Introduction

In an age which values information more than personal growth, education continues to blindly concentrate on developing an individual's linguistic and mathematical abilities - to the detriment of the other intelligences. But it is at our peril that we ignore these other inteligences - emotional, physical/kinaesthetic, musical, interpersonal and intrapersonal.  Surely thepurpose of education is to help individuals to grow to their full potential, and to be motivated to continue to grow and learn throughout their lives.  The current approach emphasises left brain thinking and does little to promote creative and intuitive processing. We are  developing a society of people who cannot appropriately access their emotions and who have suppressed their creative and moral brain - with disastrous consequences for individuals, ommunities and ultimately for our planet.  in this paper I will explore the fallacy that more information is better, and examine some of the consequences of the left brain approach to education.  I also look forward to a brighter future as people become more aware of these problems and address the need for fundamental achange in the way we deliver education. Educational approaches such as Steiner, Montessori,  Integral Education (Sri Aurobindo) and Education for Life (Living Wisdom Schools) successully help children unfold holistically and still achieve high marks in standard tests.

 The Information Myth ....

Doesn't more information help us to make better decisions? Well, No actually! The truth is that more information does not lead to better decision making; in fact it often leads to information overload to the detriment of clear thinking. In his book  "blink" Malcolm Gladwell illustrates that great decision makers, whether in business, on the battlefield, or in medicine, are not those who have the most information, but those people who ask the right questions and have developed the discrimination to recognise the few facts that really matter.

Education and the 7 intelligences

Some of the most successful people in the world - eg Richard Branson - have said that their education had little to do with their success.  Why should this be the case?  Historically education has emphasised linguistic and logical/mathematical intelligences.  Yet success, in our personal lives as well as in our work or business lives, depends on many other forms of intelligence.  We have known this for decades - see Dale Carnegie's "How to Make Friends and Influence People" - first published in 1953 and just as relevant today as when it was written.  Today the work of Howard Gardner is leading the way to a new and broader understanding  of intelligence.  We hear apeople talking about emotional intelligence, physical/spatial, interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence.  More recently we can read about intelligence with nature and spiritual intelligence.  So we must consider what we can do as parents and as a society to help our children grow to their unique potential; into happy and successful members of society.  What changes in education will foster a love of learning, an appreciation for the differences of others, an understanding of the joy of cooperation and of helping others?  How can we awaken in them a sense of awe at the world about us and of ourselves as human beings.  How can we help them to attune to their highest nature and to express their full potential?

The Brain and the Corpus Callosum

The brain consists of 2 cerebral hemispheres, the cerebellum and the medulla oblongata and the two hemispheres have broadly different functions.

When the 2 hemispheres don't work together

in 1981 Roger Sperry won a Nobel prize for his work on the different functions of the two hemispheres.  We each have a hemispheric preference - a dominant side -left or right.  Our dominant hemisphere will impact greatly on the way we function in the world - as will our preference for left or right handednes, left or right ear dominance and eye dominance.  These factors will hugely affect how we are in the world, how we learn, and where our special talents lie.  As far as the brain is concerned the issue is not so much which side is dominant - but whether or not the hemispheres cooperate and work harmoniously together.  Dominance is not the main issue.  Integration is !!

The 2 hemispheres are connected by more than 2 milion neuronal connections known as the Corpus Callosum.

Brain - from above

How easily we access both left and right hemispheres depends largely on how well these crossover connections are working.  Later we'll look at the problems caused by poor integration, but in the meantime the following exercise highlights the conflict between the hemispheres.

Integrated vs non-integrated functioning

For many reasons -  poor diet, stress, fatigue, excess TV viewing, computer dependency, and lack of exercise - integration can be a problem.  The most common dysfunction that  I encounter is left brain dominance without integration of the right hemisphere.  Unfortunately educational approaches often exacerbate the problem.  Exams, compartmentalisation of subjects, rigid teaching styles,  reduced timetbling of games, music, drama and art  - all these reinforce left brain functioning.  When the crossover network (corpus callosum) is not used then, like any unused muscle, it deteriorates.  Hemispheric communication becomes a problem. So what happens?  

Left brain dominant, non-integrated (the most prevalent problem) 

Reductionist - analyses the detail but doesn't see the big picture.  Can't see the wood for the trees.  And makes decisions accordingly.

Does not express emotions appropriately

Lacks intuitive and creative ability

Self oriented and so may make decisions for own benefit rather than group/society benefit.

AND - decision making may become difficult when there is conflict betwen left and right hemispheres -ie. there is a difference between the intuitive understanding and the logical argument . 

 A Case Study - ME!

My gender, family and social background predisposed me to predominantly left brain functioning.  By the time I left school at 18 I was locked into the left brain.  I was intelligent (that is I passed exams), but lacked confidence and was emotionally stunted.  My intelligence and logical brain got me through life.  This left brain dominance with poorly integrated right brain functioning were probably significant factors in a failed marriage and a depressive illness.  Why?  Well the right brain is largely responsible for emotional functioning - and if you cannot emote appropriately then it is difficult to sustain a fulfiling relationship. And depression can be associated with black and white thinking, tends towards criticism and a tendency to be self oriented - self preoccupation.  I was 46 years old before I started using my right brain effectively.

Well, better late than never!  Within a week of starting brain integration exercises (from Brain Gym and Educational Kinesiology) I started having vivid and meaningful dreams (right brain). I became more intuitive and creative. My emotional functioning improved.   My decision making became easy as I used my whole brain to make decisions rather than batting back and forth between 2 separate hemispheres.   And I came to believe in  a Higher Power, an organising force in the universe which some call God.   Dr Jill Bolte Taylor, the now famous American  neuroanatomist, had a left brain stroke and she describes her very deep spiritual experience and an appreciation of wholeness and of unity with  "all that is".  Her  right brain was unleashed without the logical left brain holding it back.  You can watch her describe the experience on youtube "My Stroke of Insight" or read her book of the same name.  As for me, after 6 weeks of working through the brain integration exercises (5 or 6 minutes a day) my level of functioning in the world improved substantially.  I felt more loving and more joyful.  And life changed - it just got better and better.

Is it really a problem? 

Ideally we want to be fully integrated- to have our left and right hemispheres working together.  Unfortnately this seems to be the exception rather than the rule. In an informal assessment I made using kinesiological muscle testing, only 2 of twenty 16 year old students were integrating left and right brain functioning.  In addition I have worked with many clients in the UK and in America who benefited from brain integration exercises.  It would be useful to undertake a more extensive study of the problem. It is a dysfunction that creates unhappiness in relationships.  But it also leads to poor decision making in business and in politics.  How often do we see self-serving (left brain) decisions made in business and in politics?  How widespread is bribery and corruption? If you value money and success then it makes sense (left brain self-oriented) to take bribes and make selfish decisions. Where will this kind of behaviour lead our society  and our world?  Around the world we hear of increasing numbers of children and young adults lying and stealing, abusing alcohol and drugs, and committing suicide and homicide.  So, you see, this is no small problem. The future of our world rests with our children.  The way we educate our children is of paramount importance in helping them to fulfill their potential by attuning to their higher nature and becoming peaceful, loving, wise and strong adults. Only by making fundamental shifts in the way we educate our children can we contribute to the creation of  a loving, cooperative and peaceful world.

How can we effect positive change?

Brain Gym

Brain Gym is a series of movements that promote hemispheric integration. By using contralateral moovements (ie opposite arm with opposite leg as in walking and running) you can stimulate both brain hemispheres simultaneously.  Other exercises help to improve focus and concentration, improve reading, writing and listening skill, as well as bringing calmness to the classroom.  You can find more information about Brain Gym at www.braingym.org, or on youtube or at Amazon books.

Educational Change

We must make fundamental shifts in our attitude and beliefs about education.  We have to ask the question - What is the purpose of education? Because at  present exams rule.  The focus of education is on passing exams -which only tells us that some people are good at passing exams.  It tells us nothing about how they relate to others; nor about their emotional, physical, musical and intrapersonal intelligence.  We really cannot meet the educational needs of our children, nor the needs of society, by tinkering with an outdated industrial revolution model of education.  We need a more holistic, expansive and integrated approach.

We can learn from already existing holistic approaches such as Education for Life, Integral Education, Steiner, Waldorf and Montessori. These approaches to education have much in common -including a holistic, creative and expansive approach to education  - and also achieve good academic results. Art and music, learning self expression through drama, movement and physical exercise - these are all as much a part of our growth as mathematics and reading.  Research convincingly demonstrates the benefits of exercise both on well-being and academic performance.  More recent brain research shows how exercise promotes the growth of neural networks tin the brain. Stillness, silence or calmness can be practiced in the classroom.  Exploration of the natural world we inhabit can instil an understanding of our relationship to the planet and our responsibilities to the environment. As we exercise one part of the brain there is a corresponding enhancement of other parts of the brain. Learning a new language or learning how to play an instrument creates new neural pathways and enhances performance in other subjects like maths and science.  To maximise learning and understanding students must be encouraged to experientially explore the subjects with assistance from the teacher/facilitator, rather than being fed facts for regurgitation at tests and exams.  They must be engaged physically, emotionally and mentally. And by encouraging students to work in groups we can provide opportunities for students to learn the benefits of cooperation, and to learn the value of woking in harmony with others.

Real education is not merely the memorising of acts and figures, names and dates, but the acquisition of learning skills which will work in the world outside  the school; it includes growth in understanding oneself and others, and  improving self-respect as well as respect for others.  Real education includes the assimilation of morals and values - cooperation, kindness and self-control, tolerance, empathy and fairness.  These are tools and values which benefit us in all areas of our lives - personal, family, social and work.  It is our duty to help children unfold to their unique potential and to find joy in learning; to help them learn to respect temselves and the differences between people; and to help them develop a sense of wonder at this amazing world we inhabit.

In ending

All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants

John W Gardner

The highest education is that which does not merely give us information but that which makes our life in harmony with all existence

Rabindranath Tagore

To me education is a leading out of what is already there in a pupil's soul.  To Miss Mackay it is a putting in of something which is not there, and that is not what I call education.  I call it intrusion.

Muriel Spark - The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a  fire

William Butler Yeats

 WHEREVER YOU ARE IN THE WORLD

IF YOU AGREE WITH THE SENTIMENTS EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE AND YOU ARE INTERESTED IN EDUCATIONAL CHANGE YOU MAY LIKE TO JOIN OUR PROJECT

JOYFUL TEACHING JOYFUL LEARNING

Joyful Teaching, Joyful Learning promotes a holistic, expansive and integrated approach to education by publishing articles on holistic education and holding workshops for interested groups - whether in school or outside  school. You may have information to share or be interested in helping with workshops; you may like to host an event or simply be a supporter of the project.  

TO REGISTER INTEREST SEND AN EMAIL  TO This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

WE WILL SEND YOU A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION BASED ON THE ABOVE INFORMATION

WHICH YOU CAN SHOW TO FRIENDS, FAMILY, SOCIAL GROUPS, SCHOOL ORGANISATIONS ETC.

WE WILL ALSO PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH OTHERS WHO SHARE A NEW VISION IN EDUCATION.