Right Versus Left

One of my educational heroes is Sir Ken Robinson, a British expert in education and creativity. A brilliant and funny speaker, he asserts that educators are killing creativity in kids. In the Ted video linked above he makes a bold statement that "schools are educating kids out of their creative capacity."

Another bold thinker, Daniel Pink, devotes an entire book "A Whole New Mind" to the idea that the merger of the brain's right hemisphere with the left, results in a centralized nexus in which ideas are conceptualized and brought about. It is this nexus of conceptualization in which innovation occurs: it is not isolated to right brain thinkers or left.

The premise is this: We cannot simply bring about the kind of education we're calling for in our schools by pushing straight academics. Yes, mathematics, science and English are quite important. But they are not the end-all, be-all of education. Without a student's creative bent, they are, in fact, meaningless.

I, and others, believe educators should be concentrating on what I call the "holistic kid." A holistic kid is one who is trained to live and function in their nexus of conceptualization. They understand and comprehend math, yes, but they also dance and play piano. They can create amazing things with Legos, but it is only because they first imagined the design of something in their mind, then proceeded to make the Legos obey that design. Their left-brain functions as strongly as their right, and vice-versa.

For example, the aquarium in Sydney, Australia features life-size sculptures entirely made out of Legos consisting of sea themes such as great white sharks, sailors, a whale's tail, and a mermaid. While touring the aquarium, the master Lego builder talks about how he first had to lay out the sculpture's design, then craft it using the Legos. This effort is the merger of left-brained analysis and engineering with right-brained design, architecture and modeling. One cannot exist without the other.

I think the misstep we make is in thinking somehow engineers are able to single-handedly craft a brave new world. I would be the first one to gladly assert that engineering is a profession in which we need more dedicated folks, and we must pursue even higher and broader standards within the field. I believe we have not yet articulated all necessary fields of engineering.

That said, without the designer and innovator, the engineer is left wanting: there is simply nothing to engineer.

But imagine for a minute that we graduate kids who are able to navigate their way not only through left-brain activities, but also function equally as well in their right-brains. They are comfortable in both sides of their brain and are able to pull this and that from each side in order to craft the thing they are currently thinking about. This all too infrequent nexus is the very heart of what we educators should be striving for.

What this means for educators is that we put away the idea that classrooms and classes are separate: that biology is in room 204 and music is in room 110 and never the twain shall meet. It means educators from various departments must come together to collaborate on the synthesis of cohesively mixed curriculum that consistently strives for the nexus of conceptualization, regardless of the subject being taught. If we teach biology, we also teach about the Golden Ratio and how Darwin imagined how various creatures might have come about--not so much by scientific thought, but by observing and drawing out his theses. It was through art coupled with scientific thinking that much of the evolutionary pretext came about.

When we advance a cause in which we say English, math and science are the leaders in our educational efforts, I would argue we leave out a great deal of subject matter that is required in order to make those things  come about and be meaningful for kids.