Joseph McLane Mayhew

Critical Thinking in the Classroom

Education EN ↓ 3 episodes

This podcast is for teachers, youth programs leaders, or homeschool parents to get applied examples of how they can facilitate better learning experiences for their students that engage their critical thinking skills to create meaning and apply their knowledge. I speak to current educator and education researchers to learn about best practice to inform my own practice and how to practically incorporate critical thinking into my own classroom. josephmcmayhew.substack.com

Author

Joseph McLane Mayhew

Episodes

EP3 - Andre Hedlund Pt. 2 - Balancing Metacognition and Cognitive Load, Building Knowledge Through Desirable Difficulties, Knowing Your Learners, and the Impact of Gen AI on Our Cognitive Architecture 06.02.2026 47:04

Episode Overview In Part 2 of this interview, I continue my conversation with André Hedlund, creator of The Learning Cosmos . This episode moves from practical classroom applications into the foundational theories of learning science, exploring how teachers can help students become more independent and effective learners. Key Discussion Points Metacognition as "Learning How to Learn" : André argue...

EP2 - Andre Hedlund Pt. 1 - How to engage kids, apply the Science of Learning, and make content relevant 01.02.2026 39:54

This is part one of a two-part conversation between me and Andre Hedlund of the Learning Cosmos Podcast and Learning Cosmos Substack account. He is an extremely knowledgable learning scientist and teacher trainer and the perfect person to have on the podcast. In this episode, we discuss how he found his way into teaching and then eventually learning science, his approach to applying what we know f...

Ep. 1: What Critical Thinking Can Look Like & Request for Interviews 11.01.2026 10:05

This first episode lays out my plans for this show. I’m interested in discussing applied examples of and research on best practices in cultivating critical thinking in the classroom. I describe my professional background and understanding of how critical thinking is achieved in the classroom. Based on the literature, I don’t believe it is possible to “teach” critical thinking, but critical thinkin...