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:

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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.

Animating Across the Curriculum

This film showcases some of the fantastic animations we've received from teachers and students using Animation-ish™, our easy-to-use animation software. It highlights how educators are inspiring students to "show what they know" and make more creative, meaningful connections with content in all subject areas!

Special thanks to all the teachers and students who have shared their work with us and contributed to this video! If you or your students are creating projects, we'd love to see them. Please email your creations with a brief description to info@FableVisionLearning.com.

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:

1. Print this downloadable PDF on cardstock or thick paper.

2. Cut along the red horizontal dotted line.

3. Fold each card along the vertical gray dotted line.

4. 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:

Peter H. Reynolds Animates on Gillette Stadium's Jumbotron at MassCUE 2012

The FableVision Learning team had a wonderful time at MassCUE 2012 — we truly enjoyed seeing old friends and are thrilled to say we made many new ones! Conference attendees gathered on the Gillette Stadium field to watch Peter H. Reynolds animate live on the Jumbotron — using Animation-ish, our K–12 animation software! Here are just a few photos:

One of Peter's animations on the Jumbotron

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This year also marked a special anniversary for the conference. Watch this short video of Peter H. Reynolds and FableVision Learning President Becky Conners as they congratulate MassCUE from Gillette Stadium.

You can learn more about MassCUE at their

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Comment to let us know which educational conferences you enjoy. Is there anywhere in particular you'd like our team to visit?

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:

Try making your own political cartoon with Animation-ish!http://www.fablevisionlearning.com/animationish

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!

Writing Tips from 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.  

Peter H. Reynolds Honored at 26th Annual Champion of Arts Education Advocacy Awards

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Peter H. Reynolds was honored today at the Massachusetts State House during the 26th Annual Champion of Arts Education Advocacy Awards.

Along with other award recipients including legislators, art teachers, administrators, and students, Peter was recognized for his extraordinary work in promoting arts education. Other awardees included Anita Walker, executive director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, MA Senator Stanley Rosenberg, MA Representative Alice Peisch, Ernie Boch, Jr. and his Music Drives Us Foundation, and others. Early in the day-long celebration, Peter read from his best-selling book The Dot and spoke about the importance of creativity.

New Poster from Peter H. Reynolds — International Teacher Appreciation Year!

We're BIG fans of National Teacher Appreciation Day — and Week — and we were thrilled to hear how many of you enjoyed the Brightest Stars poster we posted in honor of wonderful teachers. However, we think teachers also deserve a whole year of appreciation — and we love all teachers around the world. Together, one educated planet will move the world to a better place. Download this International Teacher Appreciation Year poster by Peter H. Reynolds. We're so thankful for all you do — may you feel appreciated all year long!

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! A Special Poster for You...

We are so grateful to the many teachers who are inspiring their students and moving the world to a better place. As a thank you, we've re-released our popular "Brightest Stars" poster. You can download the PDF for free now through January 11, 2013!

Get Inspired! Lauren Hill's "Seeing the Invisible: How I Teach AP (and Why)"

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Educator Lauren Hill wrote this wonderful post about a life-changing experience that made her the teacher she is today. Lauren's message really resonated with the FableVision Learning team — in fact, we were so moved that we asked if we could share her post on our blog. Lauren graciously agreed! ______________________________

Seeing the Invisible: How I Teach AP (and Why)

by Lauren Hill

I had earned an A on every English assignment I had turned in since 7th grade. (My streak would have started sooner, but I failed a 7th-grade project about Judy Garland; her life depressed me so much that I just could not finish the paper.) Yet, despite my apparent success, I was invisible to my teachers for most of high school.

It's absurd to me now, but somehow I made it to junior year without giving a single thought to what I might do after graduation. My father, less clueless about the requirements of adulthood, enrolled me in an SAT prep class taught by the school's AP Literature teacher. I had never seen those shiny honors kids—or their teacher. But now Mrs. Pelton saw me.

Because she did, I took her AP Literature class my senior year. Mrs. Pelton gave me my first C—but she also showed me the depth of my abilities. She proved to me that I could achieve at the same level as those shiny students—all headed to Stanford, M.I.T., and other places where I thought only "other people" went. The following August, with Mrs. Pelton's encouragement and recommendation, I started at Barnard College at Columbia University, where I got a lot more Cs. Instead of giving up on college and myself, I stayed after class, hounded professors during office hours, took a remedial composition class, and learned how to write.

My Students

When I finally became a teacher, I swore that I would see the potential in every kid who came through my door. I would see more in them than they could see in themselves—and push them accordingly.

Many of us imagine that students in AP classes have it all: parental support, obvious intelligence, outright ambition. This stereotype may hold true in some classrooms. But not in mine, and I'm proud of that.

When I earned the right to teach the junior honors English class, I converted it to AP Language and filled it with any kid willing to do the work. There was Cat M., a girl who only wore black and was one of eight kids living in a trailer with her alcoholic stepfather. There was Johnny E., a boy who looked a lot like a girl and would not stop reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance long enough to pass any of his classes. And there were a lot more, each with their own reason for never imagining that an AP class was right for them. Not everyone in my school agreed with my open enrollment policy, suggesting it diluted the strength of the course. But when many of my students passed the test and earned college credit, the administration left me alone.

How I Teach

Over time, my teaching strategies have evolved, but I have always maintained some basic principles:

• Learning happens at different speeds and in different ways for all of us. I give students myriad ways to fulfill and then re-do assignments. I want them to learn and to take responsibility for that learning—not just to earn a grade and call it a day. I try to construct an environment that places value on the intrinsic rewards of study and personal growth. We want to get better, not just get an "A."

• It is always best to answer a question with a question. We need to teach students to teach themselves. It is one thing to tell students to "look it up," but it is another to ask them to work through complex ideas, to make sense of arguments, and to find their own answers to "why, how, and why not?" Why did Abraham Lincoln write only ten sentences for his Gettysburg Address? What would he have lost, or gained, if he had been more verbose? It is not so important that we get these answers right, but that we learn to ask these sorts of questions in the first place.

• Problem solving is an inherently collaborative process. We must ask students to work together and to work in permanent groups that can mature over time. Not only does this raise the rigor of the work, but helps to integrate all types of students into the class community. When we rely on each other, we see more in each other than what our surfaces suggest.

• No student's work is without merit or without flaw. We use the work to make us better than when we started, and that can only happen when we speak honestly about both our successes and failures.

• I never believe that what I am doing is good enough. I keep reading, thinking, and asking my own questions and encouraging my students to do the same.

What this has meant for my students is, obviously, different for each of them. I hope they view the world more critically and can explain why they believe in something—instead of just stomping their feet or raising their voice. I hope they ask questions and keep reading and thinking. I imagine that they begin to see fewer boundaries and more ways to get past them. I hope none of them sees college as "for other kids"; nor do I want a single one of them to go unprepared to face the academic challenges. I collect college graduation invitations and pin them to my wall, especially from those students who would not have gone to college or who would not have done as well without our work together.

Why I Teach

As I consider why I keep teaching after all of these years, why I still get worked up about a word or phrase or essay I have read and cannot wait to share with my class, I go back to my own time as an invisible student. I recall what it meant to me when Mrs. Pelton put her hand on my shoulder and asked why I hadn't taken the honors English class.

I remember how she conferenced with me through every paper and asked me to clarify every idea, to examine every sentence. She still believed in me even when I couldn't for all the world understand anything about Crime and Punishment. And, in the end, she told me to dream big and helped to send me three thousand miles away to New York City to fly on my own.

She encouraged me to see myself as she did, and I teach AP to pay her back—a bit every day, one kid at a time.

***

Lauren Hill teaches AP Language and Composition and 9th grade English at Western Hills High School in Frankfort, Ky. A graduate of Los Altos High School, she earned a B.A. from Barnard College at Columbia University, an M.Ed. from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University, and her Rank I from the University of Kentucky. A National Board-certified teacher, Lauren works with the Implementing Common Core Standards team at the Center for Teaching Quality and with AdvanceKentucky, a division of the National Math and Science Initiative.

This article originally appeared on Education Week Teacher through a publishing partnership with theTeacher Leaders Network.  Reprinted with permission from the author.

Peter H. Reynolds' 8 Tips for Inspiring Students to Write, New Poster, & Other Creative Resources

In honor of National Poetry Month, we decided to post some 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.

1. Step off the path and write with your wings outstretched. Break a rule or two as you go.

2. Don't let a jumbled thought stop you — plant it and keep going.

3. Don't let a misspelled word slow you down. Go back and attend to it later.

4. Listen to your inner voice and transcribe what you hear without trying to edit it.

5. Try writing for yourself. Not for your audience. Try to ignore the critics' voices you may hear.

6. Invent a word.

7. Skip punctuation or invent your own ...__...> and see what it feels like.

8. Borrow an idea from your favorite author and twist it a few times. Turn it inside out. Make it your own!

Download this guyku (haiku) poster by Peter H. Reynolds for free, now through May 9, 2012. Enjoy!

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What do you do to encourage your students to write? Let us know!

Peter H. Reynolds' 8 Tips for Creative Publishing

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NY Times best-selling author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds loves encouraging people to publish their writing and art. Do you have dreams of sharing your creations? Check out the following tips from Peter — and don't wait to take the next steps on your creative journey! Peter writes....

1. Keep a Journal. This may be the single most important thing I ever did to ensure I captured my daily creative thoughts. Many times I would write letters to my daughter Sarah — sharing how I saw the world. This is a great way to focus your writing and spark new ideas. In fact, I drew my book The North Star in my journal. The trick is just getting it down — and then sharing it.

2. Just Do It. It’s the old Nike thing — “just do it.” It’s true. When kids ask me how they can do what I do, I tell them: “Just keep practicing — draw every day — you just keep going — it’s the only way to get better and find your own style."

3. Publishing — Lite. I get nearly daily requests from people trying to “get into the business.” And I advocate for very low-level self-publishing.

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• Share! Take your story or picture book, even in rough form, and photocopy and staple it. Now do a couple of things. Give a few copies of your book away. Strategically give copies to two or three teachers who teach students at ages that match the level of your story. Or sell them for 50 cents a copy.

• If you’re feeling more ambitious, do the web print-on-demand thing. If you can sell 25 copies to friends and relatives, then it’s a sign you’ve got a support network ready to cheer you on. The real test will be if you get requests for additional copies.

4. Go Back to School! If you’re writing children’s books, the most important feedback is from teachers and kids. Go to classrooms, read your work aloud, and talk about how you write and/or draw. Educators love showing kids process. Share with them. What’s your inspiration? Your favorite books? Model your curiosity, exploration, and discovery. By reading your work aloud, you get the reality test — what words are working, and what pictures get the laugh or the “ooh” and “ahh.”

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5. Set Goals! If you don’t commit to your creative expression, time slips away and takes with it all the possible art, words, and creation that you could have brought to life. Tell yourself, “This holiday, I am going to have my story done for my children.” Carve out time, schedule it in, and make it a priority!

6. Create Your Ritual. My bedtime has become my ritual time for my daily creativity retreat. I have everything there by my bedside — my little altar — blank journals and pencils, surrounded by books. Stacks of books with words. Stacks of books with no words. Invitations to be inspired.

7. Unleash Imagination. I recently met an artist whose wife and children are also quite artistic. As accomplished as he was with realistic drawing, the artist struggled with one big challenge — imagination. When his kids asked him to draw a dragon, he was stumped. If it didn’t exist in front of him, he couldn’t draw it. I told him, “Think what it is similar to. You do know how to draw a dragon. You can draw a horse, you can draw wings. Now paint it green, and you’re halfway there. Block everything else out and only see that drawing in your head.” I’m drawing in my head.

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8. Be Uncareful. Sometimes people never start a project because they’re afraid they’ll make a mistake or it won’t look perfect. This happens with kids and adults, in classrooms and in the workplace. My book The Dot tackles that fear head on. I’m delighted to hear that message resonating with so many people, including art educators around the world who have seen kids pack away their artistic selves, year after year, until only the “class artist” remains. I’m out to change that, and part of my mantra is telling kids (and grown-up kids) to be uncareful! Don’t worry about doing it perfectly — just do it, get it out, experiment, enjoy the happy accidents you’ll inevitably make. My book Ish, sequel to The Dot, tackles how to handle that paralyzing syndrome of trying to “get it right.”

Have you tried any of these tips? Do you have other tips to offer? Comment below to give us insight on how you keep your creative juices flowing.