iPads, MakerEd and More in Education

"To reap the benefits of music on learning, kids need consistent and abundant musical practice, according to the latest cognitive research."

There is a huge controversy around whether or not video games are beneficial. While  some view it as a sort of addiction that erodes individual's (particularly kids) lives others regard it as a recreational source of untapped creativity and learning. No matter what stance you take, video games are making huge inroads in the world of education and we have already talked about this when we discussed Jame Paul Gee's book  What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. In today's post, we go another step further in emphasizing the important role video games play not only in learning but also in improving brain function and making the world a better place.  We are sharing with you these wonderful TED Talks that are featured in TEDs list "The Illuminating Benefits of Video Games". These are talks to help you explore the transformative potential of video games. Enjoy

The workouts we completed years ago may continue to influence and improve our health today, according to a fascinating new study of the current lives and health of people who joined an exercise study a decade before.

The findings suggest that the benefits of exercise can be more persistent than many of us might expect, even if people are not exercising to the same extent as they previously did. But the impacts also may depend on the types and amounts of exercise involved.

People who drink three to four cups of coffee a day are more likely to see health benefits than problems, experiencing lower risks of premature death and heart disease than those who abstain, scientists have said.

The research, which collated evidence from more than 200 previous studies, also found coffee consumption was linked to lower risks of diabetes, liver disease, dementia and some cancers.