The Ship of ChatGPTseus: Identity, Authorship, and the Soul of Learning

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When the tools, tasks, and teaching all start to change—at what point do we stop and ask: Is this still education?

In this mini episode, Jake Carr dives into the ancient thought experiment known as the Ship of Theseus to unpack what's happening in our schools today. From medieval monks copying texts by candlelight to students copy-pasting AI-generated responses, he asks: What makes learning authentic? What planks are we swapping out without realizing it? And what should teachers choose to hold onto?

Along the way, Jake connects this to his new book The Skills That Last, offers four actionable strategies for preserving human-centered learning, and shares how his Waldorf background prepared him to teach in this new, high-tech era.

Topics Covered:

• That classic meme: "My mom wrote the paper and I still got a D"
• The Ship of Theseus and its relevance to education
• What happens when every part of school is slowly replaced
• The invisible slope of AI-assisted student work
• When the work isn’t theirs anymore—and how to spot that moment
• What authentic learning might look like going forward
• Why skills like discernment, empathy, and will can’t be outsourced
• A fresh look at the teacher’s role—not as captain, but as keel

Tangible Takeaways:

1. Shift from Policing to Process
   Let students use AI—but teach them to revise, explain, and own their thinking.
2. Assign What Only They Can Do
   Personal prompts. Local connections. Real reflection. Make it hard for AI to fake.
3. Slow It Down on Purpose
   Use oral defenses, Socratic seminars, portfolio walkthroughs, and tools like Snorkl to make thinking visible.
4. Make Your Pedagogy Visible
   Pull back the curtain. Tell students why you’re doing things the way you are—and what you hope they’ll take from it.

Resources Mentioned:

• 📖 The Skills That Last (Jake’s upcoming book, make sure to subscribe to Substack for announcements and previews)
• 📝 Teaching at the Speed of Soul – Jake’s latest Substack essay
• 🗣️ Leave a voice message for the show
• 📰 Subscribe to our Substack for more essays, questions, and reflections

💬 Join the Conversation:

What plank are you holding onto in your classroom?
Leave us a voice message at whatteachershavetosay.speakpipe.com or tag Jake on social @MrCarrOnTheWeb.

Got a question? We'd love to answer it! Leave us a voicemail on SpeakPipe: https://www.speakpipe.com/whatteachershavetosay

Want more EduProtocols from Jake? Check out his book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and more.