FableVision Learning Spotlight Blog

Kathy Loukos 11/11/16 Kathy Loukos 11/11/16

FabFriday: Add a Splash of Color to your Fab@School Maker Studio Projects!

Welcome to FabFriday, a blog series that highlights tips and tricks for using Fab@School Maker Studio. Through this series, we will focus on different materials, design tips, and construction techniques to make the most out of your paper engineering experience.

Color is a great way to add a creative flair to your Fab@School Maker Studio projects. There are plenty of colorful techniques to try, all with their own advantages.

Colored Cardstock
Cardstock paper comes in a wide variety of colors. Try fabricating ready-made and custom creations in your favorite colors. This is good for whenever your project has a large areas of flat color, or a simple color scheme. Layering and mixing different colors is a lot of fun, so make sure you have lots of different colors to experiment with!

Try cutting your page into two colors when fabricating to make parts in two colors at the same time! How can you position cut shapes in your workspace so that you can cut two colors at once?

Printing with Registration Marks

You can also print Fab@School Maker Studio projects before fabricating. This is key when including Library images and imported pictures in your projects. Remember to use registration marks when printing and fabricating. Learn more about registration marks with our Fabrication Quick Start Guide.

I used printing with registration marks to create this pizza box for Arno's Pizza. This Pizza Troll is from the award-winning math and logic game Zoombinis, developed in partnership with TERC, a not-for-profit leader in K-12 math and science education, the Learning Games Network, a not-for-profit game company, and FableVision Studios.

Hand Coloring

What’s more fun that drawing all over your creations? Give your projects a unique touch with pens, colored pencils, or markers. After all, it is paper! You can doodle on your prototypes to get new ideas, or add the finishing touch to completed projects!

Combine all Three!

Can you design a Fab@School Maker Studio creation that uses printed pictures, colored paper, and your own drawing? Combining different techniques and trying new things is Fab-tastic!

How are you adding color to your Fab@School Maker Studio creations? Share how you used these tips! Send your photos and ideas to info@FableVisionLearning.com, for a chance to have them featured in an upcoming FabFriday!

Andrea Calvin 9/28/16 Andrea Calvin 9/28/16

Dot Day: Shea’s Story

At the 2016 International Society for Technology Education Conference in Denver, CO, Peter H. Reynolds had the good fortune to meet an exceptional educator, Alice Gentili.

Alice shared the story of Shea, a young art student, and the transformative effect of International Dot Day.

This is her story in her own words:

Shea’s Story

Late March 2008, I was six and I had a headache.

Then I could barely walk and I passed out. My dad drove me to the hospital. My mom came shortly afterward. It was discovered later that day that I had an AVM blood vessel in my brain, and it had ruptured.

An AVM is a knot of a bunch of blood vessels in the brain. They are very rare. They occur in less than one percent of the world's population. Even then they are less common in females, the chances of surviving one are slim.

Even if one did manage to survive they would likely suffer severe side effects, such as severe brain damage, field vision loss, blindness, numbness or weakness in one or more areas of the body, language difficulties, or not being able to walk again.

The doctors suspected that, even though I would have to get surgery, I would not survive. I have left side weakness now. Although that is partially because I got Bell’s Palsy twice on the left side of my face before I turned two. I also have partial field vision loss on the left side of each of my eyes. I still have 20/20 vision otherwise though.

***

It was in art class in fifth grade.

That day my art teacher, Mrs. Gentili, told us it was International Dot Day. That was a day named after a picture book, "The Dot" by Peter H. Reynolds.

Mrs. Gentili read the book to us and there was one sentence, that I remember, that inspired me, that ended up influencing who I am as an artist. The sentence read, "Make a mark and see where it takes you."

We had to draw dots of our own after reading the book. That gave me an idea, and when I get an idea there's no stopping me. When I got home that day I pulled out a small, unused sketchbook and some markers. Probably the least sophisticated markers of all time but they worked for me.

When I was at my little brother's soccer practice that day I began. I drew a dot that resemblesa marble of sorts, using four different colors: light blue, bright blue, light green, and bright purple.

About a month or so later I came into art class with a completed dot journal. It was filled with dots I had drawn with similar designs as the first and all sorts of colors. Mrs. Gentili loved it, she made a video of it and put it on YouTube.

I would go to create more dot journals after that, as well as taking sculpture classes and other classes. Completing a collection of more than 365 drawings on Sketchbook Express, and finishing at least two other sketchbooks. I am in the process of finishing a third. Circles, dots would be a part of almost every drawing, painting, or sculpture I did after that.

Eighth grade was my last year in middle school. We had a little graduation ceremony and an awards ceremony before hand. I was one of the two people who got the Georgia O'Keefe award.

Afterwards somehow everyone in the school knew who I was. Probably because my fifth grade art teacher, Mrs. Gentili put it on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter because she was so proud of me. I honestly didn't like the attention and publicity at first. I'm not mad at her for it though. I saw her, Mrs. Gentili, afterwards. She told me that she felt that it all began with "The Dot," my dot journals. I told her she was right. It did.

"The Dot" turned the visual arts into my number one passion.

Andrea Calvin 9/15/16 Andrea Calvin 9/15/16

A Special Dot Day Message from From Peter H. Reynolds

How are you making your mark this Sept. 15-ish? Tweet at us using #DotDay and let us know!

Kathy Loukos 9/7/16 Kathy Loukos 9/7/16

FableVision Learning’s Teacher Spotlight: John Long

Let Helping Teachers Develop Students that Learn Through Creating

“My classroom is a bit large these days,” explains John Long, technology program specialist in the Department of Educational Technology for the School District of Palm Beach County. “It involves working with several hundred teachers and thousands of students at about 30 schools a year…I like to consider myself a digital learning architect at any of the 183 schools in Palm Beach County. My role involves designing professional development for the schools and implementing professional learning communities for integrating technology embedded into the curriculum.”

John recently chatted with FableVision Learning about his unique method of integrating technology into the curriculum, his work with programs like Animation-ish and Fab@School Maker Studio, and plans for Dot Day! If you are curious about what he is up to in the classroom, follow John on Twitter: @adigitallearner

Can you share a bit about your creative teaching style?

I focus on coaching, modeling, curriculum design, and creating professional learning networks for educators. I believe it is important for students to create based on their learning instead of constantly consuming content and having to be assessed on it.

I started years ago training in educational technology on how to use programs but they never seemed to understand how to use it in their classrooms. Over the years I changed my methods to include ongoing professional development with time to implement and receive feedback. Then took the professional development into the classrooms and talked with teachers, librarians, administrators, and parents. I researched their standards and curriculum. I have built quite a community of teachers over the past 20 years and decided to head back into the classroom to work directly with teachers and students on integrating. This was the key to getting teachers comfortable with using technology into their curriculum.

The first emphasis was to focus on teaching and learning. It is hard for teachers to see this because they focus on the “wow” or “cool” factor and it is more show and tell and not about learning from technology. The second focus is to design a project where the teacher is comfortable enough to watch and learn. Teachers are still learners too. Focusing on a core set of apps or tools that allow students to create projects. Once teachers get comfortable they turn it over to them and observe and give feedback. Each project and class is different so the learning never stops. This process is my methodology in a nutshell.

You have created a fantastic collection of videos that show how Animation-ish can be used in the classroom. Can you tell us about the subject of some of these videos and the inspiration behind them?

I believe in developing a core set of apps or tools to work with in the classroom and then supplement with more tools based on grade level and subject area. The core set of apps should be used in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade. One of my apps in that core set is an animation app. Animation allows students to design and draw concepts that they have learned and demonstrate that learning. It allows them to synthesize and apply the learning. I learned about Animation-ish back in 2009 talking with a dear friend, Dr. Peggy Healy Stearns. I started to see all kinds of uses in Science but also in language arts. One of my first projects was to create a animated dictionary of words. Here is a great example of this in action..

Animation-ish is great in Science. Using it to document things like the water-cycle, or the butterfly life cycle, and even things like cell mitosis. This got me thinking of another project creating digital student portfolios in iBooks Author or now Book Creator. Students can create e-book portfolios by recreating through word processing, video, pictures, or animation using Animation-ish. I started working with a biology teacher and a fifth grade teacher to design these projects. This is an ongoing project that keeps evolving over the years.

A few years ago, a librarian colleague of mine shared with me her fairytale project, which was part of the second grade curriculum. I got to thinking about making it digital and letting students create a digital fairytale. The premise was to start with writing a fairytale including the characteristics then let the students animate the project. Since it is electronic, let the students read their passage with the animation and create an e-book to share. I decided that I would become the story wizard and began to dress the part. This is a fun and challenging project. We have now completed three digital fairytales. One of the favorite parts of the projects is the students learning how to use Animation-ish. You can see how the project is implemented below.

After we did the second digital fairytale, I thought wouldn’t it be interesting to try a digital mystery and what would that look like? In the digital mystery, I became the digital sleuth to guide them through creating a digital mystery. How do you create a mystery, you have to start with the ending first. Then you need to develop four or five clues guiding the students to veer away from inappropriate types of mysteries. Once you have the ending and the clues decided, you start from the beginning and guide them through creating the story including the clues. You have to keep them focused on the clues, the characteristics, and the ending as they forget and need reminding. You even have to narrow the focus of some of your most “creatives” in the class. Then they can start to use Animation-ish to create their scenes. It was a most rewarding experience with students thanking me. Check out the video with student and teacher feedback.

Do you have any cool Fab@School Maker Studio stories to share?

I have followed the development of Fab@School Maker Studio for 6 years since Dr. Peggy Healy Stearns showed it to me in Denver, CO at the 2010 ISTE conference. I was so excited to see this product was the missing key to teaching STEAM in the classrooms. I first used (Fab@School Maker Studio) a few years ago to design a jack-o'-lantern with an electric circuit with fifth graders and now use it with other groups. It is perfect to build something and teach. I always refer back to the literacy aspect as most schools need to still focus and that is the hook to using it.

We are just getting started in Palm Beach County and with all large districts, it takes time but as the video below will show - we are Going Places...

You love to find creative ways to mark International Dot Day. What has been your favorite celebration and what do you have planned for this year?

Terry Shay challenged me at 2013 ISTE in San Antonio, Texas to bring International Dot Day to Palm Beach County. This is a big task due to the nature of a large district with over 13,000 teachers and 187,000 students.

I am sure that some teachers in this district celebrated International Dot Day way before I brought it up. I had heard about it but never really did it. So, I decided to take him up on his challenge. I went back home and discussed with my supervisors and they agreed to support it. It took six weeks to approve it and it finally became a bulletin, which is how information is officially communicated to the schools.

The first year was a test and I developed some ideas to support International Dot Day. I came up with the basic illustrations and language arts activities. I even came up with the idea to create the first “Dot”cumentary to share how people use it in their classrooms. The first year was definitely a trial run. After the first year, I spent a whole year thinking of new ways to develop ideas for the next year. It is truly a yearlong process. We have had math teachers, science teachers, art teachers, music teachers, and everything in between participate. I have had librarians use it for teaching digital citizenship about making their digital footprint and leaving their mark. Each summer after school is out, I work on the “Dot”cumentary from that year as a way to gear up for the next year.

2013 “Dot”cumentary

2014 “Dot”cumentary

2015 “Dot”cumentary

In 2014, one of my professional learning networks called eMobilize developed a workshop around The Dot as a way to promote and build projects for International Dot Day. The workshop is called the Excellent Learning Adventure and the premise is to learn to use the iPad with Common Core (aka Florida Standards) to help students make their mark in the world through learning. We conduct the workshop a month before International Dot Day so that teachers become aware and promote creativity.

2015 Excellent Learning Adventure

Each year gets better and better with more people learning about it and innovating. The past school year, I started working with a librarian and art teacher at a middle school. The librarian wanted to do a digital project but didn’t know how to get started and lacked the confidence to try. She works well with the art teacher and she wanted to do something with International Dot Day even though it was January. The art teacher was using Photoshop in their class. I brainstormed with both of them and came up with a project. The art teacher would teach them Photoshop by making backgrounds out of dots. Then I would work with the librarian and art teacher to coach them on how to film their students in front of a green screen talking about “how they will make their mark” in the world. It was amazing what came out of the middle school students.

You can see it here:

Check out his awesome Dot Day ideas for the classroom, here.

Jane Reynolds 8/23/16 Jane Reynolds 8/23/16

More Ways to Celebrate International Dot Day in 2016!

From a Facebook Live pre-party with Emily Arrow to special episodes of "Ready Set Draw!" and "StoryMakers" featuring Peter H. Reynolds on KidLit TV, there are so many ways to Celebrate International Dot Day! Read on.

Wednesday, Aug. 24: Emily Arrow's Dot Day Pre-Party!

Join Emily Arrow on Wednesday, August 24 for a Dot Day (Pre)Par-TAY. She wants to sing and practice The Dot Song with you, and get excited for International Dot Day on September 15.

This way kids, parents, and teachers will have lots of time to learn The Dot Song and the new ISH Song.

Join Emily Arrow on Facebook Live Wednesday, August 24 at 7:30 p.m. EST, 4:30 p.m. PST.

Sept. 5 & 14: KidLit TV Features Peter H. Reynolds

To celebrate International Dot Day KidLit TV is premiering extra special episodes of "Ready Set Draw!" and "StoryMakers" featuring Peter H. Reynolds.

September 5: Ready Set Draw-ish!
Peter shows you how to make your mark for Dot Day!

September 14: StoryMakers
Peter and StoryMakers host Rocco Staino discuss the Creatrilogy, Dot Day, and more!

But Wait, There's More: KidLit TV will be giving away Peter's Creatrilogy (The Dot, Ish, and Sky Color) and one of a kind paintings made while filming 'Ready Set Draw!' Watch the shows above for your chance to enter. Stay Tuned to KidLit TV.

Sept. 10: Dot Day Celebration at the Blue Bunny!

Come celebrate International Dot Day with Peter H. Reynolds and The Blue Bunny Books & Toys in Dedham, MA, on Saturday, Sept. 10, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Signed and personalized copies of The Dot will be available during the celebration and online through The Blue Bunny website.

Sept. 13: Dot Day live stream with Discovery Education

Discovery Education is helping us kick-off International Dot Day global creativity fest with a special virtual event. The team will be live streaming from the school in Iowa that started Dot Day back in 2009! Dot Day founder and creative educator Terry Shay will be hosting Peter H. Reynolds, author/illustrator of The Dot, with FableVision Learning's Dot Connector Bill Norris and Vice President Andrea Calvin.

Now: Get Your Epic Bonus!

Students' families can click here, sign up for Epic! - the trusted online K-5 children's book library, and use special promo code DOTDAY to get two months of FREE access at home to digital book/audio/film versions of The Dot.

Of course, educators get Epic! free year-round. But now, home users will also get 2 months free access - just like those lucky teachers - to more than 15,000 high-quality books for kids 12 and under from Epic!'s all-you-can read digital library. How's that for an epic offer?

Kathy Loukos 8/11/16 Kathy Loukos 8/11/16

Let's Have a High-Tech Dot Day!

Want to incorporate technology into your Dot Day festivities but don't know how to get started? Check out these high-tech-inspired projects! And be sure to share your own ideas with us on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter:

Facebook: FableVision Learning, International Dot Day, #DotDay

Pinterest: International Dot Day Board

Twitter: @FableLearn, @DotClubConnect, #DotDay

1. Fabricate Dot Day Projects With FabMaker Studio

Students can use FabMaker Studio to make their mark. Try your hand at creating a Dot Day pop-up or assembling an automaton (found in the ready-mades folder). They can also let their creativity run free by creating their own Dot Day projects!

2. Make Your Mark Move With Animation-ish

Have your students create animations using Animation-ish. Already have the program and ready to get started? Download Peter H. Reynolds' official International Dot Day starter animation for Animation-ish here.

3. Experience Augmented Reality With QuiverVision's 3D Coloring App

Imagine turning your 2D Dot Day dot design into a 3D sphere. With QuiverVision's coloring page and 3D Coloring App you can do just that! Print the coloring page, download the app (Apple App Store, Google Play), and you'll be all set to start making your mark!

Celebrating Dot Day this year? Remember to register here!

Kathy Loukos 8/1/16 Kathy Loukos 8/1/16

Dot Day 2016: Link Up with the 4.6 Million Mark Makers

The following article first appeared on Dot Day Founder Terry Shay's blog, TJ on Journey.

International Dot Day started in a few classrooms in 2009 and has grown into a celebration celebrated around the world. I am constantly sharing links on Twitter and Facebook to encourage more classes to participate. Adults may feel free to connect with me.

Official Page and Signup

The Dot Club is where to send people first. There is a yearly signup as well as a lot of resources and ideas to make your day, week, month or school year successful. Please encourage people to check out the site and sign up!!

Celebrities Celebrate Dot Day

The Celebri-dot site was inspired by Sharon Creech who sent me a dot on Dot Day 2011. I was so inspired by her graciousness that I decided to start asking other celebrities to make their mark. So many awesome dots are now on the site by the best people out there. If you know an author/illustrator/actor/sports personality, please invite them to participate. The determining factor on 'celebrity' status is if kids would recognize his/her name or work. There are now 220 dots up!

Dot Day Pins on Pinterest

I have curated a group of Dot Day celebrations through Pinterest. I also encourage you to search Pinterest for International Dot Day as I may have missed some. Beautiful stuff there! I also have a newer board for Dot Day Ideas.

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Middle & High Schoolers

This year people have wondered if grade 7-12 students can participate in Dot Day. The answer is yes! In 2013, every kid in grades 7-12 (and their awesome teachers) created a dot on his/her tablet and we took a large picture in the gym. We created a Flickr to display a gallery of all the dots online.

In addition, check out this blogpost from last year where I asked my former high school kids what they liked about the day.

Tune into Twitter

I also encourage you to use and search the #DotDay hashtag on Twitter. The very best and most creative educators on the planet will be found there!

Visit FableVision Learning

Another way to connect with the best people is to check and follow people from this great post: Superheroes of Dot Day post on the FableVision Learning Blog.

Happy Dot Day 2016!!

Kathy Loukos 7/11/16 Kathy Loukos 7/11/16

FableVision Learning is Ready for a FAB-tastic Boston Mini Maker Faire

Artists, Engineers, Tinkerers…Oh My! Where can one find these people and many other AWESOME-ly creative things? At the Boston Mini Maker Faire, of course!

On July 23, Boston Children’s Museum will host the city’s first ever Mini Maker Faire from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the FableVision Learning team will be there with hands-on STEAM projects fabricated in Fab@School Maker Studio.

What's a Maker Faire? Picture a science fair like the ones you would go to as a kid but hands-on. People of all ages will come together to witness and interact with new forms of creativity and the new technology used to express that creativity. From traditional to technologically-produced works there’s no innovative limit at the Maker Faire.

Since the launch of the first Maker Faire in 2006 in the Bay Area, there have been many others happening all across the globe including cities like Seoul, Berlin, Lisbon, Tokyo, and Oslo. In addition, there have been over 120 independently organized Mini Maker Faire events and we are SUPER thrilled that Boston is hosting one.

So, come join us and get hands-on with Fab@School Maker Studio - make an animal mask, pinwheel, pop-up creation, and so much more! We hope to see you there.

For more information about Boston Mini Maker Faire, click here. Interested in attending? Click here to buy a ticket.

Kathy Loukos 6/23/16 Kathy Loukos 6/23/16

New Storybook Transports Kids & Grown Up Kids To Meet Massachusetts' Famed Conservationist Who Saved State's Most Precious Places

Massachusetts’ Best-Selling Author/Illustrator Duo Commissioned to Create Commemorative Storybook to Celebrate The Trustee's 125th Anniversary - the Commonwealth's Largest Conservation & Preservation Non-Profit

What kind of child grows up to change the world? The Trustees of Reservations, the Commonwealth's largest conservation and preservation organization, knows the answer. As part of their 125th anniversary celebration they commissioned FableVision co-founders Peter H. Reynolds and Paul A. Reynolds to write a commemorative-edition children’s picture book as a tribute to a little boy named Charley Eliot—who would grow up to be Massachusetts’ visionary preservationist and founder of The Trustees of Reservations—now known simply as The Trustees.

The story, written by Paul and illustrated by Peter, features ten-year old Charley Eliot, who enlists his friends to protect a grove of ancient oaks that are being cleared to make way for a road. He dubs them "The Knights of the Woods," and together they come to the rescue of their beloved trees where they always played. As Charley announces at the end of the story, they vow to protect and preserve all special places—the fields, the mountains, the beaches and the woods for all—and for all time.

Along with family-friendly programs, camps, events, and activities, the new storybook introduces the Trustees’ mission to carry on Eliot’s legacy to a whole new generation. As Trustees President and CEO Barbara Erickson notes, “We hope that this inspirational story of our imaginative and forward-thinking founder from the talented Reynolds brothers will spread the passion for conservation to the younger generations and encourage them to visit and find magical moments and inspirations at our scenic, recreational, natural and cultural sites.”

FableVision’s founder and New York Times best-selling author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds is excited about the book’s impact. “At FableVision, we’re very fond of visionaries—and Charles Eliot truly was one. I’m thrilled to be able to draw attention to his vision and mission that allowed The Trustees to protect so many of Massachusetts’ most precious sites for 125 years,” shared Reynolds.

Reynolds’ twin brother Paul, who recently landed the Library of Congress MassBook Award for Best Picture Book of the Year for his storybook collaboration with Peter called Going Places, was deeply touched by this project. “In researching, I learned that Eliot’s life was tragically cut short at age 37 by spinal meningitis, after which his father Charles W. Eliot, who was President of Harvard University, wrote a 770-page biography of his son’s life. Reading it, I felt as if Eliot’s father transported through time and was sitting next to me sharing about his remarkable little boy. Building on those details, I tried to create a story that would capture his son’s love for nature and history—a passion that would propel little Charley into a lifetime of conservation advocacy. The landscape of Massachusetts was impacted for generations because of this man’s vision. I hope this story inspires all ages to continue Eliot’s vision through the work of The Trustees, and that it will foster the next generation of stewardship of our natural and historic resources.”

Peter, Paul and Julia stand with a picture of Charles Eliot.

The endpapers at the front and back of the book feature full-color illustrations by the Reynolds’ longtime colleague and fellow FableVisionary Julia Anne Young who is also a writer, illustrator, and designer. Young’s drawings feature a handful of The Trustees’ signature properties around the Commonwealth.

Attendees of The Trustee’s 125th Anniversary Gala in May received advance copies of the storybook. Released in a limited-edition printing, the Charley Eliot and the Knights of the Woods storybook was carefully hand-bound by FableVision’s print partner, Bridgeport National Bindery (BNB) in Agawam, MA.

BNB’s Michele Brennan explains, “Our most seasoned hand-binder from our library division, an immigrant from Moldova who has been with Bridgeport for nearly 35 years, used the time-honored technique fan binding. This is a centuries-old skill, one we decided to use once I shared the mission of The Trustees. Bridgeport preserves these skills and passes them on to our younger interns. It seemed appropriate to bind the books in this way to honor The Trustees’ 125th Anniversary.”

Limited quantities of the collectors-edition book are also available at 12 sites, including The Trustees’ most visited National Historic Landmarks: Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich and Naumkeag House and Gardens in Stockbridge. Additional Trustees locations carrying the limited-edition book include Appleton Farms Dairy Store in Ipswich, KITCHEN at the Boston Public Market, Appleton Farms’ booth at the Boston Public Market, The Old Manse in Concord, Powisset Farm Guest House at Field Farm in Dover, Tully Lake Campground in Royalston, and Dunes Edge Campground in Provincetown.

Celebrate this special book with Peter and Paul during special book signing events this summer, including a public unveiling and birthday party at the Boston Public Library on Saturday, July 23, as well as special teacher/librarian event at The Blue Bunny Books in Dedham later this year.

The Trustees’ 125th anniversary celebrations will continue throughout the year with other public events and celebrations. Festivities include a Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra concert on Aug. 6, hosted for the first time ever at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate in Ipswich.

Kathy Loukos 6/16/16 Kathy Loukos 6/16/16

FableVision Team Gears Up for ISTE 2016!

What is this thing called ISTE we keep talking about? ISTE, also known as the International Society for Technology in Education, is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help educators and education leaders who are devoted to "empowering connected learners in a connected world."

FableVision is excited to announce that this year we will have a hands-on booth. Our attending representatives cannot wait for June 27 to come. Read more to find out what they have to say about ISTE:

Sarah Ditkoff, Communications & Development Strategist, FableVision Studios

"I am most looking forward to the people – ISTE is the best! There’s so much going on, and it still somehow manages to find that perfect intersection between creativity and community. There are countless ideas to share, old friends to reconnect with, and new friends to meet. It’s always an inspiring gathering of inspired people."

Patrick Condon, Digital Media Engineer, FableVision Learning

"As the newest FableVisionary, I'm looking forward to ISTE because it is going to be my opportunity to meet the rest of the team and work together with them in a high-energy environment. I am also very excited to see the massive circular banner I designed hanging above the booth - It'll be hard to miss! As my first ISTE conference, I know I'm going to learn so much, so I could probably just say that I'm looking forward to everything!"

Terry Shay, Lead Ambassador, FableVision Learning

"ISTE is a great time to connect with people who share our passion for connecting and creating. I look forward to meeting old friends and making new friends. I especially look forward to meeting new people who celebrate International Dot Day and hearing their stories. Last year I met wonderful educators from PA who impressed me with stories and pictures from their Dot Day celebration!!"

Andrea Calvin, Vice President, FableVision Learning

"What aren't I looking forward to?!?! From the hands-on activities in FableVision Booth # 3704 to the fabulous presentations to the meet ups with creative educators - ISTE is going to be awesome!"

Bill Norris, Dot Connector, The Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning and Creativity (TLC)

"I love going to conferences and special events. What makes it most intriguing to me is meeting educators from all over the globe. Over the past several years we have connected many ‘dots’, and I look forward to seeing everyone… it’s almost like a reunion. What I really like best is the opportunity to speak about our mission. Indeed we have wonderful products, but our bottom line is really about helping kids and teachers become more creative and helping us move the world to a better place!"

Denine Jimmerson, Ed.D., Creative Curriculum & Evaluation Specialist, The Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning and Creativity (TLC)

"I am looking forward to ISTE for many reasons! First, I've never been to ISTE before... this will be FUN. Also, I am looking forward to spending time with my FableVision "family", another first for me! And, I am really excited about having the opportunity to meet new people and learning from all of the brilliant people that will be attending ISTE!"

Shelby Marshall, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Product Solutions, FableVision Studios

"I love going to ISTE. It's a great place to see what's new in the ed-tech industry, catch up with people I see only once or twice a year, and meet new people. It's especially rewarding to introduce people to the amazing work FableVision Studios does. I always come home inspired by what I saw and the conversations I had."

Peggy Healy Stearns, Ph.D., Software and Instructional Designer, Fab@School Coalition Co-Founder

"I’ve been coming to ISTE since 1989 when it was called NECC, and for me it’s still the most anticipated conference of the year. From airport to hotel to convention center, and on the buses that ferry us between, there are warm reunions and enthusiastic first meetings with colleagues from around the country and beyond. Inside the exhibit hall, a small city takes shape as booths are assembled and banners are hoisted. The technology changes, faces change, but the passion and enthusiasm of caring educators who come together to learn how to impact the future of children, communities, and the world remain constant through the decades."

Will you be at ISTE 2016? Let us know by tweeting at us @FableLearn! We look forward to meeting you there.

Kathy Loukos 6/6/16 Kathy Loukos 6/6/16

Henry Herz Interviews FableVision Founder Peter H. Reynolds

Have you ever wondered how FableVision started? Well your questions will soon be answered. Henry Herz, a writer for children's fantasy and science fiction, recently sat down with FableVision founder Peter H. Reynolds to ask him a few questions regarding his experience in writing and illustrating children's books. The following article first appeared on Henryherz.com.

H: For what age audience do you write?

P: I create picture books–often referred to as children’s books, but I write them for all ages.

H: Tell us about your latest book.

P: Playing from the Heart was recently published by Candlewick. It’s a story about a boy named Raj who discovers a piano in his house. His playful and joyful explorations are followed by years of lessons. Many years later he rediscovers the original joy of his childhood “playing.”

H: What do you hope readers will get from reading that book?

P: I hope the book encourages us to hold on to joy we knew as children, but also to encourage parents and teachers to allow kids play–as well as themselves. Kids don’t need instructions in the sandbox. They can play for hours with no guidance and no assessment. There is no pressure that their sand playing abilities will be tested. We don’t have to be great at things that bring us joy and conversely, sometimes the things we are good at don’t bring us joy. These are ideas that fascinate me.

H: What aspect of writing or illustrating do you find most challenging?

P: My biggest challenge is to keep the energy and looseness of my original sketches. Traditional publishing involves a team and a process of sketches, comments, editing, revisions, finals, revisions to finals–it can yield some polished results, but it can also wear down the original, raw energy. My challenge is to shelter that spark through the process.

H: I’ve experienced the same thing with my picture book manuscripts. I have to be careful not to allow critiques to mask the original voice and heart of the story.

H: What is a powerful lesson you’ve learned from being a writer/illustrator?

P: Creating a moving and memorable story is one of the hardest math problems you’ll ever solve. The logic of a story is the backbone. Keeping the art and text lean and sparse allows the backbone to stand strong and not get lost.

H: I write, but do not illustrate. I remember, when I first started writing, how hard it was for me to let go – to not include much scene description, to not add copious art notes. It’s hard trusting someone (the illustrator) you’ve never met.

H: What has been a memorable experience that you never would have had if you had not been a writer/illustrator?

P: A 6th grade girl reached out to me and shared how my book Ish changed her self-identify. She had struggled with being a perfectionist. My book had helped her see things in a whole new way. This made me aware of the impact my work could have on people around the world. It amazes me that I can touch peoples lives without ever meeting them.

H: Yes, the amazing power of books and the internet.

H: What advice would you give to aspiring authors or illustrators?

P: Let it flow, not just work hard. In fact, the “working hard” can often dull your instincts. Just let it flow. Your way. Your journals belong to you. You never have to share them unless you find something in those pages that you feel needs to be shared. My other advice: keep going, never stop.

H: Yup. Never stop learning. Never stop writing. Never stop submitting.

H: Do you have any favorite quotes?

P: “Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity.” — Horace Mann

“Pessimism is destructive. Realism lacks imagination. Optimism inspires and opens doors.” — Bert Jacobs.

This is a little poem I heard when I was 15 and it has stuck with me all these years: I Meant To Do My Work Today by Richard LeGallienne

I meant to do my work today,
But a brown bird sang in the apple tree,
And a butterfly flitted across the field,
And all the leaves were calling me.
And the wind went sighing over the land,
Tossing the grasses to and fro,
And a rainbow held out its shining hand,
So what could I do but laugh and go?”

H: Beautiful. Plus, ode to ADHD.

H: Do you have any strange rituals that you observe when you work?

P: I like being barefoot while I draw and write. I haven’t really thought too much about it, but I suppose it could be connected to the freedom I felt when we moved to the grassy suburbs of Chelmsford, MA from the city of Somerville, MA when I was 6 years old. The first thing I did when I jumped out of the car at our new house was to take my shoes and socks off and run through the dewy grass. By the way, lot of my character are shoeless.

H: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

P: Instant transport. Blinking my eyes and being in a new place. I am eager to experience the entire planet, meet as many people, experience as many cultures as I can, but traditional travel is exhausting and time consuming. I’d love to blink and be in India. Blink: Iran. Blink: South Korea. Blink: Brazil. Blink: the International Space Station. I am certain the experiences would inspire new insights and stories.

H: That WOULD be handy. Plus, no waiting in airport lines.

H: If you could have three authors over for dinner, who would it be?

P: DEAD:
Aesop – I’m a big fan of fables.
William Steig – I had the pleasure of one dinner with him. We painted together. I’d love to do that again.
Charles Dickens – He was a champion of the underdog. His books captivated me as a young boy.

ALIVE:
Tom Robbins – I’m a huge fan of his quirky, brilliant brain.
Judy Blume – I have had the honor of meeting her and creating covers for some of her books, but I’d love to have a meal with her.
Any elementary school kid – They are natural storytellers. Honest. Funny. Inspiring.

H: Next day, 4,329 elementary school kids show up at Peter’s house…

H: What is your favorite creature that exists only in literature?

P: My recent favorite is the Snatchabook (featured in the book by Helen and Thomas Docherty)

H: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

P: I love being with my kids. My 29 year old daughter, Sarah and my almost 5 year old, Henry Rocket. I also love spending time in my wonderful downtown of Dedham, MA and more specifically, in my bookshop: The Blue Bunny.

H: I approve wholeheartedly of the name Henry Rocket and an author owning a bookshop.

The Blue Bunny bookstore located in Dedham, MA

H: What would you like it to say on your tombstone?

P: That is one project I’d prefer not to think too much about. I am absolutely stunned thinking that this blessed journey on Earth has to end. I don’t think the tombstone needs to say anything. My books, films, work will do that for me. You DID make me imagine a tombstone that was designed by kids. OR a big stone dot that people would be encouraged to write on, paint on, make their mark. That would make me smile.

H: Giant stone dot with paint set it is – hopefully a long time from now.

H: Where can folks find your work?

P: All sorts of places. My bookshop in Dedham, MA. Your local library and indie bookshop, I hope. For more info, see my website.

Thanks, Henry. I enjoyed pondering your questions and sharing my thoughts with your readers.

H: Thanks for spending time with us, Peter. This interview is also posted on the San Diego Children’s Books Examiner.

Can't get enough of Peter? Click here to read more about FableVision's founder.

FableVision Learning 5/26/16 FableVision Learning 5/26/16

Wrightsboro Elementary Students Make Their Mark with Dot Song!

Decked in dot-covered artist aprons and French berets, the paintbrush wielding students of Wrightsboro Elementary wowed the crowd at the 27th Annual Best Foot Forward showcase in New Hanover County with their rendition of Emily Arrow’s “The Dot Song” inspired by Peter H. Reynolds’ book The Dot. A multi-age group of nearly 40 students sang, danced, and acted out the story of The Dot while creating a dot of their own live on stage, which was revealed at the end of the performance. Lead by their music teacher, Shannon Flowers, their art teacher, Bron Guthrie, and teacher leader, Brandi Laney, the piece was a huge success and one of the most memorable performances of the night. Congratulations to the teachers and students of Wrightsboro Elementary for making their mark!

Want to bring Emily Arrow’s Creativity Road Show to your school? Click here.

All photography provided by Erin Whittle Photography.