Are Students Right or Left Brained?

Is Mr. Morales’ assumption that students are right-brained or left-brained accurate? Is your response based on speculation or a source, such as a course, textbook, or news article?

Mr. Morales’ assumption that students are either right- or left-brained was partially correct. According to Pietrangelo (2017), the human brain is composed of two hemispheres that function differently but are highly interdependent. Moreover, the two regions of the brain have distinct functions. For instance, the left side of the brain is associated with logic, facts, arithmetic, and linear thinking. Similarly, the other part is associated with imagination, intuition, rhythm, holistic thought, and the arts (Pietrangelo, 2017). Therefore, Mr. Morales may have assumed that right-brained students would use their creativity to complete the project while left-brained students would write newspaper articles using logic and facts.

The teacher’s assumption, however, was somewhat flawed. Although researchers hypothesize that the two hemispheres have distinct functions, scholars stress that their functionality does not determine a person’s characteristics and preferences (Pietrangelo, 2017). In addition, the sections collaborate to complete a brain command. Even if a child is left-brained, he or she must coordinate the two hemispheres to analyze the project and develop an artistic way of presenting it. Therefore, the facilitator’s assumption that the most dominant portion of the brain would influence the students’ choice of project design was incorrect.

Is the lack of reflection in the students’ self-evaluations typical of fifth graders, in your opinion? What is the rationale, or why not?

I believe that the students’ lack of reflection in their self-evaluations is typical of fifth-graders. A study conducted in a public Montessori environment at the upper elementary level revealed that students at this level are more aware of how their behavior affects work output, particularly academic achievements (Alesch & Niblack-Rickard, 2018). Instead of focusing on their abilities, learners at this stage of development consider how their actions and those of their peers affect their accomplishments…