Cognitive sciences are discovering many things that educators have always intuitively known about language learning. However, the important point is actively using this new information to improve both students learning and current teaching practices. The implications of neuroscience for educational reform regarding second language (L2) learning…

Few studies have approached second language teaching from a neurolinguistic perspective. An exception is Marcel Danesi's educational construct of neurological bimodality, an attempt to find a neurological foundation for classroom language instruction. The underlying hypothesis is that there is a natural flow of information processing from the…

Reading is fundamental to learning. Vital to learning is memory, which is the mental faculty used to retrieve what was read and understood. The human brain is about the size of a grapefruit and weighs about as much as a head of cabbage. The cerebral cortex is a kind of problem-solving and memorizing device. The hippocampus plays a critically…

The fact that there is an imperfect correlation between the asymmetrical function of the two halves of the brain and handedness has been a source of puzzlement for many investigators. Many theories have been proposed to explain handedness and why handedness does not correlate perfectly with other measures of lateralization. To assess the…

There is a need for artists and for art educators to know about current research into different ways of thinking pertinent to both the creation and perception of art. Brain hemispheric research has stimulated new ideas about teaching processes that nurture spatial thinking and bring a positive new force to the studio and classroom. An introduction…

Education in the United States for most of the last 50 years has built its knowledge base on a single dominating foundation--behavioral psychology. This paper analyzes the history of behaviorism. Syntheses are presented of the theories of Ivan P. Pavlov, J. B. Watson, and B. F. Skinner, all of whom contributed to the body of works on behaviorism.…

Encourages visual notetaking to help students improve learning. Emphasizes that when students use verbal and visual cues, the entire brain is called to action. Specific examples of notetaking such as "T-line,""Stickperson," and "Star models" are illustrated. (BR)

Investigated whether men and women produced similar Verbal Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and Performance IQ patterns following unilateral cerebral lesions. No consistent evidence of Sex X Lesioned Hemisphere interactions was found. Differences in the lateralization effects between men and women were not reflected in direction or pattern but only in…

Examines findings of scientists and educators who have studied whole brain processes as a means of learning new information and skills. Applies this research to the classroom. (SRT)

This paper presents a review of selected literature relevant to a general question of hemispheric specialization (right or left brain) and questions of gender differences in spatial abilities among a group of art students. Three basic questions for discussion are proposed: (1) is there a relationship between hemispheric dominance and spatial…

This paper describes a series of preliminary and a double blind study on crossed visual laterality and reading difficulties in children. Preliminary studies investigated handedness, eye preference, and ear preference in a total of 196 third and fifth grade students. About 42 percent of the tested students were identified with the Monahan/DeYoung…

Identifies three main strengths of Casey's spatial ability model, but notes that a study by McKeever found different results concerning the relationship between familial handedness and females' mental rotation ability. Considers the use of a familial handedness measure to be a weakness of the model because handedness might not be an inherited…

The use of sign language is suggested as a way to stimulate and educate the right brain, thereby cultivating student creativity. Sign language's benefits are that it forces the hearing person to think differently, can add clarity to oral communication, and could be applied to help children with learning disabilities. (JDD)

This article reviews the work on patients who have undergone partial or complete brain bisection and addresses the concept of modularity from three different perspectives: (1) structure-function correlations; (2) modular components of cognitive processes; and (3) integration of modular processes. Several brain pictures and diagrams are presented.…

Examines hemispheric differences in cortical arousal as a function of positive and negative emotional television scenes. Finds that (1) the processing of emotional content is hemispherically asymmetric; and (2) negative material produced greater cortical arousal in the right hemisphere and positive material greater arousal in the left. (MS)