My FableVision Journey

It seems like I am frequently telling old friends about my journey with FableVision and so I thought I would put the story on my long-neglected blog for all to read. If you know me, you know I never find the easy or most direct path to anything, so it is quite a story. You will notice there were some powerful forces at work during this story and many paths leading to one place.

It all started at the Iowa Technology Conference. I am not sure the year. I went to a session on the "Dana" which was an Alphasmart device that allowed the user to type into an inexpensive laptop-ish device and it would transfer into 'any' word processing software. The presenter was Arlene Steele, who at that time worked for AlphaSmart. She showed that the Dana could indeed transfer into any word processing software, including a program called, "Stationery Studio." Well, I sadly didn't win the software at the end of session drawing. I spent the next few hours stalking Arlene and trying to get the information about Stationery Studio. I eventually tracked her down and got the website.

I called FableVision the very next day and was SO fortunate to land the amazing Bill Norris on the phone. Bill would send me the software. I now know I couldn't have possible reached a better person on the phone. Bill knows absolutely everyone and is a marvel in my life. When I have worked at conferences with Bill, I notice that he not only remembers every single name, he knows the persons 'story' and what is going on in their life. I love that about him. But, back to the story.

So, what was it about Stationery Studio that made me want to have it and share it? It's amazing K-5 writing software that immediately gave me ideas for how I could use it in MY classroom (music). It was designed by Dr. Peggy Healy Stearns (whom I had no knowledge of) and the art was by Peter H. Reynolds (also no knowledge). It was simply the best software I had seen. It was very cool looking, but it also had a ton of features I hadn't seen in other products. For example, you can change the wonderful artwork to great looking black-and-white with one click. No more ugly gray scale prints. It was amazing. Also, every design can be printed with two on a page, four on a page, and other choices, again with just one click. I showed it to my lower elementary teachers and they purchased it the next day.

A few months later, I got a letter in the mail from Aziza who was a very sweet person at FableVision. She asked if I wanted to be an "Ambassador"? Well, I already was! I had been telling everyone who even talked about software about this amazing discovery. So, I agreed. Later, I had more phone calls with Bill and suggested that he try to get Peter Reynolds to come to the Iowa Conference. In the mean time, I ordered the book "The Dot" and "The North Star".

I received a Christmas card from FableVision and it had the most wonderful little drawing on it by Peter Reynolds. A few months later, some very wonderful ladies gave the music department of my school ten thousand dollars. We decided to build a small composing lab and purchase keyboards. When dreaming of the mini-lab, I wanted a small logo I could put on the creations that developed from the lab. I remembered back to that Christmas card and that great little drawing. I called Bill and asked if it was possible....to my pleasant surprise, it was. At that time, I had NO idea the incredible amount of work that Peter does and would never have dreamed of imposing if I knew, but I blissfully waited for the time when it would arrive. Truth be told, I probably drove Bill nuts asking if it was going to happen....but I was SO excited when it came....and it was beautiful!

The books came and I was blown away. "The Dot" is the single best book for children and teachers to read....EVER! I think it should be required reading for future teachers. It is packed with valuable perspective and is wonderful. It speaks to the spirit of teaching. I soon found out that Peter H. Reynolds would be the keynote at the Iowa Technology Conference.

This is the part where you might shake your head in disgust at me....I researched Mr. Reynolds like crazy and found out that he had illustrated "Judy Moody" books and had his own website. I read and read every single page I could find. The overwhelming thought??? This guy can't be for real. In my time in education, I had grown a bit jaded. Well, ALL of those thoughts disappeared when Bill Norris and Peter H. Reynolds came to Iowa! They are both exactly who they say they are. They want to help all kids reach their true potential. The days were absolute magic and I was definitely under the spell. FableVision was going to be an important part of my life because it matched my view of kids and education....filled with hope and promise.

The next big event was being asked to go to Atlanta and work with the FableVision crew. I worked at the booth with the amazing Dawn (who has changed jobs, but is still a dear friend). I got to meet two more of the Reynolds family, Peter's twin brother Paul and sister, Jane. Both were so wonderful to me and treated me like a member of the team and family. I also met some wonderous people from Promethean, like Kathleen Tan, who would become very strong advocates for me. The big thrill of that trip was meeting Dr. Peggy Healy Stearns. Peggy, as you might recall, was the designer of "Stationery Studio." What a thrill!! Peggy is the sweetest and kindest person I know. She is a brilliant designer and I have been able to check out her other programs and they are all amazing. Oh, and after the session with Peggy, I got reacquainted with Arlene Steele!!! The person who introduced me to Stationery Studio.

While we were driving across town in a cab, Jane Reynolds was telling me about some software that was in development and was getting my reactions to it. A few months later, I was privileged to be on the Beta-testing team for "Animation-Ish". Even better than that, over Christmas break, I was asked to write some lesson plans. I could write five or ten....I was so thrilled and inspired, I wrote fifteen! Animation-Ish is a K-12 animation program that I have literally done with kids of all ages. It is easy enough for the little kids, yet powerful enough for high school kids (and adults! I love it!)

The next year the conference was in San Antonio and there was a slightly different crew. We were joined by the lovely Julia Young who is a very talented person and works in the Dedham office. I also had the wonderful thrill of being a guest in Dr. Peggy Healy Stearns' session. Wow! What a fun time that was! Animation-Ish was released just prior to this conference and it was an immediate hit! While packing up from the conference, Bill asked if I might be interested in leading the Ambassador group.... Wow, what a question! YES!

In early November I was named "Lead Ambassador" which meant I got to run the very program I had been a member of, which was a thrill. I have the extreme joy of working with the absolute best educators from around the country. I truly know nothing about sales, I only get to support the mission.

One of the greatest things I get to do is be on the team for new Stationery Studio add-on packs. FableVision is so great that when people suggest a new design pack, they research it and sometimes create them. "Sports and Exercise" and "Fairy Tales and Folktales" both were from teacher recommendations! They will truly give kids a reason to write!

The last national conference was in Washington D.C. and I again got to present with the amazing Dr. Peggy Healy Stearns and this time, Glen Bull. I worked in the booth with the amazing Bill and Julia and two mission sales specialists, Nicole and Ryan. An amazing team. I got to meet in person with a ton of wonderful people I have met online and it was great fun.

So, what are the big messages??
*If you have ever wondered why I spend so much time promoting FableVision and Peter Reynolds, you now have a glimpse.
*"The Dot" and "Ish" should be required reading for all teachers, students, and humans. "The North Star" is guaranteed to change your life.
*"Stationery Studio" is the best program you can get for K-5 writing and writers.
*Peter H. Reynolds is the real deal. There is NO better advocate for kids and education.
*If YOU haven't heard of Peggy Healy Stearns software, check it out.

**When you love something, get into it.....really into it. There is no greater joy than to do work that matches your heart.

Peter H. Reynolds is Amazing!

Using a picture of my car that I have on Facebook, the amazing Peter H. Reynolds created this animation. It made my WEEK ( and maybe month and year )!!

School Could Be Like Golf

On Monday, I was enjoying my first golf outing of the summer and a thought occurred to me. You might have to work at following me here, but I think I have made an important connection between two of my favorite activities... Golf and getting kids to learn.

Any golfer will tell you that the game can be very frustrating. I was on the fourth green (which I had overshot two times) and I was wondering what it was about this game that kept me coming back for more? I stepped into the tee area of the fifth hole and hit the absolute most beautiful shot I had ever seen. It popped off the tee just right, it had a beautiful arch, and it landed very near the green. Then, wham---it hit me, that was the reason that people continue to golf. A person might make 200 terrible shots, but then the one amazingly beautiful hit blows wind back into your sails and you are hooked. HOPE and a little talent charts the course.

As I walked to the green to get a close up look at that beautifully hit ball, I thought 'what if school was like this for kids?' I know it is a strange thought, but it is how my mind works.  What if kids had a chance at some real success. What if the teacher found out what it was that made the kid tick and then found ways for the kid to show how smart they are in a way that works for the kid? An activity/project/event that inspires success. This can not be a fake experience or a cake-walk type project. It wouldn't inspire me to keep golfing if someone stood around and falsely cheered me on...nor would it work to go toss the ball on the green and say I had been amazing. The learning event must be real and honest.

My mind goes immediately to an activity in my school when we were trying out Animation-Ish.  The history teacher assigned students one of the assignments I created for the Animation-Ish Educator Guide -- the Political Cartoon.   The 'Talented and Gifted" kids made some great animations that demonstrated their vast knowledge of the topic in history. But, equally as amazing, some of the 'lower' kids also created amazing animations. The kids who are firmly in the 'at-risk' designation had shown their grasp of the the content by animating their assignment. So, my thought is....if we can provide these stunningly beautiful drives off the tee, maybe we can fill the sails of the "off the path" learners. HOPE!

For a few years I lead a committee in my school and I worked with kids who were struggling in school. I learned SO much about how kids interact with school. To a student who has multiple F's, grades are NOT motivating. Maybe part of the problem is that their experience is doing poorly...they are used to that. What if we rethink some assignments and give them some new experiences that are motivating and lead to hope...and success?

What do you think???  Did I spend too much time in the sun, or am I on to something? 

 Teach - Hope! 

Graphic above is from the new Stationery Studio Add-On Pack called Sports and Exercise.  Stationery Studio is from my friends at FableVision and the program was designed by the amazing Dr. Peggy Healy Stearns and with Peter H. Reynolds' artwork. As I have mentioned several times, I work for FableVision, but not in sales. If you want to get K-5 students excited about writing, check out this program!!

Time for Reflection

What an amazing year....2008. Today, as I am a bit homebound, I started to reflect on the year of connections and technology....and the beginning of a new and amazing section of my journey.

Over last Christmas break, I was asked to write lesson plans for a new software program called, "Animation-Ish" from my dear friends at FableVision. What a great experience that turned out to be. There is nothing more exciting to me than dreaming up ways to reach kids using any tool available, and having a great animation tool was the motivation for a lot of new ways to teach! In May, the high school kids made political cartoons (one of the last lesson plans I came up with) and I was blown away by the results. Huge thanks to History teacher, Brent Thoren, for having students work on the assignment. Check out my resource collection on a previous blog post.

In May, I also took the jump into Twitter. I had read about (and mocked) Twitter for quite some time and didn't see the point. How can a person learn anything or make friends 140 characters at a time? After gaining 220 or so followers, I have learned that the "Personal Learning Network" is a very strong force in my career and my life. I have learned so much from these friends, most of whom I have never met in real life. I must give thanks to Sylvia Martinez who tweeted my presence and gained me a lot of followers on that first day!

Also in May, I launched this blog. What a journey that has been. I have been able to post about the things that move me. I have been able to think out loud and also make some cherished connections. I love the thoughtful comments and I love being the voice for some other dreamers. One of the greatest thrills this year was when I blogged about "Darius Goes West," an amazing journey that EVERYONE should watch and support, I received emails from some of the gifted filmmakers. What a thrill. I purchased a video and I hope you will too. Here is a previous post to give you more information.

June was truly amazing and unreal. I traveled to NECC in San Antonio and was part of the FableVision group for the second year. I attended the Constructivist Consortium with my friends Dr. Peggy Healy Stearns, Gary Goldberger and Cristine Goldberg.  I got to meet "The Great One," of Twitter and Plurk fame, Diane Cordell (@dmcordell). What a treat. What could be better than being in a room with motivated educators who want to make a difference in the lives of children and they want to change their practice to inspire the difference?

I also had the wonderful opportunity to be a guest presenter with my hero and friend, Dr. Peggy Healy Stearns in her session. Watching this truly gifted educator is treat enough....but being invited to present some things my students have done was unbelievable. Another great treat of this conference was while I was sitting on a lobby floor hanging out and having lunch with Peggy, Peter H. Reynolds came up to sit with us and showed us the proof for the book that would be come one of my favorites of this year, "Free to Be...You and Me: The 35th anniversary edition." I had used "Free to Be...You and Me" in my classroom over the years, I was thrilled that it was being updated. Peter H Reynolds' artwork is some of the best ever. It is a beautiful book and a work of art to me

The other great part of NECC was meeting people all around the country who love FableVision and some who hadn't met the company yet. It was great fun....in a way, like teaching. Sometimes, you could literally see the fire light as educators dreamed of ways to use "Animation-Ish" in their classroom!

Sometime in the summer, I also jumped on the Plurk bandwagon...I have amassed 143 new friends. It is amazing how much sharing goes on in that arena. Although much of it is the sharing of the mundane comings and goings of the day.... their have been some very poignant discussions. There have been the passing of animals and the devastation of areas with weather that have led me to make charitable donations. I am amazed how the lives of people that most of us have never and will never meet have brought about such compassion.  On the other side of serious, my sense of humor gets a work out with some of my favorite sparring partners on Plurk, like principalspage and Dedra. Although I love making connections and learning about the latest in education and technology, my extreme quest for humor enjoys the silly interchanges as well. I once said, "If you can't have fun doing it, don't do it!"

In the end of October I was hired part-time by FableVision, the world's greatest software company (which you know I thought was that great before I 'worked' there). I lead the Ambassador program, which is the program I had been involved with. As I mentioned earlier, one of my greatest joys in the world is talking with educators who are committed to motivating kids and improving lessons with new products or methods. So, this job is a perfect fit for me. I am not in sales, which I would be really bad at. I get to spend time talking to phenomenal educators who are ON FIRE about reaching kids and love education. I get wonderfully touching emails about what people are doing with kids and it is truly a joy.

In November, I was asked to write an article for "Learning and Leading" magazine because of a comment I left on my "cyber angel" Sylvia Martinez's blog. It was a thought provoking prompt and it was gratifying to be asked to respond.

In late November, Peter H. Reynolds encouraged me to join Facebook. Previously, I believed that was an avenue for college students to come up with party plans....I was wrong. I have had a great time connecting with my Twitter, Plurk, and FableVision friends. Lately, I have started following some of the authors I admire in the Young Adult realm. Susan Patron, Deborah Wiles and others... Another great way to be motivated by interesting people. But, probably the greatest use of Facebook is that I have been reconnected with some of my favorite students from the past.  What a great use of technology!!!  I now have 229 friends and am enjoying adding more as the days pass.

It was a year filled with friends and good times. Thanks to all who played a part!

I am a very lucky man!

Christmas Animation

Created by me using Animation-Ish

The Story on the 'Doggy Box'

Friday night, my wife and I went out to eat at a local establishment. The waitress was phenomenal, a rarity these days, and when we could eat all of our meals, she decorated our take-away boxes. On my wife's box, she drew a ribbon. On mine she told the story of the armless man who was chased by bees. I was so impressed by her story, I animated it and it appears below.

The waitress explained that she loved drawing, but she had to be a waitress to 'pay the bills.' A very sad story, but I was impressed how she could bring a little of her real passion into her job. So the lesson for me is that even if you are not doing exactly what you dreamed you would be doing, keep dreaming and find ways for your passion to shine through what you are doing until that big dream comes true.


Speaking of storytelling, Peter H. Reynolds has a great idea for getting your stories out on his blog today http://stellarcafe.blogspot.com/


The original puppy on the box--


Animation made with Animation-Ish, of course.

All About Animation-Ish

Tomorrow, Monday, October 20, I will be presenting the amazing program Animation-Ish at the Iowa Technology and Education Connection Conference. I was very lucky to be on the Beta-testing team for this program last year. In addition, I wrote fifteen of the lessons that are included in the Activity Guide as part of the Educational Edition.

This blog post is going to attempt to answer some questions. Windows and Mac!
Wacom tablet or not? Actually, as it says in the system requirements, a drawing table is not required. Most of my students prefer to use a mouse. I LOVE to use the Promethean Board!!! You can draw on the board and it is "what you see is what you get." Currently, there is an issue with Macs and Promethean board, but they are working on it. It works great on the PC.

I use it in my classroom, if you go here, here, here, or here, you can see things my students have done with the program.

Wait....There is more! When you are done creating your amazing animation, it can be saved in a variety of formats, like Flash or QuickTime.

Here are some screenshots and notes so you can get an idea of what the program looks like. The program comes with AWESOME video tutorials by Peter H. Reynolds and the animators at FableVision.


Hey, do you think I am the only person who thinks the program is the best? Nope! Here are the awards the program has won so far.

Give it a try! Free 15 day download.
Make my day and send me your animation!!!

If we met at ITEC, please send a comment!

Follow Your Star

The journey has been a little tough for me and a few of my online friends....I came up with this animation to remind us all that we must keep following our star.

Everyone knows that I am a huge fan of Peter H. Reynolds and his book, "The North Star!" So, I used my favorite program, Animation-Ish to create this animation. The boy is part of the program library and it was drawn by the amazing Peter H. Reynolds....the rest was me. I even tried to emulate the Reynolds' style of coloring in the boy.

My Blog Challenge--

Laurie said, "Here's a blog challenge back at you--what technology or software is most helpful in a music classroom? Those of us non-music teachers but techies would like to know."

Well, here goes, Laurie...

My kids use and LOVE "GarageBand." It is amazing the stuff they have learned about music while composing their own music. Form, musical keys, tempos, etc. have all been part of their experiential learning.

"Stationery Studio" is an amazing piece of writing software that actually has nothing to do with music. I have used it with second graders to create their own "Animal Rap Songs! Great experience for the kids. Rhyming and musical beats...it's all good. If you are a K-5 teacher, you MUST check out "Stationery Studio!"

A software program I have blogged a lot about (in part because I wrote some of the curriculum) is "Animation-Ish." I have several projects underway this year. High school kids will be animating musical terms that are in their music. Elementary kids will be using the program for several different projects.

I also plan on using Skype and inviting other classes from around the country to work with my students!

Best of all, I will have a Promethean board on FRIDAY!!!!!!! Class as we know it will change!

Right Around the Corner

Enough said....

Created with Animation-Ish!

Losing Your Way

From "The North Star" by Peter H. Reynolds Clip Art Collection

We all need to remember we are on a journey...sometimes the going is easy and sometimes...


We need hope to pull us through.


Animation created with Animation-Ish.
The Journey in TJ on a Journey is a reference to "The North Star" by Peter H. Reynolds.

Just For Fun!

For those who don't know me personally, I love all things aquatic.

Out on a limb

Original "artwork" created using Corel Painter.

We have been discussing how teachers evaluate media/software on this blog. Now it is time to stop talking and start creating!! I think we all can agree that good software is only as good as the teacher in the room with the student creators. So, today I am throwing out a suggestion/challenge. If you have been reading my blog, you have noticed that I have done a lot with Animation-Ish. What would you have kids do with it if it was in your room?

Please comment with an idea of how the animation program could be used BY kids in YOUR classroom (school) to demonstrate something they have learned. You may not copy my former posts here or here, but you may use them for guidance! I will (voice shakes as he says it) try animating some of the best suggestions (hence the out on a limb) or you can download the trial and do it yourself. Either way, I will be posting some animations in the days to come.

Now dream big here! Think outside the box. I am expecting ideas from all my social network friends! I will be out here on the limb waiting.

Clouds and Flying!

So, as predicted, I used the cloud background I created yesterday and used it as a background for my latest animation. I can't imagine an educational use for this, but it was really fun! I used the Advanced-Ish level of Animation-Ish.

How Shall We Evaluate Media?

Last night was an exceptional one in my college class. We were set to talk about evaluating software. As the students were looking at three pieces of software that we are fortunate enough to have on our computers and one on my laptop, I sent out a Tweet. I said that I was waiting for class to look at software so we could talk about evaluating. Lucky for me, my Cyber Angel, Sylvia Martinez was on Twitter at the same time and said she would have a lot to say on the topic.

So, proving that the world is truly flat, I asked Sylvia to Skype into my classroom and join the discussion. I should probably mention that I have had Skype on my computer for a year, but never used it for a phone call. This is the sort of fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants that either makes me look brilliant --- or a fool! Lucky for me, it was brilliant. I was lucky to have a brilliant guest!

For those who might not know her, Sylvia Martinez is the president of GenYes and has years of experience in software development. Her insight is phenomenal and was just what this rather quiet class needed. Before the call, we had a mini-conversation on the four vastly different pieces of software we had looked at. The students enjoyed the interactiveness of some and wondered about the breadth of others. When Sylvia was on the phone, she talked about the great promise of "blank page" software. She quoted my hero, Peter H. Reynolds, who is also a proponent of the blank page. Peter owns a bookstore and if anyone asks him what the best book in the store is, the international famous - New York Times best selling illustrator points to the blank books that they sell. So both of these marvelous mentors point to the wide range of implications of the blank page to curricula. Sylvia wowed the class and provided the impetus for a great conversation.

After the call, there was an excellent discussion about software and what to look for. When I went back to Twitter after class, I noticed that Dr. Gary Stager had asked me why we evaluate software. He questioned why we don't apply that same scrutiny to items such as textbooks. I replied with, " The reason I talk about software eval is because some people let software dictate curricula-instead of the other way around." I think my job, as an instructor, is to get students to evaluate all media. Whether it be a Web 2.0 application, a piece of software, a video used in class, a textbook, or any other media. I think most techie-people will agree to that.

Dr. Stager's point seems to include why we use a canned, out of the book type rubric to evaluate media. Do we use that same rigid and generic criteria to evaluate textbooks? Good and thought provoking question. Truth be told, I start the conversation with such a rubric. The rubric in our book asks students to look at things like content and navigation. The reason I extend the conversation is that there are a LOT of things that are not in the rubric. Many good pieces of software would NOT rate well on that rubric. An example would be the new software Animation-Ish. Blank page software does not fall neatly in the package of the rubric. The student doesn't receive feedback from the software and there isn't any teacher monitoring.

So, the question is, how do we start the conversation with future teachers about evaluating media. Seems to be a tender balancing act to help distinguish between the groundbreaking achievements in software development and the slick and/or shiny objects that people become enamored with. We must provide guidance in selection so that the objectives/education drives the media acquisition and not the other way around.

I sincerely want to thank Sylvia Martinez for her participation. I also want to thank Gary Stager for asking the tough questions. My favorite undergraduate teacher, Dr. Berg, quoted one of his instructors when he would say, "Anything worth believing is worth questioning." It is critical in this education/information explosion to question why we do what we do and how we choose what companies and materials get to be viewed and explored by our most valuable asset....our students!

I encourage you to leave comments!

The Wave

I have been working on my animating skills, or more accurately, my drawing skills. Here is an example from a recent attempt. I am hoping others will animate some things and share them. I LOVE to see what others have created! Remember there is a free 7 day trial download here. You can use a Wacom tablet or a mouse. Screen shots are a few posts back which will get you started. It's an easy program and a lot of fun.

Animation-Ish Trial Version Quick Guide

I am not sure what directions come with the download of Animation-Ish. I created these screen shots with the hope of helping people who might be struggling to create an animation.


Wiggledoodle-Ish

The first level is pretty much self-explanatory. It is a very simple three step animation. Make a doodle, click the next button, trace it, click next, trace it a third time and hit Play.


Level Two: Flipbook-Ish has controls that are similar to Wiggledoodle-Ish. In this level the user can create as many frames as they desire. Click on the green plus sign for a new blank frame or click on the duplicate button to create an exact copy. When I first started animation, I used the duplicate button a lot and then moved items in the frame a little.

Level Three: Advanced-Ish adds the possibility of a background layer. It operates much the same as the foreground layer. There is a mover tool in this level and there is an excellent tutorial on using that feature in the "Lessons" section of the website.

Hope this is helpful! I am hoping for some reader submissions to put on this blog!! Get animating!

Claire's Animation!

Claire Morrow, who is 7 yrs old, created this beautiful piece of animation. She used Animation-Ish for the animating and "Tux Paint" to create some of the graphics.


Thank you for sharing this great animation! I love to see what kids are creating! I am always willing to show student creativity.

Starry Night

It seems that a lot of people are feeling the let down after NECC or the stress of a new job. I decided to create an animation with stars. I want to again direct my blog friends to "The North Star" a beautiful story by Peter H. Reynolds about following your star. You can read the story online or buy the beautifully illustrated book. The Journey part of my blog title references the book and the idea that we are all on a wonderful journey.

"Some parts of the journey were easy... ...and some were very difficult."

"Ask yourself where it is you want to go and then follow the signs you already know..." from "The North Star" by Peter H. Reynolds.

Animation-Palooza

Back to ideas.....

You have been watching my efforts with Animation using Animation-Ish. Now it is your turn! Go here and download the trial, then get animating. Animate your classroom rules, an algebra problem, a funny mockumentary....anything you want and then email it to me! I will put them on my blog, or if you would rather not, I will just enjoy it privately.

All you have to do is create your animation, click the 'share' button, and save as a QuickTime video.

Today I lay down the gauntlet... Anyone can be an animator and you are going to prove it.

At the very least, leave a comment that includes an idea of how you could use animation in your classroom!

Be brave!!!!!!