You're Invited to FableVision's Virtual Summer Picnic

FableVision is waving hello to summer! Though summer break may look different to many students this year, FableVision has put together a list of resources and activities for your kids to enjoy and keep their minds sharp.

As more camps, schools, and families continue to be affected by the global pandemic, our studio is proud to provide resources for both you and your child in order to provide fun, exciting and new ways to take this summer to the next level! Whether you’re looking for some fun coloring pages, challenging and engaging educational games, or craft and activity-filled new shows and films to watch, we gathered our favorites to spice up this summer for you and your family. 

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Summer Banner

Soak in the summer fun with our new summer banner, designed by FableVision director of art and animation Bob Flynn. Celebrating the first day of summer and all the wild adventures with friends the season can bring, this banner is now also available as a printable coloring book page. Release your inner artist, and be sure to share your artwork and tag FableVision through our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram channels for a chance to be featured on our social media pages! 

Click on the black and white image to your left to download and print your own FableVision summer 2020 banner coloring page.

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Cyberchase Fractions Quest 

Brain power to the rescue! FableVision is proud to present Cyberchase Fractions Quest, our newest game that integrates a story-based setting with a research-based approach to fractions learning! Combining research-supported teaching methods with an engaging narrative context to motivate students, players embark on a quest to save Cyberspace from the villain Hacker and his henchbots Delete and Buzz. Stepping into the role of the hero, players travel through a series of minigames to deepen their understanding of fractions and tap, jump, and solve their way to success!

Aligned with Common Core Standards for Grade 3 and 4 mathematical structure, this game grounds students' conceptual understanding of fractions and practice math while on summer break!

The public beta version is available for free for a limited time on FableVision Games.

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The Paper Girls Show

Are you ready to let your imagination run wild? In partnership with Global Tinker, FableVision created a new STEAM-powered animated series that encourages girls to find innovative solutions to everyday problems. Follow best friends and makers Caily and Reese as they discover the fantastical paper world of Confetti and find inspiration to solve their real world dilemmas. 

Each episode provides corresponding activities and curriculum that introduce viewers to a different type of accessible technology. From paper circuitry to 3D printing, viewers are able to learn about the world around them through relatable characters, creative storytelling, and magical art and design as they explore Confetti.

Empowering young girls to create, play, and imagine, this STEAM-based series allows for children to experience science, art, engineering, and programming in a whole new way that shows them: “If you can dream it, you can make it!”

Season one is available to stream now on YouTube.

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Quandary

Planet Brazos needs your help! Playing as the captain of a new space colony, players must help their settlers solve ethical dilemmas by considering each viewpoint and making the best decision for the community as a whole. A Learning Games Network and FableVision-created game for the classroom and at home, Quandary develops and trains students’ critical thinking and problem solving skills and uses character development and story to help  players understand the difference between fact and opinions, and apply the skills they gain to real world problems.

A multi-award winning ethics learning game, Quandary is available for free on the Quandary website.

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Go Wild! With Ranger Rick

Learn more about your favorite animals in Go Wild! With Ranger Rick, a FableVision-created app for the National Wildlife Federation (NWF)’s Ranger Rick magazine series. Engaging kids ages 4-9, this app features three activities: Mystery Animal, That’s Wild!, and Rick’s Pix. In Mystery Animal, players are given a range of clues and prompted to guess the animal they think it is! In That’s Wild!, children read and laugh along to riddles, jokes, and fun facts based on all of their favorite animals. In Rick’s Pix, children and parents can either take or select a photo and create a whole new image to save and share using stickers, nature backgrounds, and fun frames. Designed to immerse young players in the natural world, this app leverages real wildlife information provided by the NWF.

The app is free to download with a Ranger Rick magazine subscription, providing young children a whole new digital experience of nature!

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Good Thinking! The Science of Teaching Science 

Debunk myths in your classroom with the Good Thinking! The Science of Teaching Science animated series. Created by FableVision for the Smithsonian Science Education Center, the series provides teachers with opportunities to learn how to best adhere to next generation science standards, perfect for summer professional development! Each episode offers insightful pedagogical ideas that educators can explore across a large range of subject-matter. From topics like natural selection to energy and gravity, Good Thinking! is a useful tool for teachers to learn how to best deliver heavy content in an approachable fashion.

With a new lesson and demonstration on how to engage with students every episode, this series is research-proven and vetted by experts, helping to deepen understanding of STEM topics for both teachers and students.

Good Thinking! is housed on the Smithsonian website, YouTube channel, and on PBS Learning Media.

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The Word Collector

Discover the magic of words that can connect, transform, and empower! Written and illustrated by FableVision founder and award-winning children’s book author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds, The Word Collector is an empowering book centered on celebrating the power of words. Published by Scholastic and named as a 2019 Outstanding Literary Work for Children by the NAACP, this book marks the importance and journey of finding your own unique voice in the world.

FableVision also created an accompanying animated film of The Word Collector to bring the story of a young boy who collects words that inspire and move him and the people around him to action to life.

Visit wordcollector.org to learn more about the book and purchase your own copy! And to stream and listen to Michelle and President Barack Obama read the story aloud for the Chicago Public Library’s “Live from the Library” storytime sessions, check out the Obama Foundation’s YouTube channel. To watch the animated film, visit the Scholastic website.

FableVision’s Cross-Country Tour

Summer is here, so you know what that means: sun, fun, and our annual Summer Road Trip! We’re excited to hit the road once again to visit conferences and summits across the country. We’re sure to meet amazing people and take part in the important conversations happening in education, media, and technology. Follow along with our travels on Twitter, and if you find yourself at any of our stops, come say hi!

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Back in the Bay Area

We’re heading off to sunny California from June 10-12 to hear from some of the brightest minds in educational technology at the SIIA Conference. With keynote panels focusing on diversity and inclusivity in educational services, this conference is sure to be a deep dive into the future of edtech in the United States as well as internationally! Catch our colleagues from the Reynolds Center from Teaching, Learning, and Creativity in the Cisco booth presenting the FabMaker Studio STEAM program to create practical, affordable makerspaces using paper, cardstock, and inexpensive digital fabricators (details TBA!).

Building Your Internal Capacity Without Hiring: Working with Service Providers
What: Panel of experienced providers in conversation about company growth and making the most of your workforce. Featuring FableVision Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Product Solutions Shelby Marshall.
When: June 12, 2019 at 10:15 a.m.

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Taking a Byte of the Big Apple!

Next up: New York! Join FableVision’s Communications Director Sarah Ditkoff, Executive Producer Peter Stidwill, and President and Co-founder Gary Goldberger at the Games for Change Festival, where attendees will hear from designers, developers, and others who are making games for social good. Along with Learning Games Network’s Shannon Frederick Meneses, Peter will speak about FableVision’s game, Quandary, which was awarded Game of the Year at the 2013 Games for Change Festival. We’re looking forward to convening with people leading meaningful changes in gaming through immersive media and applied principles in civics and game-based learning.

Life After “Game of the Year”: Sharing Six Years of Learning
When: June 18, 2019 at 11:45 a.m.
Where: Parsons School of Design at The New School, 63 Fifth Ave, NYC

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Exciting Edtech in Philadelphia

Join FableVision’s Sarah Ditkoff and Shelby Marshall in Philadelphia for the International Society for Technology in Education Conference. This conference highlights visual, cultural, and digital literacy. We can’t wait to meet teachers, business leaders, and others spearheading the movement for inclusive, accessible education technology (and perhaps pick up a tasty cheesesteak in the meantime)!

When: June 23-26, 2019
Where: Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

FabMaker Crew: Paper Prototyping for STEAM-powered learning

FableVision’s Paul Reynolds and Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning, and Creativity’s Andrea Calvin will showcase FableVision’s Fab@School Maker Studio at two workshops hosted in the CISCO Active Learning Space. Discover how schools, libraries, and programs around the country have used the FabMaker Studio STEAM program to create practical, affordable makerspaces using paper, cardstock, and inexpensive digital fabricators. During this hands-on session participants will experience the benefits of rapid paper prototyping, which allows for quick cycles of testing and iterative design enhancements.

When: June 24 from 3-3:45 p.m., June 25 from 11-11:45 a.m.
Where: Breakout Room 106AB

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Making Moves in Maine!

Ever wondered about how animation can revolutionize learning? Join FableVision’s Jane Reynolds and Dr. Denine Jimmerson at the Side x Side Summer Arts Institute in Portland, where they will explore just that! Take part in a comprehensive workshop focused on introducing important animation techniques and starting a conversation about using animation as a platform for every lesson imaginable.

What: “Using Animation as an Innovative Tool for Teaching and Learning” Workshop
When: June 24-25, 2019
Where: Portland, Maine

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Seriously Smiling in Montreal

We’re heading to the University of Quebec for the 2019 Serious Play Montreal Conference, highlighting the biggest achievements in serious games. We’re so excited to hear from developers, designers, and more who are leading the way in educational gaming and immersive learning. FableVision and our partners are accepting two Serious Play Awards for our games Lights, Camera, Budget! and Project Here Games. 

Silver Award Winner: Lights, Camera, Budget!, Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) and the Georgia Council on Economic Education (GCEE)
Lights, Camera, Budget! puts high school students in the shoes of a Hollywood movie producer in order to enhance their knowledge about personal finance, money management, and budgeting. In partnership with GPB and GCEE, FableVision created this game to reflect real life lessons in economics and help to increase students’ financial literacy.

Bronze Award Winner: Project Here Games, The Office of the Attorney General of Massachusetts, Health Resources in Action, and the GE Foundation
Project Here Games is part of a state-wide initiative to promote substance use prevention and healthy decision making among middle school students. Working with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office and Health Resources in Action, FableVision created this series of games that provide an interactive landscape in which students can develop socioemotional skills to handle situations involving substances and peer pressure, as well as stress management.

When: July 10-12, 2019
Where: University of Quebec, Montreal, Canada

June FableFriday: Shannon Frederick Meneses, Executive Producer at Learning Games Network

An old friend of FableVision’s, Shannon Frederick Meneses has always been devoted to educational media. As the Executive Producer for Learning Games Network (LGN), she has been a powerful advocate for pedagogically-sound games with forward-thinking design and deep roots in educational research.

Over the years, Shannon has helped strengthen LGN’s commitment to broad and strategic outreach, advanced development, and a strong foundation in research. At LGN, Shannon works with scholars like Dr. Lacey Hilliard at Tufts University to insure that students and educators are getting games that are informed by the most recent and trusted research.

“With all of our projects and audiences, we are constantly re-thinking and re-shaping our outreach for our projects and audiences. We regularly conduct market research to expand our knowledge of our audience(s),” says Shannon. “I have found engaging your user base is an ever-evolving process and we continue to find unique and creative ways to reach out and keep them informed and connected.”

Shannon’s work both with FableVision and LGN included the development of the award-winning learning game Quandary, which teaches ethics curriculum to middle schoolers. In this FableFriday, we spoke to Shannon about her work with LGN and FableVision, and learned more about what drives her passion for educational media.

Tell us a little bit about your role at LGN and the work the organization does.
I am beyond lucky to be the Executive Producer at the Learning Games Network. As part of a small company, we all have to wear many hats. My main role, though, is to create, coordinate, execute, and make things happen!

LGN is a spin-off of the MIT Education Arcade. It was created as a non-profit organization with the aim of bridging the gap between research and practice in the field of game-based learning. We build award winning games across a wide-range of ages, content, and devices. At their core LGN's games feature inspiring design, innovative pedagogy, and sound business strategy.

What inspired you to enter the educational media field, and how did you get your start?
It may sound silly, but I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be in educational media. I come from a family of teachers, and I was always in awe of what they did.

Growing up, I wanted to find a way to do some good in this world and combine two things I loved: education and media. I had a fascination with TV shows and movies and how they were made. Not only did I love them for their content, but I was also intrigued by the process of making stories and characters come to life.

While studying TV and Film at the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, I was fortunate enough to be mentored by some of the best and brightest in media production. Hearing their stories and learning from their experiences only furthered my interest and passion for this work. I dove in head first and worked my butt off. Whether I was in a writing class tweaking scripts, behind the camera shooting, or editing footage until the wee hours, I loved and learned it all.

Soon after graduation, I moved to LA and gained experience as an apprentice editor in the New Media group at Disney. While I cherished my time in LA and the incredible relationships formed and expertise gained, my passion was still with educational media. So, I made my way back east and eventually landed in Boston. I continued to build my resume and worked at sound studios and production companies. In 2003 I landed my first project management job at Six Red Marbles. It was there  that I met FableVision’s Technical Director, Brian Grossman!  He eventually moved on from SRM and was hired at FableVision. A little while later, he reached out to me to interview for a producer opening. I was ecstatic when I got the job and I never looked back. I have been in production for 20 years, and I wouldn’t change a thing.

To engage students in ethical decision-making, LGN and FableVision created Quandary, a teaching tool designed to help students 8+ recognize and deal with ethical situations in their own lives. What inspired this game?
The idea for Quandary began with Shelly London, while she was an inaugural fellow at Harvard University. Feeling there was a strong need to create a game that engages young people and helps them develop skills such as critical thinking, perspective-taking and decision-making, she set out to create this one-of-a-kind game.

She brought together a team of experts across the fields of child development, social and emotional learning and game design. That team of experts included scholars from Harvard and Tufts, who devised a prototype that was tested for viability, led by Professor Marina Bers. From there, Scot Osterweil and designers at LGN refined the game. Peter Stidwill, serving as LGN’s Executive Producer at the time, worked with FableVision to bring the game to life.

How is Quandary unique in the world of game-based learning and social-emotional learning?
Quandary has many components that make it unique, from its visual appeal to the conversation it sparks in educators and players alike.

In Quandary, players are captain of a human colony on the Planet Braxos, attempting to build a viable outpost. The story is told through captivating graphic novels, drawing players in as they have to make difficult decisions in which there is no one right answer—just like in real life.

Throughout the game, they develop skills such as critical thinking, perspective-taking and decision-making. While there are a number of games that incorporate these concepts, Quandary is unparalleled, as it addresses these ideas head-on. Quandary also takes it a step further, as it doesn’t represent ethical challenges as black and white issues. In this game, all sides are treated fairly.

Collaboration is also a key component of Quandary. We encourage educators to have students play in pairs as it promotes quality interactions during gameplay. As students engage in the game, they are allowed to replay, gather new information, hear from different colonists, and change their minds, thereby impacting the outcome based on their choices. This ability fosters a deeper level of thinking and the game becomes a catalyst for discussions among players and further enhances socioemotional learning.

What has your experience been like working with the FableVision team?
I might be a bit biased, but  after working for FableVision as a producer, the team is and always will be like family to me.

As a producer, it’s my job to lead projects, organize teams, and keep things on track. I love what I do, but it cannot be done without great partners and collaborators like those at FableVision. They are a joy to work with—true storytellers and an immensely talented team. You know when FableVision is on a project it will get done, and done well.

Scot Osterweil has also done a lot of work with LGN and FableVision on Quandary and other projects. How would you describe working with Scot?
You come to learn that this industry is actually quite small. You start to hear and see the same faces. You surround yourself with the people you want at the table. Scot is hands-down one of those people.

I have been fortunate to work alongside him for a number of years now and in a few capacities. Not only is he a legendary game designer, but he is intelligent, creative, and a true mentor. I remember receiving a call from Scot about the role at LGN. We met in his office to discuss the position. If I recall correctly, we both said it felt like kismet. Even though he’s world renowned, he’s humble and treats you as his equal. He genuinely wants thoughts and ideas from ALL team members. He is direct and deliberate with his ideas and when he speaks, everyone listens.

We heard that LGN and FableVision are heading to New York City this month. What's the occasion?
Yes, can’t wait! Peter Stidwill and I will be speaking about Quandary at the Games For Change Festival on Tuesday, June 18 at Parsons School of Design. We will share our thoughts on how to keep a game sustainable, relevant, and engaging in today’s ever-changing landscape.

Which trends are you seeing in the game-based learning arena that you’re most excited about?
I am a firm believer in trying to reach all learners—meeting them where they are rather than making them meet you. No one person learns or retains information the same way as someone else. Unlike traditional teaching methods, game-based learning has a unique ability to address numerous learning styles at the same time.

While at LGN, I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with Lacey Hilliard of Tufts University and accompany her on a research study here in Boston. Helping conduct this study allowed me to see collaborative learning first-hand. Students were actively engaged in the game—they were sharing their ideas, all the while learning and retaining valuable new skills.

What excites me most is hearing and seeing players when that lightbulb goes off.  I am eager to see what the future holds as game-based learning continues to become an integral part of education.

Favorite FableVision project: Without hesitation, Lure of the Labyrinth. It was one of my first days at FableVision when then Executive Producer, Karen Bresnahan, handed me a huge project binder and said: it’s all yours. I couldn’t imagine what I was getting myself into, but Labyrinth quickly became and still is one of my favorite projects, ironically with MIT’s Scot Osterweil at the creative helm.

Labyrinth was a large undertaking spanning multiple years. It’s a true testament to what can be done when you get a top-notch team of creative directors, writers, artists and developers together. As a producer, it’s not always easy to keep a team motivated and on track over a number of years, but this team just worked.

We heard you like to sail. Where’s your favorite place to travel to by boat and why?
Yes, it’s true, but it’s been ages since I’ve sailed like I used to. Favorite place to travel by boat: Cape Cod. Although, I used to have dreams of joining a crew and sailing somewhere exotic and just going completely off the grid.

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More About Shannon

Favorite dinosaur: Have to give a shout out to one of the smallest - the microraptor. Although, my children love dinos, and they’d be sad if I didn’t mention the T-Rex.

Go-to vacation spot: I actually don’t have a go-to spot. When possible, I really like to choose new destinations and my kids are always in tow.  Last year was Ireland. Discussions for the next trip are in the works—any recommendations?

Favorite dish to cook:  Hm, too many. I’m an avid cook (and baker) and time permitting, I like to try new things. It’s rare that I use a recipe. If I did have to choose, I’d pick my grandmother’s homemade ravioli and meatballs. There’s nothing more gratifying than looking around my kitchen after a day of cooking and baking, knowing I did it with my own two hands.

New skill you would like to learn: Play the steel drum. Stay tuned, I start lessons this month!

Favorite cartoon character: Curious George.