Stationery Studio

I received an email from "World's Greatest Software Designer", Dr. Peggy Healy Stearns ,which made me realize I needed to blog about my favorite software ever, Stationery Studio. My first experience with FableVision was when I went to the Iowa Technology Education Connection conference and went to a session on the AlphaSmart. The speaker was demonstrating how the AlphaSmart could put text in any word processor, her example was Stationery Studio. I went away from that session without an immediate desire for the hardware....but I had to get my hands on the software!

It is immediately apparent that Stationery Studio is software from a developer and a company that thinks differently. One example of the many features in the program that captured my attention was that before you print, you have the option of changing the wonderful, Peter H. Reynolds, artwork to black and white. The original intent was so that kids could color the pictures, but it allows me to print great looking prints on my laser printer. The program also allows for the creation of half sheets and quarter sheets.

One of the ways I use the program is with second graders. I print out half sheet blank templates of different animals and then pass them out to students. On the back of the sheet, the student brainstorms everything they know about their animal. On the front side, the student writes two sentences that rhyme. The end products are then put together and a rap song is created. Below are some examples:When I met Dr. Healy Stearns, I learned that she worked with teachers for an entire year developing the Stationery Studio software. I think the results show that the time was well worth it!