EDIM 508 Unit 3 Summary Posting Information Overload: The Need For The Synthesizing Mind

EDIM 508 Unit 3 Summary Posting Information Overload:
The Need for the Synthesizing Mind

Ive enjoyed reading your discussions this week. I hope that the readings have better opened your mind to
understanding the synthesizing mind and the technological tools and strategies that can be used to foster this
mind. Id like to highlight some thoughts from this weeks discussion.
Allyson- I often see that students know the material or can at least answer
questions correctly on a test or a quiz because they studied. What I really want to know
is can they apply the same skills to different tasks? I think this is where the real
learning takes place. You do exactly that in your digital storytelling assignment.
Students have to take information they previously learned and they have to apply it to
create a new product.
Brendan- I have noticed that some of my colleagues, dealing with higher

grade levels, have resisted wholeheartedly this change, citing that it is "just not possible" to change their
teaching practices with the size of their classes. For true synthesis to take place, change will only happen when
these teachers sit back and evaluate why they feel it is impossible. Is it a system that is just not feasible for
upper classes, or do they just not know how to change?
Brett- We are bombarded with information from hundreds or thousands of sources. Being able to
process the information and create something meaningful from it will be imperative for basically every field
someone will go into. With that in mind the focus of education really should be moving toward developing that
type of mind.
Brian The more ways that an individual can represent the same idea or concept, the more likely they
are to come up with a potential synthesis of those ideas, so children should be encouraged to find as many ways
as possible to represent an idea from different angles and both performance assessments and project based
assessments allow students to find their own voice and appoarch the "answer" from many different angles
ultimately synthesizing the information in ways they understand and can apply.
Carla- Asking students to synthesize information must begin with first exposing, explicitly teaching,
discussing, and assessing them in remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, and evaluating. Utilizing
this spectrum of cognitive levels allows students to bridge curriculum with their innate ability to draw
comparisons.
Cayce- I agree with your statement about open-ended questions. You're still looking for the same
answers with every one, so it can still be students repeating back information and not actually applying it.
Christine- Ensuring that we are assessing only the student's synthesis, and not comparing to that of
another student, mean we recognize that each student is at a different level/place in their education and that no
students will understand the material in the exact same way. Students need the opportunity to be creative,
discuss, revise, and play around with different possibilities in order to synthesize the information we provide
them in a meaningful way for them.
Jennifer- I think in order for a school or district to support this type of collaboration amongst
teachers who are already stretched thin, they must find ways to offer time within the hours of the school day to
allow for collaborative planning. This may require the restructuring of daily schedules to allow for common
plan time or instead might pose the need for the hiring of substitutes who could cover teachers' classrooms for a
half day once a month to reconvene and continue development and growth of ideas.
Julie- All of the teachers getting on the same page of what synthesis and understanding means is a
challenge though. They way I interpret one students work is different from how another teacher interprets the
same work. This leads to each of us giving a different score while using the same rubric.
Keely- As more and more information is discovered and presented

at an unprecedented rate each day, it is becoming more important for our
students to scrutinize this information, determine what is relevant and how it
connects to prior knowledge, how it compares and contrasts with what they
already know or read in previous texts, and how they can summarize the idea to
form meaning and application to real world scenarios
Keith- I strive as much as possible to provide my students with the

tools to evaluate their own understandings and take the necessary actions to acquire the required
understandings. Responsibility is a huge component in becoming a responsible contributor in today's society
and workforce. Providing students with the tools and resources to self-assess and build a skill set to be a selfdirected learner will propel them far beyond the successful attainment of specific knowlege in our
classrooms. Resources are endless but how one uses these resources will determine their level of success!
Kelly- Learners are always naturally looking for the connections needed to make school learning
relevant to life outside of school. This ability to learn how to synthesize and to practice this skill is that missing
connection. It is what we do in the real world when we research and acquire new information. We process that
information for a specific purpose and figure out what we can do with it, constantly questioning, reaffirming,
and solidifying our understanding.
Kevin- The main thing to keep in mind when evaluating a students synthesis, however, is that
synthesis will most likely appear different for each student. What makes synthesis a desirable skill is that each
person uses their own experiences and learning to develop a unique perspective and contribute original ideas to
the knowledge base. Rather than focus on just how valuable a students synthesis is to everyone else, we should
instead determine how our students apply their own knowledge and present their ideas. In this way, we can
acknowledge the fact that synthesis is a difficult skill for students to master and yet still attainable.
Kristin M.- It made me realize that as an IEP or instructional Support

Team, we have to synthesize in order to find answers on students. For example,
we set a goal, use baseline data as a starting point, identify strategies we will use
to assist the student, write a draft, and then gather feedback to possibly start the
cycle again. Although teachers do this as a team with other teachers, I sometimes
think teachers do not always do this with their students.
Kristin P. I think students truly demonstrate their level of

understanding through projects and presentations moreso than tests. If we want to see what students have
actually learned, have them do a presentation, or a report, or something else that allows their voice to be
heard. On a test, especially one that is mostly multiple choice, we may not gain the understanding we need as
teachers to know how much information and synthesis they have gained. We need to get away from testing, and
go more towards projects and presentations. The more creative, the more students will connect with the project
and get more out of it. Students making connections with the content is key.
Matthew Many students, like myself, may not be good test takers so when it comes to any kind of
assessment, they may have difficulty remembering the steps to find the answer to an equation. By presenting the
material in a problem solving manner, it allows students utilize the many skills that were covered and can work
with others to solve the issue. It allows those test takers to show that they due understand the material, but in a
way that works for them.
Megan While students will not be experts in any subject, they can demonstrate mastery of a topic.
Asking students to take information and apply it in novel ways will require them to synthesize what they know.
These types of assignments are, by nature, "messy." They may not clearly fit within a specific description to
clearly describe what they should be. In fact, true examples of synthesis should look different from student to
student, because each student will fit what they have learned into their own experiences and make connections
that make sense based on those experiences.
Michael I think it would be unfair to occasionally shift the focus of that score to the effective
application of a student's synthesis unless that is a learning target of the course. I agree with Gardner that
synthesis is a vital skill, and so I have students practice it by applying knowledge from previous courses
(algebra, computer literacy, etc...) but the spontaneous application of these skills is not the focus of my
gradebook. I'm not sure that we should be evaluating a student's synthesis as much as
providing them opportunities to practice it.
Rachel It is incredibly important for students to synthesize information. I do

not think this is something that is done intentionally or deliberately enough. And what I
mean by that is even though we as educators might see how the pieces fit together and
make the connections across disciplines, it is not readily apparent to students. Students
pretty much tend to follow their fearless leader without questioning or analyzing the
information they are given.
Shannon We definitely have to embrace the generation of devices, but it is

hard when we are being held back with standardized tests or restricted device use on tests for college entry etc.
I definitely think all of education needs a technology overhaul, but I'm not sure how that can collectively
happen. I wish we could wake up one day and all have inspiring ideas of how to teach all of our content with th
4 c's. It's hard concept to grasp to collectively change education.
Thomas In terms of tests I feel like making an entire test of these questions would be taxing on both
the teacher and the student, as these sorts of questions and exercises require more time to make and grade, but
in a smaller quiz form I think it can be done, which is partly why I have banned large tests from my class.

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EDIM 508 Unit 3 Summary Posting Information Overload:

The Need for the Synthesizing Mind

Brendan- I have noticed that some of my colleagues, dealing with higher

Keely- As more and more information is discovered and presented

Keith- I strive as much as possible to provide my students with the

Kristin M.- It made me realize that as an IEP or instructional Support

Kristin P. I think students truly demonstrate their level of

Rachel It is incredibly important for students to synthesize information. I do

Shannon We definitely have to embrace the generation of devices, but it is

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