"We don't come smart out of the box."

Dr. Jesse Ha is a Tenure-track Assistant Professor of Teaching and Learning at Montclair State University, jointly appointed in the Department of Teaching and Learning within the College for Education and Engaged Learning and the School of Computing in the College of Science and Mathematics. His interdisciplinary scholarship bridges the learning sciences, educational technology, and equity-centered teacher preparation, with a deep commitment to inclusive, real-world learning experiences that reflect and sustain the cultural and intellectual strengths of all students.

Drawing on over a decade of experience in K–12 education—including his role as a founding teacher at EPIC High School North in New York City—Dr. Ha’s work focuses on preparing educators to design learning environments that are both rigorous and responsive. He explores how emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and educational software tools, can be thoughtfully integrated into classrooms to support inquiry-based, project-centered learning. Through this lens, his research examines how technology can be leveraged not simply for engagement, but for transformative pedagogical change grounded in justice and accessibility.

Dr. Ha’s scholarship weaves together multiple strands of inquiry, including the application of the ICAP framework to understand and foster deeper cognitive engagement in technology-enhanced settings, the integration of computational thinking into K–12 STEM and literacy instruction, and the design of professional learning experiences that align with culturally responsive-sustaining pedagogies. His work pays particular attention to how these domains intersect with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to create more equitable, student-centered classrooms.