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.

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Would you like to host a Create Bravely Family Night? Send an email to Andrea Calvin at andrea@fablevision.com

Dalton Schools Create Bravely with Peter H. Reynolds and FableVision Learning

Dalton Public Schools in Georgia opened its doors and arms to Peter H. Reynolds and the FableVision Learning team for three days of creativity starting with a family night.

Family Night with the Dalton Community

Hosted at the impressive Junior Achievement Discovery Center & The Hammond Creek Middle School Theater, the evening included a film festival, a reading of Peter’s new book “When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left,” and “dot and dots” of family activities. This unique evening brought together the entire community and inspired bursts of creativity.

School Visit: Westwood Elementary

Westwood Elementary IS a Peter H. Reynolds-inspired school! During the daylong visit that included two assemblies, student tour-guides led Peter through the hallways filled with projects based on his books. 

PD: The Creative Classroom

Rounding out the week in Georgia, Sara Smith, FableVision Learning’s Director of Creative Education, led 50 district teachers in a day of creativity. They dove into creativity research, played games, and explored their own creative strengths, leaving ready to ignite creativity in their classrooms.   

Educators also got a chance to explore FableVision Learning’s tools, FabMaker Studio & Animation-ish. 

The team was sad to leave the warmth of Georgia, but as we like to say - our dots are connected.

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Curious about how your school can host a family night and PD? Send an email to the team at info@fablevisionlearning.com, we would love to connect the dots.

FableVision Learning Connects with Gifted Educators in Georgia

FableVision Learning’s Sara Smith, Director of Creative Education, and Andrea Calvin, Vice President, roadtripped to Athens, Georgia to connect the dots at the Georgia Association for Gifted Educators conference. Held on the beautiful University of Georgia campus the conference saw over 500 educators from across the state. 

During three hands-on-sessions educators dove deeper into the works of Peter H. Reynolds and creativity skills.

At the Start With A Story session, participants explored the SEL and Creativity themes of Peter’s book The Dot as they made their mark in Animation-ish. 

Later in the day Sara encouraged attendees to Unbox Creativity and stretch their creative muscles as they explored divergent thinking and tools to bring into their teaching practice. If you weren’t able to attend the session, we encourage you to explore FableVision Learning’s Certified Creative Educator Course.

A special thank you to Lisa B. Hackney at the Georgia Department of Education for being an amazing host during the conference and  beyond. And to Desiree Isis Sharpe and the team at the Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development (housed on the university’s campus), for hosting the FableVision Learning team, Georgia Department of Education’s gifted program manager Mary Jean Banter and program specialist Lisa Hackney, and Dalton gifted educator Molly Carlson for lunch and conversation.

Somerville Elementary School Creates Bravely With FableVision Learning

Outside the sky was gray and rainy, but inside Somerville Elementary School in New Jersey there were rays of laughter, beams of creativity, and of course, lots of lots of dots! The FableVision Learning team journeyed  to Ridgewood New Jersey to run a creativity teacher PD session, a family night, a virtual author visit with Peter H. Reynolds and student workshops on writing and animation.  

With a focus on creativity and divergent thinking, Sara Smith, FableVision Learning’s director of creative education, led teachers through exercises in thinking outside the box. The school has also implemented Start With a Story, a program designed to activate books by Peter H. Reynolds as students explore STEM, SEL, and digital storytelling. 

Following the teacher PD, the gymnasium was transformed into Creativity Central with a selfie station, collaborative mural, scavenger hunt and Peter H. Reynolds Film Festival. Jumping from spot to spot, kids did ishful drawings of each other, created book plates and solved challenges for a special prize. 

The FableFun continued the next day with a school-wide virtual assembly with Peter H. Reynolds followed by workshops with students around animation and storybook writing. Every student ended the day encouraged to Create Bravely.

If you’d like to bring exciting programs like this one to your school or district, contact us at info@fablevisionlearning.com.

New Hampshire's SAU 6 Celebrates Dot Week With FableVision Learning

I  Am Brave!

This special message was celebrated by every student in Claremont/Unity New Hampshire during the FableVision Learning week of creativity that launched with the Creatrilogy Family Night and continued during the week with a coding activity at each elementary school. 

To activate the district’s goal of student growth, the team at FableVision Learning helped SAU #6 kick-off the year with energy and joy through a hands-on student activity to remind them that they are brave and they can do hard things. By creating and deciphering binary code necklaces, students carried the important message of bravery with them around their necks.

The most exciting part of the week, though, was The Creatrilogy Family Night. All of the families in the district were invited to come to the high school for a Stories that Matter, Stories that Move animated film festival followed by activities all related to Peter H. Reynolds’s Creatrilogy of books The Dot, Ish, and Sky Color. Families worked on collaborative art, searched for hidden dots, and stretched their minds with brain teasers and challenges.

There is a lot more in store for SAU#6 Claremont/Unity this year. We are so happy to be part of their year of growth. If you’d like to bring exciting programs like this one to your school or district, contact us at info@fablevisionlearning.com.

Pennsylvania Fourth Graders “Go Places” with “Start with a Story” STEM Activities

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

When it comes to teaching STEM literacy as educators, where do we start? Perhaps, it can be as simple as starting with a story. FableVision Learning’s “Start with a Story” program introduces students to the books of New York Times best-selling author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds, posing a set of activities that correspond to each story.

 Zooming into the Mifflin County Public School District in central Pennsylvania, fourth grade students embarked on a “Start with a Story” journey with Bailey Kibe at the helm. 

 Kibe is a fourth grade teacher who teaches Reading, Science, and Social Studies. She works as a team with another teacher—who teaches Math and Writing—as they both teach their respective homeroom classes of 25 and 21 students.

“For the past few years I have collaborated with the Tuscarora Intermediate Unit 11, specifically their Educational Technology department. Dr. Eric Yoder, Coordinator of Educational Technology, proposed the project of FabMaker Studio to me to pilot with my students,” Kibe said. “Since then, I have worked closely with Andrea Calvin from FableVision Learning to implement their ‘Start with a Story’ STEM Literacy unit.”

The specific book that Kibe used was Going Places by Peter H. and Paul A. Reynolds. In this story, the main character, Maya, inspires her friends to think outside the box even when a kit of instructions is provided. Encouraging her friend Rafael to realize all the possibilities that can be achieved through innovative thinking, Maya helps readers alike develop self-efficacy to transform ideas from their imagination into reality. 

The “Start with a Story” activities for Going Places relate to the book’s themes of challenging the status-quo through connectivity and encouragement.

We recently connected with Kibe to discuss her experience of “starting with a story” to teach STEM literacy to her Mifflin County Public School District fourth graders. The following is our Q&A with Kibe. Read on to see how the story and its activities led her students to really “go places!”

You've been using the “Start with a Story: Going Places” activities. What has been the overall response from the students? 

Kibe: Students have loved the activities! It has been a great experience overall. With each activity there is a problem-solving component that allows students to really collaborate and share perspectives to achieve their goal. Students also were able to work with peers that they may not typically work with, which allowed for team-building. The students especially enjoyed testing their “tables” to see if they held a book or even several books. Also, they loved turning the go-cart building activity into a friendly competition to see which cart went the fastest and the farthest.

What has been one aha moment?

Kibe: There have been several aha moments throughout the activities. The go-cart activity stands out the most. When we were building the carts, we first started with bottle cap wheels. The students experimented with the idea of friction and decided that the bottle caps created too much that it affected the performance of their carts. They then created wheels using the circle paper in the FabMaker document that was cut out using the Silhouette. After testing, the students had an aha moment that the paper wheels produced less friction and therefore increased the effectiveness of their creation.

Do you have any tips for teachers getting started?

Kibe: The key to success with STEM is collaboration. We want the students to collaborate effectively, and the same should be said for educators. This was a learning experience for all involved, and it was helpful to have extra teachers and staff supporting the project. So, don’t be afraid to invite others to join in on the activity!

What's next?

Kibe: My students will now start their projects using Animation-ish. I will also continue the “Start with a Story” unit next year with my next group of 4th graders. We will continue working through STEM-based and project-based activities in our classroom so the students can discover and explore all of the different components of the discipline.

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

FableVision Named 2022 Community Partner Award by MetroWest YMCA

FableVision Learning was honored by the MetroWest YMCA with the 2022 Community Partner Award for our ongoing work to encourage all children in the Y’s summer camps and after school programs to“Create Bravely” and “Make their Mark”

The Community Partner Award is presented to honor the valuable partnerships that exist between the MetroWest YMCA and its neighbors, and to celebrate collaborative efforts that successfully tackle the ever-evolving needs of our community and advance the public good.  Award winners are selected based on their initiative, leadership, and involvement in programs or projects that embody the spirit of genuine partnership with the MetroWest YMCA and benefit the overall community.

“FableVision founded by Paul and Peter Reynolds has truly become a valued partner of the MetroWest ,” shared YMCA board member Patricia Duarte as presented the award. She went on to share more about the partnership. 

“In 2019, Heidi and Peter from our staff traveled to the Reynolds’ Bookstore in Dedham after the Y was introduced to Jane Reynolds and Andrea Calvin from this remarkable team, through the MetroWest STEM Education Network.

It was clear from the start of the meeting that not only was there synergy between the organizations, but also the shared passion for helping youth grow and develop while fostering a love of reading, animation and creativity.  

FableVision has brought Peter H. Reynolds renowned children’s books to life, while teaching youth animation, problem-solving, helping them find their own voice, and envisioning their own story.

Together, we have been working to help area youth through the challenges of the pandemic giving them an outlet for self-expression while supporting their overall social and emotional learning and expanding the development of the 4C’s in STEAM – Creativity, Communication, Critical Thinking, and Collaboration. 

Paul, Peter, and Andrea have provided professional development training for our staff, presented and led a community kick-off event, but most importantly, have taken the time to help individual students who were facing challenges. 

The Reynolds family are making an impact internationally and we are humbled that they have partnered with our Y to impact youth in MetroWest and beyond. 

It is for these reasons, and many more, that the MetroWest YMCA presents the Community Partner Award to FableVision.”

Learn more about the MetroWest YMCA North Star Summer program and Start With A Story Program.

FableVision Celebrates Civics at Bridgewater State University

FableVision’s co-founders Paul and Peter H. Reynolds were delighted to join Bridgewater State University’s College of Education and Health Sciences and the Martin Richard Institute for Social Justice for a Universal Children’s Day celebration focused on civics and student voice.

Kicking off the day, Paul Reynolds and FableVision Learning’s Andrea Calvin Zoomed with middle school students that have been using Civics! An American Musical in their studies. The free game available through FableVision Games, is a production of FableVision Studios, Maryland Public Television, Maryland Humanities, and Tufts’ Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. A part of the Library of Congress’ Teaching with Primary Sources Program, Civics! Is designed to teach middle school students how to analyze primary sources and have fun while doing it.

@unitycharter, we have been integrating the game, Civic! An American Musical during ss while learning to become informed citizens to affect change. Today, we got to meet with the game developers- @FablePaul and Andrea, from @FableLearn! Thank you for your inspirational words! pic.twitter.com/nOy2qJAp8Y

— Amy Mercado (@amyteachtech) November 18, 2021

In Civics! An American Musical, players work with the different theatrical departments to learn about a number of important aspects of creating a musical, such as costuming, set design, writing, and music. As the producer, players select the subject matter for their musical from four historical topics: the desegregation of public schools, the National Parks, the FDA, and the Chinese Exclusion Act. It’s then up to them to create a new smash Broadway musical hit that is historically accurate and celebrates the power of everyday citizens in creating change.

The afternoon continued with a fireside chat. BSU pre-service teachers and Martin Richard Institute for Social Justice Fellows had an intimate conversation with Paul Reynolds as he shared FableVision’s message of creating bravely they shared their experiences from the classroom. 

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A post shared by BSU CEHS (@bsu_cehs)

A highlight of the conversation included a video, from the education music department at BSU. Using the lyrics from Civics! An American Musical, students put their spin on The Poison Squad song. Check it out below (and play the game to hear the original).

The evening concluded with the MRISJ Civic Speaker Series chat Using Creative Arts to Spark Civic Action in Youth. The virtual conversation was moderated by Dr. Sheena Manuel, Assistant Professor of Special Education, and featured Paul Reynolds and Peter H. Reynolds. Peter, who was on his national tour for his new book Our Table, zoomed from LA and read from his best-selling picture book Say Something, which includes an illustration that pays homage to Martin Richard holding his now world-famous poster, which reads “No more hurting people. Peace.”

Martin was the youngest victim of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, and the son of Bridgewater alumni Bill and Denise Richard, who met each at the university.

To play Civics! An American Musical, create your free account here. Read more about the research study behind Civics! An American Musical.

FabMaker Project Idea: Gourd-geous Designs for the Table

Often a magazine cover inspires a “what if” moment. What if I bought that pair of shoes? What if I made that recipe for lunch? What if I took that cruise? What if I used FabMaker Studio to create paper gourds for Thanksgiving? A recent edition of “Better Homes & Gardens” sparked that last one and became a #FabMakerChallenge.

The Challenge: In FabMaker Studio, use the Shapes, Edit points, Weld, Lines, and the Cut, Fold, Tab tool to design a fall harvest. For inspiration, you can follow the steps below to create and assemble your designs.

Before you begin, encourage your students to look at different gourds. Ask: What shapes are used to make that gourd? Consider the shapes in FabMaker Studio, what shapes can you combine using the Weld tool to make the final project?

Still not sure where to start? Check out the FabMaker Studio Fall Foods Ready-Made Project found in 2D Stuff.

What’s Next? Share what your students made on social media, tag @fableLearn and use the hashtag #FabMakerStudio.

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.  

Educators Reimagine Their Classroom During Creativity Symposium

Peter H. Reynolds capped off the final session of The Creativity Symposium, hosted by FableVision Learning and Eduscape. The three-day virtual adventure challenged participants to reimagine the classroom.

Peter reinforced the messages of how creativity is inextricably linked to solving the problems we face each day, from the small to the seemingly impossible.

Working with FableVision’s Sara Smith and Eduscape’s Stephanie Corrente, participants from across the country discovered their innate creativity skills and learned new structured problem-solving and took a deep dive into solving problems they faced in education.

One participant said of the process:

“You taught us how to take a problem that may have seemed too large to solve but then think about and figure out how to solve and break it down into the steps then creatively come up with solutions to overcome it.”

Over the three days, educators participating first envisioned where they wanted to be - their ideal future state.  They then generated challenge statements to begin mapping their path forward. Educators then explored the important dynamic balance between divergent and convergent thinking and the magic words of possibility thinking, “What might be all the…”

After defining their challenges, participants spent time between sessions researching and collecting data about their challenges. Who is involved? What are the important aspects of the situation? What background information will inform the solution? When we came back for our second session together, educators were ready to ideate - generate as many solutions to their challenges as possible. They learned new tools and games that help stretch the imagination and open our minds to potential.With a host of diverse ideas, our cohort of teachers were able to hone  in on a final solution to develop and refine.

Started the last day of Creative Symposium with an awesome surprise visit by author @peterhreynolds Then went on to working on a visual /prototype to help illustrate the solutions to our challenges, #CreativitySymposium @FableLearn @Eduscape pic.twitter.com/JRORATyHyr

— Ms. Teixeira (@Ms_GTeixeira) July 28, 2021

The magic of creativity continues with another amazing resource from Peter Reynolds!! Today we are learning how to ideate and SCAMPER collaboratively! It is incubating👌. #creativitysymposium @Eduscape @TrentaShane @mkay0000 @THSTeachingAcad @_michelleis @UCFTeacherEd pic.twitter.com/nAwY10lH1u

— Norine (@BlanchNorine) July 21, 2021

Day 2 of #CreativitySymposium via @FableLearn - thinking up some great ideas with even better educators! 😌💭💡 pic.twitter.com/AX5JQzgtig

— Michelle Isgut (@_michelleis) July 21, 2021

In our final session, educators created prototypes and shared them with each other, giving and receiving feedback to help them move forward. Their next step is to create a plan for action so they can implement the positive change they want to see in their part of the education world. 

“It is so inspiring to see teachers that care so deeply about the education experience of their students,” Sara remarked.

Educators wrestled with challenges like:

• How might we encourage staff to build deeper relationships with students?

• How might we track student growth and share it quickly when students move within the district?

• What might be all the ways to increase collaboration between the elementary school and middle school?

The participants shared pictures, documents, flowcharts, spreadsheets and collages and in one case a mobile, all demonstrating creative solutions to their challenging problems. We have no doubt these teachers will make a difference in their schools. Here’s what some of the participants had to say:

“I wasn't feeling too creative, and knowing there is a science behind it and a process to learn it is exciting.”

“I learned that we all possess the ability to be creative and ways to access that creativity.”

“This is a fantastic course that allows us to really think outside our own box and expand our thoughts.” 

“This symposium allowed me to feel okay with taking a chance and putting my ideas out there without anxiety of being "wrong" or ridiculed for my ideas.You taught us how to take a problem that may have seemed too large to solve but then think about and figure out how to solve and break it down into the steps, then creatively come up with solutions to overcome it.”

If you are interested in learning about creative problem solving or creativity in education, send us a message at info@fablevisionlearning.com. We’d love to bring a creativity workshop, program, or tools to your school and inspire you and your fellow educators to Create Bravely!

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.