EDCI 337 BLOG POST #1

Neuromyths that surprised me and my experiences with them

The Neuromyth that was surprising to learn was a misconception was the concept of left and right brained thinking. This thinking states that an individual is born with either a dominant left or right brain hemisphere and guides how a person interprets information and lives their lives (OECD, n.d.). The category of left brain thinking traditionally has been defined as the detail oriented area of the brain that is analytical and is able to logically understand information that is presented to it (OECD, n.d.). Whereas, the right hemisphere views information holistically and has a more emotional and imaginative approach to how the information is interpreted (OECD, n.d.).

This Neuromyth has been around for a long time and has been represented and taught through all manners of communication to all ages. From my experience, this concept was first introduced to me in Elementary school where the class was divided between left/right brained students based on how we answered the questions we were given. At the time, this information was interesting to learn because I answered as a left brain thinker and it made sense to me why I struggled in art classes but did well in math, while a friend who identified as right brained was the opposite. I only realized later that this concept was flawed and not necessarily the best thing to teach to younger demographics because it acted as an excuse that could stifle the potential that a child has (Briggs, 2016). An example of this is that a child who has a strong love for the arts may be found to be left brained and may lose confidence in what they love because they believe they are not fit to pursue it since their brain is not wired to think that way. But, since this Neuromyth has been found to be false, I believe that it benefits the learning of all ages and no longer discourages or limits potential.

References:

OECD. (n.d.). Neuromyth 6. OECD. https://www.oecd.org/education/ceri/neuromyth6.htm.

Briggs, S. (2016, November 10). How the right brain/left brain paradigm may harm early learning. Saga Briggs – ABC Education – http://education.abc.net.au/newsandarticles/blog/-/b/2424976/how-the-right-brainleft-brain-paradigm-may-harm-early-learning?null. https://education.abc.net.au/newsandarticles/blog/-/b/2424976/how-the-right-brainleft-brain-paradigm-may-harm-early-learning.