We have some construction going on at my house this week and the contractors just finished pouring concrete and are in the process of stamping with a mold to make an impression. I can't help but draw an analogy to this week's reading of Coleman's fifth edition of Human Learning (2008) and Emotional Intelligence (1994). As we learn, the impressions left in our memory are permanent. Some footprint molds are beautiful and pleasant, while others can be ugly and offensive. Ormord (p.7) talks about learned helplessness: “People who learn that they have no control over unpleasant or painful events in one situation are unlikely to try, in subsequent situations, to escape or avoid aversive events even when it is possible for them to do so. To some extent, our memory is selective and we can choose not to look at what displeases us. In Human Learning, chapter seven (p. 190), the general educational implications of cognitive theories indicate that one can control one's learning, or impressions. If you are actively engaged, learning will take place. It also tells us that memory is selective and that the student can only absorb a certain limit. This week's reading is a good example of selective memory. The assigned reading was certainly too much to commit to memory. I have read all the requested text, however some parts of the text strike me more than others. There were two books to read and I found Emotional Intelligence much more interesting. The stories drew me in and kept me engaged in the content. At times, my attention was not where it should have been while reading the Human Learning text, and as a result, I will not get the full benefit of reading unless I take the time to reread. Fortunately, I can report... halfway down the page... that his performance is critical to his future. According to the text, reinforcing good behavior actually produces more good behavior. While it may seem at first that we were rewarding someone who failed to produce results, the overall strategy started to pay off. In the text, when something is observed over and over again and stands the test of time, it is called a law. He's on the couch doing homework right now, and he's done it every school night this year! It seems that through a reward system, he has unknowingly incorporated a new law into his routine. Works Cited Goleman, D. (1997) Emotional intelligence: Why it may matter more than IQ. NY: Bantam Dell Publishing Group.Ormrod, J.E. (2008) Human Learning (5th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.