WOULDN’T YOU THINK…..

WOULDN’T YOU THINK…..
Wouldn’t you think it would have become clear to centers of power in public education that the system isn’t working? Public records provide plenty of evidence that student dropout rates, student achievement rates, criminal behavior and juvenile delinquency, the number of investigations of corruption in government and public office, and the evidence of a general trend in society toward disrespect for traditional moral standards are becoming an embarrassment to a democracy of, by, and for the people. Wouldn’t you think that there would be some outcry for radical changes in what we teach, how we teach it, and who does the teaching?

Certainly parenting and economics have some influence on a student’s response to schooling. It could be argued, however, that the years of mandated education in the company of peers, grouped only by chronological age and subject to the judgment of their classmates has at least as much impact on response and motivation to learning.

Some individual learning and thinking styles are poorly served in the current school experience. Now that the concept of Right and Left Brain Hemispheres is becoming better understood, a case can be made for a major change in official curriculum and instruction programs. There is an urgent need for balancing instruction between Right Brain and Left Brain thinking requirements.

For more than fifty years Dr. E. Paul Torrance spelled out for educators the discipline of Creative Education, including the psychology and human behavior of the creative personality. His legacy of resources for improved education stands waiting for official application. The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking® (TTCT) make possible the identification of creative potential in children, youth, and adults. Recognizing and nurturing Right Brain, creative expression along with traditional Left Brain requirements would bring a welcome balance to the school experience.

The dynamically changing world and human society need complex, whole brain thinking. (Please see Daniel Pink’s book, “A Whole New Brain.”) Most humans have the potential for both Right Brain and Left Brain functioning. If Left Brainers were educated to cultivate their Right Brain capacities and Right Brainers were better trained in the discipline of Left Brain thinking, we would be creating a bridge of understanding that will serve the evolution of the human mind and raise the intellectual level of our democracy to a higher plane. Wouldn’t you think?

Berenice Bleedorn, Retired Professor and Author
4300 West River Pkwy #227
Minneapolis, MN 55406
bee@creativityforce.com
www.creativityforce.com