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Vote for FableVision’s SXSWedu PanelPicker sessions!

Have we mentioned yet how much we love Austin and the SXSW community? No? Well we LOVE it. And to triple our chances of presenting at SXSWedu in 2016, we’re representing the studio in a few proposed sessions: one on Zoombinis, another focused on Good Thinking! The Science of Teaching Science, and a third on the Early Childhood Fab Lab. We’re a bit humbled by the incredible people we’ll hopefully be sitting next to, but we need your help to actually make it to Austin!

Here’s what to do:

  1. Read the rest of this post.
  2. Be amazed by how awesome our PanelPicker submissions are! (We know, we know, we’re excited too.)
  3. Head to SXSWedu’s website here.
  4. Make an account here to view all of the submitted SXSWedu ideas. 
  5. Vote! (Voting ends Sept. 4)
  6. Share the word on social media -- we can’t do it without you! A big thanks in advance.

Good Thinking! The Science Of Teaching Science

Link to vote: http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/51733

Description
The Smithsonian Science Education Center has partnered with FableVision Studios on Good Thinking! The Science of Teaching Science, a new, original web series and professional development resource for science educators. Too often, valuable knowledge sits unused in inaccessible journals; Good Thinking! delves into the research to share the best ideas and practices with teachers in a fun, accessible way. Good Thinking! is able to reach teachers with targeted information to support their practices.

Questions Answered

  1. Explore the potential for practical implementation of an animated web-series as part of a coherent and rigorous professional development plan.
  2. Investigate the learning science behind why our minds are designed to misunderstand science, and what educators can do about it.
  3. Discuss the need for an intersection of research and science with arts and entertainment in order to provide accessible information.

Speakers
Marjee Chmiel, Smithsonian Science Education Center
Leigh Hallisey, FableVision Studios
Danielle Gillis, FableVision Studios
Brian Mandell, Smithsonian Science Education Center

Zoombinis: Redux of a Popular Learning Game

Link to vote: http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/48308

Description
Zoombinis, the popular math and logic educational game, returns nearly 20 years after its 1996 release. Panelists reveal different insights on how to bring back an old favorite & how to measure and leverage game-based learning of computational thinking. How do you relaunch a successful product from the ’90s and make it relevant for today’s generation? How do you leverage today’s research methods such as data mining to measure important learning in the game, such as computational thinking? How do you balance commercial impact with education for a popular learning game? Hear from designers, researchers, and developers to understand the choices that went into bringing back this popular learning game.

Questions Answered

  1. The panel will show how the Zoombinis game experience supports STEM learning -- specifically math, logic, and computational thinking.
  2. Designers will discuss game and learning mechanics from the original 1990’s game, and how they were preserved in the 2015 version.
  3. Researchers will discuss how middle schoolers’ learning of computational thinking is measured in the game and supported in the classroom.

Creating the World’s First Early Childhood Fab Lab

Link to vote: http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/57348

Description
Fab Labs are maker spaces that use digital design and fabrication (e.g. laser cutters and 3D printers) to build STEM skills and creativity. In winter 2016, The Bay Area Discovery Museum, in partnership with TIES and FableVision, launches the world’s first Fab Lab for young learners (ages 3-10) to help them navigate the design process from concept to production, and turn their ideas into reality. This session addresses the design principles of these spaces, lessons learned from this first prototype, and curricula suggestions aligned to NGSS and CCSS. Panelists will reflect on their experience in bringing such edtech maker spaces to our youngest learners in developmentally appropriate ways.

Questions Answered

  1. Understand the power and possibility of using technology with very young children in developmentally appropriate ways.
  2. Learn from the nation’s first ECE Fab Lab prototype to consider how you can bring design and fabrication into your school, program, or classroom.
  3. Understand how math, computer science, and engineering practices can be meaningfully taught in Fab Labs with very young children.

Speakers
Elizabeth Rood, Bay Area Discovery Museum
Paul Reynolds, FableVision
Janice Morrison, Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM (TIES)

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August FableFriday: Loren Lee-Flynn, UX/UI Designer

Loren Lee-Flynn always has a story to share. Sometimes it is about someone she met at a yoga class, or her enormous family, or her work in the classroom. Other times it’s about a fun conversation she had with a client or something crazy that happened the night before with Baxter her cat. No matter the situation, Loren is never short of stories.

Perhaps it is only fitting to begin Loren’s FableFriday with her journey to FableVision story – one that is entwined with another FableVisionary.

“My FableVision journey started long before I was on staff — about 10 years before. My then boyfriend (now husband) Bob Flynn and I moved to Boston from St. Louis. We had been living in St. Louis after graduating from the illustration program at Washington University, but wanted to return to the east coast where we were both originally from. We didn’t have jobs yet, and FableVision Studios was one of the first places we looked,” she shared.

Bob was hired as a staff artist and eventually became FableVision’s Director of Art and Animation. Loren freelanced at the studio while she was teaching in an after school program.

“After I got my Master’s in Early Childhood Education, I expected that I would begin teaching and my FableVision days would be over,” she said.  But, fate had another plan. While she was looking for a teaching position, a role opened up at FableVision.

“The Studio was looking for someone to create wireframes and spec documents for their educational projects. I saw this as the perfect opportunity to combine my background in the arts with my passion for education,” she shared. “I started out as an independent contractor and later I joined the team as FableVisions’s first in-house UX/UI Designer, with a dual role as an artist.”

As FableVision’s UX/UI Designer, Loren is often called on to craft fancy interfaces for apps and responsive designs for websites, all while keeping her toes wet on the art side of the studio. As August’s FableFriday, Loren shares more stories from FableVision, her time in the classroom, and her huge extended family.

As an artist with an education background, you have a unique perspective on the educational projects created at FableVision. Can you share a few moments when your experiences in the classroom have helped on projects?
My education background gives me a unique insight into how FableVision’s products will be used in the classroom by both teachers and students. A good example is the Institute for Community Inclusion/UMass Boston’s Future Quest Island (FQI), a web experience that provides students, many of them with special needs, the opportunity to explore career options and other possibilities for their adult lives. A huge part of the FQI experience is the portfolio, where students gather and showcase all of the work they’ve done on the site. I knew from my work in the classroom that it’s important to allow students to not only save their work, but also to reflect on it, self-assess, and make decisions about what they want to present and share with others. This really informed our strategy for how the portfolio should work.

Tell us about your experience with teaching! What is your best memory of working in the classroom?
My best memory of working in the classroom comes from my time as a teaching intern in a first-grade classroom. The district science curriculum included a multi-week unit on animal adaptations. I modified the unit to include as many hands-on experiences and literacy connections as possible.

One of the learning goals for the unit was to have students understand that animal body parts like skin, beaks, and claws often evolve to fulfill a specific purpose, such as protection from predators or obtaining food, and that by observing these parts closely, they could make hypotheses about how the animal might use that feature to help it survive.

I had the students first practice the observation process by giving each student a “mystery-tool” to examine closely, sketch, and make an educated hypothesis, backed by evidence, on what the tool might be used for. The mystery tools were all random gadgets I had gathered from around my apartment, and it was funny and interesting to see their guesses about the purpose of each tool. The next day, we repeated the process using models of animal beaks, claws, and hides. It was so rewarding to see the students, especially some of the more reluctant writers, excited about observing and writing. They enjoyed it so much that they asked if they could create a museum display to show off the models, and many of the students repeated the writing activity by observing different models during their free work time.

Let’s talk about user experience. What are the top things on your mind when you’re designing a webpage or interactive?
The first questions I ask myself when designing a website or interactive are, “Who is the user?” and “What is the goal/what problem are we solving?”

For most FableVision projects, goals often include specific learning objectives or benchmarks, so a huge part of the planning process is figuring out how to make sure our users meet those targets. Just as importantly — and this is key to the FableVision mission — is keeping the experience fun and engaging. Ideally, our users engage with our products because of the fun factor, and the learning happens naturally.

Responsive is the “it” word when it comes to websites, how does a responsive design change user experience?
Responsive is more than just a buzzword. It is absolutely necessary in a world where more and more users are accessing digital content through mobile devices. A good responsive website optimizes the display of content and provides a smooth experience for all users, whether they are using a PC, a tablet, or a phone.

Let’s talk Doorways to Dreams Fund’s Con ’Em If You Can, what was your role on the project?
Working on this project was a blast! The challenge came from the sheer number of characters that needed to be designed. There were about 50 in all and each one had unique attributes and personality traits that needed to be reflected in their appearance. I ended up going with a “paper-doll” approach where I assembled characters by making different combinations of face and body shapes. The fun part was giving each character a unique outfit befitting the great ’50s vintage look of the game.

What’s your favorite part of Con ’Em If You Can?
There is the secret chinchilla theme that recurs throughout the game. That touch was added by our hilarious writer and creative director, Leigh Hallisey.

You’ve done everything from print books to websites to apps for preschoolers, what’s your favorite project?
One of my favorite projects was an interactive we created for longtime FableVision client, Maryland Public Television (MPT). MPT’s Succeeding in the New World teaches students about the challenges faced by early colonial settlers in America. The interactive takes them through the process of outfitting a ship with supplies, laying out buildings and farms, and then watching as natural disasters and extreme weather descend on their settlement, often destroying it. Students then reflect on what went wrong and replay, trying to improve on their results. I was involved with all stages of the project, from early planning to final art, so I’m pretty proud of it.

What inspires you creatively?
The thing that inspires me the most is watching people who are great at what they do. To me, that’s the best thing about being at FableVision — I’m surrounded by people I can learn from every day.

You have a passion for fonts, currently, what is your favorite font and your least favorite font. Why?
We use a lot of Google fonts at FableVision, because we do so many web projects. Lately I’ve liked Karla, a nice, clean sans serif that still retains plenty of character. My least favorite font is probably Arial. I get the hate for Comic Sans, but after working with teachers who had to make hundreds of cubby labels and classroom notices for small children, I can see it at least has its place. Arial just looks homely in any context.

You have a huge family (especially cousins). Can you share a bit about your cousin Christmas traditions?
Between all the aunts, uncles, cousins, spouses, and assorted children, there are about 50 of us, so we take up a lot of room. We always get together on Christmas Eve for a gift swap, but in our version, you cannot simply steal a gift. My cousin, Alex (who has a real knack for game design) has come up with a series of little games (think Minute to Win It). If you want to steal a gift that the person you’re stealing from wants to keep, you need to challenge them to one of these games — winner keeps the gift! It changes a little every year as Alex keeps the favorites and improves or replaces those that don’t go over as well. This year’s favorite was New Roach City. You can see a video of it here.

Who is Baxter?
Baxter is my cat. He’s too grouchy to come into the studio, but he’s been featured on the FableBlog before.

More about Loren:

Favorite
Meal to Cook: Roasted chicken and Brussels sprouts
Thing to eat: Tapas
Snack: Cheese, crackers, and olives
Movie: The Big Lebowski
Book: Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie
Animated Movie: Fantastic Mr. Fox
Song: New song: Sunday Candy, Chance the Rapper; Older song: Fantasy, Mariah Carey
Vacation: Hawaii 

Least Favorite
Meal to cook: Chicken pot pie — I can never get it to come out right
Thing to eat: Cilantro
Snack: Anything with artificial sweeteners
Movie: Un Chien Andalou — I still haven’t recovered from being forced to watch it in college art history
Vacation: When I went to Chicago for St. Patrick’s Day with college friends and got food poisoning. I still went out, but couldn’t even have a beer.

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Zoombinis: The Journey’s Complete

zoombinis

Around this time last year in a packed conference room at FableVision Studios, the Zoombinis team mapped out a re-launch plan. What TERC, FableVision Studios, and Learning Games Network (LGN) didn’t know is that they were about to embark on an epic adventure of their very own.

Before we travel further let’s make sure everyone knows about Zoombinis. Not too long ago in 1996, the original game, The Logical Journey of the Zoombinis hit stores as a CD-ROM game. Kids loved it! Nearly 20 years later, TERC was ready to bring the game back with a mobile spin. We were excited, but the fans were ecstatic.

In Zoombinis, the player helps the little blue guys escape imprisonment from the evil Bloats – who had taken over everything and canceled holidays! Boarding a boat, crossing the Allergic Cliffs, topping the pies in Pizza pass, and jumping Mudball Wall – players use their logic and reasoning to solve unique challenges along the way to their new home – Zoombiniville. 

Zoombinis is equal parts fun and challenging, filled with memorable quotes – did some one say “Make Me a Pizza!”? – and loveable characters, but Zoombinis is also a learning game and provides a deeper understanding of logic. Hear what FableVision president Gary Goldberger has to say:

In the months that followed the kick-off, the Zoombinis team enjoyed the good life as they looked for ways to revamp the beloved ’90s game for its new digital home.

It feels like everyone had a hand in this journey. As the producer on the Zoombinis game (and a fan of the original game), FableVision’s Polly Searles sprung into action to keep all the pieces chugging along. Hear what she has to say in her Developer Diary:  

Maybe it wasn’t tackling Titanic Tattooed Toads, or conquering Lion’s Lair, but each FableVisionary lent his or her talents to tackle a series of challenges in this unique process. This process included redesigning the Zoombinis themselves, digitally painting rich backgrounds for the new aspect ratios and optimizing it all for the touch screen, developing the game in Unity to ensure the animations and the game play blend in the export for mobile and web play, retracing all the animation to provide fans with the classic look-and-feel within the new technology, launching and then celebrating a successful Kickstarter campaign, recording and editing developer diaries, prepping for news interviews; demoing the game at conferences, and so much more. 

 

On Aug. 6, the Zoombinis reached the shores of their new home in the Apple and Google Play stores, ready for a new generation. Mac, Windows, and Kindle Fire versions will be released later this summer. What are you waiting for? Jump on over to start building your Zoombinis, and be sure to tell your friends and leave us reviews! Now…who’s ready for slice of pizza?

Here’s what a few more FableVisionaries had to say:


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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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