Wow!

I have been thinking a lot about information processing lately. You see, my freshman are currently studying conditioning and my juniors are discussing cognitive development across the lifespan. On one hand, Pavlov suggested that learning is secondary to reflexes. On the other hand, theorists, including Bandura , Piaget and Vygostsky, discussed learning through observing others, assimilation and accommodation.

Information processing and learning are difficult concepts for me to understand-- let alone teach. I find myself wondering where the two collide (I did not do well in cognition classes myself). Clearly, different brain structures are responsible for processing information at different levels. However, is there any possibility that we can control how deep we process new information? More specifically, I wonder when considering information becomes less of a reflex and more of a choice. Do I have the ability to ignore information that I did not know two hours ago? Do I choose what information is most important? Is it necessary to consider new knowledge? Is it possible that what I know right now will not impact tomorrow? Or, will information, once perceived, forever exist in the back of my mind and influence new behaviors and thoughts?

Although it is a stretch from my original train of thought, I also wonder: how does the knowledge of others affect me? Is it actually possible that someone else's knowledge may have an effect on me? If so, is that because their knowledge actually makes a difference? Or, is it because I, myself, am not aware of the information or that I allow the other's knowledge to have some impact on my life? Moreover, does my knowledge about others really make a difference in their lives? Or, does my knowledge only make a difference as they allow it? For example, I know for a fact that one of my students is actively using meth right now. Does this knowledge matter? Does it really impact his life? When does this knowledge begin to affect his life? Does the situation depend on both of us to acknowledge it before it has an effect? Do these questions even make sense?

Also, why is it that I am able to process some pieces of information, but not others? Sometimes, it seems like I can process the most complex difficulties in the world; where as at other times I can not even identify a simple emotion that exists inside me. Is it because sometimes I am invested in the information at hand and at other times I am not? Does it correlate to my level of exhaustion? What else influences these things?

Wow...it sure is a lot to process...(or not).