When you test and verify how smaller pieces of a unit fit into a larger conceptual package, you are using convergent thinking. Instructional planning is also convergent if you continue to take larger ideas or concepts and break them down into smaller, more discreet pieces. And, some people prefer to use convergent thinking first in the planning process by creating or taking smaller related pieces and then fitting them into a larger conceptual framework. No matter which way one prefers to organize and create instructional plans, in order for the process to be completely effective, it is always necessary to use both types of thinking continuously. The whole planning process is dynamic and much like weaving a fine cloth or a living tapestry.
Some people decide on the picture first and then choose the colors, threads and textures.
Others decide on the textures, colors and threads first and then weave them into a random pattern. Either method is acceptable and still requires that you use a combination of divergent and convergent thinking. In everyday English we tend to use the terms aims, goals, or objectives interchangeably. Within the educational lexicon, for the past twenty years curriculum scholars, planners and administrators have been trying to standardize terms so that they refer to very specific curricular components. These definitions are broadly accepted by groups trying to standardize curricular terms so that they are not confusing to readers and users.