Zoe Elder introduced Matthew McFall as an ‘agent of wonder’.
Matthew spoke about how you can connect wonder and learning. We need to ask our students what makes them wonder…
Matthew has recently been working on learning with teachers, focusing on modular learning through a maze. Important that something could work even when just seen – panels on the outside with maze on inside. Panels with pictures, riddles and spells to encourage literacy, a gift shop (of ideas).
Boxes encouraging wonder and anticipation, such as boxes with safes but letters instead of numbers. Students must work out the code with very little clues.
Magic squares with numbers totalling the same figure. A variety of patterns offer the same number.
Puzzles – mechanical puzzles needing a change but can only change into one thing. Things looking impossible but they are not, giving encouragement to those who master them – sharing in admiration.
Ask pupils – what does wonder mean to you?
