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Written by Robert A. Southworth Jr.
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Thursday, 26 January 2006 12:59 |
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The SchoolWorks Lab, Inc. helps to bridge the gaps between parents, teachers, researchers, administrators, and policymakers by conducting and distributing research filled with common understandings, clear findings, and coherent Policy, resulting in greater learning for all students. {!jomcomment}
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Help for Students, Parents and Teachers |
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Written by Robert A. Southworth Jr.
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Tuesday, 06 December 2005 14:42 |
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Distinguished educator, Rob Southworth, has taught in a variety of education settings from PreK-12 public and private schools to graduate education schools in his 25-year career. He has worked nationally as a consultant and Policy advisor. Rob's goal is to explore ways to connect teaching practice to policy through research. He founded The SchoolWorks Lab, Inc. (SWL) in 2002 to study, research and disseminate information about teaching, learning and school reform. {!jomcomment}
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Good Ideas For Better Schools |
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Written by Robert A. Southworth Jr.
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Thursday, 26 January 2006 12:55 |
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Improving schools turns out to be one of society's most complex problems. It defies easy fixes, trite answers, and smug confidence. The real struggle is something Dewey knew and Rob wants parents and teachers to understand. “I don't think my Lab is continuing the work of John Dewey, so much as, continuing the struggle identified 100 years ago to exchange ideas around these complexities. "Choosing good ideas for better schools" is the process of taking solid ideas, researching current school needs, and making better Policy with the goal of helping all students learn well.” {!jomcomment}
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Written by Robert A. Southworth Jr.
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Thursday, 26 January 2006 12:48 |
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The idea of connecting teaching practice to Policy through research in a lab setting has been incubating for some time and is still taking shape. The SchoolWorks Lab, Inc. is a nod to John Dewey's Lab School founded in 1896 — and still located at the University of Chicago. Dewey also taught at Teachers College Columbia University, where Rob has taught hundreds of graduate students about how to improve schools. It was here that Rob committed to working on improving schools on a larger, national and international, Scale. {!jomcomment}
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Written by Robert A. Southworth Jr.
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Thursday, 26 January 2006 13:01 |
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EdSpeak.org was created to carry out the mission of The SchoolWorks Lab, Inc. EdSpeak.org helps demystify education jargon and provides a common understanding of the complexities of school reform. Rob's stated reason for this work is, “I want to ignite public action first through creating a website and second through engaging parents and educators to improve schools so all our children learn well." {!jomcomment}
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Written by Robert A. Southworth Jr.
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Thursday, 26 January 2006 13:02 |
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Rob wanted to build a lab to study students and teacher practice in real time, as they learned. The idea of the lab has grown to partnering with teachers, schools and parents to examine evidence of student learning. As this information grows, the need to display it, assess it, and use it to improve school reform is the change that becomes critical. {!jomcomment}
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Written by Robert A. Southworth Jr.
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Thursday, 26 January 2006 13:02 |
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EdSpeak.org was created to collect, study, and exchange information on how to improve PreK-12 public schools. At EdSpeak.org we have collected evidence from our partners, reviewed the literature, researched school reform models, and examined change over time. All this was done to help parents and teachers demystify the language of school reform in order to promote conversation and facilitate the exchange of good ideas for better schools. {!jomcomment}
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Written by Robert A. Southworth Jr.
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Thursday, 26 January 2006 13:04 |
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Many parents and teachers view “edspeak” as a combination of confusing educational jargon and bureaucratic short-hand for school reform. EdSpeak.org seeks to translate the jargon into more simple, understandable language. EdSpeak.org helps make sense of the theory behind the various school reform efforts. Only then can we clear up the confusion and help communities of parents and teachers talk about how to make schools better for our children. {!jomcomment}
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Written by Robert A. Southworth Jr.
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Thursday, 26 January 2006 13:05 |
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school reform is the label given to the attempt to improve the quality of public education by making changes in educational methods and processes used in classrooms, schools, and school systems. What does this mean? A reform means something that used to be okay has gone awry and needs to be fixed. As the Oxford English Dictionary puts it, reform is "1) the amendment, or alteration for the better, of some faulty state of things; 2) to convert into another and better form." {!jomcomment}
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Improvement, or just change? |
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Written by Robert A. Southworth Jr.
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Thursday, 26 January 2006 13:06 |
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The process of changing schools is called school reform, but the question we all want to know the answer to, and the reason The SchoolWorks Lab, Inc. built this website is, "Did the schools improve, or did they just change?" {!jomcomment}
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