Creativity and Education

Creativity is in all of us. So why are we sitting around and letting it be phased out of the school system?



It’s a sad trend that we are seeing in public education. As school budgets get tighter, the first classes on the chopping block are usually the creative arts programs. Why would anyone want to take away the very programs that will enhance the student’s ability to learn more effectively? In the last 20 years, studies have proven that the stimulation of creativity is so very important in the school environment.

With an increased focus on “No Child Left Behind” and an increased push to achieve higher marks, often times budgets are stretched to buy more books, provide more testing time and increase more computer usage. While all of this is well and good, we (the American people) are missing the whole picture. Stress is put on the teachers to drill knowledge into children’s heads. Children are stressed by trying to cram as many facts as possible into their brains. It seems like an endless cycle with no way out. There is hope though.

Keeping the whole brain active allows people to stay alert and helps the neurons to establish new connections. Diversifying study materials and sparking imagination helps this. Interestingly enough researchers are also studying the affects of an “active whole brain” in the prevention of degenerative brain diseases, such as Alzheimer’s. So what do we need to do to achieve whole brain learning by including creative arts programs and how does it really help?

Albert Einstein understood how important music was to his work. He would often take time out (when needing a break) and play his piano or violin. The musical stimulation was exactly what he needed to continue his work. Whether he knew it or not (he was a genius, so I’m sure knew it) his musical “time out” relaxed his mind and lowered his stress level. This in turn increased the alpha levels in his brain. You see we generally function in a beta brain rhythm. When the alpha brain rhythm levels increase, the students are put in the perfect conditions to learn new information and retain those new facts. Not only that but performance is elevated to where learning languages and solving complex problems are much easier. In her book An Introduction to the Music Revolution Dr. Jeannette Vot outlines eight ways to use music to teach and learn. Her simple outline sets the foundation for teachers to build upon. Another music theory is called “The Mozart Effect”. Basically, the music of Mozart has been linked to improve student’s IQ. In a study at the University of California, researchers found that the effects of listening to Mozart increased the student’s spatial temporal reasoning.

With nearly one third of all students being visual learners, it would make sense that visual art is helpful as well. In fact research again points to that very fact. Children that are allowed to create art often times score higher in math, science and reading.  Art teaches creativity and creative thinking. It also:

• Strengthens the thinking process
• Helps students develop problem solving skills
• Increases mastery of eye-hand coordination
• Relaxes most students because it’s a different type of thinking than what academic thinking is
• It’s a way for the student to express themselves and
• It brings enjoyment to most students

In Visual art the use of different colors will stimulate different emotions. The act of moving the hand in the creative process stimulates the brain as well. Whether it’s drawing a picture, scribbling colors to and fro or penning beautifully scrolled letters, that type of stimulation is needed. It has also been proven that the smell of crayons actually cause a relaxing effect, thus reducing stress.

So why, with all of the evidence, do school districts still continue to cut creative arts programs? We need to stand up for the children and their future. The facts are creativity & creative exercises stimulate the imagination. Imagination creates ways to solve problems. Problem solving creates hope, and hope makes the student (and teachers) feel empowered. Empowerment and hope lead to a positive movement towards a good and brighter future. With that in mind, won’t you stand with me in the quest to bring back the creative arts into our school districts?   

Asymmetry of the Brain and Issues of Intelligence

At first glance, a butterfly's wings look totally symmetrical. The designs on one wing seems to mirror the designs on the other side, yet upon a closer examination of the butterfly, it becomes evident that even though they may be similar, that in fact they are asymmetrical. That is the same way with the human brain. The sides look like they are the same, and yet they are not. Each hemisphere of the brain is mapped out a little different than the other.

In his book "Hemispheric Asymmetry" Joseph Hellige convincingly outlines and explains about the Asymmetry of the brain. He is very careful to repeatedly point out that even though we have hemispheres of our brain, they still function together as a whole. Rightfully so, he encourages us to look at the whole brain and to consider how it works, much like a multi-part computer. His book is not light reading, but it is very informative even for being over 17 years old. Some would find the subject of neuroscience quite heavy to read about, but Hellige's writings are peppered with a bit of dry humor that tickled my funny bone at times. If you find the subject of brain function interesting, I would suggest this book as a place to start.

Robert Ornstein gives us a Psychologists view of the hemispheres of the brain and our mind in his book entitled "The Right Mind". Even though it was written over 13 years ago it still holds a great deal of good information and gives us a much deeper understanding of the origin of sided-ness in our world. The book is written in such a way as to make you feel like Ornstein is actually having a conversion with you, rather than talking at you. Since it is written in this manner, then it seems to flow and before you know it, you have worked your way through large bits of it. I feel that Ornstein's writings are a good compliment to Hellige's studies, so I would recommend that the two be studied sequentially.

If you want to follow another road to brain function, than you might want to read Howard Gardner's book entitled, "Multiple Intelligences; The Theory in Practice" which gives us a whole different road map of what the brain (or intelligence) is like. He relies not on what "sided" the brain is, but what classification of intelligence we fall within. His theories have been embraced by educators around the world. His book "Frames of the Mind" sparked the imagination of an audience that he hadn't even thought about writing for, as his efforts were aimed at colleagues. Instead and much to his surprise the spark ignited a Multiple Intelligence movement that is alive and well to this date.

Other authors have taken on his theory and have written their own views of Mutliple Intelligence. One such author is Dr. Thomas Armstrong who has taken the subject and ran with it. He has authored multiple books on the subject, one of which addresses children that are labeled as ADD. He contends that the ADD child is mislabeled as having a "learning disability" when in fact they are using one of the many "intelligence" that aren't readily addressed in public education.

Interestingly enough co-authors Jeffery Freed, M.A.T & Laurie Parsons attack the same subject of ADD from a right-brained, left-brained approach. In their book, "Right-Brained Children in a Left-Brained World" the co-authors show that "right-brained" teaching methods can be employed to address the learning needs of these mislabeled children. In doing so the children make leaps and bounds towards learning the same skills that other so called "normal" children learn in school.

 Two different (either Armstrong's views of intelligence and learning or Freed and Parson's Right-Brained teaching) approaches or ways of thinking still point to the same type of conclusion, not everyone learns the same and teaching methods need to be altered and tailored to the learner.

In the same fashion, whether you look at Hellige's views of the make up of the hemispheres of the brain or Gardener's view of intelligence one common conclusion can be found, our brain, mind and personalities are very complex indeed.

Answering Questions about Brain Function.......

  We can study and study and study and still not know everything there is to know about how the brain fully functions. There are so many factors and an infinite number of variables that have to be taken into account.
Greg, your early life is an example that. Teachers treated you like you weren't trying. You worried that you were (as you put it) "Dumb". When the whole time, the real reason the information wasn't getting through was because you had this foreign mass  getting in the way of your normal brain function. Once the foreign element was removed, it was like your brain said "Finally I can get the signal through."
Truly the brain is amazing. You bounced back and it sounds like you have been doing well.

To answer Susan's question; Yes, studies have shown that gender does play somewhat of a role in what "Brained" you are.
Now, that being said I must clarify. There are more women that have "Right-Brained" attributes than men.
It wasn't until the split-brained studies in the 1960's that we really started to see the difference between functions in the sides of the brain. For the most part, the hemispheres of the brain work together. It's kind of like two hands working together to tie a shoe, both have a function but they work better when they work together. It must also be noted that we can have days where we may be more left-brained than right-brained or visa-versa. Again, it depends on so many factors. There is still so much exploration going on in the field of brain function.
Like Greg pointed out, the more studying that is done, it seems that the more questions arise. Part of that is human nature though. We want to learn and understand.. Just like the 3 year old that asks, "But why, but why?"
That is why I study and research, because I want to know more than just "why",  I also want to know how and then so much more then that!!

Thank you for your questions. Please keep them coming.. and if you like my Blog, please pass it on to a friend...
Smiles and hugs!!! (because that's just me!)

Brain Balance, what the heck is she talking about?

 All this brain research might just make my brain explode.. Just kidding... Truly, I love the research. It's actually my passion and I will share it with anyone that is willing to listen.

 A little over two years ago, I started on this journey. What started as a mild interest quickly grew into a passion. The more I learned about brain function, the more I wanted to learn. Then, I came up with my own hypothesis of how we should use our brain to stay balanced. Now I am on a journey to prove that my hypothesis is correct. 

I'm at the point now where I would like to hear from others about their experiences in being balanced. 

There are those out there that, not only work on both sides of their brain but also, can relate to those that don't. 

We live in a society that is structured more for the left-brained way of thinking and functioning. I have even read some studies that try to discount the right brain all together. The right brain has been called the "minor brain" and even the "useless brain". Personally, I find that kind of talk extremely offensive and belittling. There's a reason that we have two hemispheres of the brain. Both serve a purpose and to discount one or the other is, putting it plain and simple, stupidity and arrogance. 

Now you may ask me why I named my Blog "Everybody Needs to Be a Little Right-Brain". The answer to that is simple, since our society tries to shove everyone over to the left side of thinking, I'd like to take everyone back over to the right-brain for a bit.... Let us play at creativity, passion, sensitivity and all of those other fun parts of the right brain. 

Now that I've babbled on, I'd like to hear your stories, questions and I'm even open to comments, but you have to be kind. Like Thumper's dad would always say, "If you don't have something nice to say, then don't say anything at all." :o)

Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you!