A BIG Gift for Educators Attending CUE 2012

March 15, 2012 - PRLog -- This week, Boston-based NY Times best-selling author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds is delivering an unusually BIG gift to attendees of the annual CUE Technology Conference in Palm Springs (March 15–17). Through FableVision Learning, his K-12 educational creative resources company, Reynolds is giving away Big Screen Books™, group reading software optimized for interactive whiteboards. The software, which features Reynolds’ best-selling storybook The Dot, will be available for free to over 3,500 conference attendees, along with over 4,400 readers of the quarterly OnCUE Journal. Each software license provides non-commercial public performance rights, allowing teachers to show The Dot story publicly to many students at a time. The total value of the giveaway exceeds $130,000.

Reynolds has participated in the CUE Conference for over two decades. He has generously donated his signature logo design for CUE's conferences, and is well known by conference attendees for his past keynotes and popular sessions on creative ways to reach all learners. Years ago, Reynolds began painting conference badges for happy recipients, who often line up to have him add his unique watercolor illustrations to their nametags. After more than twenty years at CUE, he’s still at the ready to paint badges for the teachers he loves. As Reynolds notes, “I've been attracted to creative educators in a big way, for a long time — they will do whatever it takes to reach every student. I wanted to show my appreciation in a BIG way.” He adds, “The Big Screen Books edition of my book The Dot seemed like the perfect way to honor all the teachers I’ve met who are using technology to help students make their mark.”

Interactive whiteboards, sporting large, digital, tablet-like displays, have proliferated in schools worldwide in recent years. However, developing lesson plans that utilize whiteboard capabilities is a time-consuming process, and critics of whiteboard technology point out that some teachers are simply using their whiteboards in the same way that they would use a traditional blackboard, without any pedagogical innovation.

Big Screen Books was developed and published as an example of quality content that uses whiteboard technology in a meaningful and effective fashion. FableVision Learning President Becky Conners explains, “Teachers love Peter’s books, but for years they’ve wanted a way to show his stories to many students at the same time – and holding up a small hardcover book just didn’t cut it. The interactive whiteboard is a great solution for that.” Conners adds, “Big Screen Books is like having Peter Reynolds do a virtual school visit, partnering with teachers to turbo-charge story time and turn it into a radically new way to engage students in a more mindful way.”

Licensed for classroom, building, and district use, Big Screen Books enables teachers and students to explore The Dot and Ish, two of Reynolds’ most popular books, which have been published around the world in over twenty languages. The easy-to-use software includes a variety of features that allow teachers to customize the reading experience, including the ability to listen to narration by Reynolds, the option to have words highlighted as they are read, ready-made or customized discussion prompts, and a built-in glossary. Activities provide new ways for students to explore plot and themes. Students and teachers can also record their voices while reading.

The first story to release with the launch of Big Screen Books in spring 2011 was Reynolds’ The Dot. A favorite in classrooms around the world, The Dot emphasizes the importance of creativity and bravery, encouraging readers to “make your mark, and see where it takes you.” The Dot has won numerous awards, including The Christopher Award, and was recently honored as number 15 on Scholastic Parent & Child’s 100 Greatest Books for Kids list. Tens of thousands of educators and students have participated in International Dot Day on September 15th, an annual, worldwide celebration of creativity based on the book’s publication date.

FableVision Learning added Reynolds’ book Ish, the sequel to The Dot, to Big Screen Books in fall 2011. Like its predecessor, Ish encourages readers in their personal and creative development and inspires them not to give up in the face of challenges.

“Side by side, The Dot and Ish are a powerful pair of stories for teaching and learning,” says Reynolds. “While The Dot is about unlocking the capacity for creative expression, Ish is about pushing past fear and daunting expectations. Both messages are critical in education and in life. Big Screen Books is providing a new venue for both of these stories to reach even more teachers and students.”  

FableVision is co-located at the Boston Children’s Museum, aptly located in Boston's new Innovation District and Fort Point Channel neighborhood, which is also home to some of the nation's oldest, largest artist communities. Its sister company FableVision Learning creates and publishes best-in-class classroom tools and media that provide creative ways to reach, engage, and inspire students, helping them develop essential 21st Century skills — communication, collaboration, creative problem-solving, and creativity.

Big Screen Books webpage: http://shop.fablevisionlearning.com/big-screen-books/fa/s...

http://www.fablevisionlearning.com/dotday

http://www.peterhreynolds.com

http://www.FableVisionLearning.com

http://www.cue.org/conference

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FableVision Learning creates and publishes best-in-class tools and media that provide creative ways to engage and inspire students, helping them develop essential 21st Century skills - communication, collaboration, problem-solving, and creativity.