Doug Gray on mon 14 oct 96
I have been a bit surprised by the amount of conversation this thread
has generated. It seems, as I read through the remarks, that the
studies of right brain/left brain division have accurately portrayed the
split in thought here. In my beginning Art Appreciation class, a
required humanities course for every one attending Sul Ross, we discuss
the right/left brain split. Because the course is required, I often
find an assortment of students, some artists (musicians, theatre, art
education, etc.), some science and math majors, even some range animal
science and rodeo people.
In the discussion of right and left brain division, we typically
acknowledge that each individual feels most comfortable with one or the
other mode of thinking, yet we all need to use both hemispheres to
survive. For example, I always refer to glaze calculation as a perfect
example of why artists should know math. On the other side, however, we
have the example of the neuro-biologist, who must think creatively as he
or she theorizes about the function of uncharted portions of the brain.
All in all, some of us prefer to have things more or less logical while
others really don't need to be bothered by the details.
This seems, in part at least, to be one of the basic points of
contention here. And the delightful reality of things is that we are
all different and could not possibly agree on the appropriate amount of
math any given individual would need.
As a bit of an aside, the university actually conducted a learning
styles workshop to determine the way in which we, the faculty learn.
The idea is that you teach the way you learn. Well as to be expected, I
was one of the most right brained peaople / visual learners in the
group. Surprisingly enough though, one of the math instructors scored
pretty far to the right as well. It ends up that he is a musician and
also loves to create chess problems (has even had some published).
I quess my point is that we all find the desired amount of right and
left brain thought that works for us. And if for some reason you want
to develop your skills in math or in creative thought, this too can be
done. The brain is a marvelous tool and can be developed like any other
muscle in the body.
Just let me end by telling you of one of my own little victories. This
summer I had a student in my primative pottery class, a newly declared
art major, ex-biology major. She changed majors because see loved
ceramics so much and really dreaded taking more math (neede for her
B.S). As her advisor, I had convinced her to take a required math class
during this same term. She did great in the pottery class but was
failing the math class after the first two tests. I sat down with her
and constantly reminded her that she could do math. Well it just so
happened that she signed up with the same math teacher who had scored
fairly right brained. He started making connections between her art and
math and soon her grades started to improve. Well, she ended the
semester with an A in pottery and a B in math. I don't know that either
of us really did that much for her other than to reassure her of her own
capabilities, but she did it. And boy was she proud of herself.
Just goes to show that if you want something bad enough and really
believe in yourself, and have others around you who believe in you too,
anything is possible. I just hope I don't loose her as a major in the
sciences again.
for what it's worth,
Doug Gray
Alpine TX - the gateway to Big Bend National Park
dgray@sul-ross-1.sulross.edu
dannon@koyote.com on tue 15 oct 96
>Return-Path: owner-clayart@LSV.UKY.EDU
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Doug Gray wrote:
>As a bit of an aside,......... Surprisingly enough though, one of the math ins
he is a musician and also loves to create chess problems
(has even had some published).
>
That is not terribly surprising. Several studies have concluded that
many mathmaticians are musicians and vice-versa; perhaps that is
because music IS math, and of a pretty complex sort. (I could cite
the studies, only I've forgotten where I put all that stuff. Details often
escape me......) I do remember that Aldous Huxley did some essays
on that subject, and wrote a short novel based on that idea. Oftentimes
so-called musical prodigies are mathmatician in the making.
>
>...Just let me end by telling you of one of my own little victories. She
was..failing the math class after the first two tests. .. I sat down with her
>and constantly reminded her that she could do math. ...she ended
>semester with an A in pottery and a B in math.
Good story; shows what a bit of reframing and alternative-of-choices
can do - along with the help of a good teacher.
But what we REALLY want to know is more about rodeo studies.
RODEO studies? Ah, Texas.
Dannon Rhudy
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