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Elana ShyongCreative facilitator & trainer

Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) for Deeper Learning at MNAC Barcelona

· 1 min read

Visitors looking closely at a painting on a red wall during a Visual Thinking Strategies session at MNAC

Spending the afternoon diving into a Visual Thinking Strategy (VTS) workshop at the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) 🖼️ is the best way to spend a rainy day like today in Barcelona!

There’s something incredibly refreshing about pausing in front of an artwork and practicing intentional looking – a rarity in our fast-scrolling world! Here are the three guiding questions VTS encourages us to ask, with a bit of my own reflection:

1️⃣ What's going on in this picture? This question teaches us to look deeper, beyond the obvious, into what might be stirring just beneath the surface. Turns out, it's also a great way to spark curiosity and engage students of all ages.

2️⃣ What do you see that makes you say that? A real winner – encouraging evidence-based thinking, where art becomes a playground for perspective-sharing. (It also makes you rethink everything you thought you knew about a piece!)

3️⃣ What more can we find? With each step, it’s amazing to see the hidden stories unfold – and I was reminded that sometimes the last 10% of observation can yield 90% of the insights.

VTS is such a simple yet powerful tool for opening up discussions and bridging connections across cultures and learning styles. Eager to bring these strategies to my own training sessions and let the art of looking reveal even more!

#VisualThinkingStrategies #ArtEducation #TeacherTrainer #MNAC #CriticalThinking #CollaborativeLearning #Workshop

A group discussing sculptures in a gallery at the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya A participant crouching to look closely at an artwork print on the floor

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