DOCTOR WONDERFUL


World's Greatest Mathmatical Magician
William M. Furtrell, Ph.D.
305 East 4th Avenue
Cheyenne, Wyoming
82001-1415
(307) 638-8364


"Using Magic for Teaching and Learning"

Magic, the world's second oldest profession, has been practiced from time immemorial and is bound in the beliefs, religions, medicine, science and cultures of all societies. The educational uses of magic are virtually unlimited as magic is a universal medium for exciting children and adults about learning mathematics, science or anything. I shall present classical and mathematical magic illusions illustrating how magic captures the interest of learners. Mathematics is a science, the science of patterns, and as all sciences, involves processes such as observations, discovery, experimentation, classification, hypothesis, inference, measurement, estimation and creating/imagining. Most magic is rooted in the use and sometimes the misuse of the process skills of mathematics and science. Good teachers have long recognized that mathematics comes alive for students when it is learned through experiences they find meaningful and valuable. Magic is a method to bring the learning of anything alive and especially mathematics. The workshop sessions can easily be structured to accommodate almost any number of participants. The title for the workshops is:

"Learning the Secrets of Classical Magic for Teaching and Learning"

The educational uses of magic are virtually unlimited. Magic is a universal medium for exciting children and adults about learning mathematics, science or anything. Mathematics, science and magic are equally fascinating when one realizes the power, the beauty, the wonder of the unknown and the excitement that is generated in active learning in these disciplines. The problem solving aspects allow students to formulate alternative and creative solutions as to why the magical effects the illusions in a classroom setting. The solutions for the magical effects are revealed to the participants so taught they can adapt them for other instructional settings.

Who is William M. Futrell:

Bill Futrell was born and reared on the banks of the Dismal swamp area of the northeastern North Carolina. He attended Campbell University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of California at Berkley and the University of Wyoming earning the B.S., M.Ed., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in chemistry, physics and education. His professional experiences include teaching all of the sciences and mathematics at the secondary level, a professor of science and mathematics education at the University of Wyoming, the science, mathematics and environmental consultant for the Wyoming State Department of Education and now an educational magician specializing in mathematical magic. Magic has been a hobby for his entire life and now a profession with emphasis on educational magic. Bill is a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians, the Society of American Magicians, the national Council of teachers of Mathematics and the National Science Teachers Association as well as many other professional groups. He is a horologist, a musician specializing in country music and an amateur radio operator. He is a bachelor residing in Cheyenne, Wyoming and has a cat named Vernon. He still owns and maintains a home on the old family plantation in North Carolina founded in 1923. Bill believes, magic is a way of dealing with the interests of students and approaching the learning of mathematics in a very different way. Thousands of students dislike mathematics and science, yet they all seem to enjoy magic.
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