Relentless advancement to produce new gen of seppos
I asked Wendy if I could read the paper she turned in, and when I opened the document, I was surprised to see the topic: critical pedagogy, the philosophy of education pioneered by Paulo Freire. The philosophy examines the influence of social and political forces on learning and classroom dynamics. Her opening line: “To what extent is schooling hindering students’ cognitive ability to think critically?” Later, I asked Wendy if she recognized the irony in using AI to write not just a paper on critical pedagogy but one that argues learning is what “makes us truly human.” She wasn’t sure what to make of the question. “I use AI a lot. Like, every day,” she said. “And I do believe it could take away that critical-thinking part. But it’s just — now that we rely on it, we can’t really imagine living without it.”
I totally agree. I’m very glad that my education and the way I pursued it didn’t completely erase my send of why I was learning (to more fully inhabit the world, to live a more examined life, etc etc), but I recognize that I was privileged to have that luxury. The total commodification of education is absolutely the default path forward in this society.