Back in elementary and high school, I studied in a catholic-chinese school, the training was so rigid and you should always follow whatever the teachers say. Back then, some of my teachers were nuns so we need to be demure in class , quiet and whatever the instructions given, you should do it with no questions. It was a bit hard for me since I am a very out spoken person , so I told myself that when I get to college , I will going to get a course that requires me to talk and talk. I'm not saying that I didn't learn anything from my high school but I guess I can say that I didn't enjoy it , I always hear people saying that high school life is the best part but it doesn't apply to me, I wasn't free then , I cannot talk , I cannot voice out and I always follow instructions detailed and step by step. The teaching was very traditional and I didn't like it. So when I get to college and took up mass communication, I really did enjoy it though there are also instructions that needs to be followed but I feel free, I can voice out, i can show my creativity with my ideas and it is really different because I can suggest new things to my classmates and even to my teacher.
I am not saying that traditional teaching or traditional thinking should be demolished but base from my experience , visual thinking should be given a chance to be explored and be used by the students. Well first is for them to feel free, next is for them to discover new things and third is to explore further and not limit them on one pattern. In this case, students will learn new things that will help them with their interaction especially when they start working and face the real world.
Visual thinking can be somehow be connected to divergent thinking, divergent thinking is the ability to find as many possible answers or ideas to a single problem and it involves breaking a topic down into various components in order to gain knowledge about the other aspects of the topic. Divergent thinking occurs in a very random and disorganized manner. The teacher plays a big role in order for the students to stimulate divergent thinking , he should think of activities that may help them discover a lot of things and not to be limited. Activities like brainstorming, journal writing, mind mapping and free writing can help the students to explore more about the topic. Also the teacher, should help in organizing the topic after the students give their ideas about it, and organizing the ideas together is called convergent thinking where you do it in a structured manner.
Having my masters in Ateneo De Manila gave me a chance to speak up and give ideas that maybe useful for the topic. As a student, it is very fulfilling to contribute to the class discussion and not be limited with instructions and patterns. I can really say that I am enjoying my classes in Ateneo more than anything else because I feel so free in expressing myself and that is all we want right? To be free and to feel free.
