Changing Our Minds

Synopsis

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.

Summary

Chapter 1: The Birth of the Modern Neuroscience
This chapter traces the history of neuroscience from its pre-Socratic origins to the scientific revolution. Real example: The work of Andreas excuseVesalius (1543) on the human body, which challenged Galen's authority and led to a new understanding of human anatomy.

Chapter 2: The Nervous System: An Introduction
This chapter provides an introductory tour of the central and peripheral elements of the brain and spinal column, as well as the functions of different regions of the brain. Real example: The studies of Broca and Wernick (19th century) on brain regions involved in speech production and comprehension.

Chapter 3: Neurons and Signaling in the Nervous System
This chapter examines the structure and function of neurons, the basic building blocks of the brain, and explores the methods by which neurons send their messages to one another. Real example: The work of Santiago Ramόn y Cajal (late 19th century), who developed the Golgi staining technique to study neurons and was instrumental in the "neuron theory" that became the foundation of modern neuroscience.

Chapter 4: The Development of the Nervous System
This chapter examines the prenatal and postnatal development of the brain and how the size and structure of the brain changes throughout our lives. Real example: The work of Harry Harlow (20th century) on the importance of maternal bonding in the healthy development of the brain in infants.

Chapter 5: The Senses
This chapter explores the five senses (sight, hearing, taste, touch, and temperature) and how they are interpreted by the brain. Real example: The work of Charles Sherrington (early 20th century) on proprioception, the body's ability to perceive and process its own position and movement.

Chapter 6: Motor Systems
This chapter examines the neural structures and pathways that enable voluntary and involuntary motor functions. Real example: The work of Hughlings Jackson (19th century) on the "localization of function" in the brain, demonstrating that different regions of the brain control specific muscle groups.

Chapter 7: Motivation and Pleasure
This chapter examines the neural systems that influence our behavior, from the primal instinct of hunger and thirst to the sensations of pleasure, pain, and addiction. Real example: The work of Daniel Kahneman (2002 Nobel Laureate) on the two main systems of thinking: System 1, which is fast, intuitive, and operates without conscious effort or intention; and System 2, which is slower, analytical, and conscious.

Chapter 8: Emotions
This chapter examines the neural basis of our subjective experiences of fear, rage, sadness, and joy, and explores how they influence our thoughts and our behavior. Real example: The work of Paul Broca (19th century) on the role of the amygdala in the processing of fear and aggression.

Chapter 9: Language and Thought
This chapter explores the neural systems that allow us to understand and produce speech, read and write, and perform complex mental tasks such as learning and memory. Real example: The work of Noam Chomsky (20th century) on universal grammar, the theory that all human brains are wired for a common language capacity.

Chapter 10: The Self and Consciousness
This chapter examines the philosophical and scientific questions of what it means to be self-