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A local children’s musician and 20-year veteran to the field of counseling is proving that not only can education be fun, but can motivate children to go beyond technology for entertainment, as well.

Alice “Allie” Weiler, an elementary school counselor at Loyalsock Valley Elementary School in the Montoursville Area School District, recently released her new DVD, “Down at the Toolshed.” The DVD is a tool for educators working with children ages 2 to 9, although, Weiler said, the lessons are ageless.

“Although the DVD is grafted for children, I’m finding that it’s inspiring and motivating parents, as well,” Weiler said. “And I think part of that is because so much of creating this project has been my own dream. So in a way, I was also achieving my goals through this DVD — which is the main idea of the project.”

Weiler is a singer-songwriter in her spare time who uses the knowledge she has from working in the educational field and her constant interaction with children to write songs on all kinds of topics for kids, such as being a good listener, peace and believing in your dreams. She has released two music albums to date, “We Don’t Monkey Around” in 1999 and “Chase Your Dream” in 2003.

Weiler combined her children’s songs and her ideas on educational development to produce “Down at the Tool Shed,” which is her first venture into visual media. Weiler said the DVD is a form of “edutainment” that offers the “tips, tools and tunes” that children need to succeed.

But Weiler wants “Down at the Tool Shed” to be more than a DVD that parents turn on to keep kids entertained while they do their errands and chores. The DVD offers an accompanying educator’s guide and paper tool belts that are meant to get kids actively engaged in the process of learning.

She encourages those who use her materials to pause the DVD and have discussions. She wants kids to think “out of the box” as they talk and draw pictures about times they were brave and may need to be brave in the future.

The DVD also challenges kids to dream big for their futures, not only in the nearby but also the distant future.

“Through this DVD, I want kids to be motivated to dream up their own fun — use their own creative energy so they can get back to basics and not have to rely so much on the technology to entertain them,” Weiler said. “I want the DVD to be interactive — a tool to help kids use their imaginations to get back out into the outdoors and playing again.”

“Down at the Tool Shed” contains three episodes, all starring Miss Allie (Weiler) and Tasha the Tool Girl (Gail Brown). In episode one, the lesson for children is to always be ready to learn new things and to have fun. Episode two teaches children to take a brave hop for their goals — just like frogs jumping to a new lily pad. Episode three teaches the importance of having a dream to chase, a hero to help cheer you on toward your dream and steps to take to catch and achieve a dream and-or goal.

Weiler worked with Scott Francis, owner of Mind’s Eye Music Studios, music producer Johnny J. Blair, and Bruce Huffman, Pennsylvania College of Technology instructor of media arts and video production, to create “Down at the Toolshed.”

She said it was an idea that had been developing in the back of her mind for a long time, and she finally was given the encouragement by friends and family to begin work on the project last August.

Weiler first secured the facility at Mind’s Eye, and was then given space by a friend to create and paint the scenery for the episodes. Friend and art teacher Catheal Weiser was instrumental in developing the scenery and set design, Weiler said. The cover art for the DVD was done by Jason Paulhamus, and the cover layout was created by Don Walsh.

Chad Peeling of Clyde Peeling’s Reptiland, Allenwood, volunteered to give an on-site interview that features footage of live frogs in episode two.

Weiler said that, when thinking back on all those who volunteered for the project, the DVD would never have been possible without the help from community members.

“I had so much support every step of the way. Almost everything was done locally, and that really helped to wrap a community feel around this project,” Weiler said. “The weekend spent in the studio at Penn College was unreal — the support and how many people came together to create such a wonderful project was more than I could have ever hoped for.”

Now that “Down at the Tool Shed” is available to the public, Weiler said she’s doing her best to market the product. The DVD is available locally at Learning Works 1725 E. Third St.; Gustonian Gifts, 30 W. Third St.; and Otto Book Store, 107 W. Fourth St. Weiler also is pursuing public television, and made contact with the state Department of Education to help further the project.

“With the list of standards that the state and federal government are mandating we educators meet these days,” Weiler said, “I’ve written this series to accommodate many of the very important language arts and career standards relative to the elementary level.”

Weiler said she’s enjoyed the project because it likens itself to something she’s always wanted to do: a children’s musical. It was her first attempt at putting together everything from scripts and backdrops to music, and even acting. Although she found it challenging at times, she also found it an awarding experience.

She’s looking forward to future episodes, and even giving her young fans the chance to request topics they’d like her to write an episode on. After all, the whole “Tool Shed” experience was inspired by Weiler’s work with children.

“We can learn so much from children,” Weiler said. “When I look at life through the eyes of a child to write songs and stories, such as the ones contained in ‘Tool Shed,’ I realize that the kid wisdom I’m suppose to impart is not to take it all too seriously. That helps me to keep it all in perspective.”

For more information on Weiler or “Down at the Toolshed,” she may be reached by e-mail at aweiler@uplink.net.

 

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