The Right Brain Difference: The Complex Story in Our Brains
By Drs. Fernette and Brock Eide
This is one of those "Aha!" papers for us. We often see kids- including many gifted dyslexics - with superior story processing, but a weakness in word fluency. These are the kids that may seem to struggle with speaking or answering quickly, but then (with a little bit of time), unload a surprisingly complex insight, deep comprehension, perfectly appropriate verbal picture, analogy, or metaphor.
Well, as detailed more in the review below, there is an evolving scientific story that suggests that the "right-brain" difference reaches down to the individual neuronal level. Dendritic trees in right hemispheric language regions extend widely, while the processes on the left don't extend very far. If we were to think that right-brain thinking involves expanding the range of possibilities, histologists might say - that's it exactly.
There are lots of implications here- first of all - just think of those thousands of rich story-thinking students out there who may sinking rather than swimming in fast-paced classrooms where quick answers are the only answers that are valued. Supposedly the average teacher will wait 3 seconds or less for a student to answer. It's easy to see how right-dominant language students could get lost in the shuffle.
And what about right-dominant thinkers being taught by left-dominant teachers, or left-dominant thinkers being taught by right-dominant teachers? Clashes must happen all the time.
Finally, no wonder "right-brain" thinking with its value on narrative and the big picture is increasingly being recognized as important for creative problem solving, business and other innovation, and leadership. One would think that this more widely-connected network is the best one to use a new vision or story is what's needed.
This is one of those "Aha!" papers for us. We often see kids- including many gifted dyslexics - with superior story processing, but a weakness in word fluency. These are the kids that may seem to struggle with speaking or answering quickly, but then (with a little bit of time), unload a surprisingly complex insight, deep comprehension, perfectly appropriate verbal picture, analogy, or metaphor.
Well, as detailed more in the review below, there is an evolving scientific story that suggests that the "right-brain" difference reaches down to the individual neuronal level. Dendritic trees in right hemispheric language regions extend widely, while the processes on the left don't extend very far. If we were to think that right-brain thinking involves expanding the range of possibilities, histologists might say - that's it exactly.
There are lots of implications here- first of all - just think of those thousands of rich story-thinking students out there who may sinking rather than swimming in fast-paced classrooms where quick answers are the only answers that are valued. Supposedly the average teacher will wait 3 seconds or less for a student to answer. It's easy to see how right-dominant language students could get lost in the shuffle.
And what about right-dominant thinkers being taught by left-dominant teachers, or left-dominant thinkers being taught by right-dominant teachers? Clashes must happen all the time.
Finally, no wonder "right-brain" thinking with its value on narrative and the big picture is increasingly being recognized as important for creative problem solving, business and other innovation, and leadership. One would think that this more widely-connected network is the best one to use a new vision or story is what's needed.
posted by Mike at 6:09 AM
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