The Pedagogy of Resistance- Un-Capturing the Classroom from AI Stupefaction #58
Mon Feb 02 2026
Episode Summary
Fresh off a keynote in Manila, Jon Bergmann explores why the message of "AI Stupefaction" is resonating globally. He connects his Mastery Flip framework with the philosophical work of Prof. Rogério Giorgion and Silvio Diniz, arguing that the modern school system has been "captured" by a results-driven corporate logic. This episode is a call to action for educators to move from being "executors of scripts" to "authors of learning" through a movement of active resistance .
Key Takeaways
The Captured Teacher: Understanding how global educational systems have turned teachers into "operators" of scripts and platforms, stripping away their intellectual autonomy.
The Efficient Student: Why "cheating" with AI is often a rational response from students trying to be "efficient" in a system that values metrics over the struggle of learning.
The Mastery Flip as Resistance: How the three pillars—AI Engines, Analog Roots, and Human Checks—serve as "cracks" in the corporate machine.
The Power of Paper: Why returning to paper and pencil is a revolutionary act that forces students to use their own brains without outsourcing the work to a device.
The Mastery Viva: Reclaiming the teacher's voice and authority through high-frequency, two-minute oral exams.
The Civilizational Knife’s Edge: A reflection on how our treatment of the next generation's minds defines our society.
Thought Leaders Mentioned
Silvio Diniz: Brazilian colleague who introduced the correlation between structural capture and AI misuse.
Prof. Rogério Giorgion: Proponent of the "Structural Capture" hypothesis and the "Captured Teacher" theory.
Stefan Bauschard: Advocate for a debate-centered model of instruction to counter AI's ability to fake evidence.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jonbergmann.substack.com
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Episode Summary Fresh off a keynote in Manila, Jon Bergmann explores why the message of "AI Stupefaction" is resonating globally. He connects his Mastery Flip framework with the philosophical work of Prof. Rogério Giorgion and Silvio Diniz, arguing that the modern school system has been "captured" by a results-driven corporate logic. This episode is a call to action for educators to move from being "executors of scripts" to "authors of learning" through a movement of active resistance . Key Takeaways The Captured Teacher: Understanding how global educational systems have turned teachers into "operators" of scripts and platforms, stripping away their intellectual autonomy. The Efficient Student: Why "cheating" with AI is often a rational response from students trying to be "efficient" in a system that values metrics over the struggle of learning. The Mastery Flip as Resistance: How the three pillars—AI Engines, Analog Roots, and Human Checks—serve as "cracks" in the corporate machine. The Power of Paper: Why returning to paper and pencil is a revolutionary act that forces students to use their own brains without outsourcing the work to a device. The Mastery Viva: Reclaiming the teacher's voice and authority through high-frequency, two-minute oral exams. The Civilizational Knife’s Edge: A reflection on how our treatment of the next generation's minds defines our society. Thought Leaders Mentioned Silvio Diniz: Brazilian colleague who introduced the correlation between structural capture and AI misuse. Prof. Rogério Giorgion: Proponent of the "Structural Capture" hypothesis and the "Captured Teacher" theory. Stefan Bauschard: Advocate for a debate-centered model of instruction to counter AI's ability to fake evidence. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jonbergmann.substack.com