What is Dopamine?
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centers. Dopamine also helps regulate movement and emotional responses, and it enables us not only to see rewards, but to take action to move toward them. Dopamine deficiency results in Parkinson's Disease, and people with low dopamine activity may be more prone to addiction. The presence of a certain kind of dopamine receptor is also associated with sensation-seeking.
These two words really caught my attention: Reward and pleasure. What a coincidence that they also happen to be crucial to foster learning. No true learning will ever take place if there isn't anything rewarding in doing it. But, above all, one must find pleasure in doing so...I guess that is why we choose to be life long teachers/learners...it is a passion!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to share this with you...notice how interesting the six dimensions are in order to meet any challenge, learning included.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.investigatinghealthyminds.org/pdfs/misc_pdfs/Davidson%20GALLEY%20Letter_Final.pdf