Use your brain

Learning is not a passive activity. It requires the vigorous, interested participation of the learner. It involves mindful thought and action.

Research has shown that activating the whole brain heightens cognitive function. The cerebrum is the site of most conscious and intelligent activities in the brain. In humans, the cerebrum is larger in relation to total body weight than in any other animal. It is the last brain area to develop.

The cerebrum is divided into two cerebral hemispheres, the left and the right. These are quite separate and have distinct functions, but are linked by a bundle of nerve fibres called the corpus callusum. The left cerebral hemisphere is primarily concerned with analytical and rational thought, the use of language and linear patterns. It is time sensitive and precise. It programmes most movements, and directs the right hemisphere to control the left limbs while also controlling the ones on the right side. The right side works slightly differently. Rather than deconstructing information, it likes to process it in a holistic manner and is occupied by sensory perception and abstract cognition. When we engage in visual, spatial and musical activities we are utilising our right cerebral hemisphere (Carter R, Mapping the Mind, Weidenfield and Nicholson, 1998).