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Catch FableVision's 2021 Summer Tour!

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Summer is almost here, and we’re just getting warmed up for all of the exciting events we have on the horizon. You’re all invited to make a splash with us at a number of virtual conferences and events throughout the season. Don’t miss out on the fun—keep reading for more details on how to catch us along our virtual summer road trip!

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BostonFIG Talks and Learns (May 29 - 30)

BostonFIG Talks and Learns are back, and we’re gearing up for two days of sharing, learning, and networking! FableVision is proud to sponsor this year’s conferences, featuring industry experts, educators, students, and more. Industry professionals and aspiring students or hobbyists are welcome to join us on May 29 for BostonFIG Talks, an annual game-creators conference that will include expert talks on game design, methodology, technology, and more. And come back the day after talks on hands-on learning games, academic research, classroom topics, and more at the annual Learns conference. Learns is perfect for educators, students, and professionals interested in the learning games space.

When: May 29, 30
Click here to register for free.

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ED Games Expo (June 1 - 5)

Next stop is the ED Games Expo! The expo is the Department of Education’s annual showcase of game-changing education technology. At this year’s conference, FableVision will showcase three of our learning games and tools. Join us at the expo to learn more about Cyberchase Fractions Quest, our award-winning fractions learning game based on the popular PBS KIDS show Cyberchase, Civics! An American Musical, our civics learning game that invites middle school students to produce their own hit musicals based on United States history, and FabMaker Studio, FableVision Learning’s digital fabrication software tool that inspires STEM and STEAM learning in the classroom! 

Check out the FableVision Learning website now to learn more about the products and how you can access all three for free through the month of June.

When: June 1-5
Click here to access the events.

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Tech + Social Studies LIVE! (June 5)

While you’re at the ED Games Expo, stop by the Tech + Social Studies LIVE! free virtual conference for innovative civics and social studies teaching resources and techniques. Whether you teach online, in person, or a hybrid, the demos and talks featured at this conference will show you new ways to engage your students. And join us later in the day to hear from FableVision communications director Sarah Ditkoff, Maryland Public Television director of PreK-12 learning design Karla Thompson, and educator Joshua Pleasant as they present on how you can use Civics! An American Musical to encourage creativity and primary source analysis in your classrooms.

Civic Action through Primary Sources in "Civics! An American Musical"
When: June 5 at 5:20 p.m. EST
Click here to register for free.

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Learning Ideas Conference (June 14 - 18)

Next, FableVision is headed to the Learning Ideas Conference to catch up on international innovations in learning and technology for the workplace and higher education. The Learning Ideas Conference brings together researchers and practitioners interested in using technology to improve education and workplace learning.

Join FableVision Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Product Solutions Shelby Marshall for his workshop on June 16. This session will cover ways in which online simulations can support and extend learning in higher education and corporate training. In his talk, Shelby will explore examples at different levels of complexity that have been developed by the studio, including interactives created in partnership with the Smithsonian Science Education Center, Noodle Partners, and Pearson Higher Education. You won’t want to miss it!

Using Online Simulations to Explore Complex Topics and Apply Systems Thinking
When: June 16 at 4:30 p.m. EST
Click here to register.

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Carly & Adam’s Heart of STEM Teacher’s Summit (June 21 - 23)

FableVision Learning is excited to join the Carly & Adam’s Heart of STEM Teacher’s Summit on June 21-23. During this virtual event, attendees will explore connections between STEAM, real-world problems, kindness, and social-emotional learning. Learn from FableVision Learning’s Peter H. Reynolds, Paul Reynolds, Sara Smith, and Andrea Calvin.

Keynote: The Hope of STEM with Peter H. Reynolds, Georgie Badiel-Liberty, and Susan Verde
The creative team behind The Water Princess storybook will be kicking off the three-day summit with their Keynote: The Hope of STEM. With new troubling problems challenging the world every day, it’s important to empower the next generation with creative problem-solving skills and hope to make a positive impact across the globe. 

When: June 21

Exploring Creativity with Fabrication and Animation with Andrea Calvin
Andrea Calvin will share her experiences about working with students and educators across the country to implement fabrication and animation tools into their classrooms. Attendees will create bravely by using Animation-ish and FabMaker Studio.

When: June 21

Keynote: Create Bravely - Self Design for a Purposeful Life with Paul Reynolds
Paul Reynolds will share his insights on the power of storytelling and foster your life’s journey purpose with a growth mindset. Educators will learn how stories and creative tools can help students discover their talents and strengths, and how to apply them in life. With courage and perseverance, we can make a change by using our creativity.

When: June 22

The Element of Surprise with Sara Smith
In this session, Sara Smith will discuss the benefits of using the element of surprise in STEM and SEL. Educators will learn how the brain engages with surprises in learning and why surprises help humans during hard times. 

When: June 22

Click here to register.

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The Creativity Symposium 

FableVision Learning and Eduscape have partnered this summer to offer the Creativity Symposium, where educators across the country discover ways to foster creativity into their classrooms. During the three half-day sessions, in June or July, educators will use collaboration techniques to develop practical, achievable, and scalable solutions to challenges. 

When: June or July
Click here to register.

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Serious Play Conference (June 23 - 25)

If you’re serious about serious games, you’ll also want to join FableVision at this year’s Serious Play Conference. The conference features expert changemakers and thought leaders who are reshaping the educational gaming and education technology industries. Don’t forget to check out FableVision’s panel at the conference on accessibility and game-based learning. FableVision lead UX/UI designer Loren Lee-Flynn will join experts from WNET and Bridge Multimedia to discuss how we created Echo Explorers, a born-accessible learning game based on the award-winning PBS KIDS show Cyberchase and designed for children of all abilities to learn about echolocation and coordinate-mapping. The panelists will also share suggestions for game developers to incorporate accessibility into their own games.

Cyberchase Echo Explorers: Exploring Accessible Game Design for All Children
When: June 25 at 1:45 p.m. EST
Click here to register.

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Connected Learning Summit (July)

And if you’re unable to attend our panel at the Serious Play Conference in June, have no fear! You will still have the opportunity to learn more about Echo Explorers and designing games with accessibility at the forefront of the development process at the Connected Learning Summit. Be sure to catch our expert panel, as well as other influential talks from leaders and innovators at the intersection of innovation, education, technology, and play. The summit aims to support and empower innovators who are using emerging technology to increase access to creative and playful learning. It will feature engaging presentations and workshops all month long.

Cyberchase Echo Explorers: Exploring Accessible Game Design for All Children
Click here to register.

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ASU+GSV Summit (August 9 - 11)

Last stop on our tour is ASU+GSV—and this time it’s in person! The summit connects leading minds focused on transforming society and business around learning and work, and their north star is that ALL people have equal access to the future. The Summit is a leading platform of innovation and ingenuity that offers a tangible look at the EdTech industry, with groundbreaking research and insights. FableVision’s Shelby Marshall is headed to San Diego to network with and learn from researchers, educators, and practitioners from around the globe. Make sure to connect with Shelby if you plan to attend as well.

Click here to register.

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March FableFriday: Mackenzie Bright, Production Assistant

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“I can’t count how many nights I’ve spent absorbed in conversation with coworkers about games they’ve played recently or shows they’ve seen or books they’ve read,” shares Mackenzie Bright. “Or, that one memorable night where half the studio, at 9 p.m., obsessively combed the internet to source a specific item for a video shoot, and didn’t stop until we were successful. It was a great example of the team coming together to share the experience and get something done.” For Mackenzie, a production assistant at FableVision, her favorite part of being a FableVisionary is the people she is surrounded by—unique, passionate individuals who are all committed to the studio’s mission of telling “stories that matter, stories that move.” As someone with a vast array of interests and talents, it comes as no surprise that Mackenzie values the air of enthusiasm that has been cultivated at FableVision.

As a production assistant, Mackenzie manages and works with different producers to help manage a number of projects. No two days at the studio are ever the same, and Mackenzie embraces the organized chaos, effortlessly juggling different projects to produce consistently impressive results. She brings the same spirit of collaboration to her dynamic role as when she serves on the volleyball court, and the same eye for creativity as when she crafts stories in her free time. Read on for a peek into Mackenzie’s journey to FableVision, her love for educational media, and her favorite P.G. Wodehouse novel!

Tell us about your FableVision journey! What about the studio caught your eye? 
I first heard about FableVision in a Children’s Media class that I took during my senior year of college at Tufts University. That class was my first exposure to the world of children’s media and completely changed the trajectory of what I wanted from my career. When I started searching for internships, my professor Julie Dobrow recommended I look at FableVision, since they had such an excellent history. But the first thing that REALLY caught my eye about the studio? The Wall of Inspiration! When I came in for an interview and studio tour, I literally couldn’t look away. It was an incredible touch of personality that had a piece of every studio member on it, and it really helped sum up the things that make FableVisionaries special—individuality and never forgetting the things that shaped you. FableVision is undoubtedly unique because of the people I have the opportunity to work with here. Everyone at the studio is passionate about education and games, and that really shines through in the work we do.

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You were a marketing intern before officially joining the team as a production assistant! What benefits did interning provide, and how have you adjusted to your current role?
Yes, I was! Interning had many benefits, not the least of which was a familiarity with the studio and the way our project flow worked. It also gave me an opportunity to become familiar with the people in the studio—ALL of the people, not just the marketing team! As a marketing intern, I was able to talk to and work with people from every other “department”, and they were always eager to answer my questions and get to know me. This made my decision to later apply as a production assistant very easy, because I already knew the work environment, and how genuine and wonderful every FableVision employee was. 

What does a typical day at FableVision look like for you? 
My days at FableVision vary pretty greatly depending on what my current project needs are. As a production assistant, I both manage my own projects and help other producers, so different projects need different things from me. Sometimes I have to dedicate full days to working on one project, and some of my tasks can vary from asset organization to VO recording and cutting. Other times, I spend a full day keeping up with management needs for a number of different projects. 

What has been your favorite project you’ve worked on during your time at FableVision? 
My favorite project at FableVision has been Civics! An American Musical, which we partnered with Maryland Public Television, Maryland Humanities, and Tufts’ CIRCLE as a part of the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program. I really enjoyed the civics aspect of the project, and as I helped out, I learned a lot about U.S. history. I’m also a huge fan of musical theater, so the opportunity to create my own Hamilton-inspired musical was a blast! 

What makes you the most excited to wake up and (virtually) head to work every morning? 
I am always excited to see my coworkers! At the time I’m writing this FableFriday, we are still working from home due to the pandemic, so seeing familiar faces on video calls is always the highlight of my day. We often stick around for a little while after meetings to catch up or share opinions on TV and music, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. 

What advice would you give to students who are trying to break into the industry? 
I would tell them to try everything, especially the things they’re not sure they’ll like! Branching out can often lead you to loving things you never would have considered before. 

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You grew up playing a number of sports, and were even on the Women’s Varsity Volleyball team at Tufts University! What are some of the lessons you’ve learnt as an athlete that you carry with you in your daily life? 
Teamwork and perseverance are two incredibly important things I’ve learned from sports. FableVision is a team environment at all times, and it’s crucial to be able to work cohesively with other people, especially in production where your team is relying on your communication skills. However, I’ve found that the biggest lesson I learned from being an athlete is that things go better when you love what you’re doing—when you’re enthusiastic and excited about the project you’re working on, the job you have, or the game you’re playing!

In addition to being an avid reader, you also write your own stories. Rumor has it you want to work on writing a children’s book in 2021—tell us what we can expect! 
I have always loved the world of children’s fiction, and it’s my goal to write my own books! The world of fantasy writing as a whole really shaped my own interests, and some of my favorite things to read today are still the books I first read as a kid. Children’s literature always has such a broad range of worlds to be seen, adventures to be had, lessons to be learned, and it’s important to me how crucial these books are to helping kids figure out who they are and what they stand for. Children’s books are gateways to wonder and a better understanding of the world, and I want to see what doors I can open, too!

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Favorites: 

PG Wodehouse novel: Right Ho Jeeves. It was the first one I read, and it’s a classic!

TV show: Parks and Recreation.

Musician: John Williams.

Study abroad memory: Traveling to the Isle of Skye in Scotland and hiking up mountains in the rain!

Season: Fall—I love the colors and the weather.

Brunch dish: Fried-egg everything-bagel sandwich with cheese and bacon.

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FableVision Presents "Civics! An American Musical"

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Will the next hit Broadway musical come out of your classroom? Taking a page from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s composition notebook, players take on the role of a theatre producer to observe, reflect, and question primary sources taken from the Library of Congress’ archives and accurately adapt true events from American history to the Broadway stage. 

FableVision teamed up with Maryland Public Television, Maryland Humanities, and Tufts’ Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) to create Civics! An American Musical. A part of the Library of Congress’ Teaching with Primary Sources Program, this free online game is designed to teach middle school students how to analyze primary sources and have fun while doing it! 

In Civics! An American Musical, players work with the different theatrical departments to learn about a number of important aspects of creating a musical, such as costuming, set design, writing, and music. As the producer, players select the subject matter for their musical from four historical topics: the desegregation of public schools, the National Parks, the FDA, and the Chinese Exclusion Act. It’s then up to them to create a new smash Broadway musical hit that is historically accurate and celebrates the power of everyday citizens in creating change.

The more students successfully analyze primary sources, the more the game awards the players. The more points they collect and earn in each activity, the more costumes, set design, writing and music options become available. As the players travel through the levels and complete each mini-game, they unlock a scene from their musical on opening night that shows the collective result of the creative choices they made through their game experience. 

Our educator supports also include guidance for implementing the game into a variety of learning settings and a preview of the game topics, mini-games, learning outcomes, and standards alignment. A range of learning extensions will launch later this fall.

Civics! An American Musical is free and available now on FableVision Games. Click the button below to begin creating your own hit musical today!

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