FableVision Learning Spotlight Blog
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- International Dot Day 23
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- Paul Reynolds 10
- Peter H. Reynolds 54
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- Teacher Spotlight 14
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- Words and Their Stories 1
- Zoombinis 3
Another Great Resource for the National Day on Writing - Peter H. Reynolds' "Finding the Words That Feel 'Write'"
Do you sometimes feel "stuck" when it comes to writing? Download a PDF of this article by New York Times best-selling illustrator and author Peter H. Reynolds — he offers great advice on "finding the words that feel write" and reclaiming the joy of writing just for oneself.
Happy National Day on Writing! 8 Tips to Inspire Students to Write & Other Resources
In honor of the National Day on Writing (October 20), we are re-posting these helpful writing resources for you! Be sure to comment below and let us know how you're inspiring your students to write — we love hearing what creative educators are doing in the classroom.
Peter H. Reynolds' 8 Tips for Inspiring Students to Write
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In his post "The Brave Heart: Protecting the Passion, Keeping Wings Outstretched for a Daring Journey," NY Times best-selling author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds discusses how the pressure to write "correctly" can cause many beginning writers to pack up their creative wings. Encourage your students to write with wings outstretched! Here are a few quick tips from Peter to inspire bravery in your students.
Step off the path and write with your wings outstretched. Break a rule or two as you go.
Don't let a jumbled thought stop you — plant it and keep going.
Don't let a misspelled word slow you down. Go back and attend to it later.
Listen to your inner voice and transcribe what you hear without trying to edit it.
Try writing for yourself. Not for your audience. Try to ignore the critics' voices you may hear.
Invent a word.
Skip punctuation or invent your own ...__...> and see what it feels like.
Borrow an idea from your favorite author and twist it a few times. Turn it inside out. Make it your own!
What do you do to encourage your students to write? Let us know!
New Peter H. Reynolds Posters! The Most Creative Year The World Has Ever Seen
At FableVision Learning, we're more confident than ever that the educational climate is changing for the better — with more creativity in the classroom, more outside-the-box thinking, and more self-directed learning. In that spirit, Peter H. Reynolds whipped up these two posters. Inspire your students to make this the most creative year the world has ever seen! Here's a ready-to-go colored poster from Peter:
With this black and white version, have students add their own colors and art — and be sure to have them sign it, too!
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.)
Blast Off With These Stellar Posters by Peter H. Reynolds!
UPDATE: This poster is no longer available to download for free, but you can now download it from our online store, along with other inspiring posters by Peter H. Reynolds.*** Peter H. Reynolds and the FableVision Team were over the moon when we hosted astronaut Col. Chris Hadfield and his wife Helene last week. In fact, we were so inspired that we're sharing these two stellar posters by Peter:
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Share this poster to get students excited about STEAM — Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Show them that arts-fueled STEM is out of this world!
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Display this classic poster to encourage your students to look beyond the test and towards the future — and to remind them of the "fuel" they can harness on their journeys toward their own bright futures.
You can learn more about Col. Hadfield by watching his spectacular YouTube videos - many of which were filmed in outer space!
New Peter H. Reynolds Poster: We're a 5 C's Classroom
Display this new downloadable poster by Peter H. Reynolds to help students keep the 5 C's in mind. Enjoy!
Autism Awareness Month Resources from FableVision Learning
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April is Autism Awareness Month, and we have some great resources to help you explore diversity and discuss inclusion with your students. You can watch the free film online with your students today!
Written about a boy on the autism spectrum, I'm Here features a strong anti-bullying message and reminds us that all children — and the friendships they make — can take flight in unexpected ways. Consider adding this powerful book to your library!
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Also, don't miss the FREE I'm Here Educator's Activity Guide, written by SARRC (The Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center) and designed by FableVision Learning. This guide comes with several detailed activities that will help you explore the themes of I'm Here with your students.
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You might also consider integrating the book and film Wings of EPOH into your Autism Awareness activities. Wings of EPOH is the story of a young boy on the autism spectrum who goes on a journey with an unlikely friend, a butterfly named Epoh ("hope" spelled backward). It was written by acclaimed author and Holocaust survivor Gerda Weissmann Klein and lovingly illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. There is a teacher's guide you can purchase as well.
We also recommend the following articles and websites, which offer a tremendous amount of information and other resources:
Huffington Post Blog: "Making a Difference: The World of Giving — April is Autism Awareness Month" by Lisa M. Dietz
SARRC (Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center) Website: There is a great deal of helpful information there! You can learn more about SARRC’s program offerings and social skills curriculum (see the FRIEND program info at the bottom of the page).
The Autism Society Website: Check out the "About Autism" and "Living With Autism" sections — they provide an enormous amount of information to help educate others about the autism spectrum.
Autism Speaks offers wonderful resources, too. Visit the "What is Autism?" page for a wealth of information. The Family Services section also has fantastic resources, and there is a blog section that connects families with children on the autism spectrum with other families. Lastly, Autism Speaks recently partnered up with the Home Depot, which will be selling blue Defiant LED Lanterns and blue light bulbs through the end of April. A portion of each sale will go to Autism Speaks to fund research, advocacy, family services, and awareness for families struggling with this disorder.
Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago "maximizes independence and creates opportunities for people with disabilities and other special needs to live, learn, work and play in their communities by providing a lifespan of premier services." On their homepage, look under the What's New section — you'll spot some news articles about autism. You can also learn more about autism at their About Autism page.
Let us know how you'll be honoring Autism Awareness Month with your students. We love hearing what creative educators are up to!
Peter H. Reynolds' Gift to You: Create Your Own Plant A Kiss Seed Packet
Inspired by the book Plant A Kiss (written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds) this printable PDF by Peter provides an easy-to-assemble template for a seed packet. Simply print, cut out, and assemble — and don't forget to seal it with a kiss!
As the school year transitions into spring, think in terms of "planting it forward." Start sowing seeds for your students — a love of writing, a fascination with math, a curiosity about science, a passion for vocabulary, global thinking, an appreciation for social studies...
What creative activities do you have planned for spring this year?
From Peter H. Reynolds: Inspire Students to Commit to Their Goals for 2013
January is a perfect time to encourage students to commit to goals for the year ahead! Download these goal cards by Peter H. Reynolds, cut them out, and distribute them to your class. Ask each student to write one important goal for the year ahead and sign it as part of his or her commitment to working towards that goal. Post the cards on a bulletin board or classroom wall and check in with students from time to time to see what progress they have made. A little encouragement and a few reminders will go a long way!
Download the goal cards template or click below:
How do you help your students commit to their goals? Comment below to share your tips!
New Peter H. Reynolds Poster! Celebrate Digital Learning Day on February 6, 2013
On February 6th, we invite you to join us in celebrating Digital Learning Day, a national celebration of teachers that shines a spotlight on successful instructional technology practice in the classroom.
In honor of this spectacular day, and to applaud the powerful impact digital learning can have on students' lives, Peter H. Reynolds created this fun downloadable poster:
Spread the word about Digital Learning Day by proudly displaying this printable poster on your classroom wall, and encourage your colleagues and students to join in the fun!
Visit the official Digital Learning Day website to learn more and sign up today.
FableVision Learning's Gift to You: Free Peter H. Reynolds Greeting Cards!
As a little holiday gift, we wanted to share these free greeting cards featuring art by New York Times best-selling author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds. Here are the quick and easy steps for creating your cards:
Print this downloadable PDF on cardstock or thick paper.
Cut along the red horizontal dotted line.
Fold each card along the vertical gray dotted line.
Add your own unique message to the inside of the card. Let someone in your life know you're thinking of them this season!
Click here to download the greeting card PDF:
Free Animation Activity for Students: Create a Political Cartoon
The upcoming election offers great opportunities for your students to explore politics. Inspire them to express their ideas through a clever political cartoon! Here's an example of a short student film made with Animation-ish, our K–12 easy-to-use animation software:
Encourage your students to make their own films! Start by downloading this free Animation-ish Political Cartoon activity PDF.
We love to see what teachers and students create, so please email any exported films to us at info@fablevisionlearning.com.
Lastly, feel free to comment with any other creative ideas you may have for exploring politics and current events with your students!