Aknowledgments
The
ILP — Individual Learning Profiles reports and processes brings
together the work of many profoundly innovative educators,
re-presenting and expanding the theme for easy use in contemporary
classrooms and learning environments. I would like to acknowledge
these pioneers whose work inspired me to study the field of dominance
and its role in education.
Dr.
Paul E. Dennison and his wife Gail Dennison were the originators and
founders of Educational Kinesiology (Edu-K). Presented as part of
the Edu-K system is the understanding of Dominances.
Carla
Hannaford Phd, presented her work on dominance processing and learning
styles, and created the eminently useable manual book 'The Dominance
Factor, How Knowing Your Dominant Eye, Ear, Brain, Hand and Foot can
Improve Your Learning'.
It is due to the groundbreaking work and writings of these educators and all the other scientists, researchers and contributors to this field that I am able to present today what I hope will be an easy, and radically effective tool for all educators to help students achieve their potential in today's learning environment.
About dominances
Individual Learning Profiles is a complete programme designed for education, to help every learner engage, enjoy and achieve.
We all learn in different ways. ILP is based on well established research into brain and sensory dominance, and its effects on the way that we receive, process and communicate information. We all favour a lead, or 'dominant' brain hemisphere, hand, ear, eye and foot. These different body parts have nerve pathways leading directly to the brain hemisphere on the opposite side of the body. The two brain hemispheres have subtly different ways of perceiving and processing information from the body and senses. The variations of dominance patterns give rise to 32 fascinating and very different 'learning profiles'.
Our learning is also dynamically affected by stress, one result of which causes us to default more strongly to our dominance profile.
In order to learn optimally and to think in a creative, cohesive and compassionate way, we need to use both sides of our brain. We need to receive, process and communicate information from the world around us, synthesize it with our internal experiences, knowledge and beliefs, and be able to communicate our sometimes unique understanding or vision.
Our society and schooling system has been shown to favour a left, logic/verbal dominant brain profile, at the expense of those with a holistic, non-verbal preference. In one study, it was found that 78% of those in special education were right brain dominant, presumably having been trapped in a cycle of stress in an environment 'hostile' to their needs.
The role of Individual Learning Profiles
ILP is about discovering our profiles, quickly, as a class; sharing the information with both learner and educator in the form of an illustrated report, and then using it to achieve success!
Here's how:
- Both learner and educator are shown how to play to the learner's strengths, and avoid and overcome the effects of stress on their learning.
- Educators are given the ability to create overviews of the learning styles and needs in their classes, and then to seat, group and teach them using the specially selected strategies to engage each type of learner.
- Activities and exercises for each profile are suggested, designed specifically to reduce the effects of stress on the brain, and stimulate whole-brain thinking and learning.
About the ILP Full Report - first page
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The straight arrows show those functions which feed straight into the dominant/lead hemisphere and are natural strengths, so more likely to maintain communication during times of stress. |
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The dotted arrows show the modalities that feed straight into the non-dominant hemisphere; under stress communication from these will be inhibited and therefore less dependable |
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This section describes how the inhibited functions could affect learning under stress; it presents the difficulties caused by being in a uni-lateral state (using mainly the lead hemisphere) One aim is to give reassurance, as the physical causes to problems under stress are explained. Understanding how stress impacts on learning and communication can be a powerful tool to help recognise and defuse it. |
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This section directs the student to some useful strategies for their learning. The student is encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning by understanding what to do about their weakness and how to play to their strengths. |
About the ILP Full Report - second page
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Seating positions: these are generally organised first by dominant ear - left ear to the right of half of the room and right ears to the left side. Visual and left brain learners to the front and kinaesthetic/movement learners to the back. | |
This section is geared towards supporting the teacher/educator with information specific to the person's learning needs. For many adults, time and experience has enabled us to make a success of our learning. Free from constraints we will have adapted our learning environment towards our natural strengths and away from our inherent difficulties. Students in the classroom have to rely on the class teacher. Teaching in a style that is geared towards a persons inherent strengths is a significant way to help them gain success. |
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This section offers suggestions on activities and pursuits to stimulate the types of thinking which may at present be under-developed. Here we are looking at a broader picture taking pursuits not always found in the classroom. Whole brain thinking is necessary for all of us, not only to fulfill our learning potential, but also to fulfill the potential of our personality. |
This section is one of the most significant as it offers the potential to unlock the inherent capacity to learn, and to raise the threshold of cortical inhibition under stress. There are 9 exercises in total which come from a range of disciplines (see references). No one is limited to their three exercises, but using these three regularly should have a particular impact on the student's learning and communication needs. These exercises are not just strategies to learning when stressed, they are tools to use during the day to help maintain a more integrated state. 
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About ILP Go!
Go! stands for Group Overview. As soon as you have input the ILP data for your class, or for a team, you can see the Group Overview; an amalgamation of the data of all the profiles.
The ILP Go! is a valuable resource for supporting the learning needs of the group. With this information it is easy to plan sessions that accurately address the overall needs of the group. The ILP student reports can then be considered enabling you to directly support those students whose learning needs might not be met by the general strategy.
Combine a number of strategies from the strengths of left or right hemisphere, and the overview and/or detail windows.
About the ILP Go! printed reports
The printed ILP Go! report has the teacher name, class or project information and date on it. Here graphs show the class as a group - their learning strengths and the learning areas that are most inhibited under stress.
One of the many resources from the Support section the ILP Go! guides can be downloaded and used to really make the most of these dynamic reports.