FableVision Learning Spotlight Blog
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Classroom Spotlight: Dammam, Saudi Arabia Makes its Mark on Dot Day
This blog post was written by Patrick McDonagh, FableVision Learning marketing intern.
On Sept. 16, Nouf Arar Aldossary a 7th and 8th grade math teacher in Dammam, Saudi Arabia celebrated International Dot Day. For Nouf, it was a special celebration.
“Dot Day 2017 is a special day for me for two reasons” Nouf said. “First: It is the first Dot Day I celebrated. Second: It is the last days for me in The Sixteenth Intermediate School in Dammam. I will be moving to teach in a small village for primary school - a new community, a new school level, a new life!”
The school joined over 10 million dot makers in 170 countries for International Dot Day, a truly global celebration of creativity and courage. To learn more about Dot Day, celebrated every Sept. 15-ish, click here.
We were excited to connect the dots with Nouf to learn more about the school’s first Dot Day celebration. Read on!
How did you bring the Dot Day experience to the classroom?
I gave 7th graders worksheets with a circle divided to 4 sectors, and told them to make their mark - just begin with dot and see where will take you.
For 8th graders, I gave them a large amount of colorful magnetic circles (400 pieces), and asked them to design a creative artwork on the whiteboard.
Then, students asked me to continue to celebrate Dot Day on the next Sunday Sept. 24; to celebrate the national day of Saudi Arabia (it was on Friday 23 September 2017). They put a black magnetic circle on the whiteboard, then put the green magnetic circles surrounded by white circles, and put colorful magnetic circles around it. They mean that Mecca (black circle) is the heart of Saudi Arabia (white and green circles), and Saudi Arabia is the heart of the Arab and Islamic worlds (colorful circles), the investment powerhouse, and the hub connecting three continents, which align with 2030 vision. We spent another 3 hours to complete the creative art work. The students and I are so proud of our work!
How did you use Dot Day themes in your mathematics teaching?
When I introduced Dot Day to students, I first asked the students: “In mathematics, what does a dot mean? Is it an important concept?”
They said that a dot is so important in mathematics because everything consists of a dot. A straight line can be drawn between any two dots ( Euclid's elements).
Then I asked them: “what about life? is the dot an important symbol in our life?” they said that the dot refers to the beginning of everything, the beginning of success, the beginning of creativity, the beginning of our journey into life.
Who or what inspires you to make your mark every day?
Because a dot of blood saves a human, a dot of water quenches thirst, and a dot on the letter gives meaning to the word; so the dot deserves to be celebrated. It inspired me and inspired my students to make our mark in our community. In future, I will do another Dot Day with students in grade 1 and grade 3 in the new school to inspire me to a new happy life.
How did you Make Your Mark on Dot Day?
We love seeing all the Dot activity on social media! Continue to share your #DotDay celebration with by using the #DotDay and #MakeYourMark.
If you would like to be featured on our blog, send us a message: info@fablevisionlearning.com
Peter H. Reynolds and The Dot Rolls Into Dorchester on Sept. 15
On Friday, Sept. 15, millions of people in 169 countries will celebrate International Dot Day, and among them will be students and faculty members at William E. Russell Elementary School in Dorchester, Massachusetts — a historic neighborhood of Boston known locally as “Dot.”
Inspired by Peter H. Reynolds’s acclaimed picture book The Dot, in 2009 Iowa educator Terry Shay and his students decided to celebrate creativity and courage on Sept. 15. The Dot is the heartwarming story of a perceptive and caring teacher and a reluctant student who thinks she can’t draw. Vashti’s teacher encourages her to trust in her own abilities and be brave enough to “just make a mark and see where it takes you.”
Exploring the themes of creativity, bravery, and self-expression, The Dot has been translated into many languages, including Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, French, Spanish, and even braille. Since International Dot Day’s founding, over 9.5 million educators, schoolchildren, celebrities, and everyday readers have spread Reynolds’s message by creating their own dots and sharing them via Pinterest, Twitter, and classroom walls, among other outlets.
This year, Reynolds himself will celebrate Dot Day at Russell Elementary School with 375 students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
“Picture books can change lives, and The Dot is doing it around the world with children and adults who are being encouraged to make their mark. We’re proud to be able to take care of these awesome students right here in our own backyard,” said Karen Lotz, president of Candlewick Press, the publisher of The Dot.
Reynolds is expected to be joined by Boston Public Schools Superintendent of Schools, Tommy Chang. The guests will tour the school and enjoy presentations of the students’ work.
"We are very grateful for the gift of literacy, which Peter is providing to our students," said Russell Elementary Principal Tamara Blake-Canty. "We are incredibly proud of the rigorous academic scholarship we pursue at the Russell, and celebrating International Dot Day here not only gives us another occasion to highlight our students’ pursuits, it also fuels our teachers’ and students’ ingenuity to reach further heights."
Reynolds says he is especially pleased to be sharing his message in Dorchester, Boston’s largest neighborhood, often locally referred to as “Dot.”
“I like to choose a significant physical location to celebrate Dot Day each year,” Reynolds explains. “Besides, its an awesome nickname. Dorchester is just minutes from my educational media studio based in Boston’s Innovation District, where I hope Russell Elementary School students will one day be using their creativity to make their mark as innovators in tomorrow’s workforce.”
The Dot Day Celebration Continues
Where: at the Blue Bunny Bookstore in Dedham, Massachusetts
When: 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.
Children and adults can stop by to create their own DOTS! (Paper and art supplies provided)
Enter to win a Dot Day basket, drawing at 6 p.m. – you do not have to be present to win!
The first 50 people who purchase The Dot book get an art supply goody bag.
Dot cookies by Ginger Betty and Dot Chocolate will be available for sale.
Peter H. Reynolds joins the festivities in the afternoon.
Make Your Mark
#DotDay is right around the diameter (because dots don’t have corners). Sept. 15th is the day to celebrate. If you haven’t done so yet, register, and join the growing community and share your mark using #MakeYourMark and #DotDay!
International Dot Day Website, Posters, and Certificate!
Join more than a million educators and students for International Dot Day, a global celebration of creativity in the classroom based on Peter H. Reynolds' award-winning book The Dot. Learn more by visiting the official Dot Day website.
Will you be joining in the fun this September 15th? Please let us know by signing up — you'll also receive the free Educator's Handbook for International Dot Day.
We're all looking forward to Dot Day, but we'll be celebrating creativity all year long — and we encourage you to do the same! Here are some new posters by Peter...
¡Estamos Celebrando el Día del Punto Todo el Año!
Here are two more - an English poster and a Spanish poster to celebrate getting ready for Dot Day 2013:
Here's another new poster — this one features the official International Dot Day logo:
And here's the new Spanish version — we LOVE seeing the International Dot Day logo en español!
Enjoy this other wonderful poster in French — it's such fun to see the logo en français!
Or maybe you plan to celebrate on September 16th? We've got a English poster and a Spanish poster for that too!
Download this certificate of participation that Peter designed for educators, students, and all other creative individuals who are making their mark:
If you want to help spread the word about Dot Day, please feel free to also download this poster by Peter H. Reynolds:
Many schools are also celebrating on September 14th, during the school week. If your school is celebrating on the 14th, Peter whipped up another poster for you! Enjoy:
Are you connecting with another school via Skype in the Classroom this year? Click here to get this as a printable poster!
Make your mark by printing out this Dot Day poster.
Here's a Dot Day poster in Italian! (Clicca qui per leggere tutto Dimensioni Poster Day Dot stampa.)
Here's an alternate version in Italian. (Clicca qui per un supplente piena di poster formato Giorno Dot stampa!)In closing, here is a Spanish version too! (Haga click aquí para una versión imprimible de este cartel.)
