Curriculum Development Report
Hey Lefty… or Righty…
Are you well organized? Do you listen for the meaning when you hear a speaker? Go for the details and prefer a formal design? Or… Are you comfortable with disorder? Do you listen for tone and emotion? Tend to jump from one project to the next, and gesticulate — sometimes wildly — when you are telling a story?
These differences originate in the brain, with its left and right hemispheres. Each side “specializes” in its own aspects of behavior, with the left in charge of those that are generally more organized, linear, and oriented toward meaning and the right promoting those that are more intuitive, creative, and oriented toward feeling and novelty. In the examples above, the first traits that I described are associated with left–brain functioning, while the latter ones are generally true for those who lead with the right side of their brains. Although we all use both hemispheres, one side is usually more dominant than the other. Some of us live at the extreme ends of thiscontinuum, while those of us who operate mostly in the middle may find ourselves depending on logic one moment and intuition the next.
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The dominant side also affects learning styles. Students who lead with their left may be more comfortable with CCNH courses, which are text based, rely mainly on words, and are designed for independent study, than students who lead with their right and thrive on visual experiences and hands–on projects. Although there are fewer opportunities for right–brain activities, these exercises may be found in various projects and self–help sections throughout the CCNH curriculum.
The Wellness Workbook, by John W. Travis, M.D., and Regina Sara Ryan, which is used in NH 222 Holistic Health and Lifestyles, includes additional details about right and left brain dominance. Other resources include the following Web sites, where you will find information as well as quizzes that will help you determine your dominant side:
Krista Leamon, ND
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