Exploring the World of Left Brain/Right Brain Thinking

Wayne Morris, in his 2010 article "A Whole Brain Is Better Than Two Halves," published in Education Today, says that the argument about left brain versus right brain is a "distraction from what really matters. We want our students to learn and our teachers to teach using all of their brain!" Instead, Morris proposes more emphasis on "Whole Brain Thinking"  (Morris, 2010, pg. 9).


Morris begins his article by defining "Whole Brain Learning." He also acknowledges that we, as humans, each have preferences for how we think. "We all have preferred ways of thinking," he says. "Some people focus on facts, others look for relationships. Some like detail, others prefer the bigger picture. Whilst our personal 'thinking preferences' can sometimes help us in certain situations, they can also inhibit our ability to function fully and effectively" (Morris, 2010, pg. 9). 


Morris then goes on to explain why it is important to understand what the thinking preferences are of those involved in the learning process -- both students and teacher. To better understand individual preferences, Morris recommends taking an online brain profile quiz to help one identify his or her thinking preference. 


Morris provides an example in the manner of a scenario featuring a teacher and two students. One of the students thinks in a similar way to the teacher. This student does well in class and is perhaps seen as the "teacher's pet." Another student is struggling with frustration and not doing well. Morris explains how the teacher and the first student share the same thinking preference, and the discourage student has a very different thinking preference. The point of Morris' scenario is that understanding how individuals may think differently helps everyone be more successful in a learning situation. And while no one way of thinking is better than others, Morris reiterates that it is important to understand how these differences influence our learning. Understanding the differences among learners is especially important for teachers, Morris says, as it allows them to address student's questions more effectively. Understanding thinking preference is also particularly helpful when group work is at hand, so that group members can work more effectively together.


I found Wayne Morris' article to be of particular interest. I, myself, am definitely a right-brain thinker; and I have a dear friend and colleague who is a poster child for left-brain thinking. We often tease each other about our different modes of thinking, and we find great humor and enjoyment in testing and comparing our left- and right-brain qualities. The whole idea of left-brain/right-brain is a strong area of interest for me. I wish Morris' article had been longer, and had gone into more detail about the subject. Otherwise, I found it to be well written and very accessible.


For fun, here is a link to an online left-brain/right-brain quiz. How do you score? I took the quiz, and my results are posted below. I scored more middle range than I expected. Interesting... 

Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz The higher of these two numbers below indicates which side of your brain has dominance in your life. Realising your right brain/left brain tendancy will help you interact with and to understand others. Left Brain Dominance: (10) Right Brain Dominance: (13) Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz

References


Morris, W. (2010). A whole brain is better than two halves. Education Today, (4), 8-10.

Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz. (n.d.). Intelliscript net - Custom Perl Scripts. Retrieved March 11, 2012, from http://www.intelliscript.net/test_area/questionnaire/questionnaire.cgi