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  • Changing Our Minds

  • How Children Can Take Control of Their Own Learning
  • By: Dr Naomi Fisher
  • Narrated by: Deryn Edwards
  • Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars (48 ratings)

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Changing Our Minds

By: Dr Naomi Fisher
Narrated by: Deryn Edwards
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Summary

Children are born full of curiosity, eager to participate in the world. They learn as they live, with enthusiasm and joy. Then we send them to school. We stop them from playing and actively exploring their interests, telling them it's more important to sit still and listen. The result is that for many children, their motivation to learn drops dramatically. The joy of the early years is replaced with apathy and anxiety.

This is not inevitable. We are socialised to believe that schooling is synonymous with education, but it's only one approach. Self-directed education puts the child back in control of their learning. This enables children, including those diagnosed with special educational needs, to flourish in their own time and on their own terms. It enables us to put wellbeing at the centre of education.

Changing Our Minds brings together research, theory and practice on learning. It includes interviews with influential thinkers in the field of self-directed education and examples from families alongside practical advice. This essential guide will give you an understanding of why self-directed education makes sense, how it works, and what to do to put it into action yourself.

©2021 Dr Naomi Fisher (P)2022 Hachette Audio UK
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What listeners say about Changing Our Minds

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I wish I had read this before my children started school! Life changing read.

This book has opened up the reality of how school can be a harmful place for children and in turn parents as it made us all miserable. it also explained my experience as a child and why the anxiety carried forward into adulthood. This book has laid to rest the need to make children go to school to learn and that this is the only way they will and I thank the author for giving me guidance as to why I should absolutely unschool my children who have never thrived in the mainstream setting. I am now very hopefully that our family can live a better way of life with more joy and freedom without the control of the system.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has children in the school setting to read this, it’s given me the confidence to know how to best serve them for their futures and to take the plunge in the right way and not try to recreate school at home.

Within a week of reading this book my kids are showing me what they want to learn and how. I’m seeing their learning in a totally different way and they already seem so much happier and engaged in what they are doing and we are all less anxious. I’m now looking forward to the future without the fear of failure that has crippled us in the past.

Here’s to a new way which serves the whole family.

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A compelling case for self-directed learning

We have been home educating for a number of years but Dr Fisher’s book helped us further understand the importance of self direction and the places where we, as schooled adults, could adjust our thinking to slow our children more autonomy both in their learning and their every day lives.

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Fascinating and inspiring.

A wonderful and inspiring book for all parents - not only those interested in home education or unschooling.

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Totally won over

I've been unhappy with the education system for a while and this book has totally sealed the deal for me. My daughter has dyslexia and dyscalculia and has always been made to feel lesser than her peers. She describes herself as 'stupid' which Is devastating. I'm so pleased to have found a book that confirms everything I believe about the education system.

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For many, schools are not fit for purpose

I want to proselytise the ideas in this book as a real option for those of us whose children cannot be in school.

The book is soundly argued and makes a convincing case for the “unschooling” movement. However, even for those not in a position to allow their children to educate themselves entirely, the book shows why mainstream school is a very toxic, ineffective place to become educated. It takes the blinkers from parents’ eyes and will prompt better alternatives to be sought, required and provided.

The question ought not to be, “why are so many of our youngsters suffering with poor mental health?” but, “why are so many not …?”

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Thought provoking 🤔

Definitely made me think about choices I made in the past regarding our boys eduction journey.

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An absolute must read!

I don’t have the words to express how profound and relevant this book is to our lives!

I have 2 children who refused school and home education since the first lockdown. I have spent nearly 3 years, fighting them and the system for some sort of education, when the reality is, while I have been doing this, they have been educating themselves on their own interests all along!

I too failed at school, but returned to education later in life. Most of my knowledge has been self directed so why couldn’t I see what was staring me in the face? Structured learning wasn’t for me, nor is it suitable for my sons.

Thank you, Dr Naomi Fisher, for helping me put all this into perspective! You are an Angel!

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Very thought-provoking

I now want to share this book with everyone I know- particularly my husband!! - I’m the hope they’ll listen to it and we can then discuss its contents. It offers a real lens shift on the almost-universally accepted system of schooling, and what it means to learn, and it does so in a way that is compelling, evidence-based and balanced too. Really recommend to not just those interested in pursuing alternative forms of education for their children - but every parent, no matter how you may choose to educate your child.

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This changed my mind and I've never been happier!

As a father of two young children, I read this book and immediately changed my behaviour towards them. My 4 and 7 year old daughters, their mother and me have never been happier. I hope other children and their families can also be liberated in this way. Clear and logical points based on scientific evidence and psychological understanding that makes complete sense to me both rationally and intuitively. What I did not expect is the power this would have in transforming my life and enabling me to release trauma I had been completely unaware I was not only carrying but inadvertently passing onto my children. Please read or listen, and it might just transform the world!

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Excellent

This is an amazing summary of what unschooling os all about. A very important book for educators.

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