Get Your Classroom “Ready Now” for the School Year

The start of this school year has presented a unique set of complications and adjustments for classrooms around the world. And as with everything—creative educators and students have risen to the challenge. To ease the transition into a new era of classroom routines, FableVision joined a group of over 70 federally-funded researchers and developers to produce a series of guides to support in-class and remote teaching and learning.

The Guides to Education Technologies that are Ready Now cover topics in early learning, math, science and engineering, social studies, and special education. FableVision is proud to feature three resources: Cyberchase Fractions Quest (Mathematics Guide), Civics! An American Musical (Social Studies Guide), and FabMaker Studio (Science and Engineering Guide). All of our resources—and the other incredible resources from other organizations—were developed through an iterative process involving multiple rounds of testing and feedback from teachers and students. They are web-based and accessible on a number of devices, with a mix of free and paid content.

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Click the above image to download the guide.

Cyberchase Fractions Quest (free for a limited time)

Guide: Ready Now Math Tools
Age range: grades 3-4

CyberSpace is in trouble, and it’s up to your students to help defeat the villain Hacker! In Cyberchase Fractions Quest, students join the CyberSquad from the popular PBS KIDS series Cyberchase and play through a series of mini-games, picking up fractions knowledge and problem-solving skills along the way. Created in partnership with THIRTEEN and the Education Development Center’s Center for Children and Technology, this FableVision-developed math learning game combines an engaging storyline with a research-based approach to teaching and learning fractions that aligns with the Common Core Standards for Grade 3 and 4 mathematical structure. 

The game is a result of a 2.5-year-long research project as part of the IES Department of Education SBIR program. The beta version of Cyberchase Fractions Quest is free and available to play for a limited time on FableVision Games.

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Click the above image to download the guide.

Civics! An American Musical (free)

Guide: Social Studies Distance-Learning Resources
Age range: grades 6-7

What better way to teach middle school students U.S. history and the power of the everyday citizen in creating change than through producing their own hit Broadway musical? Created in partnership with Maryland Public Television, Maryland Humanities, and Tufts’ CIRCLE, Civics! An American Musical was inspired by Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton composition notebook and teaches civics as students analyze primary sources from the Library of Congress archives to adapt true events from U.S. history to the stage. Students select the subject matter for their musical from four different history topics—the desegregation of public schools, the National Parks, the FDA, and the Chinese Exclusion Act—and must observe, reflect, and question primary sources to ensure the historical accuracy of every aspect of the show, including scripts, costumes, and song lyrics.

Civics! An American Musical is a part of the Library of Congress’ Teaching with Primary Sources program and is available for free on FableVision Games.

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Click the above image to download the guide.

FabMaker Studio ($200 classroom subscription)

Guide: Ready Now: Science and Engineering
Age Range: grades K-8

Turn any classroom or learning environment into a maker space—and you won’t even need a 3D printer! Inspire engineering in your classroom with FabMaker Studio, a web-based fabrication tool specifically designed for the classroom. With this affordable, research-based online tool, students can engineer, design, and fabricate any project, including designing their own Operation game board, a paper city that lights up, popup cards, and more.

The tool was developed by FableVision and the Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning and Creativity, with initial funding in 2010 by ED/IES SBIR. To purchase your copy now and to learn more tips on how to use FabMaker with distance learning, visit FableVision Learning’s website.

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For more details and to learn more about the other resources in the guides, check out the Institute of Education Sciences (IES)’s blog.

We’re All in this Together: “Connecting the Dots” This International Dot Day

International Dot Day is almost here, and we’re looking forward to the festivities! Though Dot Day may look different for many this year, we’re keeping the spirit of this important holiday alive with a remote celebration encouraging everyone to #MakeYourMark no matter where you are in the world.

This global celebration of creativity, courage, and compassion began in 2009 when creative educator Terry Shay introduced his students to FableVision founder and award-winning children’s book author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds’ The Dot, a book celebrating self-discovery and letting your creativity bloom. Since then, Dot Day has been a way for millions of people around the world to connect, collaborate, and celebrate each year.

The theme for this year is “Connecting the Dots!” to show that even when we’re physically apart, “we’re all in this together.” This year is also particularly special because Dot Day 2020 will be held in honor of longtime Dot Connector and Dot Day champion Bill Norris. This year’s remote celebration, “Dots for Light,” will be dedicated to Bill, celebrating the mark he made around the world with his love and creativity. 

In his honor, everyone is invited to join in on the “Dots for Light” activity, which will not only allow families and friends to be connected during these unprecedented times, but also honor the memory of Bill and the light he brought to the world.

Click the image above to download the Instagram template.

Click the image above to download the full page template PDF.

Here’s how you join in:

• 1. Download a template above and create your dot (digital or on the printed sheet).

• 2. Upload a photo or the digital dot to a social media platform. Be sure to tag @dotclubconnect on Twitter, @internationdotday on Instagram, or their Facebook.

• 3. To add your mark to the Dot Day grid, please use the hashtag #InternationalDotDay and #DotsforLight.

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 Are you ready to celebrate International Dot Day 2020? 

To learn more about this year’s Dot Day celebrations and the history of Dot Day, visit the Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning, and Creativity’s blog and register at The Dot Club.

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And don’t miss Skype in the Classroom and Candlewick Press’ virtual Dot Day celebration! Join for a live event and Q&A with Peter.

Event details:
September 16 at 10 a.m. PDT (1 p.m. EDT)

Click here to join.

The Bill Norris Memorial Scholarship Fund

The FableVision family suffered a devastating loss last month when FableVisionary and longtime “Dot Connector” Bill Norris passed away suddenly. The outpouring of love and memories that FableVision and Bill’s family and friends have received from around the world truly shows the deep and enduring impact Bill had on everyone he met and connected with.

Bill joined FableVision after 22 years as an elementary and middle school teacher, Title I director, and district leader in Watertown, Massachusetts, and senior project director at MCET. He held a degree in elementary education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, two advanced degrees from Lesley University in curriculum design and administration, and a certificate in organizational development from Bentley College. 

As the Senior Project Director at MCET/Mass Interaction and the JASON Foundation for Education, Bill helped bring to life the award-winning FableVision and Research Institute for Learning and Development-created BrainCogs software to support struggling and mainstream learners. At FableVision and the Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning and Creativity, he spent another two decades championing creativity, literacy, and purposeful learning, as well as helping advance the mission of nurturing every learner’s full potential. With his support and tireless efforts, International Dot Day—his favorite day of the year and a global celebration of creativity and courage to make one’s mark—has reached nearly 17 million teachers, librarians, and students in 185 countries. This year Dot Day will be dedicated to Bill, celebrating the mark he made around the world with his love, creativity, and thoughtfulness.

To honor Bill’s memory, The Reynolds Center has established a scholarship fund in his name. Bill believed that everyone deserved the opportunity to reach their full potential, especially those struggling along their journey. Donate now to help continue Bill’s legacy.

Moving Libraries Forward: A Libraries, Games, and Play Conference Recap

Happy National Library Workers Day from all of us at FableVision! Here at the studio, we are acutely aware of the impact that libraries and the librarians who keep them running have on communities, access to literature and educational resources, and spaces for learning and creativity.

This is why FableVision was honored to co-host the inaugural Libraries, Games, and Play Conference on Saturday, April 6 at American University with the American University Game Lab. As longtime advocates of engaging students of all ages in their own learning through media and interactives, bringing educational technology and game-based learning tools and best practices into formal and informal learning spaces, such as libraries, is a topic very close to our hearts.

In their opening remarks, J Collins asked attendees to enter into the conference space with a lens of inclusion and an awareness of who is not in the room. Not all librarians are able to leave their libraries, and the children who rely on them every day, to attend a conference. In the spirit of the inclusion, access, and network that is at the heart of every library, FableVision Studios has created a recap blog of the one-day conference for everyone who could not be there.

From the opening keynote address and gaming workshops to FableVision Learning and the Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning and Creativity’s showcase of the Fab@School Maker Studio and Paul Reynolds’ closing keynote, let’s dive in and see what the day held!

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Opening Keynote

Following the opening remarks, Lindsay Grace, Knight Chair of Interactive Media at the University of Miami and founder of the American University Game Lab, delivered the opening keynote. In his address, Grace recounted his own experience learning to code as a child using copies of Nibble Magazine he checked out from his local library. Libraries provided the access and the space for Grace to learn how to code, experiment with coding, and engage in his own learning through play.

In his keynote, Grace brought out that play itself is an evolutionary necessity. When we think of popular games that children play, many of them teach evolutionary skills. “Tag,” for instance, is a game of hunter and hunted. “Simon Says” is a game that teaches impulse control. The two purposes of play, according to Grace, are practice and laboratory. Games, in particular, are structured play that give players safe spaces for practice and experimentation. Game design creates problems and offers solutions, which is why games and game-based activities are so important for learning spaces such as libraries.

Showcases

During the conference, the Reynolds Center and FableVision Learning showcased their innovative, STEAM-powered edtech product Fab@School Maker Studio. The Fab@School Maker Studio, an affordable and easy to implement digital design and fabrication software that introduces students to 2D and 3D printing and model creation, was a big hit with the public and private librarians at the conference.

Schools, libraries, and programs from across the United States have already been using the research-based Fab@School Maker Studio to create practical and affordable makerspaces using paper, cardstock, and inexpensive digital fabricators. The software provides hands-on opportunities for students of all ages to get comfortable with easy, paper-based digital design and fabrication tools.

FableVision Studios was also able to share more information on our portfolio of engaging media and interactives that educate, inspire, and move people to action. In particular, we shined a spotlight on CyberChase Fractions Quest and Project Here Games. CyberChase Fractions Quest is an immersive, story-based mobile game that engages 3rd and 4th grade students in fractions learning we created in partnership with THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET and the Education Development Center’s Center for Children and Technology (EDC/CCT). Project Here Games is a collection of games dedicated to ending substance abuse in teens that we designed and developed in partnership with Health Resources in Action, the GE Foundation, and the Massachusetts Attorney General Office. These projects, along with the various others in our portfolio, highlight the power of using games and other media to supplement traditional educational tools and engage students on a variety of topics.

Closing Keynote

The day ended with a closing keynote address from FableVision and Reynolds Center co-founder and CEO Paul Reynolds. Paul began his talk by expressing his love for libraries and their role in inspiring the next generation of creative problem-solvers. Especially in this rapidly emerging age of technological and climate shifts, libraries are becoming more relevant as they embrace change and offer exciting new portals into playful learning.

Libraries not only foster learning through gameplay and making games, but they are also the key to growing the creative human potential the world needs. In a punitive and assessment-focused culture where many students are afraid to do things they don’t know in fear of getting marked down, creativity and playful learning are crucial to providing students with a safe space to learn, fail, and learn from their failures.

Using personal accounts of teachers who encouraged him and his twin brother Peter H. Reynolds to create bravely, his own advocacy work with the Dedham Library Innovation Team and other schools and public libraries in the country, and digital tools FableVision and the Reynolds Center have developed to support storytelling and self-expression, Paul spotlighted and celebrated librarians and other creative educators who understand the critical mission of developing and protecting creativity.

Following the keynote, Paul signed books sold by local independent bookstore Politics and Prose.

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FableVision would like to thank everyone involved in planning the Libraries, Games, and Play Conference. Thank you, as well, to all who attended. And for those who couldn’t, we hope to see you next year!

FableVision’s Nine EdTech Thought Leaders to Watch in 2019

Looking for inspiration for the new year? Check out these nine edtech thought leaders to get advice on how to engage your students, create more opportunities in and out of the classroom, integrate technology into your curriculum, and stay up-to-date on edtech trends.

Image source: Remake Learning

1. Michelle King

We were first introduced to Michelle King at the 2018 Connected Learning Summit where she gave the featured plenary. Michelle is a middle school teacher, learning instigator, love activist, and transformer. She strives to make learning enjoyable and relevant for all students by connecting it to their own lives.

To engage her classroom and other educators, Michelle uses game-based learning, design, restorative justice, equity, social justice, and teacher empowerment to shape how students experience learning. Michelle also curates and publishes content on education, business, science, arts and entertainment, and more through her paper.li “newspaper.”

Follow her on Twitter: @LrningInstigatr
Check out her TED Talk

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Image source: Angela Maiers website

2. Angela Maiers

Angela Maiers is a distinguished writer, entrepreneur, speaker, and educator. She aims to be a leader, visionary, entrepreneur, disruptor, and change maker in education and enterprise through her message on the importance of mattering.

Angela’s mission is to unleash the genius in all of us by encouraging people to embrace their value and potential contribution. She founded Choose2Matter to encourage collaboration among students to develop new and creative solutions to social problems. The organization has since grown to also support parents, educators, and employees internationally.

Follow her on Twitter: @angelamaiers
Check out her initiatives

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Image source: Tom Vander Ark Twitter

3. Tom Vander Ark

Tom Vander Ark, Chief Executive Officer of Getting Smart and co-founder of Learn Capital, advises and invests in impact organizations and learning institutions in order to support innovations in learning.

Tom has co-authored over fifty books, chapters, and white papers. He has also published thousands of articles on platforms such as GettingSmart.com, LinkedIn, Education Week, and Forbes. Outside of his work with Getting Smart and his work as an author, Tom regularly presents at various national and international conferences, including ASU/GSV, SXSW EDU, The World Bank, Bett Show, and The Digital Education Show Middle East.

Follow him on Twitter: @tvanderark
Check out a list of his publications

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Image source: Medium article

4. George Couros

George Couros, an “Innovative Teaching, Learning, and Leadership” consultant and author of The Innovator’s Mindset, encourages educators to inspire their students to follow their passions, which in turn inspires others to do the same. A learner, educator, and consultant, George believes that education must focus on collaboration in order to meet the needs of all children.

With over 17 years of experience as an educator, Couros uses first-hand experience from teaching and working with teachers to support educators who are trying to help students find and excel in their own paths. He also works with schools to adapt curriculum to better serve students’ needs in the present and for their futures.

Follow him on Twitter: @gcouros
Learn more about his educational leadership philosophy

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Image source: ISTE 2017 keynote

5. Jennie Magiera

Jennie Magiera, Chief Program Officer at EdTechTeam and co-founder of Student Voice Foundation, empowers educators to create new and innovative opportunities for students. Much of her work focuses on recognizing problems in the classroom and discovering different ways to navigate and address them through effective use of technology and “edventures”: student-centered, passion-based experiential learning.

A Corwin best-selling author, White House Champion for Change, TEDx Speaker, and former Chicago Public Schools teacher, among other roles, Jennie is committed to reimagining professional learning in order to address teacher support that feels more relevant to educators and students.

Follow her on Twitter: @MsMagiera
Check out her book: Courageous Edventures

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Image source: Nebraska Educational Technology Society

6. Eric Curts

Eric Curts, an Authorized Google Education Trainer and Google Certified Innovator, provides training and consulting to schools and organizations in educational technology, with a focus on Google Apps.

In his blog Control Alt Achieve, Eric details how to integrate Google Apps into curriculum in order to transform education in a positive way. He also provides tutorials, guides, presentations, and other resources for educators or organization employees to make full use of the tools available.

Follow him on Twitter: @ericcurts
Check out his services

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Image source: The Cool Cat Teacher Blog

7. Vicki Davis

Vicki Davis, a full-time teacher and IT Director in Georgia, provides advice and resources to fellow educators on how to reach all children, especially those who learn differently or who struggle with learning. Her blog, The Cool Cat Teacher Blog, inspires educators to approach teaching with patience, resilience, and positivity. It also amplifies educator voices by offering a platform for them to share their stories with an online community.

Vicki also highlights tools and technologies that can benefit classrooms, such as digital film, augmented reality, virtual reality, and many more. A blogger, podcaster, Global Collaborative Project Inventor, author, and speaker, Vicki uses her expertise and love of education to fulfill her mission of helping you become a better teacher.

Follow her on Twitter: @coolcatteacher
Check out her podcast: 10-Minute Teacher

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Image source: Eric Sheninger Twitter

8. Eric Sheninger

Eric Sheninger is a Senior Fellow and Thought Leader on Digital Leadership with the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE), as well as a former award-winning principal at New Milford High School. Using his experience implementing various sustainable change initiatives that reshaped how teachers taught and students learned at his school, Eric created the Pillars of Digital Leadership, a framework for all educators to create similar change and transformations in their own school cultures.

A best-selling author and in-demand speaker, Eric pays particular attention to how educators can successfully integrate technology into their curricula to increase professional development opportunities, enhance student learning, and transform learning spaces. He also details how technology can help schools and organizations better communicate with stakeholders and the larger public in order to increase brand presence.

Follow him on Twitter: @E_Sheninger
Check out his publications and blog

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Image source: School Library Journal Flickr

9. The Reynolds Brothers

If this name seems familiar, that’s because they’re two of our FableVision co-founders! Peter H. Reynolds and his twin brother Paul A. Reynolds are both advocates of creativity and lifelong learning. Peter is a best-selling children's book author (The Dot, Ish, Sky Color, Someday), illustrator (Judy Moody, The Water Princess), bookshop owner, and advocate for children, parents, teachers, and caregivers to “make their mark” in learning, expressing their creativity, and solving social issues. Paul is a storyteller, educator, award-winning author, and passionate supporter of using the power of storytelling and media to create engaging and authentic educational experiences for learners of all ages.

Peter and Paul also support and empower educators and students through FableVision Learning, FableVision’s K-12 educational publisher and distributor of creative software, the nonprofit Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning, and Creativity dedicated to innovative teaching practices, and (of course) FableVision Studios, our media production studio that shares "stories that matter, stories that move" in an effort to move the world to a better place.

Upcoming events:

Paul is participating in a workshop titled “Make to Learn: An Easy, Affordable Onramp to STEAM” and signing books as a part of the “Meet the Authors” booth at the Future of Education Technology Conference in Orlando, Florida on January 28th.

Peter is speaking on creativity and the power of the individual teacher at Bett in London on January 25th.

Follow them on Twitter: @peterhreynolds and @fablepaul
Check out Peter’s FableFriday and Paul’s FableFriday