FableVision Learning Spotlight Blog

Guest User 7/19/22 Guest User 7/19/22

Big Picture Living: Tools to Start the Conversation around Lifestyle Wellness

At FableVision Learning, we firmly believe in dreaming BIG. So does our partner, with BIG right in the name: Big Picture Learning. We are excited to announce that FableVision/The Reynolds Center and Big Picture Learning have partnered with American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) to embark on a student-driven movement: Big Picture Living.

This blog post was written by Katie Hurwitz, an intern at FableVision Learning.

This program - packed with FREE Resources to start the conversation around lifestyle medicine and student projects to put the message into action. We encourage you to read on to learn more about Lifestyle Medicine and Big Picture Living and to click here to sign up for the free resources.

Pilot Schools: We are also looking for a handful of schools/after-school programs to pilot the Big Picture Living Conversation Cards in the fall and provide feedback for future versions. If you are interested in learning more please email andrea@fablevision.com and we will get you started.

What is Big Picture Living?

While young people in 2022 should be able to realize their true potential, there is a major setback: a crisis of higher-than-normal mental and physical health concerns.

Our youth are experiencing:

Increased mental health concerns
High death rates of COVID-19 that is disproportionately affecting families and children of color
Rising youth isolation
Disengagement from school
Higher rates of pre-existing conditions (such as obesity and diabetes) - especially with poor and Black and Latinx youth color

Education and health professionals have historically been siloed in their practices, so it was about time that we connected the dots in order to address blatant health inequities and the growing health crisis that affects the youth in our nation and our world.

Big Picture Living is a movement intended to raise awareness of the day-to-day behaviors that impact our lives and how long we live it. This movement is intentionally designed to spark meaningful transformational change in young people’s lives through healthy lifestyle choices—so that they can dream big and create bravely.

Just as FableVision Learning’s secret to success consists of the 4 Cs (plus 1)—creativity, communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and compassion—Big Picture Living harbors their own secret to success called Lifestyle Medicine.

What is Lifestyle Medicine?

Lifestyle Medicine, as defined by ACLM, is an evidence-based approach to preventing, treating, and even reversing disease by replacing unhealthy behaviors with positive ones. Big Picture Living actively utilizes lifestyle medicine as the guide to educate and support positive behavior changes in young people by focusing on six lifestyle elements.

Nourish (nutrition)
Move (exercise & physical activity)
Chill (stress management)
Recharge (sleep health):
Caution (avoiding risky substances)
Social (relationships & emotional resiliency)

The medical community has made it clear that nearly 80% of chronic ailments are preventable and reversible through changes in lifestyle choices. By engaging with these 6 Measures, we can prevent diseases and ills that, through time and accumulation, can harm one’s life.

Talking About Lifestyle Medicine With Students

Part of the Big Picture Living movement is utilizing The Big Picture Living Conversation Cards, which are designed as a way for schools/programs to introduce lifestyle medicine through discussion and activities for each of the 6 measures. Included in each measure are…

Reflect & Consider Cards: 4 discussion prompts with information to guide the conversation. Each card includes a Quick Bite - a short extension activity inspired by the discussion.
Activities: 4 activities to personalize the measure and activate community engagement.

The Big Picture Learning website (www.BPLiving.org) is the hub for educator resources, student work, webinars, social media challenges and so much more!

Ready to get started? We are looking for for a handful of schools/after-school programs to pilot the Big Picture Living Conversation Cards in the fall and provide feedback for future versions. If you are interested in learning more please email andrea@fablevision.com and we will get you started.

Guest User 6/7/22 Guest User 6/7/22

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.

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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.

Guest User 5/2/22 Guest User 5/2/22

When School's Out the Story is On: FableVision Learning and YMCA Partner on SEL/STEM Program

The following blog post was written by Tyler Stott, an intern at FableVision Learning.

Solving rubix cubes, creating animations, and building “Say Something” megaphones doesn’t sound like your typical after school program - but the MetroWest YMCA’s School’s Out program isn’t your average program. Thanks to a partnership between MetroWest YMCA and FableVision Learning, Massachusetts students have been using their creative smarts and STEM skills as they explore the literary world of Peter H. Reynolds.

“We are so excited to have the opportunity to partner with our friends at FableVision. Each month we focus on a specific book from Peter H. Reynolds’ collection. Our sites use the curriculum from Start With A Story for each book and deep dive into the many hands-on activities provided, “ said Hannah Glenshaw, the Director of Educational Program Enhancements at the MetroWest YMCA. “Students are eager to get into the program during FableVision days because they love the activities and get excited to share their hard work,”.

The Start with a Story after-school program is the next phase in the partnership between FableVision and MetroWest YMCA, which started with the North Star Summer program in 2021. With funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Afterschool and Out-of-School Time Quality Enhancements (ASOST-Q) Grant Program, which is administered through the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), and an additional STEM grant from the Dassault Systems U.S. Foundation the teams continue to develop STEM, SEL, and creativity curriculum for students served by the MetroWest YMCA.

FableVision Learning’s Start with A Story program ties the works of New York Times best-selling author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds to hands-on and technology-based activities/projects. Each unit focuses on one book and includes an Animation-ish activity and a FabMaker Studio STEM project.

We recently connected with Glenshaw to learn more about the partnership and YMCA program. Read on to learn more.

Can you share a bit about your program and the students you work with?

Glenshaw: “At the MetroWest YMCA, we run six School's Out sites servicing the areas of Ashland, Framingham, Hopkinton, and Natick. School's Out is a place where children can participate in a wide range of activities while building friendships that last a lifetime. Our programs extend school-day learning with a wide variety of engaging opportunities for active play, participation in STEM learning, and building life skills through social-emotional curricula, all under the supervision of experienced staff.”

What have been a few of your favorite learning moments with the students? Favorite book or project?

Glenshaw: “My favorite learning moment from the Start With A Story program has been the conversations inspired by my favorite book, Say Something! The book has inspired our students to speak out who tend to step back in most group conversations. I've witnessed students express themselves through writing, art, and fabricated megaphones used to physically shout out their words. This book has cultivated some of the most thoughtful discussions around self-confidence, helping others, and using one’s voice to make a difference. The YMCA students have reminded me that my voice matters and I should share it out loud.”

How have you used FabMaker Studio with the program? What are some of the Aha moments working with the program?

Glenshaw: “We have been using the FabMaker Studio program in conjunction with each book's curriculum. Before we fabricate a project, we talk about the different shapes that go into each 2D or 3D design. Students then sketch design ideas on a piece of paper before we see how the pre-made projects are created. The “Aha” moments come when students can physically hold their project. Watching them fold the perforated edges, think through where the shape needs to bend, and finally glue and assemble the remaining pieces is a lightbulb moment! You can feel the energy in the room when they have pieced together the design. I love watching students collaborate and support one another in the design process.”

“A project inspired by the book Say Something, challenges students to create a megaphone. Ruth, age 10, from our Framingham School’s Out site was folding her megaphone when she was inspired to layer 3D pop-ups onto her design. Ruth was determined to share her message with swirls, jagged edges, and springs popping out from all sides of her megaphone. It was a brilliant moment where her artistry and spunky personality meshed into a beautiful project.”

Can you share a bit about the animation process with Animation-ish? What are some projects students have completed?

Glenshaw: “The animation process has been a wonderful component of the Start with a Story curriculum. Each week students use laptops at the site to design and animate a prompt inspired by a book. A staff member reads a story and asks leading questions to inspire students on their animation journey. A few fan favorites include animating their name, animating an emotion, and animating a form of transportation.”

“Edmund, age 7, from the Elmwood School’s Out site in Hopkinton, decided to animate a rock rolling along the grass as his interpretation of movement. He was so excited about his animation when he was picked up from the program, he ran outside to show his parents. DJ, age 8, also from the Elmwood Schools Out site, animated a skateboarder flying across the screen and landing the jump for his project on transportation.”

What are you excited for next?

Glenshaw: “I am excited to read Our Table and Be You! from the Start With A Story collection. One of the activities inspired by the story Be You! is to animate a self-portrait that captures your unique personality. I can’t wait to watch students think through the design process. Which colors will they choose? Will their person start with one expression, and change to another, or if they will show themselves in an action or doing their favorite hobby? The possibilities are endless!”

How can students get involved with your programs?

Glenshaw: “Families can get involved with our out-of-school time programs through the website. Click here to access the website and register for the 2022-2023 school year! If families are interested in experiencing more hands-on learning opportunities for their kids, then come spend your summer at the Y. At Camp OCP, students will be able to experience more activities inspired by Peter H. Reynolds collection. The camp features summer learning through hands-on enrichment activities in STEM, Global Learning, and Social-Emotional Learning. Traditional camp activities like swimming/water play, sports, arts and crafts, and gaga-ball are included.”

—

Want to learn more about Start with a Story? Email the team at info@fablevisionlearning.com

Guest User 5/2/22 Guest User 5/2/22

Maine Educators Embark on North Star Journey With FableVision Learning

Maine's Department of Education’s State Agency Program Team set sail on a creativity journey to transform teaching practice and classroom outcomes through a unique partnership with Boston-based educational company FableVision Learning, founded by Peter H. Reynolds.

“We were eager to provide equitable access to quality instruction to Maine’s vulnerable youth in therapeutic education settings to enhance special education programming after the difficult times caused by the pandemic, when emotional and social issues have been heightened,” explained Dr. Mary Adley, Coordinator of State Agency Programs. “We wanted to provide staff and students a sense of excitement and creativity to view their world with optimism and we knew FableVision Learning would help us achieve that.”

Adley and her team provide oversight to educational programming for state wards and state agency clients. This includes the General Supervision System of Monitoring for Maine’s approved Special Purpose Private Schools. Her team also offers special education technical assistance, professional development, and support to Maine educators, students, and families for Maine children in the care or custody of the Department of Health and Human Services or the Department of Corrections, educated in all settings, both in public and private settings and within Maine and placed in out of state settings.

“Our team is delighted that FableVision is embedding the Department’s Maine MOOSE (Maine Online Opportunities for Sustained Education) modules as curricular/content to guide educators in developing creative and specially designed instruction needed to meet each student’s Individual Education Program,” shared Dr. Tracy Whitlock, Coordinator for Special Projects.

This multi-level program of support integrates evidence-based instructional strategies, such as elements of Dr. John Medina’s “Brain Rules,” with intentional focus on social-emotional welfare for both staff and students. Every month, educators from 9 agencies representing 25 schools meet virtually for the Creative Maine workshop and the FableVision Learning team guides discussions and activities around creative instructional design and inspiration to enhance teaching practice. A community of practice is provided on FableVision’s collaborative learning platform The Creativity Circle.

“We are exploring with teachers ways to expand the pathways for students to demonstrate their knowledge and to engage in deep and creative thinking,” explained Sara Smith, FableVision Learning’s creative curriculum developer. “Creativity in the classroom empowers both teachers and students to maximize their talents and make meaning.”

In addition to student projects highlighted in the Creative Maine course, educators are utilizing the FableVision Learning’s The North Star Classroom program to further develop student voice and creativity.

“The essential outcome of education is for students to know who they are and what they can give to the world,” Jane Reynolds, president of FableVision Learning said. “The classroom is where they should be able to explore their strengths, learn resilience, and discover their power to create in a safe and supportive environment.”

Based on the themes in the book “The North Star,” by FableVision founder and New York Times bestselling-author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds, The North Star Program is a guide to creating a classroom where students uncover their true potential.

“I have found The North Star Program to be very adaptable. I can integrate it with the existing social skills curriculum as well as adjust lessons to fit the variety of learning levels in my classroom,” explained Teresa Dickson, participating educator from NFI Sidney River Bend.

The program includes best practices for setting up the classroom and establishing a positive, creative climate as well as 18+ weeks of activities and projects that help students develop their strengths, values, and goals that will start laying the path to the future selves they want to be. Activities include teamwork challenges, problem solving projects, social-emotional games and experiences, literature exploration and discussions, and personal reflection writing pieces.

“Since I have begun using The North Star Program, I have watched my students become more confident in their learning and more accepting of themselves and others,” Dickson said. “The lessons can be taught in sequence or be pulled out to target a specific concept or skill. I was able to easily integrate The North Star Program with the Common Core Standards. The North Star Program hits many content areas such as music, art, writing, reading, and poetry.”

In 2022, Maine Department of Education’s State Agency Programs and FableVision Learning will continue the Creative Maine journey as educators continue to explore creative problem solving and creative classroom management.

Andrea Calvin 9/27/21 Andrea Calvin 9/27/21

Beal School Opens with Mural by Peter H. Reynolds

“Reach for your own words. Tell the world who you are and how you will make it better.”
- Peter Hamilton Reynolds

Every day when students enter the new Beal Elementary School in Shrewsbury, MA, they are welcomed by the characters and messages of New York Times best-selling author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds.

The colorful mural spans the lobby and two floors of the new school, and, thanks to digital capture and printing technology, includes an exact replica of the original mural created at the old Beal School.

Attending the new school dedication was educator Kathy Rivenburg who first “connected the dots” with Peter while she was teaching at the Floral Street School in Shrewsbury back in 2002 when the school was performing the Massachusetts-debut of The North Star Musical (based on Peter’s storybook The North Star).

Interestingly, Joe Sawyer, who now serves as. Superintendent of the Shrewsbury School District, was principal at the Floral Street School - and served as narrator for The North Star Musical performance, along with Assistant Principal Mary Beth Banios.

Thanks to their original “dot connecting” with Peter at FableVision, this extraordinary, school-length mural now adorns the brand new Beal School.

To create this massive and complex, multi-paneled mural, Peter and his studio manager Julia Young Cuffe worked with the extraordinarily talented team at Worcester-based Lamoureux Pagano Associates Architects, which included President and Lead Architect, Katie Crockett, along with Project Architects Sean Brennan and Natalie Gabrielle.

On Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, Peter H. Reynolds joined the school community for a dedication ceremony for the new school building. Several fourth grade students from Beal served as the program's presenters for the ceremony, that included Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito; Beal Building Committee Chair and Vice Chair of the Board of Selectman John Lebeaux; Executive Director of the Massachusetts School Building Authority Jack McCarthy; Representative Hannah Kane; Senator Michael Moore; and Vice Chair of the School Committee, Beal Building Committee Member Sandra Fryc, Beal Principal Chris Girardi, Assistant Principal Shelley Hoey and Peter H. Reynolds.

The audience was also treated to two recorded student musical performances: the updated school song Cheer Cheer for 'New' Beal School and The Dot Song, which was co-written by Emily Arrow and Peter, based upon his famous book The Dot.

Andrea Calvin 2/9/21 Andrea Calvin 2/9/21

FableVision Lands Grant to Support CTE Pathways in Boston Public Schools

FableVision Learning is thrilled to announce it is one of three grant recipients for the 2021 Generation Success Grant Challenge offered by the Boston Opportunity Agenda. This funding will allow FableVision to pilot two new CTE (Career Technical Education) programs across six Boston Public Schools and three to six public libraries in resourced communities.

The grant provides resources to broaden the relationship between the work of FableVision, Boston Public Schools, and Boston Public Libraries. The goal for the new program is to introduce 9th graders to opportunities for career exploration through the hybrid digital/in-person program. Students will have the opportunity to learn digital animation and/or engineering design; hear stories and tips from professionals working in the field, and be provided access to digital design and creation software either at home, school, or at a public library nearest to them. With additional support, plans are eventually to deploy the animation and engineering programs across the entire district – making it available to thousands more middle and high school students in Boston.

FableVision’s programs were recently featured in BOA’s Generation Success BrightSpot Toolkit – Harnessing Boston’s Collective Energy to Prepare Students for College, Career and Life.

The Boston Opportunity Agenda (BOA) is a public/private partnership that is working urgently and strategically to transform the Boston education landscape from “cradle to career.” BOA is focused on removing the systemic barriers that create unacceptable outcomes and lack of opportunity for historically oppressed and economically disadvantaged populations and creating a just, equitable education system. Working with the City of Boston, and Boston Public Schools, as well as the city’s leading public charities and many local foundations, the coalition is working to give all Boston residents access to the education necessary for upward economic mobility, civic engagement and lifelong learning for themselves and their families.

BOA has most recently responded to the alarming research that shows that less than half of students who graduate from Boston’s district, charter and Catholic schools are prepared to pursue higher education, and subsequently face the reality that more than half of all job vacancies in the city require at least an Associate’s degree. And these readiness gaps are widening as COVID-19 continues to disproportionately impact Black, Latinx, Asian and Native American students.

In response, BOA launched Generation Success - a campaign focused on preparing each and every student to graduate high school fully prepared to achieve success in life, as they define it. Through Generation Success, BOA offered small and medium-sized businesses, as well as nonprofits, an opportunity to apply for a $10,000 grant to help young people connect with and learn about local industries, and gain meaningful learning and skills that they can leverage after high school.

Along with FableVision, the two other 2021 grant recipients are XR Terra and Fontbonne -The Early College of Boston. XR Terra will be introducing students from The Calculus Project how to create real-time, interactive 3D experiences using the Unity platform, used across sectors as varied architecture, manufacturing, and medical training, etc. And Fontbonne - The Early College of Boston, a Catholic, all-girl college preparatory high school and early college serving families throughout Greater Boston and the South Shore. With this social investment, they will be augmenting their efforts to integrate innovative technology learning to help bridge the Achievement Gap of students from disadvantaged communities (drastically widened by the pandemic) through their Early College Model.

Boston Opportunity is investing in three programs committed to answering this question: How might we help Boston’s high school students go beyond exposure to local industries to get meaningful learning and skills that they can leverage after graduation – even now during the pandemic?

Each 2021 grant recipient submitted a unique idea that fit the following criteria:

Industry aligned: Does the experience prepare Boston’s high school students for careers for which there are openings in the city and region? Does it focus on one particular industry or is a hybrid experience with overlapping industries and activities?
Innovative: Is it fresh? Does it spur creativity for our students? Does it provide collaborative or out-of-the-box learning and training opportunities?
Relevant: Does it answer the call to reimagine student development during the pandemic?
Equitable: Does it make learning more equitable and inclusive for black and brown communities? Does it take into account remote learning gaps or challenges given the pandemic?

Visit the Generation Success website to learn more about what Boston Opportunity Agenda is doing to fuel preparation opportunities for life after high school. For more information about FableVision Learning’s CTE program click here.

Jane Reynolds 11/17/17 Jane Reynolds 11/17/17

Peter H. Reynolds to Be Honored with the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award

The Boy Scouts of America and National Eagle Scout Association have announced that FableVision founder and renowned children’s book author/Illustrator, Peter H. Reynolds, is being honored with the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award (DESA)

The award ushers Reynolds into an elite cadre of fellow Distinguished Eagle Scouts, which includes political, business and creative luminaries such as President Gerald R. Ford, Neil Armstrong, Steve Fosset, Gov. Dukakis, James Lovell, Sam Walton, James Brady, William Hanna, J. W. Marriott Jr., and Steven Spielberg.

Reynolds earned the award for his “extraordinary national eminence in his field, as well as his strong record of voluntary community service.”

In addition to writing and illustrating nearly 50 influential children’s books (his most famous book The Dot has been published in over 30 languages, and is celebrated each year in a global event called International Dot Day, which has reached over 10 million students and teachers in 170 Countries), Peter H. Reynolds also founded FableVision Studios to help fosters creativity and self-expression and move the world to a better place through “stories that matter, stories that move.”

“As a quirky, creative kid, scouting gave me a safe, supportive environment where I could develop my skills, talents, strengths and leadership,” Peter shared. “I really can credit the Scouting program for giving me the confidence to pursue my dreams, which is why I’m so happy to see so many supporting these critical programs for boy – and now girls. Every child deserves this kind of solid foundation to help them navigate their future success.”

FableVision will proudly cheer our creative champion as The Boy Scout of America Spirit of Adventure Council present the award to Peter at the 41st annual “Salute to Scouting” gala at The Westin Copley Place.

WCVB TV Anchor Randy Price, himself an Eagle Scout, will serve as master of ceremonies. This signature Boston event attracts hundreds of scouting supporters, including business and civic leaders who aim to expand Boy Scout youth development programs throughout the Greater Boston area.

41st Annual Salute to Scouting

When: Thursday, November 30th at 6 p.m.

Where: The Westin Copley Place

Andrea Calvin 12/8/16 Andrea Calvin 12/8/16

FableVision Celebrates Universal Children's Day at Bridgewater State University

In a packed auditorium, Paul and Peter H. Reynolds inspired roughly 200 third-graders from Brockton’s Huntington School to make their mark during Bridgewater State University Universal Children’s Day on Nov. 18, 2016.

Following Peter and Paul's presentation and reading of "The Dot," the FableVision Learning crew joined students on the lawn to create a giant dot.

To round out the creative celebration, the team stuck a pose for the Universal Children's Day mannequin challenge.

Learn more about Universal Children’s Day here.

FableVision Learning 4/26/12 FableVision Learning 4/26/12

Get Inspired! Lauren Hill's "Seeing the Invisible: How I Teach AP (and Why)"

Educator Lauren Hill wrote this wonderful post about a life-changing experience that made her the teacher she is today. Lauren's message really resonated with the FableVision Learning team — in fact, we were so moved that we asked if we could share her post on our blog. Lauren graciously agreed! ______________________________

Seeing the Invisible: How I Teach AP (and Why)

by Lauren Hill

I had earned an A on every English assignment I had turned in since 7th grade. (My streak would have started sooner, but I failed a 7th-grade project about Judy Garland; her life depressed me so much that I just could not finish the paper.) Yet, despite my apparent success, I was invisible to my teachers for most of high school.

It's absurd to me now, but somehow I made it to junior year without giving a single thought to what I might do after graduation. My father, less clueless about the requirements of adulthood, enrolled me in an SAT prep class taught by the school's AP Literature teacher. I had never seen those shiny honors kids—or their teacher. But now Mrs. Pelton saw me.

Because she did, I took her AP Literature class my senior year. Mrs. Pelton gave me my first C—but she also showed me the depth of my abilities. She proved to me that I could achieve at the same level as those shiny students—all headed to Stanford, M.I.T., and other places where I thought only "other people" went. The following August, with Mrs. Pelton's encouragement and recommendation, I started at Barnard College at Columbia University, where I got a lot more Cs. Instead of giving up on college and myself, I stayed after class, hounded professors during office hours, took a remedial composition class, and learned how to write.

My Students

When I finally became a teacher, I swore that I would see the potential in every kid who came through my door. I would see more in them than they could see in themselves—and push them accordingly.

Many of us imagine that students in AP classes have it all: parental support, obvious intelligence, outright ambition. This stereotype may hold true in some classrooms. But not in mine, and I'm proud of that.

When I earned the right to teach the junior honors English class, I converted it to AP Language and filled it with any kid willing to do the work. There was Cat M., a girl who only wore black and was one of eight kids living in a trailer with her alcoholic stepfather. There was Johnny E., a boy who looked a lot like a girl and would not stop reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance long enough to pass any of his classes. And there were a lot more, each with their own reason for never imagining that an AP class was right for them. Not everyone in my school agreed with my open enrollment policy, suggesting it diluted the strength of the course. But when many of my students passed the test and earned college credit, the administration left me alone.

How I Teach

Over time, my teaching strategies have evolved, but I have always maintained some basic principles:

Learning happens at different speeds and in different ways for all of us. I give students myriad ways to fulfill and then re-do assignments. I want them to learn and to take responsibility for that learning—not just to earn a grade and call it a day. I try to construct an environment that places value on the intrinsic rewards of study and personal growth. We want to get better, not just get an "A."
It is always best to answer a question with a question. We need to teach students to teach themselves. It is one thing to tell students to "look it up," but it is another to ask them to work through complex ideas, to make sense of arguments, and to find their own answers to "why, how, and why not?" Why did Abraham Lincoln write only ten sentences for his Gettysburg Address? What would he have lost, or gained, if he had been more verbose? It is not so important that we get these answers right, but that we learn to ask these sorts of questions in the first place.
Problem solving is an inherently collaborative process. We must ask students to work together and to work in permanent groups that can mature over time. Not only does this raise the rigor of the work, but helps to integrate all types of students into the class community. When we rely on each other, we see more in each other than what our surfaces suggest.
No student's work is without merit or without flaw. We use the work to make us better than when we started, and that can only happen when we speak honestly about both our successes and failures.
I never believe that what I am doing is good enough. I keep reading, thinking, and asking my own questions and encouraging my students to do the same.

What this has meant for my students is, obviously, different for each of them. I hope they view the world more critically and can explain why they believe in something—instead of just stomping their feet or raising their voice. I hope they ask questions and keep reading and thinking. I imagine that they begin to see fewer boundaries and more ways to get past them. I hope none of them sees college as "for other kids"; nor do I want a single one of them to go unprepared to face the academic challenges. I collect college graduation invitations and pin them to my wall, especially from those students who would not have gone to college or who would not have done as well without our work together.

Why I Teach

As I consider why I keep teaching after all of these years, why I still get worked up about a word or phrase or essay I have read and cannot wait to share with my class, I go back to my own time as an invisible student. I recall what it meant to me when Mrs. Pelton put her hand on my shoulder and asked why I hadn't taken the honors English class.

I remember how she conferenced with me through every paper and asked me to clarify every idea, to examine every sentence. She still believed in me even when I couldn't for all the world understand anything about Crime and Punishment. And, in the end, she told me to dream big and helped to send me three thousand miles away to New York City to fly on my own.

She encouraged me to see myself as she did, and I teach AP to pay her back—a bit every day, one kid at a time.

***

Lauren Hill teaches AP Language and Composition and 9th grade English at Western Hills High School in Frankfort, Ky. A graduate of Los Altos High School, she earned a B.A. from Barnard College at Columbia University, an M.Ed. from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University, and her Rank I from the University of Kentucky. A National Board-certified teacher, Lauren works with the Implementing Common Core Standards team at the Center for Teaching Quality and with AdvanceKentucky, a division of the National Math and Science Initiative.

This article originally appeared on Education Week Teacher through a publishing partnership with theTeacher Leaders Network. Reprinted with permission from the author.

FableVision Learning 5/9/11 FableVision Learning 5/9/11

Author David Smith Appearing at The Blue Bunny!

Meet author and educator David J. Smith at The Blue Bunny May 17th!

Join us at The Blue Bunny Bookstore in Dedham Square for an open house event for educators and interested patrons on May 17th, from 7-8 p.m. Educator and author David J. Smith, creator of our award-winning curriculum Mapping the World by Heart will be presenting his new book This Child, Every Child — a groundbreaking book of statistics and stories that compare the lives of children around the world today. Using the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child as a template to compare and contrast kids’ experiences and opportunities, Smith’s book introduces young readers to the world beyond their own borders and reveals the challenges children face in obtaining adequate food, clean water, health care, education, and more.Smith, a leader in international education and author of the bestselling book If the World Were a Village, felt compelled to share the dramatic and sobering facts about children around the world with young readers. “These issues are not light or easy, but they affect millions of children.” Kids Can Press, which published This Child, Every Child will donate 50% of the profits from the sales of this book to deliver books to school libraries in Haiti.Along with refreshments, raffles, and a guaranteed SUPER presentation, David’s books will be available for sale and signing. David and the FableVision Learning team will also talk about his geography product Mapping the World by Heart. Learn more about David J. Smith on his website: www.mapping.com.Learn more about the event here. All are welcome!

FableVision Learning 2/2/11 FableVision Learning 2/2/11

Live Wire Digital Storytelling Contest Deadline Extended Until February 18th

Calling all educators and students in the Boston Public Schools! It's not too late to participate in the Live Wire Digital Storytelling Contest. The deadline for the contest, held by the City of Boston's Community Learning Initiative and FableVision, has been extended until February 18, 2011. New contest details will be posted soon!

(Suggestion: You might encourage your students to explore Animation-ish to create their animated clips - there's a free trial available online!)