Beyond the AI Panic: Thoughtful AI Integration for Christian Schools

Teacher Edition Podcast

“Learning is a social experience and it always will be. Educators in Christian education know this better than anyone. They understand that education is not about knowledge transfer. Education is about student formation.” – Josh Thomason

The arrival of generative AI has sent education into chaos. While schools scramble to ban ChatGPT or train teachers to become prompt engineers, two Christian educators saw an opportunity to bring order back to the classroom.

Dr. Josh Thomason and Dr. Derek Wilson join us to share their journey from online education pioneers to AI innovators. Starting with the challenge of offering specialized courses to small Christian schools, they discovered that the real need wasn’t just access to education; it was personalization at scale.

Their solution, TrekAI, represents a fundamentally different approach to AI in education.

You’ll hear:

The Problems with Generic AI:

• Why ChatGPT and similar tools can actually harm student learning
• The dangers of “sycophancy” in large language models
• How unguided AI use creates rabbit holes instead of learning

TrekAI’s Educational Approach:

• Socratic training that asks questions instead of giving answers
• Built-in guardrails that protect students while promoting growth
• Integration with curriculum content, including BJU Press materials

Practical Implementation:

• Teacher tools that reduce administrative burden without requiring prompt engineering expertise
• Student tutoring that’s available 24/7 with educational safeguards
• Data insights that help teachers understand what students actually struggle with

Whether you’re skeptical about AI in education or overwhelmed by the rapid changes, this episode provides a thoughtful framework for understanding how technology can serve Christian education’s core mission of student formation.

“What generative AI did to education was it sent the whole ecosystem into chaos. And what we’ve been trying to do through this is bring order back to chaos.” – Josh Thomason

Resources Mentioned:

• TrekAI’s partnership with BJU Press: https://trekai.org/bjupress

About Our Guests Dr. Josh Thomason serves as the vice president of finance and operations at Greater Atlanta Christian School (GAC), one of the nation’s largest K-12 Christian schools. He is the founder and executive director of Ethos, GAC’s global online school. Josh is also the visionary behind TrekAI. Josh’s work reflects a deep belief that when technology is aligned with purpose, it doesn’t dehumanize education—it makes it more personal, more meaningful, and more Christ-centered.

Dr. Derek Wilson is a seasoned educational leader with a passion for harnessing the power of emerging technologies to improve student learning and teacher support. As a senior leader at TrekAI, he plays a pivotal role in shaping how artificial intelligence can be thoughtfully integrated into K-12 education. With more than two decades of experience as a teacher and academic leader in Christian schools, Derek brings deep insight into the daily realities of schools—insight that makes him uniquely equipped to translate the rapidly evolving tech landscape into practical, meaningful solutions for students and educators.

TrekAI is an AI-based tutor and suite of teacher tools designed to reduce administrative burden and restore what matters most: human connection in the classroom. TrekAI supports Christian schools by offloading time-consuming, repetitive tasks like grading, lesson planning, and administrative logistics. In doing so, it redeems teachers’ time, allowing them to re-engage with their core calling: mentoring, motivating, and deeply knowing their students. Since its launch in 2023, TrekAI has expanded to serve over 150 schools and more than 100,000 students worldwide.

Sponsored By

Now, more than ever, children need a learning experience that enables them to think critically, advances them academically, and encourages them to live biblically. BJU Press serves Christian educators with academically rigorous resources written from a biblical worldview to prepare the next generation to be salt and light in society. We are committed to doing everything we can so Christian education can do everything it must. Visit our website today or contact your Territory Manager to learn more. [bjupress.com]