FableVision Learning Spotlight Blog

FableVision Learning 7/1/22 FableVision Learning 7/1/22

Teachers Recharge at SPARK! Retreat with FableVision Learning and Clarkson University

Relax and reboot - that was the goal of the Spark: Recharge your Creativity retreat held at The Clarkson Beacon Institute in New York. Educators from nearby New York and New Jersey joined fellow creatives from Georgia and Arkansas for the hands-on workshop held Monday June 27.

Click the video below to watch a video from the day!

In the beautiful space along the Hudson River, we created a space for teachers to decompress, connect, and explore creativity together. The Creatrilogy (The Dot, Ish and Sky Color), by Peter H. Reynolds was our guide.

Starting with the message of The Dot, we rolled up our sleeves and donned our courage to begin - to open ourselves to creativity. It was such a delight to see each teacher’s representation of their unique mix of creative strengths of heart, mind, spirit, and action. And watching them employ those strengths to make their very own novel creations was inspiring.

Ish opened a discussion into the creative climate and how to be open, playful, and motivated enough to engage in divergent thinking. We put these skills to work to solve the age-old question of how to get a walrus out of a library and give each other invisible gifts!

Sky Color inspired us to look at problems in new ways, and we discovered the magic words of possibility thinking.

It’s a joy to connect the dots with educators from around the country that are driven by a creative spark. We hope to see more and more of you in the next year! In the meantime, we encourage you to take some time to recharge somehow.

Here’s three ideas for your own creative recharge:

Get out into nature. Like Marisol in Sky Color, try noticing the things around you as you go about your day. Mindfulness is a creative skill and can even help you to solve problems you’ve been dealing with by helping you to see things in new and interesting ways. Try this mindfulness exercise we created.
Get playful. Humor is a creative strength and playfulness invites new ideas and openness. Plus, allowing ourselves to be silly and imperfect, quiets that critic that lives inside us, like Ramon does in Ish. Create a fun character to be for a day, play a game, or sing your favorite song from high school at the top of your lungs.
Find someone to connect with. At the end of The Dot, our main character shares her new-found creative courage with someone else - and that boy goes on to star in Ish! Finding someone to share your creative interests with builds you both up and feeds your creative spirits. You can also try connecting online with other teachers in The Creativity Circle.

If you would like to bring the Creative Spark to your school/district, send us an email at creativity@fablevisionlearning.com .

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.

Andrea Calvin 6/3/22 Andrea Calvin 6/3/22

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.

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

Andrea Calvin 6/1/22 Andrea Calvin 6/1/22

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.

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Paul and Peter H. Reynolds Create Bravely with Hosmer Elementary School Students

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

New York Times best-selling author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds, and his twin brother and creative counterpart, Paul, spent a special day with the students at Hosmer Elementary School in Watertown. During the assemblies and classroom visits, they encouraged students to use their creativity to make their mark on the world.

The students started by painting their own dot inspired by “The Dot” by Peter H. Reynolds.

As you can see, they’re already starting to create bravely. Check out some of their cool creations below!

Would you like to bring Peter H. Reynolds to your school? Click here to learn more about the different speaking engagement options.

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.”

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

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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.”

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

Oak Lawn Middle Schoolers Create Digital Picture Books to Share Messages of Peter H. Reynolds

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

Students from Oak Lawn Middle School create a painting activity for the book *Sky Color.*

At Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School in Oak Lawn, Illinois community service is at the center of everything they do.

Heather McCarthy, a media specialist at the school works with over 1,100 middle school students and shares, “My library centers around empathy, inclusion, and service learning…Throughout the years, they have raised over $50,000 for clean water projects in Africa, have packaged over 250,000 meals for families in need, and host an annual walkathon to raise money for pediatric cancer patients. We even host a ‘Day of Service’ where the entire school spends the whole day completing community service projects. “

This passion for helping others didn’t slow down during the pandemic. McCarthy and her students kicked into high gear. As recipients of a Hershey's Heartwarming Action Grant, McCarthy and her students got to work creating interactive story books using the stories and messages of their favorite author Peter H. Reynolds. These books were then donated for children at Child Life at Hope Children’s Hospital.

“Peter H. Reynolds is one of our favorite authors since his books and illustrations encompass the themes of resilience, bravery, confidence, patience, and individuality,” McCarthy shared. “These are all qualities our middle school students strive for. We use Peter H. Reynolds’s books for our SEL work, STEM projects, and to read for enjoyment. When we wanted to send picture books over to the children’s hospital, we knew Peter’s books would be the perfect fit.”

For this project, students selected books by Peter H. Reynolds, and filmed a reading of the book and a video of a project. By adding QR codes to each book, recipients could follow along from anywhere.

We recently connected with McCarthy and her students to learn more about the project and school. Read on to learn more.

Your students created interactive story books for children in the hospital, how did that journey begin?

McCarthy: “The idea for this project came about when we were remote learning. We had a classmate whose little sister was in need of a heart transplant. The class of students really bonded over this experience. They showed great empathy and love for their classmate and her sister. We decided that as soon as we were back at school in person, we would put together a project to support the local children’s hospital. When we saw the Hershey’s Heartwarming Grant, everything fell into place.”

What has the response been from these children and their families when they were given the books, videos, and podcasts?

Angel Swiatek and Sophia Falcon read *The Dot*

McCarthy: “We delivered the books to the staff of Child Life at Hope Children’s Hospital. Then they chose which patients would receive our books. They reported the patients absolutely loving the books, videos, and projects. Many of the children watched the videos over and over again. The parents and families were grateful that there were children outside of the hospital thinking about their child in the hospital.”

What has been your favorite part about this project?

McCarthy: “I love that this entire project was student led. The students came up with the idea, collaborated together, and did all the creating, filming, and editing. This project really showcases the power of allowing student voice and choice. I believe when you give students the freedom to design their own thinking, they can come up with amazing ideas. I loved how this project highlighted how empathic, kind, and caring our students are.”

Isabel Bello, a 7th grade student at OLHMS: “My favorite part of this process was the filming. Me and my friends were all able to collaborate with each other and filming together. I also loved that it was for a good cause. It was amazing!”

Selena Garza Prieto, a 7th grader at OLHMS: “My favorite part of this process was imagining the smiles on the kids' faces as they listened to our videos of us reading to them.”

ZZ Cabanas and Selena Garcia create a STEM project to go with the book *Going Places.*

What advice would you give to other students wanting to do a similar project?

Sophia Falcon, a 7th grader at OLHMS: “If you want to do this, I would recommend talking to someone that could help you and pitching the idea to them. For example, maybe you should talk to your principal, librarian, or even someone on the school board. They could help you with getting together the community, and help you get the things you need to do something like this.”

Isabel Bello: “Whoever wants to get involved in this, if you're doing this for the "fame" don't. I was doing this only out of good spirit. All the attention this project has received was never the original intention. It was all done out of the kindness of our hearts.”

Angel Swiatek, a 7th grader at OLHMS: “If someone wanted to do this in their community or school I would tell them to have fun with it and to express themselves in any way they want. They should feel free to be open to enjoying this experience knowing how others will benefit.”

Selena Garza Prieto: “My advice to others working on a project like this would be - Don’t be nervous while you're reading. Instead just think of the smiles you are giving to kids who need an extra smile right now.”

Principal Dr. Sean McNichols, Aidan Zak, Kendall Phipps, and Grady Gilhooly do the Cow Pose for guided meditation and yoga for *I Am Love.*

What is your favorite Peter H. Reynolds book?

Angel Swiatek: “My favorite book by Peter H. Reynolds was 'The Dot' because to me the book was teaching about no matter what you think you can't do, you can always do it and it's a way to express yourself.”

Selena Garza Prieto: “My Favorite book by Peter H. Reynolds is ‘The North Star’. I enjoyed reading this book with my best friends because it really shows you that you experience difficulties but you should never let it pull you away from following your own path to happiness.”

What’s next?

McCarthy: “Our school motto is, ‘Create a dream; make it a reality.’ The students of OLHMS know that in the library, anything is possible. We strive to make the world a better place through our community service, creativity, and empathy. If they have an idea, we will do everything we can to help them bring their ideas to life. April 29th is our Day of Service and we will host our annual walkathon for Live Like Abby to raise money for pediatric cancer patients in May.”

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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.

Guest User 4/13/22 Guest User 4/13/22

Celebrate Earth Day with FableVision Learning

The following blog post is by Tyler Stott.

Held every year on April 22, Earth Day is an opportunity for people around the world to celebrate our beautiful Earth.

Earth Day is a reminder that we must protect our planet if we want it to remain beautiful for generations to come. We can do this in small ways by recycling, conserving electricity, and not littering. We can also do this in bigger ways by supporting global efforts to reduce harm and increase protection of our natural resources. We only have one Earth!

Looking for a way to begin celebrating Earth Day? Explore these classroom activities:

Animation-Ish Earth Day Activity

One way to celebrate Earth Day is by creating an animated message.

Here are a few Earth Day animations made in Animation-ish to inspire you.

Earth Day ROCKS!

Begin by reading “Rose’s Garden” by Peter H. Reynolds. This book explores the beauty of nature and the power of imagination. “Rose’s Garden” also shows how nature can make our world a much more colorful place.

For this activity, break students into small groups but allow each student to have their own rock. Give your students some time to paint their rock with an inspiring message tied to nature or kindness. Have students share their rock designs and messages with their small group. Once you have given them some time to finish, instruct them to return to their groups and share what they have made! Invite everyone to go around and say one nice thing about someone else's rock. Once the sharing is complete, have your students go outside and place the rocks next to something like a tree or a garden!

When your students are done with this project, we encourage you to do a reflection time. Ask your students: What did you decide to paint and why? When else during the week do you get the chance to be creative? What is your favorite thing about nature?

Click here to download the Earth Day Challenge Card: Earth Day Rocks!

Trash vs. Recycling:

Begin by reading “Sydney and Simon: Go Green!” by Paul and Peter H. Reynolds, a book about the dangers of pollution and the power of recycling. In this book, Sydney and Simon meet a sea turtle who has been harmed by garbage due to littering. This book will help show students the implications of littering and why it is necessary to start recycling.

For this activity, you will need to prepare kits for each group in your classroom. Each group will need a kit of different materials. These items could include: a plastic water bottle, a plastic straw, a plastic grocery bag, a glass bottle, a paper towel, a newspaper, and a piece of wrapping paper. Feel free to switch out for any items that you might not have, these are just some suggestions.

Working in teams, students will sort the items by what can go in a recycling bin. The team in the end who gets the most items correct is the winner. 1 point for each item in the correct spot! If you have enough different types of items, you can rotate them between groups.

Answer Key:

Plastic Water Bottle - recyclable
Plastic Straw- non-recyclable
Plastic grocery bag- recyclable-ish (Can be returned to grocery store for recycling)
Glass Bottle- recyclable
Paper Towel - non-recyclable
Newspaper- recyclable
Wrapping paper - non-recyclable

At the end of the activity we encourage you to do a reflection. Ask your students: What made this activity difficult? Were there any items you debated whether to recycle vs. throw out? Do your families recycle at home? At home do you ever struggle to know what to recycle vs. what to throw out?

Click here to download the Earth Day Challenge Card: Trash Vs. Recycling.

FabMaker Studio: Animal Masks

Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh My! - This Earth Day create a classroom zoo using FabMaker Studio. Students can explore the 2D ready-made masks from within the program to fabricate and create their own animal masks. Encourage each student to create their own unique animal and research a bit about that creature and where they live.

There are so many different types of animals on our beautiful Earth! However, we must continue to protect our planet if we want to keep it this way. Scientists declared 22 species extinct in the year 2021 alone.

How will you celebrate Earth Day? Share your animations, rock gardens, and classroom zoos with us on social media. Use #EarthDay and #InvestInOurPlanet and tag us @FableLearn.

Guest User 3/15/22 Guest User 3/15/22

FabMaker Spotlight: Boston Students Use FabMaker Studio to Create Their Own Food Truck Festival!

The following blog post is by Tyler Stott.

With a dash of creativity and splash of engineering, Mika Solo, a K1–3 Computer Science Specialist at The Eliot School of Fine & Applied Arts in Boston, encouraged her students to design their own food trucks using FabMaker Studio.

Each team of fourth-graders had the opportunity to design a food truck using the web-based design and fabrication software and watch it cut through the Silhouette Portrait.

Check out their projects!

The class also crafted city buildings that were illuminated with a few simple circuits!

When asked about how The Eliot School has incorporated the use of the FabMaker Studio, Solo responded, “We work in the Studio for a month-long session of 30-minute classes. The cycle goes by quick! We explore paper engineering with a bunch of activities and mini projects including: emojis, characters, 3D shapes, food trucks, and city buildings”

For Solo, one of the best parts about using FabMaker Studio has been seeing her students make their own creative designs. One example she mentioned was her students enjoyed using the weld tool to be able to make their own custom characters.

This program was part of a grant through the Dassault Systèmes US Foundation and The Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning & Creativity that provided three elementary schools with curriculum, software and training.

As for what is next, Solo hopes to continue to teach the next generation of younger students more about FabMaker Studio and STEM.

Is your classroom a FabClassroom? We would love to highlight your school! To be featured in an upcoming post, send an email to andrea@fablevision.com. You can also tweet your photos with the hashtag #FabMakerStudio! For more posts featuring FabMaker Studio, click here.

For more information, contact us at info@fablevisionlearning.com. We invite you to join the conversation on Facebook the FabMaker Teacher Group.

Andrea Calvin 11/23/21 Andrea Calvin 11/23/21

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.