Critical thinking skills for finding and using information (analyzing, evaluating, synthesizing, organizing) require lots of practice and feedback.  When feedback on finding information gets mixed with feedback on writing or presentation skills, students don't receive a good assessment of their skills, or learn how to improve.  Unfortunately, students get very little practice at finding and using information if these skills are always tied to writing assignments.

Once you've tried the "Post-It" model, you'll think of many ways to use it to manage information.  Here are some suggestions for using the "Post-It" synthesis model to practice using information skills in the classroom:

• Organize information as a class or in small groups to begin discussions on topics—find out what we know, what we still need to find out.
• Keep information organized, to see where information comes from (colored Post-Its),  to see what is lacking.
• Students know what to look for on the "second pass" seeking information; they know exactly what pieces missing from their "stories."
• Look for issues that are not apparent at first, or where information is overwhelming.
• Divide a group project into separate information gathering tasks that can be understood by all, and show how every part fits into the whole.
• Show how "Web" information complements "library" information.
• Use popular topics to draw students into scholarly research—the process (finding, evaluating, analyzing, synthesizing, organizing information) is the same, no matter what the subject.
• The Big Picture—where we are going and how this fits in.
• "This is what you will be able to do" (with these skills and this information)—increases student motivation.
• Flexibility—there is no right answer for highlighting, clustering, naming, sequencing the information—invite students to give their own interpretations.
• Expert Groups.  After first reading (and highlighting) of articles, convene "expert groups" to discuss a particular article.  Students come away from the expert group knowing more about the article.  Faster students tutor slower ones.  Slower students get a boost from their peers.  People with prior background on the subject (who are able to "read between the lines") can add to the discussion.  Those who have questions on content or terminology get to ask their peers rather than the instructor.
• Uses multiple intelligences.  Students get to "try out" different ways of building skills and acquiring knowledge.  This helps them learn how to learn, and gives them more "tools" to do so.
• The whole process is "learner-centered", and both functional and inspirational
• Customizable.  Repetition is required for practice, mastery.  Change subjects, information sources, size of groups, to meet class needs.
• Sequential: simple (success) -> complex (challenge).
• It's difficult to read and understand a lengthy scholarly article in a short class interval.  Scholarly articles are best left for reading outside class when students can spend more time re-reading and reflecting to absorb more of the information.
• Web pages are very succinct, and are difficult to "highlight."  To improve student's critical thinking about web information, give them a set of questions or a rubric to use in reading and evaluating web pages.