When human slightly looks around the environment there
is pigment that stimulates their feeling of something spontaneously. Look at
the white of the wall, the unique red bag, even green trees in the traffic
street’s side. Of course those things make they fell different in such a
condition. The feeling of warm, frightened, fresh, cool, confusing, etc are
being influenced by the colors of the particular thing. For instance, someone
have to trap in the traffic street. He/she may feel bored, angry, even
frustrated. Yet, the feeling of anger or boredom can be declined when he/she
looks the green trees in the side of the street. In this condition green brings
the meaning of fresh and cool that may relax him/her. Green, red, blue, yellow,
white, black, are the examples of colors. Colors are parts of the
electromagnetic spectrum which has energy, a frequency and wave length. Every
color has its own magnetic frequency and specific wavelength. Colors can affect
neuropath ways in the brain and create the biochemical responses. When human
sees color, it registers in the brain and the brain sends a chemical messenger
(a neurotransmitter) for a certain hormonal response from the appropriate
endocrine glands. In case, red is exiting to human brain; therefore
neurotransmitters stimulate the adrenal glands to pump adrenaline into the
body. In consequence, colors are one kind of pigments that instantly convey
meaning and message to the brain.
Since colors become the simple thing that much
influences the human brain, people try to examine the use of colors in the several
aspect of living including education aspect. The use of colors in education
mostly applies in the kindergarten schools and elementary schools. The children
in the age of 3-6 year are in the golden age period that encounter physics,
intellectual, social and emotional development (Hurlock: 1997). In this age
period visual perspective becomes more effective and children can maintain
their concentration in the long period. Hence, basic knowledge must be given in
the early age. Giving the children basic knowledge is not something difficult
nevertheless they are known as the active and dynamic learner that sometimes
difficult to be controlled. One of the ways that can be accomplished is by delivering
material taught with fun learning environment that evokes their interest in
learning. In this essay we will discuss the power of color in youth learning
environment by offering the cases and answering the question how it affects the
student’s comprehension and creativity.
The power of colors in the learning environment
nowadays is obviously observed since there are several implementation cases that
we find in the society. The first case is in the painting of the classroom that
brings mood to the courses. A classroom is the place when the knowledge is
distributed through the teaching process. Therefore, the classroom’s design and
layout must be comfort as well. The need of the children when they are in the
classroom is achieving the feeling of freedom, safe, comfort, warm (Ellien: 1988).
For gaining those purposes the classroom interior designers try to apply the
advantages of colors stimulating. The classrooms are painted in particular
colors that are appropriated with the mood that must be brought for the
specific purposes. Dunn and Dunn have found that pale yellow and almond seem to
be the best colors for not irritating anyone. These colors would be good
general colors for school hallways. Light pink and rose are very soothing
colors. They would be very suitable for a sport room or a Kindergarten room
where activity is high. Creativity seems to be inspired by the color green. An
art room would be the choice for green as well as a creative writing classroom.
Blue is the color of academics. A science or math room would be a good
candidate for this color. Based on the examples above the use of colors for
classroom painting can be effective to influence the mood of the students when
they are in the learning process.
The second case is the use of colors in the learning
media that is mainly managed by teachers. To acquire the students’ interest and
to make a material taught is easy to understand, teachers usually use a
particular item as the learning media. Learning media that are offered for
young learners can be in the form of pictures and puppets. The advantages of
the colors here exposed again. The teachers use colored picture and puppets instead
of drawing the pictures in the whiteboard or using pale puppet that is made
from wood. We can simply analyze that students are getting more interest and focus
to the colored pictures. Therefore, the materials are rapidly transferred to
the students’ brain. For example, when teacher tells the story of Cinderella by
using the colored puppets the students can focus on the story by the assist of
the colors that distinguishing the character in the story. The teacher uses a white
dress princess as Cinderella, a red dress step mother, a blue dress prince etc.
They can simply tell the students that white for the calmness and beauty
Cinderella and red symbolizes the cruelty of step mother’s attitude and blue
for the wise prince. Hence, the use of colors here brings a significant effect
for understanding.
The third case is the use of colors in the playing
tools that is adored by young learners. In the age of 3-9 years is the time
when children admire experience in playing and fun activities. In kindergarten,
the curriculum makers suit this habit of the children by providing 75% material
for practical activities. These practical activities include games and sports. Games
may facilitate young learners to see learning as enjoyment. Several activities
that involve play and enjoyment are called games. For example, drawing,
guessing, clapping hands and playing are some activities to get the children attention.
Sports are the competitive activities that combine physical exertions and
rules. The power of colors here arises when the playing tools and the sport equipment
made are colorful. We frequently find the colorful puzzle as the tool for
color-shape and picture matching games in the kindergarten. Here colors
facilitate the children to think what picture that has those kinds of colors
before they think its shape and finally do the puzzle of its pictures. For
example, for the picture of strawberries children firstly think for its red
color then its shape before finally arrange its pictures. In sport equipments
are almost resemble which use the effect of the colors to get the student’s
strength of mind. For instance, children use a red ball instead of a black and
white ball that is known as adult soccer’s equipment.
The last case that we can explain is the use of colors
in the student’s stationery that courages them to enrol learning process. The
student’s stationery includes bag, writing utensil, block note, pencil box,
etc. The stationery is brought by the student whenever they go in the learning
environment. They help them to make the learning activities run easier. The
students tent to use the colorful stationery that they like. The simple
adjustment to classroom instruction of allowing students to use various colored
pens and pencils to complete their schoolwork, has proved to motivate students
to do their schoolwork. It also holds the student's attention span for longer
periods of time, and helps to retain classroom information. For example, one of
the students of in America, Natalia, had problem in skipping word when reading
and had to go back rereading it in order to understand. She also had a hard
time expressing herself in writing. All of her other subjects were in the
excellent category. Natalia was tested for reading and writing colors. When she
read through dusty blue and dusty lavender, her eyes no longer skipped words.
She now enjoys reading and it is much easier. Natalia chooses a colored paper
and pen when she writes and she says that it works and the ideas keep coming
(cercolearning.com).
In line with
the cases that have been explained above, the power of colors has the
considerable point in the learning process in encouraging the student
comprehension and creativity. The increasing of the student comprehension is
one of the effects that is beneficial to be remained. Colors are major player
in opening and connecting the 12 intelligences that human have. Colors may be
used to give "cues" to the brain, about where to find information or
an object in the classroom. In addition, colors also help concepts become more
logical and reasonable. With the use of colors in the learning environment it
stimulates learning to go faster and memorizing to go deeper. Therefore, people
are easy to recall memories that they have when they study in their childhood
trough the colors’ assist. When colors are continually used in the learning
environment there is a big opportunity to keep developing the comprehension of
some particular knowledge.
Another effect is that colors inspire creativity and
encourage students in coming up with new ideas. The use of colors not only
assists students in artistic projects, colors stimulate creativity thinking
towards story writing and help students to evaluate and solve questions.
Therefore, the children become more creative when they already have had the
image picture in their brain when colors are used as stimulator. Due to the
fact that the use of colors have the effort to evoke human feelings thus it
brings the mood. When children have already found their favorite colors they
can whenever and wherever use it. In the other word they can think creatively
when they get the condition that they want. One of the examples is Natalia whom
we discussed above that can write smoothly when she uses the blue color which
is influence her mood. Therefore, color
can help the teacher to give the students’ happiness in the learning process so
the creativity is acquired as well.
In sum, the power of colors has been already applying
in the learning environment. It brings effectiveness in increasing the young
learners’ conception and inspiration. Therefore, as the teachers who handle the
class activities we are recommended to be creative in choosing activities that
take account of using colors. It reminds our students’ interest and the result
they think learning as enjoyment.
Orista Vella
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