Producer/host Bonnie D. Graham welcomes Peter Suchmann, magician, science teacher, and former Chairman of the Science Department at Great Neck South Middle School.

Ms. Graham and Mr. Suchmann discuss the dramatic increase in distractions competing with teachers for students' attention over the past three decades - laptops, email, pagers/ beepers, cell phones, texting, ipods, and digital music and more.

To win this battle, Mr. Suchmann introduced science-based magic tricks into his teaching curriculum several years ago.

On this program, he demonstrates easy classroom-friendly magic tricks and displays books that help teachers keep students focused on learning. The tricks were not rehearsed with Ms. Graham prior to the show, hence her amazement and delight!

Watch on-demand here, and on PATV [Great Neck / North Shore, NY] local Cable 20 and Verizon FIOS 37 (Mon. 5:30 p.m., Tue. 8 p.m., Fri. 10 p.m.), and on Nassau/W. Suffolk NY Cablevision 20 (Fri. 12:01a.m.).

Thank you to volunteer director Ben Ratner and crew Karen Miller, Colette Thaw, Desiree O’Kane, Jessica Rossi and Patrick Kellegher; Cablevision Senior Tech Jason Hodge; and long-time sponsors Bagel Mentch and Third Dimension Hair Salon of Great Neck, NY.

Photo: Director Ben Ratner [former student of Mr. Suchmann], Bonnie D. Graham and Peter Suchmann. Photo credit: Patrick Kellegher.