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.

Caitlyn- It is so important that we force students to break things down and

try to really understand the deeper meaning of things. I feel that very often, students
sometimes just tend to skim the surface of certain ideas and don't really try to think in
depth which can make it difficult to develop synthetic minds.

David- Simple strategies can be taught in order to achieve deeper

understanding of texts. For example, asking questions, visualization, making inferences
and connections are all essential skills. I believe that mastering specific strategies like
these paves the way to clear understanding and the ability to synthesize information successfully.

Derek- I think the key to assessing student understanding is giving them opportunities to create. I
feel that, as teachers, we so often fall into a pattern of giving our students an assignment with rigid guidelines
and strict requirements. Although we understand what our end goal is in these assignments, it can be tough to
get kids excited about the process of completing it, and a lack of engagement within a particular activity can
result in a poor finished product that doesnt actually convey the students ability or understanding of the
concept itself.

Erika- Our district has embraced the idea of a learning target instead of goals and objectives
for students, particularly with regards to daily lessons. What should you, as a student, be able to do by the end
of the lesson? Within our curriculum, we also use essential questions and enduring understandings for students
to obtain within units of our curriculum. These are designed with goals in mind that ultimately the students are
trying to achieve.

Hannah P- I think these pieces of the synthesizing mind puzzle are crucial because it teaches my
students to take responsibility for their learning, and to reflect on their learning to understand which strategies
work and do not work for them as learners. I think we can teach our students many different strategies for
mastering content and skills, but it is up to them to reflect and determine which strategies work best for them in
different situations. Because reflecting is crucial to my own success, I want my
students to be avid reflectors as well and realize how far reflecting and adapting
will take them not only in school, but in life.

Hannah S- As educators we need to provide them with the motivation

and the tools to synthesize and go further then understanding one element. They
need to combine multiple concepts and become comfortable with "interdisciplinary
work". By figuring things out on their own, making mistakes, and then reflecting on those mistakes, it will be
helpful in the learning process.

Jeremy B-

Jeremy S- A lot of times you can tell that a student's opinion comes straight from his/her parent
based on what they say. I'm sure it also comes with age when they begin to start formulating their own thoughts
and ideas, but it is never too early to start in our classrooms. We really do need to encourage them to ask
questions and become independent learners on their own.

Josh-

Laura- What I liked the most was the self-evaluation that you have
your students conduct. That shows me that the students have to think critically
about their work and learn to receive and appreciate feedback whether it be good
or bad. This reminds me a lot of how we as teachers have to be evaluated and fill
out the Danielson rubric. We then compare with our administrator if there are
major differences. Not only are you causing your students to think about their work
and self reflect but you are also preparing them for their future careers.

Maggie- By varying the ways that students show us this information,

also allows teachers to get a better idea of students true understanding of the information. We can do this
through graphic organizers, blogs, vlogs, conversations, Google Suite apps and more. By providing students
with several mediums to demonstrate their understanding, and giving them choice, we create a conducive
environment for assessment, while giving them an opportunity to experience different form of
communication. Adding to the various skill sets they would have for 21st century learning.
 Matthew- I fully believe that one of the major benefits of education in the arts (visual, preforming,
and musical) is that it often involves a high level of integration from multiple disciplines of study. The students
are not only learning about the arts, but also pulls in material and subject matter they are utilizing in other
disciplines (Gardner, 2007). For example, M.C. Eschers artwork shows the level of success an artist can reach
by falling combining two disciplines together (math and art). It also allows the students to use the knowledge
and skills they obtain in other disciplines to enhance their own artwork and vise versa. When the arts are
integrated into other disciplines, it helps improve the students problem solving skills and helps the students to
reach a higher level of analytical thinking.

Megan- Students need to have both a disciplined mind as well as a synthetic mind. We do need to
allow our students to use their synthetic mind to become independent learners and thinkers. Often times,
students over rely on adults taking charge of their learning both inside and outside of the classroom. Students
need to be able to filter information on their own and use it to come up with their own
ideas.

Megan G- Another thing that helps form this foundation of synthetic thinking
is the ability to receive feedback and reflect. I feel like this is a big part of elementary
school. We do a lot of editing, and sharing feedback. We spend a good deal of time on
how to be respectful while explaining a disagreement with someone's work. We also
spend time on using supportive evidence to back up our thoughts. We then explain how
it's important to be reflective of our current work and past work. This helps us to be more
successful in the future.

Melissa- I feel this (sketching) also provides another way to commit the
concept to their long term memory by using multiple ways to show understanding. Plus, since it is their own
creation it is far more memorable to them. Gardner states that "Powerful syntheses can also be embodied in
works of art."(Gardner p.49). Most people have tendency to remember the words to their favorite song better
than most academic memorized facts. So to me, it makes sense that arts would be powerful synthesis since it
evokes emotion.

Meredith- I feel that in today's learning environment, it is vital that we try to develop both of these
ways of thinking. "Those individuals who can generate several representations of the same idea or concept are
far more likely to come up with potent synthesis than those who are limited to a single, often attenuated
representation of that idea." (Gardener, pg. 69) I like to encourage my students to use synthetic thinking
because this allows for a more independent style of learning but I also believe that students need to have a
disciplined mind when it comes to learning the framework and building blocks for certain content in my classes.
 Shaun- In addition to field trips and classroom guest speakers, which obviously does not happen on
a daily basis, different forms of technology help students synthesize. Discussions in a Learning Management
System (LMS), videos found on the Web, WebQuests, Virtual Reality programs/games, and major assignments
like Web page creations and online portfolios are some of the strategies I have used to help students practice
the action of synthesis. Moving forward, I believe it is our job as educators to always have information
available to students, but give them the tools that show them the bigger picture of it all in the very end.

Tamberlane- I especially was struck by the wisdom of your statement regarding the teaching of
Gardner's four step process including:set a goal, have a starting point, select a strategy, draft your synthesis
and accept feedback (2007, pp. 51-52), even at the early elementary level you teach. In my mind, by the time
these students reach the middle school level, middle school teachers, like myself, will be more likely to be
successful in our efforts to build on these fundamental skills to strengthen the students synthesizing skills.

William- As an educator, it is our job to give students knowledge to synthesize and create their own
educational hypothesis or theory based on facts that support their reasoning. Howard Gardner states,
Humans are distinguished by the fact that we continue to accumulate knowledge at increasingly rapid rates
(Gardner, 2008, p.45). It is amazing how much knowledge our students can absorb from one full day of school.
By utilizing hands-on projects in my graphics lab, students can take tactile experiences to help connect,
remember, and summarize key components of the lesson.