FableVision Learning Spotlight Blog
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- Words and Their Stories 1
- Zoombinis 3
Beal School Opens with Mural by Peter H. Reynolds
“Reach for your own words. Tell the world who you are and how you will make it better.”
- Peter Hamilton Reynolds
Every day when students enter the new Beal Elementary School in Shrewsbury, MA, they are welcomed by the characters and messages of New York Times best-selling author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds.
The colorful mural spans the lobby and two floors of the new school, and, thanks to digital capture and printing technology, includes an exact replica of the original mural created at the old Beal School.
Attending the new school dedication was educator Kathy Rivenburg who first “connected the dots” with Peter while she was teaching at the Floral Street School in Shrewsbury back in 2002 when the school was performing the Massachusetts-debut of The North Star Musical (based on Peter’s storybook The North Star).
Interestingly, Joe Sawyer, who now serves as. Superintendent of the Shrewsbury School District, was principal at the Floral Street School - and served as narrator for The North Star Musical performance, along with Assistant Principal Mary Beth Banios.
Thanks to their original “dot connecting” with Peter at FableVision, this extraordinary, school-length mural now adorns the brand new Beal School.
To create this massive and complex, multi-paneled mural, Peter and his studio manager Julia Young Cuffe worked with the extraordinarily talented team at Worcester-based Lamoureux Pagano Associates Architects, which included President and Lead Architect, Katie Crockett, along with Project Architects Sean Brennan and Natalie Gabrielle.
On Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, Peter H. Reynolds joined the school community for a dedication ceremony for the new school building. Several fourth grade students from Beal served as the program's presenters for the ceremony, that included Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito; Beal Building Committee Chair and Vice Chair of the Board of Selectman John Lebeaux; Executive Director of the Massachusetts School Building Authority Jack McCarthy; Representative Hannah Kane; Senator Michael Moore; and Vice Chair of the School Committee, Beal Building Committee Member Sandra Fryc, Beal Principal Chris Girardi, Assistant Principal Shelley Hoey and Peter H. Reynolds.
The audience was also treated to two recorded student musical performances: the updated school song Cheer Cheer for 'New' Beal School and The Dot Song, which was co-written by Emily Arrow and Peter, based upon his famous book The Dot.
The Peter H. Reynolds Storybook Academy: Inspiring Young Authors to Create Bravely
From teaching first grade to college, Marni Kay, Associate Instructor of Reading Education at the University of Central Florida’s School of Teacher Education, has been working in education for 23 years.
“I am fortunate to have the opportunity to inspire the next generation of educators,” she explains. “Each one of the Reading and Language Arts courses I teach has a ‘little kid factor,’ meaning I partner my UCF students with K-6 students in the community during our class time in a variety of ways.
Marni and her team incorporated FableVision Learning’s The Peter H. Reynolds Storybook Academy into their instruction. We recently chatted with Marni about her experiences using the online writing program. Read on to learn more!
Q: What were your goals in using Peter H. Reynolds Storybook Academy?
Marni: I teach an Elementary Language Arts methods course and as part of the course, the standards focus on teaching future teachers how to teach the writing process to K-6 students. [The Peter H. Reynolds] Storybook Academy’s focus aligns perfectly with these goals.
The modules take students from brainstorming all the way to publishing with Peter guiding writers each step of the way. One part of teaching writing well is for teachers to also see themselves as writers, so I wanted my students to experience the writing process not only as future educators, but as writers themselves.
I knew I also wanted to partner with one of the K-6 teachers, I work with in order to provide an opportunity to not only see how the modules would work with college students, but also in a K-6 classroom! I teamed up with one of my recent graduates, third grade teacher, Vicky Livorisi to try it out.
My UCF students and I started the program with Vicky Livorsi and her third graders at the end of the school year. Vicky and I met several times on Zoom to go over the modules, plan, and brainstorm what a virtual partnership might look like. Over the course of 5 weeks, Vicky led her students through the Storybook Academy modules and we came up with a few times that my students and I could support her writers throughout the process.
During these virtual visits, my students and I were able to engage in writing conferences with Vicky’s third grade writers via Zoom. We were so excited to hear her amazing students share their ideas, drafts, and published stories with their “UCF Writing Buddies.”
As I reflect on the experience, I appreciate that my UCF students were not only able to engage as writers (writing their own stories), but were also able to experience the writing process through the lens of a third grader.
Vicki shared: “My kiddos have loved the program and they think it’s so wonderful to hear from Peter in his videos as well! They have become so motivated to brainstorm ideas for potential titles and write!”
And her classroom was abuzz with excitement. Her students shared":
“It gives me an excuse to draw during class time. I also liked making up my own characters and using my imagination.”
“I enjoy Storybook Academy because it helps me learn how to become an author.”
“If you have a lot of imagination like I do, you can express it in a book and read it over and over again!”
Q: What was your favorite part?
Marni: What I love most was that students (at all levels) were able to learn from Peter H. Reynolds and his two decades worth of knowledge and support. I appreciated the connections between his published books (which kids and teachers LOVE), the way he encourages students to write what they know, and the practical strategies that he includes to help along the way, like the one-minute story.
Students from third grade to college were all able to write and publish their own book! The published books included stories about pets, friendship, a cookbook, a how-to origami book, and a few students even chose to collaborate on their creative stories, as well!!!!
Marni’s students at the University of Central Florida also had high praise for the program.
“Storybook Academy, I think is genius because I’ve always wanted to write a story, but never gathered the motivation to go through with it. To have a class and little buddies to do it with you, makes it inspiring and a great learning/motivational tool.”
“Storybook Academy is a fun way to create books/stories. I appreciate the small goals throughout to make it feel attainable. The videos throughout about the writing process are an awesome tool! I can’t wait to try this out in my future classroom!”
Q: What does Create Bravely mean to you?
Marni: Create Bravely means dreaming big, thinking outside of the box, and trying new things. For me, this looks like connecting the dots by designing cross-curricular content units tied to children’s literature, creating authentic learning experiences for my students and K-6 kids in the community, and providing real world learning opportunities that encourage my students to dream big, too.
Q: What’s next?
Marni: We are looking forward to participating in Dot Day 2021!!! For the past two years we have participated BIG both in person and last year with a virtual event that included a special Dot Day themed Bitmoji Classroom. This year, I am also planning to take some inspiration from Storybook Academy and ask my students to write a one-minute story highlighting how they will make their mark in education! I can’t wait to see what we come up with next!
Curious about how to use the Peter H. Reynolds Storybook Academy in your classroom? Click here to learn more or email us at info@fablevisionlearning.com.
FableVision and MetroWest YMCA Encourage Campers to Follow Their North Star
Cardboard boxes, aluminum foil, markers, balloons, and a splash of creativity were all the ingredients needed for Friday’s North Star Summer Celebration at the MetroWest YMCA. Wrapping up the third week of FableVision Learning’s North Star Digital Storytelling Program, campers donned their STEAM caps as they collaborated on the design, construction, and testing of a boat.
With an audience of State and local leaders—including State Representative Carolyn Dykema; Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer; YMCA President and CEO Rick MacPherson; New York Times #1 best-selling Author/Illustrator Peter H. Reynolds; and FableVision CEO/Co-Founder Paul Reynolds—elementary-aged campers worked through the Engineering Design Process to create their floating vessels.
The event not only celebrated campers creations, it also shined a light on the partnership between FableVision and MetroWest YMCA. With funding from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Afterschool and Out-of-School Time Quality Enhancements (ASOST-Q) Grant Program, which is administered through the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the team shaped five weeks of the North Star Digital Storytelling Program.
At the launch of the program, students read The North Star, a powerful allegory about finding one’s unique path, by Peter H. Reynolds.
Using newly-created materials developed for this program by FableVision Learning, which extend the themes of the story, students are designing, collaborating, reflecting, and creating, all while developing a strong sense of self. In addition to hands-on projects, students used FableVision’s web-based animation tool, Animation-Ish, to produce their own animations. And received video coaching from The Peter H. Reynolds Storybook Academy as they developed pieces of their personal stories.
About the MetroWest YMCA: For more than a century, the MetroWest YMCA has responded to community needs in the MetroWest area. Annually, the Y serves more than 25,000 children, adults, and seniors living and working in MetroWest communities. Led by the values of youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility, the MetroWest YMCA strengthens the community and addresses critical gaps in kids’ education and health through programs and activities that focus on academic enhancement, health, social growth, and safety.
About FableVision Learning: Founded by Peter H. Reynolds, award-winning author of “storybooks for all ages,” FableVision Learning provides programs and tools to support teachers and learners to develop essential creativity skills. FableVision’s programs provide support to teachers through its Creativity Circle International community of practice, through custom training programs, and through digital software programs developed to unleash the creativity of students. All of FableVision Learning’s programs and tools support transformational themes found in Reynolds’ best-selling books. FabMaker Studio, Animation-ish, and The Peter H. Reynolds Storybook Academy are three of FableVision Learning’s signature creativity programs, which foster creativity, confidence, and self-expression. The online programs feature both digital and physical learning activities in which students create animations, books, and 2D/3D designs. More information: www.fablevisionlearning.com.
Be You After-School Program at Jaffrey-Rindge School District Explores Creativity and Making
The team at FableVision Learning just wrapped up a fantastic year working with the with Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District after-school program.
We worked with the New Hampshire school district to implement an exciting after-school program for K - 8/9 students that supported personal and academic success through the use FableVision’s creative tools and engaging projects.
Using custom curriculum focused on social-emotional learning (SEL) along with tools like Animation-ish, FabMaker Studio and resources from the The Peter H. Reynolds Storybook Academy the students explored their creativity while sharing their voice. To wrap up the program, FableVision hosted a virtual. end-of-year celebration of student work with special guests Paul and Peter H. Reynolds.
Here are some highlights:
Engineering and Design with FabMaker Studio
From intricate pop-ups to 3D robot Batman, students explored design engineering and paper fabrication.
Animation-ish
Students learned the basics of animation and explored different levels of Animation-ish to create their final projects (seen above in gif form).
Are you looking to bring custom programs and curriculum to your school, after-school or camp classes? contact us at info@fablevisionlearning.com to find out more!
FableVision Learning Celebrates Student Creators in New York City’s District 75
FableVision Learning wrapped up another amazing year with New York City’s District 75 Middle School After School (MSAS) program. To make the program happen this year, the district had to navigate the challenges of a pandemic and remote learning, and FableVision Learning helped with a custom curriculum focusing on social-emotional learning (SEL).
After all the changes and uncertainty students experienced this year, it felt especially important to help students express themselves and tell their stories, because everyone has a story to tell.
During the FableVision program, students read books by Peter H. Reynolds to introduce each core competency of SEL. Then they shared their hearts through animations about their emotions, generated and practiced self-management strategies, and wrote their very own books about things that are important to them. No two student projects were the same.
As a culminating celebration, almost 200 teachers, parents, and students gathered virtually to celebrate all the students’ hard work and resilience during the Virtual Year End Annual Gala hosted by Peter H. Reynolds.
We are so grateful to have been part of this program to help D75 students share their voices and access their creativity in a difficult time.
STUDENT STORIES
ANIMATION-ISH PROJECTS
ANIMATION-ISH IN SPACE
Michelle & Barack Obama Read The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds
New York Times Best-Selling Author/Illustrator Peter H. Reynolds was beyond surprised to learn that former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama teamed up to do a live reading of his storybook The Word Collector, about a boy named Jerome who collects his favorite words.
Only days before the reading, Peter received a request from the Obamas - through his publisher Scholastic - to read the book live on social media.
“Of course, I didn’t hesitate for an instant to agree, but I had no idea that the reading event would happen so quickly,” he shared.
In their home, on Thursday, May 14, the Obamas hosted an installment of the Chicago Public Library's online series "Live From the Library," a daily story time for children. The reading was recorded and is still accessible on the Chicago Public Library’s Facebook page, and the Obama Foundation’s YouTube Channel.
Adding to the honors, both Michelle and Barack tweeted out about the reading to their 132 million followers on Twitter. Their video reading has now been viewed over 10 million times on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, and reported on by major media outlets around the globe.
Published by Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic, The Word Collector, is a story about a little boy named Jerome, who loves to collect words just as other children collect stamps, shells or rocks. The book celebrates the transformational power of words for all ages.
Reynolds was glowing over the reading, “This book is incredibly important to me as part of my mission to get young people to understand the transformative power of words, so to have this unbelievable spotlight on this story is truly a gift.”
Peter H. Reynolds is a best-selling author & illustrator Published in over 25 languages, Peter's books The Dot, Ish, The North Star, Going Places and Say Something, among many others, inspire children and “grown up children” with his messages about authentic learning, creativity, bravery, empathy, and courageous self-expression. For more information on Peter’s books, visit The Dot Central.
Classroom Spotlight: Oceanside PROJECT EXTRA holds I Am Love/Limb Kind Celebration
For this year’s “I Am Love” charity event Oceanside's PROJECT EXTRA (New York) students from all six elementary schools worked together to raise awareness and funds for the Limb Kind Foundation.
Written by Susan Verde and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds, "I Am Love" is a beautifully inspiring picture book that is a celebration of love in all its forms. Love allows us to act with compassion and kindness, to live with gratitude, and to take care of ourselves by practicing self-love.
As schools across the country are currently closed, the Project EXTRA event on March 31, 2020 became a virtual celebration.
Angela Abend, PROJECT EXTRA teacher shared on Facebook:
“What a day it was ... our virtual ‘I Am Love/Limb Kind’ Celebration definitely added some light to our day today and it was wonderful to be able to "share" it together. Thank you to all those who stepped up and helped out in a pinch! Here are all the links to the videos and presentations that were shared today. Remember ... together, especially at this time, WE are LOVE!.”
Celebrate the event with PROJECT EXTRA.
Oceanside PROJECT EXTRA reads “I Am Love”
Oceanside Project EXTRA
Oceanside PROJECT EXTRA students, with the support of Oceanside High School students, created an inspirational video recording of "I Am Love" that was to be shown as the kick-off to their charity event on March 31.
”I Am Love” author Susan Verde shout-out to PROJECT EXTRA
Susan Verde, author of I Am Love, gives a shoutout to Project EXTRA
Peter H. Reynolds Reads "I Am Love" during
his Facebook LIVE event
Peter H. Reynolds reads I Am Love
Rob Schulman from the the Limb Kind Foundation shout-out
Rob Schulman from the Limb Kind Foundation shout out for Project EXTRA
As one of their final projects in this three-year PROJECT EXTRA program, the annual sixth grade charity project gives the students an opportunity to "give back" and share their gratitude. The students would have given their "big check" to Mr. Robert Schulman, founder and executive director of the Limb Kind Foundation, on the day of their "I Am Love" event. Inspired by the writing of Peter H. and Paul Reynolds, the class was also going to receive a surprise visit from Paul Reynolds, twin brother to Peter and co-author to one of their favorite books, "Going Places".
The Limb Kind Foundation, is to improve the lives of children with limb loss both domestically and internationally, by strengthening the amputee community, and providing pediatric prosthetic care for all. Fifty sixth grade PROJECT EXTRA students have reached out to their Oceanside community and raised over $13,000 for the foundation. Fundraisers, speaking engagements, and community service projects rounded out their efforts and some famous musicians even joined in with generous donations, too! In addition, the students raised funds to have Limb Kind volunteers bring 30 copies of "I Am Love", along with 30 matching Beanie Babies, to the children of Ethiopia receiving free prosthetic care from the foundation. Amazingly, these students have raised $30,000 for the Limb Kind Foundation over the last three years!
More PROJECT EXTRA Shout-Outs and Rob Schulman Interview
Celebrate World Wildlife Day with FabMakerStudio!
When it comes to wildlife, the first step toward conservation may be appreciation. It’s easy for students to fall in love with nature when they explore the exciting worlds of animal life (fauna), plant life (flora), and the astounding ways in which they interrelate.
In the classroom, World Wildlife Day (March 3, 2020) provides a unique opportunity learn about the importance of biodiversity. If you’re looking to incorporate this year’s theme—Sustaining All Life on Earth—into your curriculum during the coming weeks, FabMaker Studio can serve as a fun, creative, and intuitive tool for your students.
Here’s a list of some of our favorite FabMaker Studio projects that relate to wildlife!
The Flight of the Bumblebee
There is a common myth that bumble bees defy the laws of physics as they apply to aerodynamics. How is it possible that they are able to fly? Using high-speed photography, Michael Dickinson—a professor of biology and insect flight expert at the University of Washington—researched how the bumblebee takes flight and published his findings. Through this Fab@School Maker Studio activity, your students will examine the anatomy of a bumblebee, or other flying insects.
Giraffe Masks
Did you know that the small horns on top of a giraffe’s head are called ossicones? Giraffes appear to share these skin-covered, boned protuberances with an extinct relative called the Sivatherium. (Reference: National Geographic, "Sivatherium: A giraffe with a trunk?", and ”The Biggest Giraffe of All Time.”) Even as one of the most common symbols of wildlife, giraffes are relatively little-understood creatures, whose habits and origins are still being researched and discovered!
These card stock Giraffe Mask designs are a ready-made project in FabMaker Studio. For a simple activity, they can be assembled + worn by students, or combined into a classroom/hallway display.
Alternatively, you can use the mask designs to launch a lesson about the evolution of animal features, and how fossil records help researchers to decipher the evolutionary story of a species. With the FabMaker Studio design interface, students can use their imagination to adapt the features, or dream up attributes that the giraffe’s relatives could have evolved to survive. (For example, longer or differently-shaped ossicones, pointed teeth, a trunk, and more!)
Pair a Wildlife Project with a Themed Book!
For World Wildlife Day (and beyond) teachers can use FabMaker Studio projects alongside themed books to create memorable experiences for their students - especially those who like to get hands-on while learning!
For example, this January at the School Within School at Goding in Washington, DC., FableVision/Reynolds Center TLC’s own Paul Reynolds spoke about his book, Sydney & Simon: Go Green!, which addresses the threat that ocean pollution poses to the environment and aquatic life…including sea turtles! Afterwards, the third grade students assembled 3D turtles that were created using FabMaker Studio.
When considering your plans for celebrating wildlife in the classroom, remember that FabMakerStudio offers ready-made projects that feature bears, birds, foxes, turkeys, deer, and many more! Consider which of your favorite books about wildlife could be paired with a paper fabrication project!
How will you bring the lessons of World Wildlife Day in your classroom? How will you incorporate FabMakerStudio 2D and 3D fabrication to make your lessons come alive? For a chance to be featured in our FableVision Learning Spotlight, please email info@fablevisionlearning.com!
To learn more about school visits with Peter H. Reynolds and Paul Reynolds , click here.
Click here to learn about FabMaker Studio.
Peter H. Reynolds Honored with Prestigious 2018 Children’s Literature Award
FableVision founder and New York Times bestselling author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds was honored on Monday, April 9, with the 2018 Children’s Literature Award from the Massachusetts Reading Association (MRA).
The association remarked that Reynolds' "complete works have made a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children” and recognizing his "reputation for writing books about protecting and nurturing the creative spirit.”
Reynolds joins the ranks of previous children’s literature luminaries, which include Marc Brown, Rosemary Wells, Patricia MacLachlan, Jane Yolen, Tomie DePaola, Laura Vaccaro Seeger, Lois Lowry, Katherine Paterson, and the Pinkney family.
After Reynolds received the award from the MRA leadership team, he presented a keynote called "The Courage to Create and Make One’s Mark” to hundreds of educators, who gave him a standing ovation. Reynolds shared how lucky he feels that teachers, librarians and students around the work have embraced his stories about creativity, courage, and compassion - and have put the ideas into action.
Reynolds shares, “When I read my books about creativity to kids in school I will always follow up with discussions about creativity and I often refer to it as a “superpower” they all possess - which, if not used on a regular basis, will disappear from their grasp. It elicits some great gasps from the audience and of course, I am there encourage them NOT to let go of it."
The Massachusetts Reading Association is a professional non-profit organization whose primary purpose is to improve the quality and level of literacy in the state of Massachusetts. The MRA is affiliated with the International Literacy Association (ILA), a worldwide literacy organization with a network of 300,000 educators in 99 countries. The MRA promotes literacy for all learners through professional development, research, publications, and advocacy for the literacy community.
Reynolds books have been translated into more than 25 languages around the globe and are celebrated worldwide. They include the best-selling “Judy Moody” and “Stink” series, “The North Star”, “The Dot”, “Ish”, “Sky Color”, “I Am Peace”, “Someday”, and most recently “The Word Collector”, which hit the New York Times Best Seller List at position #4.
Peter H. Reynolds to Be Honored with the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award
The Boy Scouts of America and National Eagle Scout Association have announced that FableVision founder and renowned children’s book author/Illustrator, Peter H. Reynolds, is being honored with the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award (DESA)
The award ushers Reynolds into an elite cadre of fellow Distinguished Eagle Scouts, which includes political, business and creative luminaries such as President Gerald R. Ford, Neil Armstrong, Steve Fosset, Gov. Dukakis, James Lovell, Sam Walton, James Brady, William Hanna, J. W. Marriott Jr., and Steven Spielberg.
Reynolds earned the award for his “extraordinary national eminence in his field, as well as his strong record of voluntary community service.”
In addition to writing and illustrating nearly 50 influential children’s books (his most famous book The Dot has been published in over 30 languages, and is celebrated each year in a global event called International Dot Day, which has reached over 10 million students and teachers in 170 Countries), Peter H. Reynolds also founded FableVision Studios to help fosters creativity and self-expression and move the world to a better place through “stories that matter, stories that move.”
“As a quirky, creative kid, scouting gave me a safe, supportive environment where I could develop my skills, talents, strengths and leadership,” Peter shared. “I really can credit the Scouting program for giving me the confidence to pursue my dreams, which is why I’m so happy to see so many supporting these critical programs for boy – and now girls. Every child deserves this kind of solid foundation to help them navigate their future success.”
FableVision will proudly cheer our creative champion as The Boy Scout of America Spirit of Adventure Council present the award to Peter at the 41st annual “Salute to Scouting” gala at The Westin Copley Place.
WCVB TV Anchor Randy Price, himself an Eagle Scout, will serve as master of ceremonies. This signature Boston event attracts hundreds of scouting supporters, including business and civic leaders who aim to expand Boy Scout youth development programs throughout the Greater Boston area.
41st Annual Salute to Scouting
When: Thursday, November 30th at 6 p.m.
Where: The Westin Copley Place
Register to attend!
Travel around the World on Dot Day
This blog post was written by Adrienne Poon, FableVision Learning Marketing Intern.
One of the best things about International Dot Day is just how international it truly is! Over 9 million people across 169 different countries have already registered their Dot Day participation, making it a truly global celebration of creativity, courage, and collaboration. In the spirit of this global International Dot Day community, here’s a sampling of ideas from around the world for how to #MakeYourMark.
Nepal
To kick off this International Dot Day tour, here’s a video of a small group of Nepalese students wishing you a happy Dot Day on the International Dot Day Facebook page!
United Kingdom
Dot Day love is palpable. Our friends in England at the Lammas Independent School know how to celebrate.
International @DotClubConnect #DotDay2017 in England! pic.twitter.com/l9EbQmblIu
— Lammas Indep School (@LammasSchool) September 15, 2017
Poland
Now take a look at one of the most dot-happy countries in the world! Poland absolutely loves International Dot Day - there is an entire Polish blog dedicated to Dot Day, which includes a very populated map of Polish schools participating in Dot Day this year. These photos are from a school in Studzionka, which celebrated with painted dots, Quiver dots, and even dotty photoshoots! Poland even has their own Dot Day song, with an impressive accordion cover by Michał Sawicki.
Denmark
Students in Denmark also celebrated Dot Day, creating vibrant dots in all colors, sizes, and mediums with their art teacher Tatjana Knudsen.
11 Likes, 1 Comments - Tatjana Knudsen Art Teaching (@tatjanaknudsen) on Instagram: "#dot #dots #dotday #dotday2016 #internationaldotday2016 #internationaldotday #tatjanaknudsen..."
Lithuania
In nearby Lithuania, Kedainiai special school students celebrated Dot Day last year by creating dots with markers, collage, and more!
Canada
Not be outdone on the other side of the Atlantic, the Summerside Rotary Library of Prince Edward Island is preparing a special 2017 Dot Day Family Storytime and is inviting every visitor to make their mark through stories, drawings, and a community painting!
Puerto Rico
Further south, students at the Academia San Jorge in Puerto Rico celebrated Dot Day in their computers class. This video not only shows off the students’ drawn dots, but it also includes photographs they took related to dots!
Dominican Republic
In Santo Domingo, Pekepolis EduPark hosted a Dot Day bonanza with artists, a storytime, and a medley of dot-making materials available for everyone to make their mark!
Italy
Back in Europe at Atelierstorytime’s school in Milan, students celebrated Dot Day with fun activities that also reinforced their English language skills through learning numbers, sizes, colors, and action verbs! This year, they will be celebrating Dot Day again with a storytime and workshop.
Spain
Teacher and pedagogical advisor Jenny Silvente painted dots in Spain - but not with paintbrushes. Instead, she used spin painting and elbow grease!
11 Likes, 1 Comments - Ver Pensar Sentir (@verpensarsentir) on Instagram: "Puntos que se mueven y se transforman... #internationaldotday #diadelpunto"
Invited by Jenny Silvente to participate in Dot Day and also located in Spain, promoter of play Yessica used many tiny bead dots to make a single big dot in yet another creative example of how to make your mark!
30 Likes, 5 Comments - Rejuega (@rejuega) on Instagram: "Me ha invitado @ver_pensar_sentir a participar en una preciosa iniciativa inspirada en el libro "El..."
Malaysia
Across an entire continent over in Malaysia, Tadika Impian Kita had a wonderful Dot Day celebration full of classroom activities - and they uploaded video to share with all of you!
Indonesia
Last but not least, from the jungles of Borneo, here's a video of a large group of creative students wishing everyone a happy International Dot Day!
Ready to join in on the international fun? If you haven’t already, register at The Dot Club and share your mark across social media with #MakeYourMark and #DotDay. Stay connected on twitter @DotClubConnect and Facebook!
13 Days and 13 Ways to Celebrate Dot Day
Join million students, teachers, and librarians this International Dot Day, celebrating creativity and courage in 186 countries on or around September 15th-ish! To support your International Dot Day festivities, we assembled this handy list of 15 ways in 15 days to celebrate Dot Day.
1) Discover The Dot
Read The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds to see where all of this started - you can grab a copy over at The Dot Central.
2) Register Your Class
Join the growing community celebrating International Dot Day by registering over at The Dot Club! You can also download our FREE Educator’s Handbook for Dot Day, which features student handouts by Peter H. Reynolds and Dot Day activities by creative educators.
3) Get Inspired by the First Dot Day Class
Learn what Dot Day means to the students of the first class to ever participate in Dot Day, straight from the students themselves. In this video, seniors from Traer, Iowa, who first celebrated Dot Day as fourth graders in 2009, reflect on the history and growth of this creativity movement.
4) Check Out Celebri-dots
Head over to the Celebri-dots website to check out dots created by a variety of individuals, from authors and illustrators to actors and astronauts! Packed with dots from all walks of life - paint dots, pie dots, and even Earth dots - you’ll be sure to find inspiration there.
5) Dot Day Song
Listen, sing, and move to "The Dot Song" with kidlit singer/songwriter Emily Arrow!
6) Gear Up
Stock up on official International Dot Day gear by visiting The Dot Central for materials such as an autographed copy of The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds, sticker packs, t-shirts, and posters! If you want even more Dot Day gear, you can also download free multi-language Dot Day posters.
7) Poke Around Pinterest
Still don’t have enough dots in your day for Dot Day? Visit our International Dot Day Pinterest board to see how others celebrate Dot Day with activities, resources, and more!
8) Download Quiver
Quiver brings your 2D art to life through 3D augmented reality so you can interact with your Dot Day artwork in exciting new ways! Download the free Quiver - 3D Coloring App and print out this template to get started.
9) Connect the Dots with Other Teachers
Looking to "connect the dots" with other classrooms nationally and internationally on Dot Day? Whether it's through email or web-based video connection, use the Dot Day Google Doc to make connections. Thanks to creative librarian/educators Shannon McClintock Miller @shannonmmiller, Andy Plemmons @plemmonsa, and Matthew Winner @matthewwinner for overseeing this effort!
10) Fabricate Your Dot
Fab@School Maker Studio is a perfect tool for cultivating your inventive spirit! With this paper prototyping and fabrication software, flex your design muscles and create 2D, Pop-up, and 3D paper models inspired by The Dot. It’s easy to get your design mind rolling when you start small - you can always try again and again! Try fabricating dots that fold, roll, spin, or transform!
11) Make Your Mark Move
With Animation-ish it’s never been easier to bring your drawings to life. Three distinct levels let you practice and animation motion techniques by making your dots roll, bounce, squish, grow, morph, and much more. What can your dots do? Just make your mark and see where it take you!
12) Find Your Ramon
Just like Vashti’s teacher encouraged her to “make her mark,” Vashti later used what she learned to encourage Ramon to make his own mark. Now’s your chance - go out and find your Ramon and encourage them to make their mark too!
13) Share Your Mark
Share your mark and connect with the International Dot Day community through social media! There are over 8 million individuals from 168 countries participating in International Dot Day, so make sure to share your mark with all of them across social media with #MakeYourMark and with the official Dot Club Twitter feed @DotClubConnect!