Headagogy Update!
More Headagogy coming soon! Also, check out The Critical Thinking Institute pdocast, with me!!!
Feb 09, 2024•1 min
Headagogy, with Steve Pearlman
Brought to you by The Critical Thinking Institute (theCTInstitute.com), Headagogy disrupts the soft-spoken, NPR-mold for education discussion and does justice to the vibrant, challenging, meaningful, frustrating, empowering, complicated, fulfilling thing that is education, as well as the hardworking, dedicated, heartfelt, and (too often) pissed-off people who are educators. Ferociously serious, chronically sardonic, intolerant of anti-intellectualism, and fed up with disrespect for education and educators, Headagogy is hosted by Steve Pearlman, Ph.D., founder of The Critical Thinking Institute, author of America’s Critical Thinking Crisis, and educator of 30+ years.
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Episodes
Thinking Critically in College with Louis Newman
Steve interviews Louis E. Newman, author of Thinking Critically in College: The Essential Handbook for Student Success . What's the relationship between thinking and studentship? How can we -- and why should we -- move students to think about disciplinarity? Are colleges promoting the thinking of which Newman advises students? And how can they benefit from his ideas regardless?
Nov 28, 2023•33 min
ChatGPT - A Loaded Blessing In Disguise?
Is ChatGPT friend or foe? Should the whole world, as Australia has done, relegate essay writing to inside classrooms? Is "the academic essay dead"? Or is ChatGPT, as some have contended, a tool for critical thinking that we should embrace as a new ally in teaching students? As Steve discusses, ChatGPT certainly is a revelation, but no one is really talking about why, and it might not be what you expect.
Mar 21, 2023•39 min
Rubric Nation: Are We Rubricizing Our Humanity (Part 2)
Continuing their discussion of the pedagogical, institutional, and societal implications of rubrics and rubricizing , Joe, Michelle, and Steve get into rubrics and questions of ... privilege and the expression of structuralized racism the effort to dismantle public education through standardization how rubrics as a concept contribute to the undermining of teaching as a profession, and so much more.
Dec 14, 2022•36 min
Rubric Nation: Are we Rubricizing our Humanity?
Steve and the authors of Rubric Nation -- Michelle Tenam-Zemach and Joseph E. Flynn, Jr. -- get into it about all things rubrics and rubricization , as well as whatever it is that we are doing, good and bad, as an educational system regarding teaching, learning, democracy, assessment, studentship, dialogue, politics, critical thinking, teacher training, privilege, race, class, and our greater (and lesser?) humanity. Spoiler alert: it's "a mess." But that's what makes this discussion particularly...
Dec 07, 2022•45 min
Frances Valintine: Progressive Teaching; Institutional Shifting
Steve welcomes futurist Frances Valintine: Founder of MindLab--the Best Start-up in Asia Pacific as judged by Steve Wozniak and Sir Richard Branson in 2014. Frances is a member of the New Zealand Hall of Fame for Women Entrepreneurs (2022), and named one of the top 50 EdTech Educators in the World by EdTech International (2016). They discuss progressive teaching practices and the wide-scale implementation of change across New Zealand, and its implications for our conception of educational instit...
Nov 29, 2022•53 min
Academic Rigor-mortis: A possible cure?
Listen for an in-depth discussion of the rigamarole around academic rigor, including what might be a very surprising--though nonetheless perfectly sensible--root of its challenges. Student vs. faculty conceptions of rigor G.I. infections " Summer School"
Nov 15, 2022•47 min
NYU's Firing of Dr. Maitland Jones (pt. 2)
Part 2 on Jones's firing, including a cranky look at curious statements by NYU, and an uncomfortable look at time traveling through the academy.
Nov 01, 2022•27 min
NYU's Firing of Dr. Maitland Jones (pt. 1)
Steve takes an in-depth look at NYU's expedited decision to fire distinguished Organic Chemistry professor, Dr. Maitland Jones, after receiving a petition from students complaining about his course. What's really at the heart of NYU's actions? What role did the petition play? What role should rigor play in education? And what in the world does the movie, Demolition Man , have to do with any of this?
Oct 25, 2022•24 min
Ungrading through Peer Assessment - A Case Study (Part 2)
Steve welcomes the University of Wyoming's own TK Stoudt and his students, Amy Bezzant, Maddy Davis, and James Roberts. Hear about the triumph (and trials!) of peer assessment from an educator who's newer to implementing it, and from students who encountered it for the first time. What really happens when we give Excalibur to Uryens? Why should you have a campfire in your classroom? Should Maddie marry an NFL player? Learn the answers to all that and more!...
Jun 07, 2022•30 min
Ungrading through Peer Assessment - A Case Study (Part 1)
Steve welcomes the University of Wyoming's own TK Stoudt and his students, Amy Bezzant, Maddy Davis, and James Roberts. Hear about the triumph (and trials!) of peer assessment from an educator who's newer to implementing it, and from students who encountered it for the first time. What really happens when we give Excalibur to Uryens? Why should you have a campfire in your classroom? Should Maddie marry an NFL player? Learn the answers to all that and more!...
May 31, 2022•29 min
Supercourses, with Ken Bain
Ken Bain, author of What the Best College Teachers Do and What the Best College Students Do, joins Headagogy to discuss his latest book, Super Courses: The Future of Teaching and Learning . The discussion with Bain not only delves into examples of these courses and their relationship with problem based learning, but also into critical ideas for teaching and learning, such as why "expectation failure" is so absolutely critical. Learn the steps you need to take to start your own "super course."...
Apr 26, 2022•49 min
Ungrading through Peer Assessment (Part 3)
In this concluding episode on peer assessment, Steve conveys the research on peer assessment, learning outcomes, and soft skills. There should be no doubts about its value, especially, in the words of Walter Lippman, "It takes wisdom to understand wisdom. The music means nothing if the audience is deaf."
Apr 19, 2022•26 min
Ungrading through Peer Assessment (Part 2)
Continuing his assessment into peer assessment as an important method of ungrading, Steve not only talks about how he implements it, but several other important issues, such as how peer assessment: De-emphasizes the focus on grades Relieves students' stress Fosters democratic ideals and an empowered populous, and IMPROVES learning outcomes.
Apr 12, 2022•46 min
Ungrading Through Peer Assessment (Part 1)
In this first episode of a three part series, Steve delves into the hot topic of "ungrading" with a focus on the particular and unique value that involving students in assessment brings to the greater ungrading discussion. Learn more about grades as the locus of power in academia, the unconscious forces behind grades, students' literal capacity (or lack thereof) to understand grades, the relationship between grades and social constructionism, and, most importantly, the movie, Excalibur ....
Apr 05, 2022•53 min
The Brain Based Classroom with Kieran O'Mahony (part 2)
The continuation of the interview with Kieran O'Mahony.
Mar 08, 2022•41 min
The Brain Based Classroom with Kieran O'Mahony (part 1)
This interview with Kieran delves into fascinating neuroscience about learning that can help transform what we do in our classrooms through understanding things like the Reticular Activating System, working memory, and neurotransmitters. Kieran offers concrete things every educator can immediately adapt in order to improve their learning outcomes and their students' enjoyment of education. At the same time, the interview delves into the remarkable ways our educational system, including practices...
Mar 01, 2022•36 min
A Time Machine out of a DeLorean? STEM, Creativity, and Critical Thinking
What is the relationship between STEM and creativity? Or, at least, what's the perceived relationship? And what happens when we invest millions of dollars and years of effort to improving STEM educational practices? What happens cognitively when we do it well for just a few months? All that and more, including a shoutout to Louisiana.
Feb 15, 2022•39 min
Dr. Cornelius Grove & "A Mirror for Americans"
Steve interviews Dr. Cornelius N. Grove about his most recent book, A Mirror for Americans, which delves into the research as to why students in East Asia invariably outperform American students on international tests. The discussion explores myths about education in East Asia, such as the misconception about drilling, and delves into educational and cultural differences that make students in East Asia so successful. This podcast provides a wonderful mirror for American educators by establishing...
Feb 01, 2022•52 min
Thinking Critically about Critical Race Theory
Steve tackles some of the controversy around Critical Race Theory (CRT), in part by examining its lineage back to critical theory and critical pedagogy. In doing so, he delves into broader question of how power is wielded in the academy, and what the academy is as a power structure. Curiously, also, Ferris Bueller.
Jan 26, 2022•44 min
Relationship Rich Education with Peter Felten and Leo Lambert
What's "imposter syndrome" and how does it impact our students' relationship with us? How does it impact our relationship with students? Just how critical are our relationships with students with respect to their academic success and our achievement of desired learning outcomes? What are simple things we can do as individual educators to build more meaningful relationships? What are the larger cultural and institutional questions? Learn about all of that and more as Steve interviews Elon Univers...
Jan 18, 2022•57 min
Critical Thinking vs. Content: Resolving the Frictions
Do you want to teach critical thinking but struggle to do so given how much content you need to cover? Do you feel departmental, institutional, or disciplinary pressures to cover certain material? What are the four major objections educators voice about teaching critical thinking relative to content? Why are critical thinking and content actually never at odds? What does the Brad Pitt movie, Moneyball , have to do with all of this? Find out all of this and more as Steve not only answers all of t...
Jan 11, 2022•46 min
Ungrading: What? How? Why?
Jesse Stommel of the University of Denver, author of An Urgency of Teachers , and “ungrading” maven joins Steve for a thought provoking and, at times, joyously contentious discussion about inviting students to assign their own grades to themselves. Ultimately, the conversation swerves into grading’s and education’s implications for society and politics. But who could have seen that coming?
Jan 04, 2022•1 hr 5 min
A Thousand Neuroscientific Imperatives for Teaching Critical Thinking
Steve delves into A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence, by Jeff Hawkins, which holds immediate implications for the teaching of critical thinking as understood through the literal functions of neurons! But contrary to the title, teaching critical thinking doesn’t become easier through thousands of things; it actually becomes easier, and more successful, through very few.
Dec 28, 2021•51 min
The Critical Thinking Skills Educators Value
Want to know what your colleagues mean when they talk about "critical thinking"? Want to know how to stimulate dialogue about it at your institution? Want to know why Steve is like Annie Wilkes ? Two recent studies shed new light on how educators conceptualize critical thinking and, more importantly, which particular aspects of critical thinking they value most. But while the studies in one sense empower educators to discourse about critical thinking at their institutions, they also expose some ...
Dec 17, 2021•44 min
Creating "solutionaries" with Zoe Weil
We're excited to welcome Zoe Weil from the Institute for Humane Education Zoe is the author of The World Becomes What We Teach and is a notable TedX contributor. Zoe focuses her work on helping educators build "solutionaries" who tackle real world problems. Join us as we discuss the overlays between her work and ours, and critical thinking in general.
Apr 12, 2021•26 min
Fighting Fake News: The Critical Thinking Rabbit Hole
A recent article in The New York Times argued that critical thinking is a dangerous "rabbit hole" and isn't the right tool for fighting "fake news." Dave and Steve discuss the article's alternative, and, of course, advocate for stronger critical thinking in media literacy.
Mar 25, 2021•23 min
Improving Outcomes When Lecturing Online (or not)
Did you know that at any given point during an online lecture, 40% of students' minds are wandering? Join Dave and Steve to learn about "persistence" vs. "transience" in memory, and how to improve your learning outcomes.
Dec 28, 2020•22 min
Fake News but Real Education
Dave and Steve return with a podcast on combating fake news and why we should all be jealous of Finland. Also, the new Critical Thinking Initiative Online learning experience, and Steve's new book, America's Critical Thinking Crisis: The Failure and Promise of Education.
Nov 16, 2020•29 min
How Humans Learn
Join us for an exciting announcement and an interview with John Eyler, Ph.D., author of How Humans Learn: The Science and Stories Behind Effective College Teaching. Wishing everyone wellness, safety, and satisfying teaching (or a much needed break!) in this time of COVID.
Jul 07, 2020•25 min
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