Many people sense that the current system of conventional classroom teaching has run its course and no longer serves students' needs or uses teachers' capabilities well. Many educators, parents and students intuitively recognize there must be a better way. Dr. Wayne Jennings and other innovative educators believe there is a better way. For example, what would school learning be like if you could continue the powerful, natural curiosity and drive that 3- and 4-year-olds have in exploring the world?


Discovering the Wonder of Learning
What would happen if you could extend the extraordinary drive that infants have to master the environment and their sense of pride in accomplishments? Imagine the possibilities of tapping that deep motivation and creatively harnessing it as children grow during their years in school.

What modern teaching principles and learning environments support and enhance the natural motivation of every child? We advocate exciting approaches that work at all ages to boost learning of all students.

We tested our ideas through more than $1,000,000 of new research on effective schools and design principles funded by the new American Schools.

The results: implementing systemic and comprehensive change does bring dramatic increases in learning for all students. The new design principles create a powerful environment where the learning experience becomes child-centered and life-centered.


Modern Learning Principles
Learning teems with excitement when individualized to a person and to his or her particular drives -- just like the strong motivation forces of a 3- or 4-year-old to accomplish a new feat. With the new principles, teaching becomes person centered rather than group centered,as in the conventional system. Instead of large group competitive learning, the focus shifts to small teams where cooperative learning heightens a sense of fun, sharing and discovery.

These ideas have gone beyond research and into actual pilot projects with real students and real teachers in real school environments. The performance outcomes support the concept and research findings -- the new principles work. Dramatic increases in learning are realized. The changes occur because of a shift in approach, because of a reallocation of resources and because of dynamic change in the system rather than incremental and fragmented improvements in conventional teaching methods.


A Partner for Bold New Changes
You now have the opportunity to consider the benefits of shaping educational initiatives through systemic change. This type of approach is for a few select schools who have the desire to boldly tackle new challenges and to act as the showcases for their area. Designs for Learning acts as your partner and advisor in working with the community and school systems.

We help you initiate support mechanisms to create and sustain change. We provide the training and ongoing management to help you stay on track. You learn how to establish benchmarks to assess achievement from desired outcomes. You'll find out how to reallocate funding and resources to make effective schools a reality in your community.


Empower Learners, Liberate Staff, Excite Teachers
You'll see new ways to actively promote staff development and job enhancement. You'll realize how the maximum, effective use of technology empowers learners and staff while liberating administrators. You'll discover that stake-holder decision-making and accountability powerfully increase commitment and energy.

You can transform schools and the learning environment for rapid, dramatic, and exciting results. There is a new and better role for teachers, students, advisors, parents, and learners in this system.

Remember times when learning was stimulating and fun. We're making that kind of learning happen for all students. Let us show you a few of our success stories and we'll help write yours.