Nichole Dobo
The Hechinger Report
New York, NY, United States
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Past articles by Nichole:
Can changing school funding formulas help the most vulnerable students?
Overhauling school funding across the nation to make them more fair and to give more money to schools in poverty-stricken neighborhoods. → Read More
Rural schools turn to high-tech teacher training solutions
In an isolated area deep in the Appalachian Mountains, finding enough teachers can be a challenge, to say the least. And once teachers arrive, schools have to contend with another problem. Educators must meet annual requirements that dictate how much time they spend improving their craft – even though teachers’ colleges aren’t often nestled in … → Read More
How it works: A new report explains the research behind a school model
Almost five years ago, Summit Public Schools decided that scoring high on standardized tests wasn’t enough to ensure success after high school. Leaders at the California-born charter school network decided that students needed to have the skills necessary to understand how to survive in life after a teacher stopped holding their hand. A report they … → Read More
Will a one-year residency better prepare aspiring educators for a new style of teaching?
A California-born charter school network is starting a new program to home-grow teachers rooted in their approach to education. Summit Public Schools – widely known for its partnership with Facebook to develop a flexible academic program that allows teachers and students to work on custom-fit lessons at their own pace – will soon begin certifying … → Read More
Schools collect more data, but how is it used?
State leaders are collecting reams of data on students, but they must do more to put that information into the hands of parents and teachers, according to a new report. Making that information available to school communities consists of more than merely publishing complicated, archaic spreadsheets online, according to the Data Quality Campaign, a Washington, … → Read More
When a hyped school model proves difficult to replicate
Traditional school districts that attempt to bring a new model of education that provides personally designed lessons for students often face conflicting priorities that make it difficult to follow through, according to a new report released Tuesday. And schools should not expect a dramatic or sudden increase in math and reading test scores, according to … → Read More
Online learning: Students want quality, not just convenience
Most students in fully online college courses live close to the educational institution offering them, and are interested in the quality, not just the convenience, of their education, according to a new survey. The survey, “Online College Students 2017,” was produced by The Learning House, Inc. and Aslanian Market Research and polled 1,500 former, current … → Read More
Bridging the divide between ed tech research and the classroom
There’s a lot of knowledge packed away in academic journals. But it can be difficult for education technology developers, teachers and administrators to find and comprehend that information. An interactive “Research Map” website – with data visualizations, videos and links to relevant studies on an array of topics – hopes to bridge the divide. It … → Read More
Students sat in cubicles using computers. It wasn’t popular.
An Arizona-born charter school known for its call-center-like appearance has run into trouble as it attempted to expand to other states. Carpe Diem schools, which rely on computer-based lessons and some in-person instruction, began in 2006 and opened five additional schools in Texas, Ohio and Indiana about five years ago. This week, one of the … → Read More
Light a Fuse: How one state’s teachers are sparking digital innovation
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Dozens of teachers hovered around a group of students gathered in the center of a beige conference room on a Saturday morning in April. Other teachers sat in rows of chairs, craning their necks to see the action. The students paid no mind. They tapped on computer keyboards. They wrote math problems … → Read More
Do classroom clickers improve learning? It depends.
Classroom “clickers” quiz students in real time, allowing instructors to gauge student learning and reinforce what is being taught. New research suggests that the effectiveness of these devices hinges largely on the teaching methods being used with them, not the technology, and that instructors would do well to think about why they are using the … → Read More
Best time to build a love of STEM? It's after the school day ends, research says
After-school programs can help students develop an interest in science, technology, engineering or math. If children haven’t developed an interest in those fields by the time they leave middle school, then it’s unlikely to happen. After-school programs can help expose students to more than they see in the regular school day, providing an opportunity for … → Read More
Be mindful: How a tech tool can help
Cindy Price, a first-grade teacher, wanted a way to get her students focused and calm. Even after 24 years of teaching, Price isn’t afraid to try something new. She had heard about mindfulness practices, which include being present in the moment, observing without being too harsh on yourself and achieving an overall focus. They have … → Read More
Digital storybooks might be just as good as an adult reading to a child
Young children can learn just as much from a story delivered entirely via a digital device as they can from an adult reading a dead-trees version of the same story, according to a new study from researchers at New York University. The quality of the content matters more than the format it’s delivered in, according … → Read More
One possible solution for the future of career and technical education
Sometimes, students need a little nudge – and some freedom – to finally understand how to succeed in school. That was the case for one teenager in Hamilton County, Tennessee. She was encouraged to enroll in a program that allowed her to take classes at her own pace. She had a 1.6 GPA when she … → Read More
Using virtual reality to step into others’ shoes
Creating films can allow children to show their perspectives, and new technology allows them to film all 360 degrees for a fully immersive experience. Through the 360 Filmmakers Challenge, 29 schools submitted student–made films shot with special cameras that allowed them to create a virtual-reality-like experience. Nine films earned an award, and four were selected … → Read More
Schools collect reams of data, inspiring a move to make sense of it all
Almost every school collects and stores information on how students perform. Test scores. Attendance. Demographics. And on and on. Now, more than ever, digital programs make it easy to gather, slice and dice these numbers. This can be difficult to do by hand, but computers make the task of collecting the data easier and faster. … → Read More
Highlights from SXSW’s education confab in Austin – and beyond
AUSTIN – Educators, advocates, researchers and education technology vendors gathered last week at the SXSWedu conference here, an annual event that is now in its seventh year. As usual, the gathering brought a variety of announcements about innovation in education. Here are some of the major highlights, along with one important development that took place … → Read More
When using data to predict outcomes, consider the ethical dilemmas, new report urges
Colleges and universities that use sophisticated data systems to analyze and guide students must be careful to avoid ethical dilemmas that can arise, like pigeonholing students unfairly or underestimating their abilities, according to a new report that analyzed common pitfalls of these systems. These systems, known as predictive analytics, have the potential to reinforce disparities … → Read More
Students’ worry: education technology might predict failure before they have a chance to succeed
A high-tech program designed to predict which students are at risk of failure might sound like a way to extend a helping hand. Some students don’t see it that way. They worry that the data will be used to label them before they have a chance to make their own impression on a teacher. That … → Read More