In an era defined by rapid technological evolution, integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools into teacher education presents both challenges and opportunities, placing new ethical responsibilities on educators. This paper examines how traditional pedagogical frameworks—Project-Based Learning (PBL), Backwards Design, and Reciprocal Teaching—can be leveraged to prepare preservice adolescence educators to become AI-ready practitioners capable of fostering ethical, critical, and student-centered learning environments. Drawing on classroom-based research, quantitative data, and qualitative reflections from teacher candidates, the research demonstrates how the intentional use of AI as an assistive pedagogical tool cultivates professional readiness, global citizenship, and educational leadership. Through scaffolded experiences in lesson planning and instructional design using various AI platforms such as Magic School, Diffit, and ChatGPT, teacher candidates learn to balance technological innovation with ethical responsibility.These experiences emphasize the integration of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) principles, underscoring the need to design instruction that is inclusive, equitable, and culturally responsive. Research findings reveal that incorporating AI literacy into teacher preparation enhances candidates’ ability to support diverse learners while preserving the intrinsic value of human intelligence, empathy, and professional judgment. This work aligns with IAFOR’s core theme of technology and artificial intelligence by illustrating how the next generation of educators can bridge innovation with ethical best practices using AI tools. Ultimately, the paper argues for reimagining teacher preparation as a collaborative, globally informed process that empowers educators to lead ethically, creatively, and confidently in AI-enhanced educational landscapes.

Authors:
Tracy Schrems, St. Bonaventure University, United States
René Garrison, St. Bonaventure University, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Tracy Schrems is an Assistant Professor of Adolescence Education in the School of Education at St. Bonaventure University. A former high school English teacher, Dr. Schrems joined the St. Bonaventure English Department in 1998, teaching composition and developmental writing for two decades before transitioning to the School of Education in 2018. Her research interests include using superhero films as pedagogy in developmental writing, critical analysis and film pedagogy concerning Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and the integration of generative and assistive artificial intelligence (AI) in teacher preparation. She develops curriculum and instructional models that prepare preservice educators to ethically and creatively use AI in secondary classrooms. Dr. Schrems has presented her research on AI and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) at conferences across the United States and has received multiple grants and awards for her teaching and scholarship, including recent recognition at the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Conference in Orlando, Florida. Her current projects include a manual on assistive and generative AI tools for preservice teacher educators and a memoir entitled Ringmaster, chronicling the experience of raising her late special needs son, Cody, while pursuing an academic career at the same time. Dr. Schrems is also CEO of the Schrems Family Foundation, which supports a memorial scholarship and occupational library honoring Cody at St. Bonaventure University. Married for 25 years to David Schrems, she lives near Buffalo, NY with her husband and Australian Shepherd, Dakota. When she is not teaching or engaged in academic pursuits, Dr. Schrems plays Rugby, is an avid scuba diver, plays the piano, and travels frequently with her husband to Walt Disney World in Florida, usually on their Harley Davidson motorcycles.

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