Joe Zappa's Page

The skeptical teacher often looks at Internet integration in his or her classroom as just another way for students to find information.  The teacher wonders what is the purpose of another research tool that provides students with content that is often misunderstood or misrepresented in the student’s work.  In fact, I have felt that way myself at times when I’ve had students complete research projects.  But one of the greatest innovations in technology-infused education has…

There is much too admire in the concept of open source courses, or free, online college-level classes.  In its creation, university was developed by western society for the betterment of civilization through the promotion of ideas and creativity and passing that knowledge down to future generations.  Today’s usage of university feels much more like a business and the student’s needed footwork for obtaining a lucrative career (not that there is everything necessarily wrong…

Virtual Reality, Simulations, Video Games, all of these types of digital learning can change education permanently, and for the better.  I’ve been gung-ho about virtual reality’s place in the classroom for a long time, so it was beneficial for me to consider the arguments that some have made against their integration.  These have mostly been the same arguments people have made throughout the years against video gaming in general: children struggle with separating the virtual…

Social media and social networking do not have to be considered synonymous.  While in most aspects, these two types of sites are the same thing, their integration into classroom teaching can be completely different.  When a person thinks of social media, they will typically think first of sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  While these sites can have a place in education, I, as well as many other teachers, have been reluctant to integrate them in my classroom.…