Kaydence Parke

Chinook Writer

At Casper College, Education Instructor Abigail Bishop is guiding future teachers to use artificial intelligence as a tool for inquiry-based learning. Bishop emphasizes using AI responsibly, showing future educators how to treat technology as a resource in learning rather than a replacement for human connection in the classroom. 

As programs like ChatGPT, Magic School AI, and Google Gemini spread through higher education, instructors everywhere are juggling with the unknown questions about academic integrity and creativity. Bishop works to embrace curiosity instead of fear. 

“It’s about how we maintain the integrity of what we’re doing and balance that with technology that can help make things more efficient for us,” Bishop said. 

Bishop teaches courses like Instructional Technology and Foundations of Education where she helps students explore responsible ways to incorporate AI in a real classroom setting. Bishop said she believes instructors should do their best to prepare students to use technology ethically rather than punishing students for showing interest in AI. 

Bishop practices a “school of thought,” where she guides students to use AI ethically and grants them second chances to make the work their own. She said it’s not a slap on the wrist for her — it’s a learning process. 

“In higher ed we are dealing with basically a brain that’s still developing so our executive skills like planning, time management, task initiation — those are not all on board 100%,” Bishop said. “And for most students, the reason why they procrastinate is they just don’t even know where to start.”

Bishop explained AI can be one of the tools that provide insight or structure to help students begin their work. Bishop said she integrates AI tools such as Magic School, a platform designed for educators, to help students learn the process of creating lesson plans and organizing classroom materials. 

She teaches them to use AI as a resourceful starting point rather than a final product. In her ITEC class, students give AI prompts and let it generate ideas, and then they modify the results to fit their unique classroom needs.

Outside the classroom, Bishop applies AI to her advising process. She uses Google Gemini in Google Classroom to simplify communication and save time for both herself and her students. She built what she calls an “all-in-one help document” that provides students with everything they might need — from degree evaluation forms and program sheets to instructions for changing majors. She said the system allows students to access information quickly while still encouraging personal follow-up. 

Bishop said she approaches AI with curiosity. She thinks fear is inevitable but that’s where research becomes useful. She encourages her students to ask questions and experiment while maintaining ethics around AI. She said banning AI or ignoring it would only leave students unprepared for a rapidly changing future. 

Elementary education major, Brooklynn Carlen, said Bishop’s approach helped her feel more confident using AI in her coursework. Carlen said AI comes up in nearly every class she takes, whether that be good or bad. 

“I think as a future educator, it’s scary not knowing what the future holds as far as students actually retaining information. I just worry about future generations not wanting a social connection,” Carlen said. 

Carlen uses AI for assignments in ITEC when they are directed to do so. She explores lesson plans by giving AI a specific prompt and running with it. She explained that she rephrases AI content and makes it personable. She also argued that she believes AI can never fully replace face-to-face connection in the traditional classroom setting.  

Carlen said Bishop understands some students may want to explore AI, so she embraces the technology and explains to her students what other instructors dislike about AI. She went on to say that Bishop does a great job of explaining how to make their work unique. Carlen said that the inconsistency among instructors and AI creates anxiety for students who worry about getting in trouble for using AI, even when they follow the rules. She said most of her peers are cautious and try to tread lightly. Despite fears, Carlen believes every future educator should learn to use AI effectively. 

“Times are changing,” Carlen said. “I think it’s up to us to give AI a good reputation and influence older people who might be scared or not know much about it and teach them.”

Looking towards the future, Carlen said she pictures AI eventually helping teachers personalize learning for every student. She said she would design an AI tool to help create lesson plans for kids with learning disabilities, like dyslexia. She said every kid learns differently, which can be hard to manage in a classroom. Bishop shared Carlen’s point of view. She said she believes AI will continue to change education but never replace human creativity or empathy. Bishop believes we’re built for connection, and technology should never take that away. Bishop said she hopes to see AI used as a resource for inquiry-based learning rather than an out for students and instructors. She said educators that stay curious help their students do the same. 

“I think we need to approach it with curiosity because it doesn’t mean you have to use it or align with it, but using such a dualistic black and white way of responding to something like that is already happening, isn’t flexible,” Bishop said. “And that is actually going to end up doing more harm to students in the long run.”

At CC, curiosity is defining how current and future educators approach this changing academic world. While AI continues to grow, instructors and students agree: the classroom will always need human connection.