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FableFriends,
In honor of Teacher Appreciation Month, I want to share a story about one of my favorite teachers - and how he changed my life. You may have heard this story before, but I share the story the way one repeats a prayer.
I was in 7th grade when Mr. Matson noticed me drawing, not paying attention, and pulled me aside. Rather than scolding me, Mr. Matson asked me to try a project, tapping into art and storytelling to teach a math concept to other students. Dizzy with excitement, I ran off and made a comic book to teach math. I cracked open the dense math text book and saw, for the first time, that these numbers were only ways of quantifying things and actions, and that my "visual thinking brain" could see and describe them on paper. When I brought in the completed project, Mr. Matson didn't just see a comic book, he saw a storyboard. "How would you like to make an animated film?" he asked. A few months later, I had finished my first animated film designed to teach. Well, that is what I do today at FableVision. We use story, media and technology to teach and inspire! Mr. Matson helped me connect the dots at age 12!
I was lucky to have a teacher who saw how I learned and encouraged me to "follow my North Star" - just like you do with your students! This month, we want to celebrate how you use your creativity to inspire your students.
Check out the article below for an opportunity to have your students' work published on our blog!
(and Paul & the FableVision Learning team)
. . . .
Peter H. Reynolds
Founder, FableVision Learning
888-240-3734
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Your Students' Work Can be Published on Our Blog!
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It only took one inspiring teacher to get Peter to use his creativity to teach others. Animation is a powerful tool that any teacher can use to engage their students, regardless of skill level. Get your students started by downloading the free trial of Animation-ish™!
When your students have completed their animation, send it to us and we'll feature a selection of outstanding entries on our blog. Visit The Live Wire Blog for more information. We can't wait to see what your students are working on, and your students will be thrilled with the opportunity to have their work posted for the world to see!
Questions? Don't hesitate to email us, or call 888-240-3734.
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Seize the Opportunity to Grow!
|  Are you scrambling to use up the last of your funding for the school year? Don't risk losing valuable opportunities! We can help you make the most of your district's remaining dollars. We offer training and workshops on all of our products. The team is standing by to help you learn more, so contact us today!
Please email or call us at 888-240-3734. We look forward to hearing from you.
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New Poster: Who Inspires You?
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 You inspire your students every day. Hang this poster in your classroom to help your students appreciate the other guiding stars in their lives as well.
As every teacher knows, it takes a strong sense of your own path to inspire others. Share the story of The North Star with your students to encourage them to find their own North Star. Then they can help others do the same!
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David Smith is Coming to The Blue Bunny!
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If you're in New England, be sure to join us at The Blue Bunny (the Reynolds brothers' book and toy store) as we welcome friend and author David Smith! David created the award-winning curriculum Mapping the World by Heart™ and recently wrote This Child, Every Child - a groundbreaking book that compares the lives of children around the world. Stop by for raffles, refreshments, and the chance to meet this innovative thinker on Tuesday, May 17 at 7:00 pm at The Blue Bunny in Dedham, MA.
Learn more about David Smith here, or contact us with any questions.
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"How Plants Grow" Writing Activity
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 Try this fun activity to encourage your students' love of writing to blossom! Download the free PDF activity from our Stationery Studio™ collection and encourage your students to combine science and writing.
Stationery Studio, our K-5 writing program, helps students write by hand AND at the computer! Type using its introductory word processor, or easily customize line style, line width, page layout, and more for handwritten activities. To receive pricing for your school or district, please contact us or call 888-240-3734 today.
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Connect With Each of Your Students,
Show Them You Care!
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|  Peter H. Reynolds often emphasizes the importance of noticing and rewarding each and every student. Look around your classroom and see which students have been flying beneath your radar. All of your students want to feel connected with you, so we've created these Affirmations of Awesomeness for you to use! Pass them out to students as you notice them excelling, caring, helping, or just being themselves. |
| Give Your Students a Head Start! |
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 The more words your students know, the farther they'll go! Encourage your students to build their vocabulary every day. One of the easiest ways to learn new words is through reading - check out some of Peter H. Reynolds' classroom classics and get your students lost in a book (Big Screen Books: The Dot even has a built in glossary)!
Words And Their Stories is our online vocabulary program that inspires your students to love words. It builds reading comprehension and fosters the development of critical thinking skills. Try the free demo and see the difference it can make in your students' vocabulary skills!
If you have any questions, we are standing by to help. Email us today or call 888-240-3734.
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Guiding Star Award: Carol Anne McGuire
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 Carol Anne McGuire is an award-winning educator who began her career teaching blind and visually impaired students over 20 years ago. She is the founder and "Lead Rocker" of an international project called "Rock Our World." Carol Anne has worked with partners such as Apple, Discovery, Disney, American Film Institute, Google and Will Smith. Additionally, Carol Anne keynotes all over the world on topics such as Global Collaboration, Accessibility, Digital Storytelling, Podcasting, Technology in the Classroom and Movie Making for the Non-Techy Teacher. FableVision Learning is proud to call her one of our Guiding Stars!
Learn more about Carol Anne and Rock Our World here.
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| Want to See Green this Spring? Garden for Grants! | |
 We've hand-picked a bouquet of grants for May! Take a look and see what funding opportunities may be useful to your school or district. There are a variety of options, so we're sure you can find something to add a creative spark to your classroom.
For best results, please save the PDF to your desktop and view it with Adobe Reader.
Also, we have many resources to help you make the most of your district's technology dollars. Call us at 888-240-3734 or email us today to discuss training and workshops on all of our K-12 learning tools.
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FableVision Learning Spotlight:
Emily Scarborough, Creative Services Specialist
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 If you've enjoyed the recent FableFlashes, you've seen an example of the work that Emily does at FableVision Learning. As Creative Services Specialist, she is involved in a variety of design and marketing projects. Emily enjoys writing and designing materials that reflect the unique vision of FableVision Learning. She's also the ultimate team player and loves collaborating with the rest of the design team and our talented interns.
Learn more about Emily here, or shoot her a hello!
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Creativity in the Global Classroom
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 Join skilled instructors from FableVision Learning and
MassCUE to learn how to create digital stories using the award-winning software, Animation-ish. This Inspirational Institute is on July 14, 2011, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm, and includes lunch. Attendees will receive Animation-ish software and a year of MassCUE membership!
Register today, or learn more. Space is limited, so sign up soon!
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Conferences & Events
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Read on to find out where the FableVision Learning Team will be in the upcoming months. We hope to see you there!
Author David Smith Visits the Blue Bunny
May 17, 2011, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
The Blue Bunny, Dedham, MA
ISTE 2011
FableVision Learning Booth #955
June 26 - 29, 2011
Philadelphia, PA
Peter H. Reynolds and FableVision Learning are doing two sessions. See more information here.
Southampton Children's Literature Conference
July 6 - 10, 2011
Southampton, NY
Creativity in the Global Classroom: FableVision Learning and MassCUE Inspirational Institute
Space is limited, register now!
July 14, 2011
Plymouth, MA
Building Learning Communities Reception at FableVision Studios
July 27, 2011, 5:30 - 8:00pm EST
FableVision Studios, 308 Congress Street, Boston, MA
Kappa Delta Pi Convocation
November 4, 2011
Indianapolis, IN
Visit our website for more details on upcoming
conferences and events.
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 Until next time, keep the creativity flowing and your batteries charged! Together we can make a difference!
Peter and your friends at FableVision Learning |
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Words
And
Their Stories
Word
of the
Month
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Word of the Month: Horizon
The word horizon comes from the Greek noun horos, which means "boundary." It also comes from the Greek verb horizein, meaning "to limit." So, for the Greeks, the word horizon was "a limiting circle or boundary." In Medieval times, scientists used a similar form of this word, orizonte, to describe what they could see during the daytime when they looked as far into the distance as possible.
Now you know that horizon means "the place where the earth or sea seems to intersect with the sky; the limit or range of one's knowledge or experience."
To learn more about our web-based vocabulary program for grades 5-12, explore the FREE trial of Words And Their Stories today!
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