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.

Abigail- We do also give actual grades, but what I find to be the most beneficial during reading is
conferring with students about the book they are reading. That is one example and it came to mind because
that was so recent and we are starting to get away from the number and letter grades and more moving to a
continuum in which we are so much more in tune with where our students are and how we are going to get them
where they need to be. I don't like grades because it either makes a student feel as if they are "dumb" or it
makes a student feel as if they are right where they need to be. I believe growth is what is important. The
students that feel "dumb" can see growth that they have made rather than a letter grade and for the students
who are right where they need to be can be challenged more and continue to grow.

Chelsi- After learning of the four components, one question arises: How do
we assess and evaluate students success in achieving synthesis? I believe that one way is
to allow for more student choice when assessing our students. Looking at Gardners
Theory of Multiple Intelligences, I believe that we should give multiple options pertaining
to each different learning style.

Elizabeth- If we know students don't perform well on these tests, but we know
ways that they can showcase their learning and achievements, why not use those? While I am not sure of an
answer to this, one thought I has is: Would it be possible for students to show mastery of "eligible content"
throughout the course of the year? Students could complete Project based learning activities or approved
methods to show mastery of each standard or eligible content and keep this in a digital portfolio as they move
through schooling years.

Kara- I agree with you when you said, "Depending on the student, any
of these evaluations could show how they put a variety of content together in a way
that is meaningful to them. If they can choose to put the information together in a
way that best suits them and their learning style, interests, and strengths, they may
be more interested and therefore more involved and retain and understand the
information better." As long as the student is showing what they learned and are
being assessed on that aspect, then the means in which they convey what they have
learned can be whatever suits their fancy. Rubrics help with this because if we
design rubrics that assess more about what the students learned than the type of
project, teachers can make 1 rubric for a project but let the students be creative with how they do the project.

Katherine- That being said, I now realize that I do in fact share some similarities with this group,
both personally and professionally. This is because I do resort to my "accents" here and there, such as printing
out documents to read and edit a hard copy and sending handwritten Birthday cards via snail mail, rather than
E-cards at the click of a button, for immediate delivery. This article has taught me that there are varying
degrees of "Digital Immigrants," with regard to how easily they accept and adapt to change, leading me to
believe that I am somewhere in the middle of a "Digital Native" and "Digital Immigrant" - a hybrid of the two,
so to speak.

Kaydee- I believe another way to design assessments is to work together in a

cross-curricular team. For instance, with the research project that I will be doing with my
students, I could work with the English and careers departments. For the English
department, this would include having students write an essay that compiles their research
and practice their public speaking skills to prepare for an oral presentation. I would seek
several avenues in the careers department. For a visual aid, I could seek the help of our
Art teacher and/or business teacher, depending on the type of visual aid each group
chooses, whether a poster or computer generated visual aid. It would be possible to work
with our Library Science instructor who could assist with proper research skills. I feel that
if a cross-curricular project could be designed, it would motivate the students.

Kelsey- Like all student, my students are each unique in their learning style. Furthermore, they
are unique in what they are learning as many of their IEP goals are not aligned to their appropriate
grade. Rarely do I have two students working on the same goal in the same year. When I write the goal, I take
into consideration the students learning style and write the goal accordingly. I find this really helps for
students who are transient.

Kristin- While every assessment I give in class is not fully differentiated based on learning style, I
do try to keep multiple intelligences in mind for the bigger picture of the course, and offer assessment
opportunities beyond pencil and paper tests. For example, my students only take between one and two pencil
and paper tests all quarter. The rest of their assessments are in the form of label reading or cooking labs,
creating songs about kitchen safety, and making various projects that incorporate
some form of creativity or existentialism.

Maud- I also feel that when core teachers have the opportunity to
plan and implement cross-curricular assignments students see the relevance in
the work and are more motivated to complete it and do well for all their teachers.
I also believe that it is so important for the students to realize that our work is not done in isolation and neither
should there's.

Tamara- I always point out when what we are learning connects to something in the real world or
something we have learned in the past/in another subject. However, maybe I need to think of ways to assess by
combining subject areas with something like a R.A.F.F.T assignment, possibly? Perhaps it would even be good
to dedicate just twenty minutes a week to a "Connect the Dots" period where we solely talk about how what we
are learning relates to each other.