iPads, MakerEd and More in Education

Achieving success typically means keeping a solid grip on your motivation. Otherwise, long-haul projects fizzle fast as you encounter the strain of regular challenges. 

But scientists from Emory University now say that chronic inflammation is a huge troublemaker, and that it might interfere with your drive to persist and explore. According to their new theory, detailed in the paper Can't or Won't? Immunometabolic Constraints on Dopaminergic Drive, chronic inflammation puts a squeeze on your brain's dopamine supply. You probably know dopamine best for its role in helping you feel happy, but it's a chemical that keeps your brain seeking novelty, too.

Danish toymaker LEGO has revealed a new set aimed at helping adults improve their mental wellbeing. Titled "Forma," the set uses LEGO pieces to create the skeleton of a fish, which is then finished with customizable skins. The idea behind the project comes from the view that combining organic forms and mechanical work could help reduce stress and anxiety.

You spend weeks studying for an important test. On the big day, you wait nervously as your teacher hands it out. You're working your way through, when you're asked to define "ataraxia." You know you've seen the word before, but your mind goes blank. What just happened? Elizabeth Cox details the complex relationship between stress and memory. [TED-Ed Animation by Artrake Studio]

Stress! It's just a part of everyday life, right? But what if that stress is chronic and beyond a child's control?

More than half of all students in U.S. public schools come from low-income families. Poverty is associated with chronic stress, which can have a toxic effect on the brain. While there is no silver bullet to solve the problem of poverty, we as educators do have the power to positively influence learning for children experiencing poverty by better understanding their brains.

Danish toymaker LEGO has revealed a new set aimed at helping adults improve their mental wellbeing. Titled "Forma," the set uses LEGO pieces to create the skeleton of a fish, which is then finished with customizable skins. The idea behind the project comes from the view that combining organic forms and mechanical work could help reduce stress and anxiety.