate the project. Since it is electronic, let the students read their passage with the animation and create an e-book to share. I decided that I would become the story wizard and began to dress the part. This is a fun and challenging project. We have now completed three digital fairytales. One of the favorite parts of the projects is the students learning how to use Animation-ish. You can see how the project is implemented below.
After we did the second digital fairytale, I thought wouldn’t it be interesting to try a digital mystery and what would that look like? In the digital mystery, I became the digital sleuth to guide them through creating a digital mystery. How do you create a mystery, you have to start with the ending first. Then you need to develop four or five clues guiding the students to veer away from inappropriate types of mysteries. Once you have the ending and the clues decided, you start from the beginning and guide them through creating the story including the clues. You have to keep them focused on the clues, the characteristics, and the ending as they forget and need reminding. You even have to narrow the focus of some of your most “creatives” in the class. Then they can start to use Animation-ish to create their scenes. It was a most rewarding experience with students thanking me. Check out the video with student and teacher feedback.
Do you have any cool Fab@School Maker Studio stories to share?
I have followed the development of Fab@School Maker Studio for 6 years since Dr. Peggy Healy Stearns showed it to me in Denver, CO at the 2010 ISTE conference. I was so excited to see this product was the missing key to teaching STEAM in the classrooms. I first used (Fab@School Maker Studio) a few years ago to design a jack-o'-lantern with an electric circuit with fifth graders and now use it with other groups. It is perfect to build something and teach. I always refer back to the literacy aspect as most schools need to still focus and that is the hook to using it.
We are just getting started in Palm Beach County and with all large districts, it takes time but as the video below will show - we are Going Places...
You love to find creative ways to mark International Dot Day. What has been your favorite celebration and what do you have planned for this year?
Terry Shay challenged me at 2013 ISTE in San Antonio, Texas to bring International Dot Day to Palm Beach County. This is a big task due to the nature of a large district with over 13,000 teachers and 187,000 students.
I am sure that some teachers in this district celebrated International Dot Day way before I brought it up. I had heard about it but never really did it. So, I decided to take him up on his challenge. I went back home and discussed with my supervisors and they agreed to support it. It took six weeks to approve it and it finally became a bulletin, which is how information is officially communicated to the schools.
The first year was a test and I developed some ideas to support International Dot Day. I came up with the basic illustrations and language arts activities. I even came up with the idea to create the first “Dot”cumentary to share how people use it in their classrooms. The first year was definitely a trial run. After the first year, I spent a whole year thinking of new ways to develop ideas for the next year. It is truly a yearlong process. We have had math teachers, science teachers, art teachers, music teachers, and everything in between participate. I have had librarians use it for teaching digital citizenship about making their digital footprint and leaving their mark. Each summer after school is out, I work on the “Dot”cumentary from that year as a way to gear up for the next year.
2013 “Dot”cumentary
2014 “Dot”cumentary
2015 “Dot”cumentary
In 2014, one of my professional learning networks called eMobilize developed a workshop around The Dot as a way to promote and build projects for International Dot Day. The workshop is called the Excellent Learning Adventure and the premise is to learn to use the iPad with Common Core (aka Florida Standards) to help students make their mark in the world through learning. We conduct the workshop a month before International Dot Day so that teachers become aware and promote creativity.
2015 Excellent Learning Adventure
Each year gets better and better with more people learning about it and innovating. The past school year, I started working with a librarian and art teacher at a middle school. The librarian wanted to do a digital project but didn’t know how to get started and lacked the confidence to try. She works well with the art teacher and she wanted to do something with International Dot Day even though it was January. The art teacher was using Photoshop in their class. I brainstormed with both of them and came up with a project. The art teacher would teach them Photoshop by making backgrounds out of dots. Then I would work with the librarian and art teacher to coach them on how to film their students in front of a green screen talking about “how they will make their mark” in the world. It was amazing what came out of the middle school students.
You can see it here:
Check out his awesome Dot Day ideas for the classroom, here.
Happy International Dot Day!
We are wishing you the best this Dot Day! Thank you for celebrating creativity and bravery with your students. Continue inspiring them to make their mark. Click below to watch Peter make his mark for you this Dot Day!
Enjoy the newest resource for Dot Day! Keep your place while reading The Dot and other books with bookmarks. Click below to download your Dot Day bookmarks today!
Around the World on Dot Day
International Dot Day is celebrated in many different countries around the world. As of today, there are participants in 81 countries that will be making their mark on September 15th-ish! As of today, participants will be celebrating in the following countries:
Netherlands, Romania, Ivory Coast, Belarus, Egypt, Estonia, Qatar, Trinidad and Tobago, Gambia, Turkey, Guatemala, Ecuador, Iraq, Philippines, Tanzania, Panama, Peru, Oman, Taiwan, Cyprus, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Norway, Honduras, Morocco, Kenya, Croatia, Italy, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Germany, Greece, Kuwait, Ethiopia, Uganda, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Pakistan, Bolivia, Austria, Jamaica, Vietnam, Thailand, Albania, Puerto Rico, Denmark, Portugal, Indonesia, South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea, Japan, Brazil, Jordan, France, Russia, Mexico, India, El Salvador, Luxembourg, Nigeria, Poland, Argentina, Spain, Ireland, Venezuela, United Kingdom, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Iran, United States of America, and Canada!
We love that we are able to celebrate creativity and bravery with participants circling the globe that speak many different languages. Coming together on this special day inspires us to continue to spread the message of The Dot.
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Also check out this video created by Beatriz Montero reading El Punto in Spanish.
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