FableVision Learning Spotlight Blog

Andrea Calvin 11/1/23 Andrea Calvin 11/1/23

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

Guest User 9/28/23 Guest User 9/28/23

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.

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

Footbridge Students Tackle "Going Places" STEAM Challenge at BridgeWater State University

This blog post was written by Katie Hurwitz, an intern at FableVision Learning. Katie is entering her senior year at the University of Rochester. She is studying World Music, Creative Writing & World Literature, Childhood Education, and TESOL.

Walking around the Bridgewater State University classroom, I saw a plethora of innovations. Some students were thinking collectively; some, individually. And some…forky? Yes, some students had taken the popsicle sticks from their “Going Places Kits” (which I’ll explain in a bit), made arms out of pipe cleaners, dressed them up with clothes made from the boxes themselves, and drew very characteristic faces on them. “Wait a minute,” I asked the group of friends working together. “Is that Forky from ‘Toy Story 4?’” They smiled at me, made their own forkies dance, and humored me as I took a picture of their creations.

Growing up, I have always been friends with “the STEM kids.” STEM—meaning science, technology, engineering, and math—has never been my forte…at least that’s what I perpetually told myself. Priding myself in my interdisciplinary studies of the arts and humanities, I’ve shied away from STEM. This all changed when I started my internship with FableVision Learning and learned that STEM and art are not binary. In fact, they can be combined, simply by adding an A for “arts” into STEM to become STEAM.

Because I aspire to enter a career in elementary education after college, I am now fueled to utilize the concept of STEAM as a core part of my pedagogy. I recently had the experiential-learning opportunity to teach STEAM by helping to run a workshop for the Footbridge Program at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts.

The Footbridge Program, run by Bridgewater State University’s College of Education and Allied Studies, is a two-week summer program focused on STEAM education and enrichment for Brockton Public Schools fourth and fifth grade students.

With the forty students who attended the program on Thursday, July 14, we worked on “Going Places Kits.” First, we read the award-winning book “Going Places,” by Paul and Peter H. Reynolds. Encouraging students to assume the role of Maya or Raphael, we passed out the kits to all the students and gave them one simple instruction: “Make something that moves.”

The other interns and I had previously assembled these kits. We fabricated each of these small, blue cereal-box-shaped boxes using FabMaker Studio—and inside each of the boxes we stuffed materials including buttons, brads, paper clips, pom poms, pipe cleaners, coffee filters, popsicle sticks, and aluminum foil. Back when we were putting these kits together at the FableVision Learning office, I could have never fathomed what kinds of “things that move” that the students would end up engineering.

On the day, some students emptied out their boxes and glued four buttons to the sides. Bam! They made cars. Other students used the coffee filters to make parachutes. There were a few kids who had an inkling towards aviation (since they learned all about airplanes during another part of the program), so they decided to fold the aluminum foil into an airplane. A couple of the creations truly exhibited divergent thinking. For instance, one of the students used a popsicle stick to create a skateboard.

There were no rules for this project, other than “make something that moves.” Thus, the students could become dreamers like Maya and think outside the box! We demonstrated FabMaker Studio, and students that did not have all the parts they needed inside their box could design new parts themselves. To me, this calibration of creativity certainly encompasses the A for “art” in STEAM. At the same time, it covers the E for “engineering.” Needless to say, the arts and humanities and STEM are not mutually exclusive.

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 5/6/22 Guest User 5/6/22

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.

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

Shamrock Springs Elementary is GOING PLACES

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

What started as a “crazy idea” to immerse students in the pages of a book, evolved into an interactive experience for the entire Shamrock Springs Elementary community.

Instructional Coach Jodi Dubovich (left) and Media Specialist Lori Tebbe (right)

Planning for the annual Shamrock Reads celebration, Lori Tebbe, the media specialist at the school in Westfield, Indiana and Jodi Dubovich, an instructional coach, selected a book that truly encompassed the 4Cs.

“We chose ‘Going Places’ by Peter and Paul Reynolds (this year) because this book promotes critical thinking, communication skills, collaboration, and creativity,” Lori explained. Then, using a bit of creativity and communication - the two connected the dots with FableVision to get permission to use the pages from the book and everything changed from that moment.

“The biggest aha moment for us was realizing that big things are possible and that came true when within a day we got a response from Jane Reynolds,” Lori and Jodi shared. “We had this crazy idea to immerse the students in this book walk but never thought we would hear back from FableVision let alone get permission to use their book in this way. Our aha moment was realizing that there are people out there who want to support teachers and students in big ways… The world is more connected than we ever imagined.”

The Shamrock Reads program included a storywalk, skits featuring Maya and Raphael, a community night, and a video message from Peter H, Reynolds.

“Paul and I were so excited when we heard that Shamrock Springs Elementary was not just reading our book, the whole school, but activating the book, bringing it to life in such creative ways. The message in this book is all about thinking outside of the box and collaborating with each other to solve problems and make this world a better place,” Peter shared in his video message.

We connected with Lori and Joidi to learn more about the reading program and their school.

Can you share a bit about your school, how are you so fortunate to work in such a creative space?

“We are fortunate to live in a community where education is highly valued and supported by the community and parents. When teachers have ideas and ways to enrich the learning experience for their students; administration, PTOs and other community sponsors always step up and offer support whether it is financial or materials for whatever we need. Shamrock Reads is a yearly program but due to Covid protocols we had to scale it back significantly. With restrictions easing up, we wanted to generate an excitement around reading and an event that would bring the whole school together. We went to the PTO and they agreed to fund our idea to make Shamrock Reads bigger and better this year. “

Can you share a bit about the skit you wrote and how the characters interacted with the characters in other books?

“Our kickoff for this year’s Shamrock Reads was an all school assembly. ‘Going Places’ was used as our theme this year to promote the 4Cs. During the skit, the main characters, Maya and Raphael, traveled around the gym and met characters from favorite picture books. The skit started off with them wanting to use their imagination and creativity on a day where they found there wasn’t much to do. They met characters that needed encouragement, a boost of confidence, problem solving and just some fun and wacky characters as well. At the end of the skit, the audience realizes they really didn’t go to all these places and meet all these characters, they had spent the day reading together and they were able to go to all these places by reading and using their vivid imaginations.”

Are you a Maya or a Raphael?

“We both have traits of each of these characters. We are very much like Maya in the beginning. We like to dream big and think of all these crazy possibilities for our students. The bigger the better. However, when a decision needs to be made, we switch to be more like Raphael and are very task oriented. So, we like to think we are a great combination of both. Also, we have a handful of Raphaels that we work with that trust our vision and help us make our crazy fun ideas a reality. Without them, we wouldn’t have been able to do this.”

What was the response from the students/community around this program?

“We transformed the hallway over one weekend. When the students and staff arrived that Monday it was so gratifying to see their reactions and amazement when walking through the experience. It made all the hard work and time worth it. We also had a community/parent night for families to experience the book. Everyone was blown away and really well attended. The response from the school and community has been amazing. Students kept wanting to take their parents through and read the book multiple times.”

What's next?

“Sleep! It inspired us to approach this program differently in the future and spread events like this throughout the year to promote creativity, imagination and reading. It brought such a jolt of energy throughout the building that we want to spread the energy and excitement throughout the year, not just for a few weeks in March. We already are in Maya mode thinking of ideas for Dot Day next year.”

Andrea Calvin 8/2/21 Andrea Calvin 8/2/21

FableVision and MetroWest YMCA Encourage Campers to Follow Their North Star

Cardboard boxes, aluminum foil, markers, balloons, and a splash of creativity were all the ingredients needed for Friday’s North Star Summer Celebration at the MetroWest YMCA. Wrapping up the third week of FableVision Learning’s North Star Digital Storytelling Program, campers donned their STEAM caps as they collaborated on the design, construction, and testing of a boat.

With an audience of State and local leaders—including State Representative Carolyn Dykema; Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer; YMCA President and CEO Rick MacPherson; New York Times #1 best-selling Author/Illustrator Peter H. Reynolds; and FableVision CEO/Co-Founder Paul Reynolds—elementary-aged campers worked through the Engineering Design Process to create their floating vessels.

The event not only celebrated campers creations, it also shined a light on the partnership between FableVision and MetroWest YMCA. 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), the team shaped five weeks of the North Star Digital Storytelling Program.

At the launch of the program, students read The North Star, a powerful allegory about finding one’s unique path, by Peter H. Reynolds.

Using newly-created materials developed for this program by FableVision Learning, which extend the themes of the story, students are designing, collaborating, reflecting, and creating, all while developing a strong sense of self. In addition to hands-on projects, students used FableVision’s web-based animation tool, Animation-Ish, to produce their own animations. And received video coaching from The Peter H. Reynolds Storybook Academy as they developed pieces of their personal stories.

About the MetroWest YMCA: For more than a century, the MetroWest YMCA has responded to community needs in the MetroWest area. Annually, the Y serves more than 25,000 children, adults, and seniors living and working in MetroWest communities. Led by the values of youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility, the MetroWest YMCA strengthens the community and addresses critical gaps in kids’ education and health through programs and activities that focus on academic enhancement, health, social growth, and safety.

About FableVision Learning: Founded by Peter H. Reynolds, award-winning author of “storybooks for all ages,” FableVision Learning provides programs and tools to support teachers and learners to develop essential creativity skills. FableVision’s programs provide support to teachers through its Creativity Circle International community of practice, through custom training programs, and through digital software programs developed to unleash the creativity of students. All of FableVision Learning’s programs and tools support transformational themes found in Reynolds’ best-selling books. FabMaker Studio, Animation-ish, and The Peter H. Reynolds Storybook Academy are three of FableVision Learning’s signature creativity programs, which foster creativity, confidence, and self-expression. The online programs feature both digital and physical learning activities in which students create animations, books, and 2D/3D designs. More information: www.fablevisionlearning.com.

FableVision Learning 3/3/20 FableVision Learning 3/3/20

Celebrate World Wildlife Day with FabMakerStudio!

When it comes to wildlife, the first step toward conservation may be appreciation. It’s easy for students to fall in love with nature when they explore the exciting worlds of animal life (fauna), plant life (flora), and the astounding ways in which they interrelate.

In the classroom, World Wildlife Day (March 3, 2020) provides a unique opportunity learn about the importance of biodiversity. If you’re looking to incorporate this year’s theme—Sustaining All Life on Earth—into your curriculum during the coming weeks, FabMaker Studio can serve as a fun, creative, and intuitive tool for your students.

Here’s a list of some of our favorite FabMaker Studio projects that relate to wildlife!

The Flight of the Bumblebee
There is a common myth that bumble bees defy the laws of physics as they apply to aerodynamics. How is it possible that they are able to fly? Using high-speed photography, Michael Dickinson—a professor of biology and insect flight expert at the University of Washington—researched how the bumblebee takes flight and published his findings. Through this Fab@School Maker Studio activity, your students will examine the anatomy of a bumblebee, or other flying insects.

Giraffe Masks
Did you know that the small horns on top of a giraffe’s head are called ossicones? Giraffes appear to share these skin-covered, boned protuberances with an extinct relative called the Sivatherium. (Reference: National Geographic, "Sivatherium: A giraffe with a trunk?", and ”The Biggest Giraffe of All Time.”) Even as one of the most common symbols of wildlife, giraffes are relatively little-understood creatures, whose habits and origins are still being researched and discovered!

These card stock Giraffe Mask designs are a ready-made project in FabMaker Studio. For a simple activity, they can be assembled + worn by students, or combined into a classroom/hallway display.

Alternatively, you can use the mask designs to launch a lesson about the evolution of animal features, and how fossil records help researchers to decipher the evolutionary story of a species. With the FabMaker Studio design interface, students can use their imagination to adapt the features, or dream up attributes that the giraffe’s relatives could have evolved to survive. (For example, longer or differently-shaped ossicones, pointed teeth, a trunk, and more!)

Pair a Wildlife Project with a Themed Book!
For World Wildlife Day (and beyond) teachers can use FabMaker Studio projects alongside themed books to create memorable experiences for their students - especially those who like to get hands-on while learning!

For example, this January at the School Within School at Goding in Washington, DC., FableVision/Reynolds Center TLC’s own Paul Reynolds spoke about his book, Sydney & Simon: Go Green!, which addresses the threat that ocean pollution poses to the environment and aquatic life…including sea turtles! Afterwards, the third grade students assembled 3D turtles that were created using FabMaker Studio.

When considering your plans for celebrating wildlife in the classroom, remember that FabMakerStudio offers ready-made projects that feature bears, birds, foxes, turkeys, deer, and many more! Consider which of your favorite books about wildlife could be paired with a paper fabrication project!

How will you bring the lessons of World Wildlife Day in your classroom? How will you incorporate FabMakerStudio 2D and 3D fabrication to make your lessons come alive? For a chance to be featured in our FableVision Learning Spotlight, please email info@fablevisionlearning.com!

To learn more about school visits with Peter H. Reynolds and Paul Reynolds , click here.

Click here to learn about FabMaker Studio.

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 12/5/11 FableVision Learning 12/5/11

Paul & Peter H. Reynolds' 17 Tips for Recharging Your Creativity

Here are 17 tried-and-true tips for recharging your creativity. We hope you'll enjoy trying some of these today!

Tip #1. Relax. Make some tea.

Tip #2. Articulate your mission. Write it down. Share it. Review it.

Tip #3. Take time to ponder.Where are you going? Or, a better question: Where do you WANT to be going?

Tip #4. Be playful!

Tip #5. Remember to take care of the spirit. (Both student & teacher!) "Find your soul, and make it whole." No "crushed spirits" - no "lost souls"!

More tips after the jump!

Tip #6. Imagine your classroom as a studio, as a research center, as a publishing house.

Tip #7. Step off the path in your teaching. Allow the same for your students in their learning.

Tip #8. Celebrate the blank page! Use programs that allow the user to supply the content or buy a blank journal! Whichever it is... dive in! Doodle. Jot. Ramble. Let it out! (Link to wonderful blank page)

Tip #9. Listen, talk, connect. Believe in the power of the 6-minute conversation.

Tip #10. Find your twin! Share yourself and your dreams with a very close friend. Someone who shares and supports your vision.

Tip #11. Try left field. When looking for solutions, reduce the pressure of coming up with the best idea by allowing yourself to come up with the "worst" idea. Build from there! The "bad" ideas can turn out to be the best because they're the ones everyone else has overlooked.

Tip #12. Share the drive. Like any long road trip, share the wheel. You don't always have to know where an activity is going. Just enjoy the ride. Allow yourself to be surprised. Students are especially engaged when they see you are too!

Tip #13. Novelty. Shake things up. Make it new. It can be as simple as turning off the lights or playing a modern piece of music to introduce Shakespeare. Research supports the idea that novelty is a long-term memory booster.

Tip #14. Search for personal meaning. Provide context and essence before you launch into the details. Connect with a learner's interests, dreams, and unique skills.

Tip #15. Encourage strategies for personal achievement. Allow for multiple approaches to a project. Provide time for students to vision their own futures and explore what they'll need to make it real.

Tip #16. Prove your groove! "Eat your own cookin'!" Model it. Show your students your own work, your examples, your enthusiasm!

Tip #17. Love what you do. Do what you love. Love, love, love, love your kids. It's a gift they'll carry with them for the rest of their lives. Fuel for the journey.