S.Y.

2020-
2021
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Unit 2: Aspects of Personal Development 2. explore mind-mapping techniques suited to right brain- or left
brain-dominant thinking styles, and
MODULE 6: 3. make a plan to improve learning using both left and right brain
development.
The Powers of the Mind
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Big Question: How do we develop the powers of our mind?
Overview
What is the Whole Brain Theory?
Scientists, medical doctors, psychologist, and
Contents Standards: psychiatrists have always been fascinated with the brain often
 brain parts, its processes and functions starts with an attempt to understand a brain-related disease or malfunction.
In 1861, Paul Broca conducted a study on the language and left-right brain
Performance Standards : specialization on a patient who had problems with language. After several
 Identify ways to improve brain functions which will be manifested tests, Broca theorized that some language functions reside on the left side of
in thoughts, behavior and feelings the brain ( R. J. Morris 2006).
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Most Essential Learning Competencies : Activity 1: LATERAL THINKING PUZZLES
 Discuss that understanding the different parts of the brain, 1. You are driving down the road in your car on a wild, stormy night, when
processes and functions may help in improving thoughts, behavior you pass by a bus stop and you see three people waiting for the bus:
and feelings. a. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die
b. An old friend who once saved your life
 Explore ways on how to improve brain functions for personal
c. The perfect partner you have been dreaming about Knowing that there
development
can only be one passenger in your car, whom would you choose?
2. Acting on an anonymous phone call, the police raid a house to arrest a
Duration : 8 hours suspected murderer. They don't know what he looks like but they know his
name is John and that he is inside the house. The police bust in on a
Lesson Title: Coping with Stress in Middle and Late Adolescence carpenter, a lorry driver, a mechanic and a fireman all playing poker.
Without hesitation or communication of any kind, they immediately arrest
the fireman. How do they know they've got their man?
Objectives:
3. A man lives in the penthouse of an apartment building. Every morning
At the end of this module, you will be able to: he takes the elevator down to the lobby and leaves the building. Upon his
1. discuss that understanding the left and right brain functions may return, however, he can only travel halfway up in the lift and has to walk the
help in improving one’s learning, rest of the way - unless it's raining. What is the explanation for this?

Learning Module in Personal Development SHERIDAN D. DIMAANO

4. A man and his son are in a car crash. The father is killed and the child is Neurons, the basic functional units of the nervous system, are
taken to hospital gravely injured. When he gets there, the surgeon says, 'I three-part units and are key to brain function. They are comprised of a
can't operate on this boy - for he is my son!!!' How can this possibly be? nerve cell body, axon and dendrite, and they power the rapid-fire process
that turns thought into movement.
The thought moves as an electrical signal from the nerve cell
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// down the axon to a dendrite, which looks like branches at the end of nerve
Reading: BRAINPOWER: COMPLEX ORGAN cells. The signal jumps from the end of the dendrite on one cell across the
CONTROLS YOUR EVERY THOUGHT AND MOVE space, called a synapse, to the dendrite of another cell with the help of
How did you get here? chemicals called neurotransmitters. That signal continues jumping from cell
No, no, no! It's not a question about your conception or birth. to cell until it reaches the muscle you need to wave, wink or walk.
How did you get here? On this page. Reading this story. The cerebrum is the largest of the three brain sections, accounts
The answer is a lot more complex than, "My teacher told me to read it" or"I for about 85 percent of the brain's weight, and has four lobes. The lobes-
clicked on it by accident."The answer involves thought, as in "I want to get frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital -- each have different functions.
on the Internet"; movement — pressing the computer's power button and They get their names from the sections of the skull that are next to them.
grasping a mouse; memory—like recalling how to use a browser or a search The parietal lobe helps people understand what they see and feel,
engine; and word recognition such as "Brainpower" and an understanding while the frontal lobe determines personality and emotions. Vision
of its meaning. functions are located in the occipital lobe, and hearing and word recognition
In short, the answer involves a wrinkled, pinkish-gray, three-pound abilities are in the temporal lobe.
organ that is primarily composed of fat and water and goes by the name of A critical age
brain. You got to this article because that jelly-like mass topping off your Because the brain's healthy functioning is essential to living and
spinal cord fired electrical signals to your hand telling it how to move. determines quality of life, doctors emphasize protecting the organ from
You got to this article because your brain stored information about injury and chemical abuse.
using a computer and the definition of words that you learned years ago. There is a consensus among researchers that brain cells regenerate
You got to this article because your brain is working. Keep reading to find throughout life, said Doug Postels, a pediatric neurosurgeon in New
out how it functions, if it repairs itself and if the effects of drug use are Orleans, but that new growth happens very slowly after a certain age.
permanent. "The size of the brain doesn't increase much after 3," Postels
The power to act explains
The brain has three major parts -- the cerebrum, the cerebellum During the first three years of life, the brain experiences most of
and the brain stem. The brain stem connects the spinal cord and the brain. its growth and develops most of its potential for learning. That's the time
It controls functions that keep people alive such as breathing, heart rate, frame in which synaptogenesis, or the creation of pathways for brain cells to
blood pressure and food digestion. Those activities occur without any communicate, occurs.
thought. You aren't telling yourself, "Inhale. Exhale. Inhale." You're just Doctors generally accept that cut-off point for two reasons, Postels
breathing. said. First, in situations where doctors removed parts of the brains of
Things are different in the cerebellum. That region controls patients younger than 3 to correct disorders, the remaining brain sections
voluntary movement. When you want to lift your fork, wave your hand, developed to assume the role of the portions those doctors removed. But
brush your hair or wink at a cutie, you form the thought and then an area in when physicians performed the same surgery on older patients, that
the cerebellum translates your will into action. It happens so quickly. Think adaptability function did not occur.
about how little time passes between your desire to continue reading this Second, "We know from experiments that if you deprive people of
sentence and the time it takes your eyes to move to this word or this one. It intellectual stimulation and put them in a dark room, that it produces
seems automatic, but it isn't. permanent changes in the brain," Postels said. "That occurs most

Learning Module in Personal Development SHERIDAN D. DIMAANO

dramatically before age 3. After that age, it's impossible to ethically do a /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
study." Activity 2: BRAIN DOMINANCE
Previous research produced information about the effects of Which of these apply to you?
stimulation deprivation, but modern ethical guidelines prohibit such ___ I am very organized.
research on people because of the potentially harmful outcome. ___ I remember faces more than names.
___ I think things through before making a decision.
Drug damage ___ If someone’s mad at me, I can tell even without the person
Because so little recovery occurs to brains damaged after age 3, the saying a word.
effects of drugs and alcohol on the brain might be lasting. ___ I work best in a quiet space.
Doctors know what inhalants, steroids, marijuana, cocaine and ___ I daydream a lot.
alcohol do to the brain when people use them. "The question scientists can't ___ I hate taking risks.
answer now is if the damage is permanent," said Sue Rusche, co-author of ___ I tend to get emotional.
"False Messengers," a book on how addictive drugs change the brain. ___ I make a to-do-list.
Inhalants, such as glue, paint, gasoline and aerosols, destroy the ___ I trust my “gut instinct”.
outer lining of nerve cells and make them unable to communicate with one If you have more “yes” answers from the left column, you are probably left-
another. In 1993, more than 60 young people died from sniffing inhalants, brain dominant, while if you have more “yes” answers from the right
according to National Families in Action, a drug education center based in column, you are probably right-brain dominant.
Atlanta.
Studies have found that marijuana use hinders Reading: THE DOMINANT SIDE OF THE BRAIN
memory, learning, judgment and reaction times, while Researchers believed that brain dominance determines a person’s
steroids cause aggression and violent mood swings. preferences, problem-solving style, personality characteristics, and
Ecstasy use is rising among young people, Rusche said, and even career choices. For example, a right-brain individual will
scientists have found that drug destroys neurons that make serotonin, quickly get a feeling for a situation, while a left-brain person will
a chemical crucial in controlling sleep, violence, mood swings and usually ask a lot of questions first. The following chart reflects
sexual urges. additional difference between left and right-brain dominance.
While doctors and scientists know about some effects drugs
PERSONAL PREFERENCE
have on the brain, they don't have a full picture, Rusche said.
LEFT DOMINANCE RIGHT DOMINANCE
"When people start using a drug, the scientists know nothing Classical music Popular Music
about it. These people are volunteering to be guinea pigs," said Being on time A good times
Rusche, who is co-founder and executive director of National Careful planning To visualize the outcome
Families in Action. "Once enough people take it, scientists apply for To consider alternative To go with the first idea
grants and start studying it. People are inventive. They find new Being thoughtful Being active
drugs or new ways to take old drugs-like crack from cocaine. Monopoly, scrabble, or chess Athletics, art, or music
"There's a lot we won't know about until later," she said.
"The classic example is cigarettes. We allowed people to smoke for There is nothing good or bad about either preference. Both
100 years before we knew about all the horrible things that nicotine orientations can be equally successful in accomplishing a single task;
will do. however, one may be more appropriate over the other depending on the
Source: Christy Oglesby, CNNfyi Senior Writer, December 5, 2000 situation.
fromhttp://edition.cnn.com/fyi/interactive/news/brain/structure.function.tml

Learning Module in Personal Development SHERIDAN D. DIMAANO

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// For the average teens and college students, the left brain
Reading: RESEARCH STUDY “THE BRAIN’S hemisphere was faster for local matches and the right brain
LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES SEEM TO WORK hemisphere was faster for global matches. This fit prior research,
TOGETHER BETTER INMATHEMATICALLY which has indicated that the left hemisphere is adept at processing
GIFTED MIDDLE- SCHOOL YOUTH”
visual "parts," in this case the letter details, while the right
WASHINGTON- There really may be something different about
the brains of math-heads. Mathematically gifted teens did better than
hemisphere is more adept at analyzing visual "wholes," in this case
average-ability teens and college students on tests that required the two the global shapes of the big letters. However, the mathematically
halves of the brain to cooperate, as reported in the April issue of gifted boys showed no such hemispheric differences.
Neuropsychology, published by the American Psychological Association Those who were precocious in math were equally good at processing
(APA). global and local elements with either hemisphere, suggesting more
In the study, a joint effort of psychologists at the U.S. Army interactive, cooperative left and right brains.
Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences at Fort Benning, In addition, whereas average-ability boys and college
Ga. and the University of Melbourne, Australia, researchers studied 60 students were slower on cooperative trials, which presented letter
right-handed males: 18 mathematically gifted (averaging nearly 14 years in patterns on both sides of the screen, the math-gifted showed the
age), 18 of average math ability (averaging just over 13), and 24 college opposite pattern. They were slower on one-sided trials, but when a
students (averaging about 20). Math giftedness seems to favor boys over
task "asked" both sides of the brain to work together, they were
girls, appearing an estimated six to 13 times more often. It's not
known why but prenatal exposure to testosterone is suspected to be one considerably faster than the other boys faster than the other boys
influence due to its selective benefit to the right half of the brain. The study supports the growing notion that the
The gifted boys were recruited from a Challenges for Youth- mathematically gifted are better at relaying and integrating
Talented program at Iowa State University. Whereas the average information between the cerebral hemispheres. Says co-author
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) math score for college-bound high-school Michael O'Boyle, PhD, "It's not that you have a special math module
seniors is 500 (out of 800), the mathematically gifted boys' average SAT somewhere in your brain, but rather that the brain's particular
math score in middle school was 620. functional organization - which allows right-hemisphere
The boys viewed letter patterns flashed on the left or right sides of contributions to be better integrated into the overall
a computer screen, and had to indicate whether two patterns matched or not cognitive/behavioral equation -- predisposes it towards the use of
- a simple way of learning how the brain responds to data put before high-level imagery and spatial skills, which in turn just happen to be
either the left or right visual field, corresponding to processing in the very useful when it comes to doing math reasoning."
right or left brain because the input generally crosses over to the The research supports the broader notion that "the functional
other side. (though not necessarily structural) organization of the brain may be
The letter patterns were presented in three conditions - one- an important contributor to individual differences in cognitive
sided, to the right hemisphere (left eye); one-sided, to the left abilities, talents and, at the very least, information-processing styles,"
hemisphere (right eye); or bilaterally (both eyes). There were two says O'Boyle.
types of tasks -- "local," saying two letters matched or mismatched He adds, "Various expressions of exceptionality, such as
on the small letters that went into making big letters (for example, a giftedness in math, music or art, may be the by-product of a brain
big T whose two strokes were made of smaller T's), and "global," that has functionally organized itself in a qualitatively different way
saying two big letters matched or mismatched. than the usual left/right hemispheric asymmetry."

Learning Module in Personal Development SHERIDAN D. DIMAANO

 At the same time, O'Boyle is not sure whether the findings of the subject. Because creating the mind map involves the use of the
could apply to math education in general. "Our work may perhaps left and right brain, remembering the information becomes easier!
have something to say about the optimal timing of when a particular Below is an example of a simple mind map linked to the
brain is most 'ready to learn' or acquire a given skill, but I don't think information above.
we can 'create' a math genius without the innate talent already there,"
he says.
Finally, given the rising use of testosterone by adult men,
O'Boyle cautions that, "Testosterone taken later in life will not help
your math, as the window of influence on brain development is
pretty much prenatal. It may enhance muscle mass, but it is unlikely
to help you solve calculus problems."
Source:"Interhemispheric interaction during global-local
processing in mathematically gifted adolescents, average-ability
youth, and college students," Harnam Singh, Ph.D., U.S.
Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences, and
Michael W. O'Boyle, PhD, University of Melbourne, Australia; How to draw a mind map:
Neuropsychology, Vol. 18, No. 2. 1. Turn the page on its side (landscape). Use plain paper.
2. Draw the central image using different colors. The central image
Reporters: Michael O'Boyle , from the American Psychological
should encapsulate the subject of the map.
Associationavailablefromhttp://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2004/04/
interhemispheric.aspx 3. Add the branches representing the subject’s main topics or themes using
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4. Add detail with more key words and images. Use color.
Activity 3: MIND MAPPING
5. Print the words clearly.
Mind mapping is a powerful thinking tool. It is a graphical 6. Use arrows to connect linked ideas
technique that mirrors the way the brain works, and was invented by Source:Dodd (2004). Learning to Think: Thinking to
Tony Buzan. Mind mapping helps to make thinking visible. Most Learn,http://aysinalp.edublogs.org/files/2013/09/TheBrainandLearning-1f6e16y.pdf
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people make notes using lined paper and blue or black ink. Making
Reading: YOU CAN GROW YOUR INTELLIGENCE
notes more attractive to the brain by adding color and rhythm can aid
the learning process, and can help to make learning fun. The subject New Research Shows the Brain Can Be
being studied is crystallized in a central image and the main theme Developed Like a Muscle
radiates out from the central image on branches. Each branch holds a Many people think of the brain as a mystery. They don’t
key image or a key word. Details are then added to the main know much about intelligence and how it works. When they do think
branches and radiate further out. Mind maps have a wide variety of about what intelligence is, many people believe that a person is born
uses, for example, note taking, revision planning, planning for either smart, average, or dumb—and stays that way for life. But new
writing and problem solving can all be successfully carried out using research shows that the brain is more like a muscle—it changes and
the technique. The colors and the graphics used will help children to gets stronger when you use it. And scientists have been able to show
organize their ideas and thoughts. They can be very simple or, quite just how the brain grows and gets stronger when you learn. Everyone
detailed depending upon the age of the children and the complexity

Learning Module in Personal Development SHERIDAN D. DIMAANO

knows that when you lift weights, your muscles get bigger and you “smarter”—they were better at solving problems and learning new
get stronger. A person who can’t lift 20 pounds when they start things. Even old animals got smarter and developed more
exercising can get strong enough to lift 100 pounds after working out connections in their brains when they got the chance to play with
for a long time. That’s because the muscles become larger and new toys and other animals. When scientists put very old animals in
stronger with exercise. And when you stop exercising, the muscles the cage with younger animals and new toys to explore, their brains
shrink and you get weaker. That’s why people say “Use it or lose also grew by about 10%!
it!” But most people don’t know that when they practice and learn The Key to Growing the Brain: Practice!
new things, parts of their brain change and get larger a lot like From the first day they are born, babies are hearing people
muscles do when they exercise. around them talk—all day, every day, to the baby and to each other.
Inside the cortex of the brain are billions of tiny nerve They have to try to make sense of these strange sounds and figure
cells, called neurons. The nerve cells have branches connecting them out what they mean. In a way, babies are exercising their brains by
to other cells in a complicated network. Communication between listening hard. Later, when they need to tell their parents what they
these brain cells is what allows us to think and solve problems. want, they start practicing talking themselves. At first, they just make
When you learn new things, these tiny connections in the goo-goo sounds. Then, words start coming. And by the time they are
brain actually multiply and get stronger. The more that you challenge three years old, most can say whole sentences almost perfectly. Once
your mind to learn, the more your brain cells grow. Then, things that children learn a language, they don’t forget it. The child’s brain has
you once found very hard or even impossible to do—like speaking a changed—it has actually gotten smarter. This can happen because
foreign language or doing algebra—seem to become easy. The result learning causes permanent changes in the brain. The babies’ brain
is a stronger, smarter brain. cells get larger and grow new connections between them. These new,
stronger connections make the child’s brain stronger and smarter,
How Do We Know the Brain Can just like a weightlifter’s big muscles make them strong.
Grow Stronger? The Real Truth About “Smart” and “Dumb”. No one
thinks babies are stupid because they can’t talk. They just haven’t
Scientists started thinking that the human brain could learned how to yet. But some people will call a person dumb if they
develop and change when they studied animals’ brains. They found can’t solve math problems, or spell a word right, or read fast—even
out that animals who lived in a challenging environment, with other though all these things are learned with practice. At first, no one can
animals and toys to play with, were different from animals who lived read or solve equations. But with practice, they can learn to do it.
alone in bare cages. While the animals who lived alone just ate and And the more a person learns, the easier it gets to learn new things—
slept all the time, the ones who lived with different toys and other because their brain “muscles” have gotten stronger! The students
animals were always active. They spent a lot of time figuring out everyone thinks as the “smartest” may not have been born any
how to use the toys and how to get along with the other animals. different from anyone else. But before they started school, they may
These animals had more connections between the nerve cells have started to practice reading. They had already started to build up
in their brains. The connections were bigger and stronger, too. In their “reading muscles.” Then, in the classroom, everyone said,
fact, their whole brains were about 10% heavier than the brains of “That’s the smartest student in the class.” They don’t realize that any
the animals who lived alone without toys. The animals who were of the other students could learn to do as well if they exercised and
exercising their brains by playing with toys and each other were also practiced reading as much. Remember, all of those other students

Learning Module in Personal Development SHERIDAN D. DIMAANO

learned to speak at least one whole language already—something I remember being really mad, too, because there was a guy who
that grownups find very hard to do. They just need to build up their made it that wasn’t as good as me.”Someone else might have sulked,
“reading muscles” too. or quit. But this setback only fueled Jordan’s desire to improve.
“Whenever I was working out and got tired and figured I ought to
What Can You Do to Get Smarter? Just like a weightlifter or a stop, I’d close my eyes and see that list in the locker room without
basketball player, to be a brain athlete, you have to exercise and my name on it,” Jordan says, “and that usually got me going again.”
practice. By practicing, you make your brain stronger. You also learn The physical education teacher at Jordan’s high school,
skills that let you use your brain in a smarter way—just like a Ruby Sutton, describes Jordan’s commitment to the game in those
basketball player learns new moves. But many people miss out on days. “I would normally get to school between 7 and 7:30. Michael
the chance to grow a stronger brain because they think they can’t do would be at school before I would. Every tim I’d come in and open
it, or that it’s too hard. It does take work, just like becoming stronger these doors, I’d hear the basketball. Fall, wintertime, summertime.
physically or becoming a better ball player does. Sometimes it even Most mornings I had to run Michael out of the gym.”
hurts! But when you feel yourself get better and stronger, all the Adapted from “Michael Jordan transcends hoops” by Larry Schwartz.ESPN.com,
work is worth it! 2007.
Source:http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/C7BD7406-040C42FAB44C2FCF72EB819C/0/
GrowYourIntelligenceArticleandActivity.pdf © 2010 Mindset Works
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Activity 4: Make a Mind Map
1. Choose a subject or activity that you do well (for example, math,
basketball, playing the guitar, painting, cooking, or computer
games).
2. Make a mind map of the chosen topic, following the procedure
described earlier.
3. Explain your mind map and how you worked on it.
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Reading: THE MYTH OF MICHAEL JORDAN
Michael Jordan is one of the best basketball
players of all time. His average points per game is the
highest in NBA history – 31.5. He is one of two players
to score more than 3000 points in a single season. And he has 11
MVP awards – five for the regular season and six for the finals.
It was dazzling to watch Jordan play. People often spoke of
his grace on the court. They talked about his natural abilities. But the
true story is different. When he was a sophomore in high school,
Michael Jordan didn’t even make the team. “It was embarrassing
not making the team,” he says. “They posted the roster [list of
players] and it was there for a long, long time without my name on it.

Learning Module in Personal Development SHERIDAN D. DIMAANO