FableVision

FableVision Studios is a media production studio located on the top floor of Boston Children's Museum in the city's Innovation District. FableVision designs and develops a wide array of educational media, including software, games and interactive activities, mobile apps, animated films, websites, and museum kiosks, as well as providing strategy and media consulting. Their motto is "Stories that Matter, Stories that Move".

Founded by CEO Peter H. Reynolds in 1996, FableVision produces children's broadcast programming, educational videos and multimedia applications. Their products include software (BrainCogs, Essay Express, Stationery Studio), online curriculum (Get A Clue), books (Ish, The Dot, So Few of Me), animated films (Stories That Matter, Stories That Move, The Dot, Ish), and curriculum tools (The North Star Classroom Resource Guide, North Star Musical Journey, and Off the Path Math With Tobbs).

In addition to publishing educational software, books and films, FableVision collaborates with creative partners and producers to develop animation and interactive solutions for broadcast, web, school and museum applications.

History

FableVision was founded in 1996 by twin brothers Peter and Paul Reynolds with Gary Goldberger and John Lechner. Prior to starting FableVision, New York Times bestselling author/illustrator Peter was working for Tom Snyder Production using media, storytelling, and technology to teach kids and challenge them. Paul was working with Cosmic Blender, also using media, storytelling, and technology for adults to make workplace learning more fun. FableVision was originally located in Watertown, Massachusetts alongside Cosmic Blender.^[1]

As the company started to take shape, kindred spirits gravitated to the Watertown studio. FableVision President Gary Goldberger has been a cornerstone of the “vision" in FableVision since the beginning. Together, Peter, Paul, and Gary laid the foundation for the studio, an educational media development studio on a 200-year-long mission to move the world to a better place through story, media, and technology. Their media aims to helps learners of all ages reach their full potential.

After 10 years in Watertown, FableVision Studios found its new home above the Boston Children’s Museum, appropriately located in the Innovation District. The building, now named the Yawkey Center for Children and Learning, also houses several other educational organizations, such as JumpStart and Citizen Schools.

FableVision Studios has collaborated with broadcasters, publishers, nonprofits, research groups, and museums, including PBS, The Jim Henson Company, Nick Jr., Smithsonian, MIT, and National Geographic Society to design and develop award-winning websites, games, animated films, museum kiosks, and mobile apps.

FableVision Learning

FableVision Learning is a K-12 educational media publisher providing creative learning tools, resources, and support for the classroom.^[2] FableVision Learning has a front-line relationship with over 42,000 teachers across the U.S. and around the world and makes educational software and curriculum to promote “creativity, communication, collaboration, critical thinking and compassion.”^[3]

The Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning and Creativity

The Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning and Creativity is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that encourages creativity and innovation in teaching and learning.^[4] They work with like-minded partners to develop & evaluate new media, tools, initiatives that foster and scale authentic, engaged learning. Reynolds TLC also offers workshops, retreats, and PD programs to nurture innovation & creativity in educators, school leaders, and their students.^[5]

FabLab

FabLab is a custom creative and strategic discovery and planning process, centered on a meeting that includes all project partners. It is used to address market opportunities, audience, existing solutions, challenges, resources, and barriers, as well as objectives that can be met through phased development. In addition, the process helps to explore, define, and gather ideas on specific creative challenges of the project, and brainstorm initial solution concepts for the project.

Define and Design

Informed by the FabLab, the Define & Design Phase furthers the project’s definition—visualizing and describing a concept and experience. Through an iterative process with project partners, this phase includes decisions on the approach to branding and design, key messaging, and use of technology. At the end of the Define & Design Phase the teams will process with the project’s full development.

Awards

2016 Association of American Publishers (AAP) REVERE Award, Beyond the Classroom, Play category for Zoombinis
2016 AAM MUSE Awards, Bronze Award in Games and Augmented Reality Category for Ripped Apart: A Civil War Mystery
2016 Webby Awards, Official Honoree for Bob the Builder website in Web: Youth category
2016 Parents' Choice Awards, Recommended for ParkPals: Kindness Rules
2016 Parents' Choice Awards, Silver Honor for Zoombinis
2016 Kidscreen Awards, Finalist in Best Learning App — Tablet Category for Zoombinis
2015 Tech & Learning Magazine Awards of Excellence, New Products Award for After the Storm
2015 American Association of School Librarians, Best Apps for Teaching & Learning 2015 for Ripped Apart: A Civil War Mystery
2015 International Serious Play Awards, Bronze Award for After the Storm
2015 Animation Block Party Summerfest for Good Thinking!: The Science of Teaching Science
2015 Association of American Publishers (AAP) REVERE Award, Beyond the Classroom, Play category for Renegade Buggies
2015 Excellence In Financial Literacy Education (EIFLE) Award, Instructional Game of the Year for Renegade Buggies
2015 EdTech Digest Cool Tool Awards, Finalist, Academic Gaming Solution for After the Storm
2014 Japan Prize, Finalist in the Creative Frontier Category for Quandary
2014 National Parenting Publication Awards, Silver Award for Loot Pursuit: Pompeii
2013 Davey Award, Silver Award for Interactive Multimedia — Education category for Quandary
2013 Parents’ Choice Award, Gold for Quandary
2013 Parents’ Choice Award, Recommended for Mayan Mysteries
2013 Games for Change Game of the Year for Quandary
2013 iKids Award Best Preschool Website for Dinosaur Train
2013 Kidscreen Award Best Companion Website for Dinosaur Train
2013 Association of Educational Publishers Innovation Gold Award, Best Educational Innovation of the Year for Ranger Rick Tree House appzine
2012 Meaningful Play Award Most Meaningful Game for Quandary
2012 Eddy Award for Staples Inc. Bite Club
2012 Parents’ Choice Award, Silver Honor for Dinosaur Train and Sid the Science Kid websites
2011 EIFLE Award for FarmBlitz
2011 Games for Change Direct Impact Nominee for Children’s Hospital Caduceus
2010 Prix Jeunesse International Interactivity Prize for Dinosaur Train website

Notable Staff

Peter H. Reynolds
Paul Reynolds
Tone Thyne
Peter Stidwill
Bob Flynn

References