We must learn from studies in human development that offer strategies we can use to enrich our lives and that will also affect the lives of those with whom we live and work and play. Each of the foregoing writers has a specific insight to offer, but it is the complementary power of all their ideas that is helping to bring about positive change in every educational setting. And these ideas are also being recognized by policy makers and school administrators in their planning and budgeting. It is essential to acknowledge and implement what is already known, much of which is not new. Stories of successful teachers abound, from the ancient times of Socrates and the great leaders of all religions, to great teachers such as Maria Montessori and Annie Sullivan, and to the many fine, often unsung, teachers of our own times.
Research abounds, yet often lies unread and ignored.
Successful projects that have led to unexpected success with students perceived as being less than able have been documented and shelved. Many new theories, including Dr. Reuven Feuerstein's Theory of Structural Cognitive Modifiability, are transforming the world of education and are laying the foundation for the fullest possible human development of each individual. It is not news that it is possible to find a way for everyone to learn, yet too often we fail to act on that truth. With the increasing diversity in the population of every country in the world, individual differences are being recognized as strengths through which to learn. Often culturally-based, these include perceptual differences, differences in personality and learning styles, and differences in the kinds of intelligence described by Drs.