Thanks to all who have commented already! I wanted to give you a chance to read through the first chapter before I put much on the site. Several people have joined our group since that first session at IV (you went back to your schools and talked about it!!).
Although this is not intended to be an online course - we need to be active at the site to create artifacts that support our "six hours" of learning together. With that spirit in mind I have two quick items for you to engage in:
1. Do a fun little online test to get an idea of your hemispheric dominance. Check out this link. Please print out (and keep) the page that shows your results so you can talk about the way you're wired during later discussions. How do you think this hemispheric dominance relates to the students in your classroom? How will it influence the way you design a learning environment?
2. Share the results of your hemispheric dominance with the group by adding a comment to this post. This should not be a long essay - just a paragraph or two that shares the way you're wired for learning. Please include your name, school, and grade/subject. This is especially important for those who could not attend the IV meeting. We need to get a sense of our blogging community!
I would appreciate it if you could get your comment added here before the Flex Day on Friday (2/15/08).<br>
If you really love this left/right brain stuff.... totally optional - a test you've probably seen called the "Stroop Task". You are asked to identify words and colors in several formats - and one of them is much trickier than the others! Learn more at this site set up at the University of Michigan.
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6 comments:
I took the test and found out I am slightly more right brained than left brained, (11-8). I was actually surprised that I turned out to be more right brained. As a librarian, I have a compulsion for order. I am always after the students to use a shelf marker or put it back where it goes. Of course, the same principle doesn't apply to my mile high desk. But I can find everything! Gwyn Clark, Franconia Elementary School, Librarian.
Hi, I'm Wendy, Music teacher at Oak Ridge. My results were 17-2 (right versus left) - although the results may be skewed because my left side was busy analysing the nature of the questions. And, some questions had hopelessly equivalent answers - I'm at home with BOTH algebra and geometry, and my right side found it annoying to be asked to choose between them.
In my teaching, I much prefer to have to kids experience and create before they analyse. For instance, they have been playing layered, African percussion music for weeks and we are only now getting around to reading and talking about it.
As for this blogging business, Lefty is struggling with what the acronym could possibly be for "BLOG" - is it, by chance, Brilliant Literates On Google? Meanwhile, Righty thinks that BBBLLLLLOGGGGG!!!!!!!! is a perfect word for writing in this little box.
Sorry I missed the face-to-face. Hope to meet you all.
w
I was surprised that I was not more right brained (10 vs 9 for left)as I compare myself to those I am sure are predominantly left brained. I too was a little annoyed at having to choose between two (seemingly) appropriate choices. I teach language arts and feel that the two brains are often at war, because I think the good writers I see seem to have an instinct for it. But the struggling writers need to have a structure attached to the writing assignments. My thoughts have been that I would teach the structure first and students who could easily grasp that were free to explore other writing venues.
I took the online hemisphere inventory and wasn’t at all surprised with the results. I’m a left-brainer with a score of 14 to 5. I’ve never been good at multi-tasking, can’t stand clutter and chaos, and feel compelled to follow directions and sequences. As a learner I like to take notes, write in my book margins, write reports, and do practice problems and reviews, all while sitting at a desk. Yikes! The more I write, the more I sound like a complete nerd. I see my preferences influencing my teaching as well. Although I try to provide a variety of activities that cater to all types of learners, I don’t know that I succeed in doing so equally. I find myself gravitating toward a teaching style more in line with my own learning style, which in itself is influenced by my left-brain hemisphere strength.
I find that in sharing lessons and teaching ideas with other colleagues who have different strengths, that I am able to stretch myself in using more right-brain friendly activities and projects with my students. In return I hope that my right-brain colleagues can use some of my left-brain friendly activities in their classrooms. I feel fortunate to teach in a school where teachers are more likely to help each other out by sharing ideas and lesson than go about being competitive and solitary.
Ironically after having my husband take the same inventory, he is about as right brain oriented as I am left (12-7). This does lead to some interesting differences in how we approach the actual running of the household. But as I figure it, we each need to stretch in areas that are not necessarily our strengths, and we can help each other out in those areas. Basically between my dominant left-brain and his dominant right-brain, we have a whole brain that is pretty darn strong.
(Karen Frazier, teaching 9th grade science at Indian Crest.)
I just took the test and discovered that I use the left side of my brain more than my right(11-8). To know me it makes sense; I tend to be a rule follower, I think sequentially and I am very verbal. I believe this is why I chose to be a special education teacher. I like to break things into smaller tasks and follow "steps" for everything. I am eager to read more of our book to find out what all of this means....I am a bit worried since its the right brainers who are going to rule the world!
Amy Tarlo, Learning Support Teacher, SAHS
According to the website I am "on [my] way to becoming whole brained," as I responded to 10 questions as a right brained person, and 9 as a left brained person. This doesn't really surprise me, as I tend to deal with a million different tasks at once, but am also incredibly organized. I think this is why I love history so much; on the surface, history appears orderly and sequential (just look at any timeline). But in reality, that order and sequence ignores the chaos and humanity of what actually happened in our past. This book seems to promise some revelations about our interests!
Karen Manno, Social Studies, SAHS
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