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EDUCATION Glebe Report March 10, 2017 33

Do you believe in magic?

by Dijana bate interview how “teaching children to
perform magic is about making con-
It was a touching experience to see nections and boosting their social
medical student David Elkin bring the and motor skills,” involving the three
world of magic to hospitalized pedi- learning domains: cognitive (criti-
atric patients. Founder of MagicAid, cal thinking skills), affective (social
David was featured on NBC nightly relationships and self-esteem) and
news lighting up the faces of young psychomotor (physical development).
children at Long Island Stony Brook Performing simple acts of magic
Children’s Hospital with magic tricks, demands self-discipline, precision, the
alleviating their anxiety as they lay in ability to follow directions, self-confi-
hospital beds. “Doctors and nurses dence to be centre stage, performance
are often hailed as miracle workers, skills, perseverance and the ability to
but for young patients at this hospital, have successful interactions with an
they’re magicians, too.” David spoke audience whose collaboration is vital
during the NBC interview about his to the magician. It takes practice to pro-
love of magic since childhood. A piv- duce the desired magical effects and
otal moment in his life was during his with performance opportunities come
high school years when David vol- audience feedback, which helps stu-
unteered as an orderly in a hospital dents sharpen their performance skills
and saw a little girl who was crying, and build relationships. Most important
about to undergo a procedure. He used for children is the sheer joy of discover-
the tools of magic to make her smile. ing the magic in magic, mastering the
From that day on he decided to com- art and sharing it with others. Those
bine magic and medicine, attesting to who have mastered magic tricks gain
“the magical powers of medicine and self-confidence and find great satisfac-
the medicinal power of magic.” His tion in mentoring peers.
goal is to teach fellow medical stu- Magic allows the child to embrace
dents to “carry a bag of tricks along wonder and believe the impossible is
with their stethoscopes and cast their possible. But magic is also the art of
own magic spells” to help allay the deception, another great lesson to be
fears and anxieties of sick children. learned from the magician. There is a
As an educator, I was reminded by thin line between reality and illusion.
this broadcast how the use of magic, A simple magic trick can open our illustration By soPhia vinCent Guy
both in performance and teaching, can eyes to search for the science behind
be an effective tool in the classroom. the magic and the magic behind the seem inexplicable but when you know the knowledge, which is no less awe
Mystery is at the heart of magic, which science. Reality is easily manipulated. how to perform the trick, the magic inspiring than magic! Abracadabra!
stirs wonder and excitement leading to Paying attention to detail fine-tunes dissolves. Like science, once you
intellectual inquiry and discovery. the mind to question what appears to unlock the mechanism behind the Dijana Bate is the founding director
David highlighted in the NBC be true versus the truth. Magic may mystery you lose the mystery but gain of the Ottawa Montessori School.

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