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Mentors and Muses: FableVision Celebrates Dot Day 2016

Sarah Ditkoff: A Mrs. Cooper Dot

Sarah Ditkoff: A Mrs. Cooper Dot

I had the same teacher for second and fourth grade: Mrs. Cooper. When she wrote her name on the chalkboard, she turned the double O’s into the eyes of a smiley face. Her favorite word was cooperation. In fourth grade every student wrote a story, which we sent away to be “published;” it came back laminated with a spiral binding. I wrote my story about a beached whale named Meiko (pronounced MEE-ko). We made illustrations for our books out of dyed paper we made in art class. I put little whales on every page. During parent-teacher night, Mrs. Cooper told my parents that she loved my book because I always “put a little something special” into my stories.

Which in hindsight was a funny thing to say to the parents of a student who wrote a story about a beached whale, but my parents relayed that feedback to me and I remember feeling special. I was good at telling stories. I always put in a little something special – that was my mark.

Dot Day feels special this year too. An international celebration of creativity inspired by FableVision founder Peter H. Reynolds' book The Dot, the worldwide phenomenon encourages people to make their mark and celebrate it! FableVision is celebrating our 20th anniversary this year, so we’ve been a little nostalgic. It got me thinking about who inspired me to make my mark. And there was Mrs. Cooper with her seasonal sweaters, encouraging smile, and her love of cooperation.

This year at FableVision, we decided to pay tribute to the people who have helped us make our mark. Each dot that you’ll see from our team commemorates all those who have helped us reach our creative potential and continue to inspire us every day. Be it teacher, friend, parent, celebrity, historian, or creative thinker, we hope that our dots inspire you to make a dot for your creative mentor and muse.

Check out our work below. We want to know – who helped YOU make your mark? 

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September FableFriday: Terry Shay, FableVision Learning Lead Ambassador and Dot Day Founder

Behind every phenomenon is a genesis story: this one includes Terry Shay, a creative educator from Iowa who connected the dots with FableVision and the Reynolds brothers ten years ago. Known as “the Ambassador of Ambassadors,” International Dot Day founder Terry started the worldwide phenomenon, which now has over five million participants using their talents, gifts, and energy to help move the world to a better place.

Terry is a passionate music teacher who coaches, inspires, and mentors K-12 students in Traer, Iowa. When he’s not teaching up a storm, he’s continuing his mission to teach creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking as Lead Ambassador for FableVision Learning. As the originator of International Dot Day and the Celebri-Dots blog, Terry helps educators develop, discover, and share creative tools for the journey, and get the word out about Dot Day.

In this special edition FableFriday, we sat with Terry to talk about how it all began, his famous literary pals, where to find the best pizza, and the Better-Than-Broadway Swing Show!

It all started with an idea and turned into an international phenomenon. How did Dot Day come to be?
The idea for Dot Day sprouted from the focus on testing in schools. I made the suggestion to Peter H. Reynolds that we have a day where kids set aside some time to get creative and make dots that would inspire them to make their mark. Peter added “International” to Dot Day and the spirit of the day was launched. It started very small with light social media buzz about the day—and then a few friends joined in.

I think the idea of the return to creativity was very important for teachers. In 2011, some superstar librarians, Shannon M. Miller and John Schumacher, took up the cause, shared with their followers, and suddenly the idea for Dot Day had grown very large and started traveling around the world.

There are so many ways that people have “made their mark” on September 15-ish for Dot Day. What are some ways someone can celebrate Dot Day?
The ways to celebrate Dot Day are entirely up to the individual leading the celebration, which has helped make the day what it is. I have my junior high and high school chorus kids paint a canvas that hangs in my room all year long. It’s a great reminder to be creative. Some schools have added a service learning component and have kids work to “make their mark” with people in their area who need help. Truly, you can throw down butcher paper and crayons and just let kids create.

How are you celebrating Dot Day this year?
This year will be the most epic year ever at my school! Peter H. Reynolds is going to visit and Discovery Education is going to live stream from the place where Dot Day began (you can join by registering here). The teachers at my school are wildly creative, so there will be classroom projects around the entire school: math dots, reading dots, and dots just for fun. 

You rub shoulders with lots of talented and famous people! Who are Celebri-dots?
Celebri-dots started in 2011 when Newbery Medalist, Sharon Creech sent me a dot on Dot Day. I was amazed by her dot and it started me thinking about what dots other famous people would make. I have been so lucky to make friends with extremely talented people who are the best in their field on top of being extremely kind and giving people. Newbery Medalists, Caldecott winners, New York Times Best Sellers, and people who are widely respected in publishing and other fields have made dots. They are truly the best people in the world.

You’re the Lead Ambassador for FableVision Learning. What’s your favorite thing about being in that role?
I feel like being Lead Ambassador makes me the luckiest teacher on earth. I get to interact with very talented educators. I get to watch their projects unfold and see how they are changing their part of the world. I am truly blessed to be in the stands interacting and learning from the best of the best.

FableVision is celebrating our 20th anniversary this year and you’ve been a wonderful part of that journey. Do you have a FableVision memory that you’re particularly fond of?
There are truly so many memories that go with my time with FableVision, but my favorite involves Peter and Paul Reynolds. We were in Philadelphia for the ISTE conference and hosting an ambassador get-together at our hotel. There came a time when everyone was looking for Peter and he had disappeared. I asked Paul where he was and he pointed outside.

Sure enough, Peter was sitting on the curb talking to someone I didn’t recognize. Paul said, “Peter saw the woman fall, so he went out to make sure she was okay. I had better get out there.” Soon an ambulance came and took the lady away.

When they came back in, Paul said, “the poor soul was afraid to take the ambulance because she didn’t know how she would get back to her hotel. I gave her our business cards and told her to call and we would bring a cab and make sure she got to her hotel.” This experience cemented everything I already knew about Peter and Paul: they are kindness and compassion in human form.

You’ve been a teacher for over 30 years! How did you know that education was your calling?
I had good teachers who inspired me. I believe that being a teacher is truly a calling and I felt compelled to become a music teacher. I am sure it will seem corny, but when my high school chorus is performing, it’s very sweet to me. I know how far they’ve come and I know how hard they’re working. It’s always a very sweet sound to me.

You’re a great fan of music—both inside and outside the classroom. What are some of your favorite things to listen to?
I listen to a lot of different kinds of music. I love Broadway shows and listen to them a lot. My mowing-the-yard jam is currently “Something Rotten” which I was lucky to see on Broadway last year. It makes me smile (mowing does not). In the car, we usually listen to ‘80s. I do not enjoy country music.

What is Swing Show?
Swing Show is a tradition at my school. It’s a huge variety show where the chorus sings and dances, the band plays, the dance team dances, and there are funny skits. It’s the best time of the year because kids are so focused on making a great show. So many awesome moments promise to occur during Swing Show.

Do you have a favorite teaching moment or memory?
I have a recurring favorite teaching moment. Almost every year at our Swing Show there is a student who quietly comes in and auditions. As the rehearsals progress, I get to watch them grow and develop and become a star. It’s magical.

Terry and Ellen Shay with Peter H. Reynolds

Terry and Ellen Shay with Peter H. Reynolds

More about Terry!

Favorite thing about Iowa: I grew up here. I enjoy visiting other places, but this feels like home. It’s centrally located, just a few hours from many great cities.

What makes the perfect pizza? This is not so much a what…but a who: Giordano’s in Chicago. Thick, stuffed, and heavenly.

The best movie ever made: The best movie ever made hasn’t been made yet, but I’ve seen the ones leading up to it. When I taught computer classes, I challenged kids to make movies and I called them “creativity assignments.” They were so new and different; I just know that the best is yet to come. If I have to choose one currently out there, I’d choose The Wizard of Oz because of when it was made.

World’s best summer vacation spot: New York City, it’s my wife’s favorite place and, like they say, “happy wife, happy life.” We’ve been able to see some amazing Broadway shows….and of course there is banana pudding from Magnolia Bakery!!

What’s on your reading list this summer? I have read so many books this summer!! I read mostly middle grade books and the most recent was The Thing About Leftovers by C.C, Payne and it was wonderful and important! I highly recommend it.

In another lifetime, what else would you be doing? I often think about what my life would be like if I hadn’t gone to that conference and seen Stationery Studio. What if I hadn’t called FableVision Learning and reached Bill Norris? What if I hadn’t met Peter H. Reynolds? I was lucky to see the right things at the right time with the right people. Maybe in another lifetime I would be a gambler. (I am pretty lucky, after all.)

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Lulu Jr. makes an AWESOME mark on Dot Day 2015!

This post was originally published on FableVision Learning's blog.

What happens when two organizations championing creativity and self-expression “connect the dots”? Something AWESOME!  Lulu Jr. and FableVision, after their award-winning My Awesome Book kids’ bookmaking kit collaboration, partnered to create My Awesome Publishing Company, an innovative online writing/design platform that gives teacher the tools they need to turn their classroom into a publishing company. 

Designed and hosted by FableVision’s Founder and New York Times bestselling illustrator Peter H. Reynolds, My Awesome Publishing Company guides K-6 students through writing, illustrating, publishing, and promoting their very own book. Currently being piloted in schools across the country, My Awesome Publishing Company encourages kids to make their mark. 

Which is why we were delighted to see the team at Raleigh, NC-based Lulu make their own AWESOME mark for International Dot Day 2015, which is now celebrated in by over 4 million people in 116 countries. Check out Lulu Jr.’s video!

It’s not too late to celebrate Dot Day. If you, your company or school are planning something awesome, let us know – and we’ll share it with the Dot Day community.  

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Happy International Dot Day!

12 years ago, Dot Day began with a celebration of the messages found in Peter H. Reynolds’ book, The Dot. In the book, a dedicated teacher helps an unsure student learn to trust herself and “make her mark.”  

Today, almost four million people (3.9 million this morning and counting!) around the world (in 115 countries) are celebrating creativity, courage, and collaboration – and you can be one of them! Here’s how:

  • Step One: Make a dot. Anything you want! Big or small, no matter what, it will be unique to you.

  • Step Two: Sign your name. Dot Day is about having the confidence and courage to make your mark and be proud of what you’ve made.

  • Step Three: Share it with us! We want to see all of your wonderful creations. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, just use the hashtag #DotDay15 and let the world know you stand for creativity.

Need some inspiration? Check out some of the dots made by the people here at FableVision Studios. To learn more about International Dot Day and how you can get involved, sing the song and visit the official website.

Want even more Dot Day? Participate in World Education's #Pages4Progress campaign, an official International Dot Day partner! Read more on our blog. 

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Spotlight on World Education's #Pages4Progress

The following is a guest blog post from World Education, an International Dot Day partner. World Education is an international nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of the poor through education, and economic and social development programs.

World Education’s #Pages4Progress campaign builds awareness about the critical need to improve access to education around the globe.

The #Pages4Progress and International Dot Day communities are partnering to help millions of people around the world who cannot read or write.

Participating in #Pages4Progress helps raise both awareness and funds that enable World Education to continue to build communities’ capacity to improve access to high-quality education. A few examples include:

  • Basic education, technology, and livelihoods training for migrant youth in Indonesia;
  • Education and critical support services ranging from health care, child protection, and psychosocial support for orphaned and vulnerable children in Swaziland and Zimbabwe; and
  • Training for job-readiness, literacy skills, and college mentoring for adult learners in the U.S.

World Education is delighted to join forces with the International Dot Day community and invite all of you to participate in our #Pages4Progress campaign to Make Your Mark for education and literacy!  

Participating in #Pages4Progress is really simple. Register and submit the pages you’ve read this summer at pages4progress.worlded.org. Together, we can help improve the lives of the poor through education.

Here are three easy steps to #MakeYourMark for millions of people around the world who cannot read or write:

  1. Sign up and log the pages you read at pages4progress.worlded.org and help us reach as many pages as possible by International Dot Day on September 15.
  2. Tell us why reading is important to you. Use the hashtag #Pages4Progress to share on social media (and make sure your post is public so we can see it).
  3. Make a donation to World Education to support our global education programs.

Join #Pages4Progress today! We need EVERYONE'S creative energy to solve the issues around global literacy and education.

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