“Sonic Screwdrivers” – Year 9 Gifted and Talented Workshop

On Friday 11th July 2008, a group of Year 9 girls spent the day at the “Sonic Screwdrivers” Gifted and Talented event.

It was a new initiative and I was very privileged to have been invited. A lady came to lead the day and she had an exciting new angle on education.

First of all, we spent some time thinking about how imagination can improve a piece of work. Asking questions is the key to finding answers; the more imaginative the question, the more interesting the answer.

Throughout the day, we discovered many new skills including how to win an argument without arguing (questions are VERY useful here), how to use logic and communication skills to solve a murder mystery, and how to think from a range of different angles. We discovered the beauty of lateral thinking and originality and enjoyed a fun approach to education.

Towards the end of the day, we were asked to answer a range of debatable questions. Here’s an example: “If someone steals your bicycle and you take it back without asking them, are you stealing?” You can read a lot into this sort of question and it really gave our brains a workout.

Everyone enjoyed themselves and learnt something new.

by Sarah Ebsworth

“My favourite parts were the murder mystery and the Yes/No Game. I enjoyed these the most because I love working in a team and solving puzzles. I learnt a lot.” Joanna Robertson

“The Sonic Screwdriver Event was amazing because I learnt so many new skills and I’ll remember them because it was a day I’ll never forget.” Pippa Coupland

“It … made me more aware of the power of questions.” Lucy Knowles

“I liked the game ‘Ball Talk’ because you had a chance to express your thoughts and ideas to the group.” Razan Shamlakh

“I thought it was interesting and would like to do it again” Hala Al Khaffaji

“I can now write a longer and more detailed essay …” Becky Kill