FableVision recently completed a project with our friends at SARRC (Southwest Austism Research & Resource Center) to launch a book and a film called Wings of Epoh - which was a creative colloboration between Peter, me and Gerda Weissman Klein - author, lecturer and Holocaust survivor whose story was made into the Oscar- and Emmy-winning film One Survivor Remembers.

The Wings of Epoh film and book, based on an original manuscript by Gerda, present the story of a young boy with autism who is befriended by a butterfly named Epoh (”hope” spelled backward). Epoh helps the boy understand that his journey, while challenging, has immeasurable value - and holds potential that will eventually unfold in time.

The goal of the book, film and classroom curriculum kit is to help promote SARRC’s mission to increase acceptance, empathy and appreciation for kids with ASD (Austism Spectrum Disorders) - or any other difference that makes their journey more challenging. These themes are very much a part of Peter’s book The North Star - promoting the idea that EVERYONE deserves to navigate their full potential - no matter what the obstacles. It’s a mission that takes the entire learning community to accept EVERYONE - no matter what the differences - and help them along that journey. We hope that this kit will ripple across the nation - and around the world - and bring hope to millions.

Anyone wish to share thoughts or opinions regarding Web 2.0 and Open Source software programs?

My school district’s Technology Coordinator and Technology Committee advocate the downloading and utilizing of Open Source programs available on the Internet as they are virtually free of financial costs. They believe purchasing inexpensive laptops and uploading of free software programs from Open Source providers saves money and is just as effective as purchased programs in classrooms and computer labs. I have had a difficult time arguing against that reasoning during this stressful financial period in California. Persuading administrators and teachers to purchase software programs is nearly impossible even if they agree the programs are unique and will help students perform better academically.

I attended the recent California CUE Conference in Palm Springs and observed it was dominated by advocates of Open Source software programs and representatives from Google and Apple. Seems Apple is creating computers and operating systems that work seamlessly with freeware offered by Open Source writers and downloadable programs such as G-Mail, Earth, Sketch, Docs, etc. I was excited and intrigued by the CUE presentations and started learning how to use them as soon as I arrived home. These and other powerful programs work as well as commercial programs costing hundreds of dollars.

How does FableVision fit into the picture as the educational technology paradigm shifts into a new direction?

I want to spotlight two other Peter H. Reynolds books, The Dot and Ish, which are very much in the spirit and philosopy of The North Star.  If you’re reading this blog then you’re probably very familiar with The Dot and Ish, but if not, and you love The North Star and all it represents, then you must go out and find them.  

While The Dot and Ish are very different stories than The North Star, they share The North Star’s messages of being yourself, being brave and following your interests and passions…  without worrying what anyone else thinks or says.  The three books are clearly in the same family in terms of philosophy… and no wonder, since all three were written by Peter H. Reynolds!   

I took The Dot  into a first grade classroom last month to read for a guidance lesson, and as soon as one little boy saw the book cover he said “I have that book!  It’s my FAVORITE!”  He quickly planted himself on floor right in front of me, and while the other kids put their materials away and joined us in the circle area, the little boy gave an impromptu summary of The Dot, and then added that he loves Ish too.  

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been able to put a child at ease about something they’re writing or drawing… anything they’re creating or doing… by reminding them it can be “ish.”  If the child knows the Ish story, then telling them that something can be “ish,” or story-ish, bird-ish, etc, immediately brings a smile to their face, and a calmness to their spirit… and they are most often able to complete their project with greater ease and confidence. 

So, if you’re looking for more resources that reinforce The North Star approach and philosophy, be sure to add The Dot and Ish to your libraries. 

Thanks Bill for sharing SmartMoves with my voyagers and me. I believe “the universe provides” and this learning tool couldn’t have arrived in my classroom at a more perfect time. It’s springtime, and we are preparing for two weeks of standardized testing during May. Stress levels are rising and this program has made our time together productive and pleasant. I have shared the activities and music several times a day with my regular classroom students, as well as students who attend my intervention math classes, and the kids’ reactions have been nothing short of sheer exuberance and joy.

Hello everyone in the North Star Community!  It is Spring Break, and I am doing all the things I never have time to do, like writing blog posts. (OK, I’d rather be on a beach in Mexico!!)  My “North Star” focus this year in my classroom has been my students’ BIG DREAMS.  This is the second year I have included big dreams as part of our goals for the year.  The big dreams have become part of our discussions and even part of our lessons and projects, which has been amazingly fun and worthwhile. 

For seven years, I have also been following the Iditarod dog sled race that takes place in Alaska beginning the first Saturday in March each year.  Thanks to the fantastic people who run the Iditarod and the amazing the Web site http://www.iditarod.com/, this event is a perfect way to integrate standards-based activities with pure and simple fun.  The activities I do with my class related to the Iditarod create more energy and excitement among the children AND their families than anything else I do.  There is also a sense a community that develops as previous students and parents check in to see how the race is going and to let us know that they are following as well. I am not at all a sports fanatic, but I sort-of stumbled upon the Iditarod as I was doing research years ago for a project for college. I guess dog sled racing is not as popular a sport as football or basketball, but for those of us who get “hooked” it has all the excitement and drama that you could want. 

So what does this have to do with the North Star Community and big dreams?  Well, because of the way the Iditarod Web site is set up, viewers get to really know the mushers (racers), their lives, families and dreams.  The Iditarod race takes about nine days or more to complete, and you have to really want reach this goal get involved in it.  It is one of the lessons that you can use with children as they track the mushers each day and read about what is going on during the race.  Also, there are certain mushers with inspirational stories.  Once the children (or adults) connect with the race and the mushers, they appreciate these inspirational stories on a different level.  This year, for example, I was able to share a touching and emotional story with my class that had special meaning to them because of our own discussions of dreams.  A student in my class brought in some photos that his grandmother gave him to share, knowing we were studying the Iditarod.  It was photos of a former Iditarod winner, Susan Butcher (a very popular winner if you know the history of the Iditarod race).  He explained how his grandparents met her years ago and how she does not race anymore.  He explained that she now trains dogs in Alaska.  I knew that unfortunately Susan Butcher had died two summers ago after a fierce battle with cancer.  The Iditarod community shared her story via the Web site and continues to share information about her family.  I decided that I should tell the class, which I did.  Luckily, a few days later, I was able to share this fantastic story with them, and I could really tell that they connected with her and what what the article was saying, as if it was written directly to them.  Here is the link: http://www.iditarod.com/teachers/news/story_553.html. The article talks about having big dreams but it also talks about making a difference through the small things we do each day.  This was perfect connection for my students because another part of their goals for the year are making a difference in their community (they cut out the North Star and listed on the star points five goals for the year:  big dream, community goal, school goal, family goal, healthy goal).  

If you have never followed the Iditarod, I encourge you to check it out. The race is just about over - but it’s not over until the last musher crosses the finish line (which is days after the first musher crosses the finish line - another great lesson!!  Each of my students track a musher, and it was such a refreshing thing to have a young child excited for his musher who was in 78th place but then was in 71st place!!!) Start going through the site now and then you have until next year to get ready. There is TONS of info.  And, once the race is over for this year, the countdown starts for next year!  I’m already excited!!!

It is one thing to have activities in the classroom.  That is important and worthwhile.  But, when the children can see that what we are doing matches what is going on outside our school and that we are connected to the “real world” I  think it makes sense to them at a different level.  We are fortunate to have the technology to allow for more of these connections to happen.

KEEP CONNECTING!!!

Maryann

(ps - If anyone is interested in seeing some of what we do with the Iditarod in the classroom, click on www.crsd.org\molishus and click 2008 Iditarod Race from the left navigation bar.)

Watching a video by Randy Pausch called the “Last Lecture,” I was struck by a quote, “I’m a professor, there should be some lessons learned and how you can use the stuff you hear today to achieve your dreams or enable the dreams of others. And as you get older, you may find that “enabling the dreams of others” thing is even more fun.”

It seems to me that this man, nearing the end of a spectacular and short life, really describes my feelings about the North Star Community. Not only am I following my North Star, I am working daily to “enable the dreams of others.”

Wanted to be motivated yourself? Video is at this link

I had a wonderful experience last week. I went to Johnny D’s restaurant & club in Somerville, MA with my daughter, Sarah, who is now 21. She had her “North Star radar” on a few weeks ago and spotted a small ad announcing that Blues legend, John Hammond, www.myspace.com/johnhammondblues, was coming to town. Sarah and I are big fans and we quickly made plans.

The club is small and only seats perhaps 80. It reminds me of a terrific club in Nashville called The Bluebird Cafe. My dear friends, Cherrie Farnette and Jill Norris, took me and my colleague Bill Norris there to hear a few musician jam and tell stories while sitting smack dab in the middle of the room. It was a similar set up at Johnny D’s. John was a few yards away from us as he sang two terrific sets (including a cover of Tom Waits’ Get behind the Mule” which is how I “connected the dots” to JH in the first place. I love the way one star in my constellation leads to another. I imagine that all the stars have always been there, but with reflection and patience, more stars come into focus.)

Perhaps as delicious as his music was his stories spanning his 65 year journey. One particular story had a “North Star” theme. He spoke of being a boy in New York City and waiting until late at night to try tuning in to a station from Nashville. Here is a boy in a city whose own North Star radar was switched on HIGH. Through that little radio came the sounds of Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, and others.

I drew a picture while listening to him. A young boy playing his guitar. I gave it to him after the show when Sarah and I had the good fortune to be able to speak with him. Sarah let him know that it was the stories that she wanted more of. He said he’d love to just rattle on the whole night sharing his stories. Sign us both up for that.

So… listen closely. Tune in. See what your North Star radio might be able to pick up.

A few weeks ago Maribeth wrote about the challenge of getting children to dream big.  This is my second year of working with the North Star in my second grade classroom.  This year I was more prepared to help the children understand what it means to “dream big,” and I was very pleased with the results.

Here are some of our BIG DREAMS for the year.

• to be an Olympic gymnast
• to go to Hawaii and live on a boat
• to dig a giant hole
• to own a jewelry store
• to make the biggest cookie in the world
• to go to all the places listed in the book, The 1000 Places to See Before You Die 
• to work at a zoo
• to go to Cuba
• to be the most famous baseball player ever
• to have lots of friends

The wonderful thing that happened after the wonderful thing of discussing dreams is that I discovered there are numerous lessons and activities I can generate based on their dreams (who knew!!)  For example, I was able to purchase the 1,000 places book and have it in our classroom library.  I have observed the child whose dream it was to go to these places looking through the book and sharing the places with other children - instant geography lessons upon which I can build.  I found a book about two children who wanted to dig a giant hole and gave it to the child with the giant hole dream - instant reading motivation.  I happened to have saved a story one of my former students wrote about a giant cookie.  I was able to share that with the giant cookie child.  I would like to have the two children correspond.  The possibilities go on, and I feel like I have gotten to know the children in a different way because they have been able to share.  And, their big dreams are all such fantastic story starters I am thinking of using them for a writing project.

We have just begun posting our Featured Journeys, which show the goals, including the big dream, of three students at a time on one of our classroom bulletin boards.  It is a time for those children to reflect on their year-long goals and for the class to see what their classmates’ journeys look like this year.  Those who are featured also choose a motivation PHR poster that they think would benefit themselves or the classroom at the time they are being featured.  (They are usually right on with their choices.)  I am hoping to take the big dreams and make them part of our learning in a special way as those children are being featured for a few weeks.

At the end of the year it will be interesting to see if the children have developed other big dreams or if they have kept their original dreams.  I’ll keep you posted…

With all the news of dangerous toys from China, I am hoping families are thinking of a great alternative. BOOKS. I was interviewed this week by Boston radio station, WBZ1030, about ways to foster reading at home. An obvious way to inspire young readers is to let them see YOU reading. Choose books that connect to your “North Star.” Talk about the book and how it inspires new thoughts, new ideas, new inspiration for your journey. This holiday, make sure that books are on your list for kids of all ages. Choosing a perfect book requires some good “North Star thinking.” Get your gift recipient pictured in your mind and then imagine them doing what they love, or what they would love to be able to do or do more of — then think of a book with that theme!

Happy Holidays! — Peter

For the last week or so I have been PodCasting my students preparing to present “The North Star Musical.” If you would like to listen to the work in progress, type North Tama into iTunes music store and choose an elementary section. Each class (and the piano player) will be perfecting the songs as the weeks continue. One thing I have noticed is that listening to the sound of children singing can brighten the mood…..even if they are the kids I see all week long, there is something about kids singing songs of hope and inspiration that makes even the crabbiest music teacher, happier.