Leadership
John Zola
John Zola is a Curriculum Designer & Instructor for The Discussion Project. He brings to the team decades of expertise in creating curriculum and professional learning materials. Zola spent 32 years as a high school social studies teacher, most recently at New Vista High School, a “break-the-mold” public high school in Boulder, Colorado. There, he developed a wide variety of courses and implemented Socratic seminars on a regular basis. He also served as the Director of School and University Partnerships at the University of Colorado School of Education, where he also taught social studies methodology courses.
Throughout his career, Zola developed interactive teaching materials and trained colleagues in active learning strategies and Socratic Seminars. He has presented workshops that help teachers make the voice and work of students central in the classroom. Many of these workshops were presented in countries of the former Soviet Bloc where they helped to promote the skills and dispositions needed in the new democracies. Zola is a co-author of Teaching the Social Sciences and History in Secondary Schools: A Methods Book and contributed, along with Diana Hess, to Making Civics Count: Citizenship Education for a New Generation.
John currently conducts in-service workshops on Socratic seminars, civic education, and teaching strategies in a variety of locations around the United States, Central Europe, and Asia. Zola holds a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He is based in Boulder, Colorado.
John Zola
Curriculum Designer & Instructor
John Zola is a Curriculum Designer & Instructor for The Discussion Project. He brings to the team decades of expertise in creating curriculum and professional learning materials. Zola spent 32 years as a high school social studies teacher, most recently at New Vista High School, a “break-the-mold” public high school in Boulder, Colorado. There, he developed a wide variety of courses and implemented Socratic seminars on a regular basis. He also served as the Director of School and University Partnerships at the University of Colorado School of Education, where he also taught social studies methodology courses.
Throughout his career, Zola developed interactive teaching materials and trained colleagues in active learning strategies and Socratic Seminars. He has presented workshops that help teachers make the voice and work of students central in the classroom. Many of these workshops were presented in countries of the former Soviet Bloc where they helped to promote the skills and dispositions needed in the new democracies. Zola is a co-author of Teaching the Social Sciences and History in Secondary Schools: A Methods Book and contributed, along with Diana Hess, to Making Civics Count: Citizenship Education for a New Generation.
John currently conducts in-service workshops on Socratic seminars, civic education, and teaching strategies in a variety of locations around the United States, Central Europe, and Asia. Zola holds a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He is based in Boulder, Colorado.
Discover more team members
The Discussion Project is developed by leading educators at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Coursework is designed to improve classroom discussion and leads to higher levels of engagement, belonging, and learning for students. Learn more about the leadership team and how they can help your instituion move forward.
The Discussion Project
Research and development
It is funded by a $1mm grant from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Create an equitable and inclusive classroom climate conducive to high quality discussion.
Build institutional reputation for teaching quality
Improve student and instructor engagement and retention
Implement strategies that develop students’ discussion skills.
Strengthen departmental profiles
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