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Meet the classroom characters of "Good Thinking!"

In the immortal words of Gummerson, “Children need to find ways to make sense of the world around them — we all do.” Never heard of Gummerson, the piece of talking chewing gum? You don’t know what you’re missing! He’s just one of the classroom guides hanging out in Isabella Reyes’ classroom.

Gummerson’s insights are the guiding principles of Good Thinking! The Science of Teaching Science, the new animated web series from Smithsonian Science Education Center and FableVision Studios.

Science concepts can be hard for students to understand as they approach the subject with a number of misconceptions. Subjects like energy, cells, and gravity are one thing, but try to tackle deep time, evolution, and chemical reactions…where does an educator know to begin? It’s easy, start with some Good Thinking! The Smithsonian Science Education Center created the animated series as a free resource for teachers to understand the research findings on common student misconceptions and other pedagogical topics. FableVision took this idea and added a dash of fun!

Let’s jump right into Ms. Reyes’ classroom where ordinary classroom objects spring to life to talk about curriculum topics and teaching methods that shed light on some of educators’ toughest challenges.

The release of Falling 101 makes five episodes available to view. And with new episodes launching every other Tuesday through the fall (the next one, Make it Rain, releases on July 28), it’s time to meet the quirky classroom characters of Good Thinking! Read on to meet them and be sure to subscribe to the Smithsonian Science Education Center’s YouTube page to catch all the episodes.  

Gummerson

  • Character influences: Wilford Brimley
  • Scientific concentration: Pedagogy expert, classroom dynamics
  • Catch phrase: “Here’s the deal, Jack.”
  • Likes: Stickin’ around the classroom, and shape shifting
  • As seen in: Conceptual Change, Good Thinking!
  • Read more on SSEC’s blog 

Blossom

  • Character influences: Yoga Jones (Orange is the New Black)
  • Scientific concentration: Life sciences
  • Catch phrase: “Go to your happy place,” “Namaste,” “Follow your bliss”
  • Likes: Zen, yoga, gardening
  • As seen in: Natural Selection, Good Thinking!
  • Read more on SSEC’s blog

Bunsen

  • Character influences: Jack McFarland (Will & Grace), Craig Middlebrooks (Parks and Recreation)
  • Scientific concentration: Chemical sciences
  • Catch phrase: “If there’s one thing I know, it’s ENERGY!”
  • Likes: Being the life of the party, comedy
  • As seen in: Fired Up About Energy
  • Read more on SSEC’s blog

Bert

  • Character influences: James Dean, Matthew McConaughey
  • Scientific concentration: Physical sciences
  • Catch phrase: “You’ve come to the right play toy,” “All right, all right, all right,” “You’re on a roll!”
  • Likes: Hanging out, keeping a dream log, catching up on the latest slang, making paper airplanes
  • As seen in: Falling 101

Terry

  • Character influences: Helen Mirren, Tootsie Roll Owl
  • Scientific concentration: Earth sciences
  • Catch phrase: “Dear Chap,” “I’m late for my afternoon constitutional!”
  • Likes: Traveling, visiting museums, teatime, afternoon constitutionals  
  • As seen in: Make It Rain!

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July FableFriday: Danielle Gillis, Producer

Talk to Danielle Gillis about her work at FableVision Studios and you’ll hear two words repeated over and over: playful and passion. These two words are so deeply ingrained into her personal and professional interests as a producer that it’s become a mantra: playful passion and passionate play.

“It’s been interesting because as media changes, I’ve changed with it. I always say that I’m most engaged when I’m learning something new,” Danielle says.

A producer’s job is to handle the day-to-day management of projects, which includes scheduling, deliverables, and maintaining communication between the FableVision and partner’s teams. Danielle’s unflappable and curious personality lends itself perfectly to this role.

“I always like to dream big and I like a challenge,” she says. “I think I gravitate toward team members that have an adventurous side too. I love working with people who actually enjoy trying to solve puzzles and make projects better than anyone ever imagined.”

For July’s FableFriday we chatted with Danielle about her adventurous path that brought her to FableVision, what drives her, and the “sweeter” side of her life.

How did you become involved in children’s media? Has it always been a passion?
I’ve always had a playful spirit so even though I’ve worked in various types of media, I gravitate back to children’s programming. It fits my personality and, in my opinion, there’s a lot of creative freedom.

Back in 2000, I was part of a really dynamic team at Nick Jr. Magazine. In those early years of my career I was suggesting story ideas, editing articles, booking celebrities, working at photo shoots, going to Toy Fair, and testing out toys! I had such a great experience at Nick Jr. Magazine that I think that prompted my continued interest in children’s media.

Can you share a bit about your career before FableVision?
My college internship was at YM Magazine. I remember picking the winner of their big contest: a serenade from the Backstreet Boys! My ears are still ringing from that phone call.

After graduation, the editor-in-chief of YM hired me to go with her to Redbook as her assistant. She actually planted the idea that one day I would make a good television producer. 

From there I went on to Nick Jr. Magazine where I worked with a really playful and passionate group of people. But during that time, I felt the pull to move back to Boston and live closer to my family.

Back in Boston, I started working in television at WGBH. At FRONTLINE I learned from the best documentarians in the business. They introduced me to the power of great storytelling. When I saw an opening in the Children’s Programming department at WGBH, I made my move to what would be a fantastic journey in kid’s programming,

I started on Time Warp Trio, then continued to work on Curious George, Postcards from Buster, and Arthur. One of my favorite experiences was creating a video workshop for kids. My colleague Natalie and I travelled all over the country and taught kids how to tell their stories. These videos aired as interstitials on Arthur.

Then in 2007, along came WordGirl. I went over to the Boston-based animation studio, Soup2Nuts to get into the heart of production. I had amazing mentors there and I learned so much about animation and comedy from a super talented team. 

What is your best memory working on WordGirl?
How can I pick just one memory? The best part was being on a team that cared so much about the details in every episode. I saw each person who touched the show contribute creatively in their own way. There’s nothing better than getting a script that makes you laugh out loud. You know it’s a great episode when you find yourself laughing every step of the way, even after you’ve watched it 20 times. Funny and educational is a winning combination.

At FableVision Studios, you’re the producer on Smithsonian Science Education Center’s Good Thinking! The Science of Teaching Science animation project, can you share about the process – how did this project evolve?
When we first met the team at the Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) I knew that this was going to be a winning partnership. They brought their passion for science education to the table and we brought our passion for quality entertainment. 

We knew from the beginning that scripting would be a crucial step. SSEC works with their content experts to deliver script templates to us. Then our animation writers get to work making stories, telling jokes, and bringing the characters to life.

In my opinion, you can actually see how great a collaboration is in the final product.  When the folks at SSEC described these videos as “lovingly crafted” I smiled a big smile. For me, that’s the ultimate compliment.

What makes Good Thinking! unique?  
Good Thinking! is really innovative in that I don’t think anything like this exists in professional development for educators. I like to imagine a group of teachers watching Good Thinking! in staff meetings and learning and laughing together.

You took a detour in your producer career and attended pastry school in Paris. What sparked that decision?
WordGirl was going on hiatus and I was feeling overwhelmed by the idea of jumping into another production job. So I took a few days off from work and really thought about my life and what was important to me. I did a little research and came up with my grand plan to move to Paris and attend pastry school. I’ve always loved to bake and for years I said I wanted to live abroad again. This was my chance to step away from the computer, work with my hands, create in a new way, and challenge myself to learn a new language. Best. Decision. Ever.

What do you love most about baking?
I love that you can take quality ingredients (good butter is really important), follow a recipe, and a short while later have a beautiful and delicious treat. My favorite part of baking is sharing my creations with family and friends. I think I should host an annual dessert salon. Wouldn’t that be fun? And so French.

Last October you went on an African safari. What was the most exciting moment on the trip?
Well, I could tell you about when we saw a lion kill a warthog and eat it, but that would be gross.

What made that trip special was spending time with my South African friends, feeling in awe of these beautiful creatures, smelling the smells, and remembering that I’m just one small part of a very big world.

Favorites:

Vegetable: Asparagus
Pastry: To make: tartes, to eat: pain aux chocolat.
TV Show: Mad Men, Orange is the New Black, The Affair, Silicon Valley, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Book: The Gifts of Imperfection and Daring Greatly by Brené Brown
Paris restaurant: Pierre Sang Boyer
Boston restaurant: Townsman
Vacation Spot: My aunt Ginny’s cape house in Brewster

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ISTE 2015: News from Booth #1300

Maybe it was the bright banner encouraging creative educators to connect or the smiling League of FableVisionaries or the hands-on sessions with new products, but FableVision’s ISTE Booth #1300 was THE place to be. 

What’s ISTE? Besides a big, fun party? ISTE Conference & Expo is a forum in which educators learn, exchange ideas, and survey the field of education technology. The annual event attracts upwards of 18,000 attendees and industry representatives, including teachers, technology coordinators, administrators, library media specialists, teacher educators, and policy makers. Every year the location changes; this year, we packed our bags and headed to Philadelphia.

ISTE is a huge conference for FableVision. It is a time to connect with the FableVision ambassadors and reignite the flames of creativity. We also get a chance to show off new learning tools for the classroom – like My Awesome Publishing Company and Fab@School Maker Studio. This year our partners at TERC, Dig-It! Games, Classroom, Inc., and Lulu, Jr. joined the FableVision booth for hands-on sessions of their games. All these options made for a diverse booth – one hour you might be helping the Zoombinis along to safety, the other you are on a historical Mayan dig site, the next you’re publishing a book, or getting the scoop in the fictional city of Port Douglas. 

ISTE is also a time to recharge and further our mission to tell stories that matter, stories that move. FableVision couldn’t do it without its fans, its educators, its creative rebels. For all the folks that stopped by the booth, thank you for being part of our journey to move the world to a better place! You can see more ISTE photos on our Facebook page. 

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Meet the Gulls: Hamburger, French Fry, and Spud

Hellooo readers! My name is Spud. I’m a herring gull chick that lives on the garden roof of the Boston Children’s Museum (right outside the window of FableVision Studios), and I was born just a couple of weeks ago!

Here's our mom nesting. 

Seagulls typically lay three eggs. One, two, three. That would be my siblings, Hamburger and French Fry and myself! Just like all seagull clutches, Burger and Frenchie hatched first, within a few hours of each other. The third egg (that’s me!) typically hatches a day later, and that chick is smaller than the other two.

Our story started when our seagull parents, Mr. and Mrs. Herring, formed a pair and built a nest on the rooftop garden. They do this every year! They work together to take care of the eggs, and now they take turns feeding us, too. Today for lunch, Dad regurgitated a great mush of small fish and invertebrates from the ocean. Yummmmmmy!

After lunch, Burger, Frenchie, and I practiced walking. It’s really difficult walking around on these big feet! I fall over a lot. My tiny wings aren’t big enough yet to help me balance. When rain rolls in, Mom fusses over us till we get back in the nest and she sits on us to keep us cozy and dry. Soon though, I’ll be big enough to hang out in the rain without getting too chilled. When the weather is nice, I’ll take a nap with my siblings in the grass or rocks. Our spotted feathers camouflage us so well, that we blend right into the roof!

Mom says that we’ll be getting big enough to fly soon. Our flight feathers are already growing in, and I’ll be flying for the first time in about a month! I’m so excited! After I’m big enough to fly away, Mom and Dad will still help care for me and my siblings for half a year. And even then, Burger and Frenchie and I won’t look like Mom and Dad until we’re two years old. So until then, we’re stuck with these spots. I really like them though!

People on the floor above love to stare at us through the windows. They get waaaay too excited when we poop. Or eat things. Or flap our wings. What is the deal with them...

Seagull art by Taryn Johnson

Seagull art by Taryn Johnson

Post written by Taryn Johnson, Production Artist and Animator, and Hannah O'Neal, Artist and Animator. Photos and videos by Bill Gonzalez, Producer. 

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D2D Fund and FableVision Turn the Tables on Financial Fraud

Put on your disguise and channel your inner con artist in FableVision’s newly-developed financial literacy game Con ‘Em If You Can! FableVision worked with the Doorway to Dreams (D2D) Fund in association with the FINRA Investor Education Foundation to create this sleuthy game. 

In Con ’Em If You Can, the player assumes the role of a con artist learning key techniques – phantom riches, reciprocity, scarcity, social consensus, and source credibility – to scam the residents of peaceful Shady Acres. The intention is that by playing as the con artist, the user learns how not to fall for the schemes in the real world. Connor, a “friendly” con artist and host of Con Art School, guides the player in crafting the correct strategy to persuade the victim into forking over the money. The player sorts through their bag of tricks for the various schemes to take down targets. But beware; Agent Hunter is hot on the trail. 

Con ’Em If You Can adds to the list of fun and engaging financial literacy games that FableVision has collaborated on with D2D. In Bite Club, the first-ever vampire-themed financial literacy game, players learn how to save for eternal retirement by managing their own nightclub. In Farm Blitz, farmer Kyra helps players get out of a sticky situation and turn their inherited farm into a cash-making machine. And in Refund Rush, players take on the role of a financial planner, giving customers advice on how to best spend their tax refund check based on their financial profile. Players learn how to use their refund to invest in bonds and pay off debt rather than spend it on luxury items. D2D is known for their game arsenal that approaches financial literacy from a non-traditional point of view.  

Test your skill! Try your hand at reeling in the big one on the game’s FableVision-designed website here. You can also check out FINRA’s facts and figures about the importance of fraud awareness. Remember, knowing your enemy is the best way protect yourself.

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