Early Education in the Age of AI

Jodie Clarke - The Empowered Educator
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  • EDUCATION
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Early Education in the Age of AI

Welcome to the 'Early Education in the Age of AI' podcast. Join me (Jodie from The Empowered Educator Website) each week, as I break down early education topics and strategies into simple steps that empower educators, teachers and leaders to confidently embrace, adapt and master the use of ethical AI strategies to support early learning.In every show you'll get new prompts, tips and realistic examples to try from a certified AI ChatGPT expert AND early childhood professional with over 30 years experience, that you can use to make your planning, documentation and day to day practice easier with AI as an educational assistant by your side. I can't wait to inspire you with the possibilities!

  1. 5H AGO

    EP 27| - How To Create Calm & Engaging Sensory Spaces With AI Support

    🟢 In This Episode... This episode tackles the challenge of sensory overload in busy early learning environments. We move beyond simply "managing" noise and mess to strategically crafting calmer, more engaging "sensory sanctuaries." You'll learn how small environmental tweaks and a deeper understanding of children's individual sensory needs can reduce stress and support regulation, all with the creative and practical help of your AI assistant. 🟣 What You'll Find Out: ✅ How to tune your environment with simple lighting and sound tweaks.  ✅ How to respectfully support both 'sensory seekers' and 'sensory avoiders'.  ✅ How to design and create a budget-friendly Nature Nook.  ✅ How to use your AI assistant as a creative planning partner.  ✅ How to apply the 80/20 principle to create calming colour palettes.  ✅ How to explain concepts like 'heavy work' to families. 🟣 Reflection Quickie What is one small change I can make to light or sound this week? 🟣 Resources Mentioned In This Episode AI Empowered Educators Membership Specialist AI Assistants: Eden Environments, Maisie Mindful Inclusion, Elsie Early Ed, Dottie Documentation, Olive Outdoor Play AI Smartforms: Invitations to Play Creator , Sensory Activity Finder , Junk to Gem Idea Generator , Loose Parts Play Spark , Tricky Conversation Email Drafter , Weekly Program Plan Creator AI Helpers: Ember the Environment Organiser , Sparky the Play Spark , Pippa the Planner 📌 Blog Posts Activities Using Sensory Tools To Support Tactile Play Sensory Strategies For Children Who Avoid Tactile Play Sensory Processing Challenges For Children And The Role Of Educators 💬 Let’s Connect! 🌟 If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a fellow educator! 🎧 Subscribe & leave a review so we can reach more educators looking to save time with AI 📲 Follow me HERE on LinkedIn for more AI tips & timesavers and leadership strategies 📍Follow me on HERE on Pinterest for play ideas and environment inspiration 💻 Discover What’s Possible with AI in Early Learning... HERE on the FREE AI Resource Page 🔔 New episodes drop every Friday! See you next time as we continue learning about creative ways to use AI in early childhood education - ethically, practically, and with confidence. #aiforeducators #earlylearning #aiineducation #aiempowerededucators #edtech

    49 min

  2. 6D AGO

    EP 26 | The AI Co-Mentor: An NQF-Ready Guide to Onboarding

    🟢 In This Episode This episode gives educational leaders and educators the AI tips and strategies needed that help to solve the challenge of making new educators feel genuinely welcomed, supported, and confident from their very first day. We explore how leaders and new team members can partner with AI to turn the usual onboarding process from a series of generic forms and fire exit maps into a more personalised, collaborative journey. Learn how to use AI as a co-mentor to set new staff up for success, build their practical skills, and guide them toward deep, reflective practice, all in alignment with the NQF. 🟣 What You'll Find Out ✅ How to create a personalised 48-hour welcome plan with AI. ✅ How new educators can use AI to prepare for their first day. ✅ How to use AI to draft a learning story with confidence. ✅ How to generate reflective questions to guide mentoring sessions. ✅ How to use AI ethically and in line with NQF updates. ✅ How AI can act as a bridge between theory and practice. 🟣 Inspire Reflection "The goal of inviting AI into our mentoring and onboarding processes... It's not meant as something to replace the human connection... Look at it as enhancing or strengthening it instead." What is one part of your current onboarding process that you could personalise using AI? 💬 Let’s Connect! 🌟 If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a fellow educator! 🎧 Subscribe & leave a review so we can reach more educators looking to save time with AI 📲 Follow me HERE on LinkedIn for more AI tips & timesavers and leadership strategies 📍Follow me on HERE on Pinterest for play ideas and environment inspiration 💻 Discover What’s Possible with AI in Early Learning... HERE on the FREE AI Resource Page 🔔 New episodes drop every Friday! See you next time as we continue learning about creative ways to use AI in early childhood education - ethically, practically, and with confidence. #aiforeducators #earlylearning #aiineducation #aiempowerededucators #edtech

    42 min

  3. JUL 4

    EP 25| AI Strategies to Improve Educator Retention

    🟣In This Episode... The constant cycle of educator turnover is exhausting, expensive, and emotionally draining for leaders, teams, children, and families. This episode moves beyond reactive damage control and offers a proactive, compassionate path forward. Join Jodie as she explores how to ethically use AI as your supportive partner to build a workplace culture that makes your best people want to stay. Discover practical, AI-supported strategies to listen more effectively, tackle workload burnout, and foster your team's growth, shifting your ECE service into a place where educators don't just survive, but thrive. 🟣 What You'll Learn: ✅ The true, hidden human costs of educator turnover and how to identify the "leadership blind spot."  ✅ How to create and use an anonymous AI-powered "Pulse Check" survey to genuinely listen to your team's needs without it feeling like surveillance. ✅ A step-by-step strategy for using AI as a "Gratitude Assistant" to ensure your authentic appreciation is always felt and heard.  ✅ How to reframe AI's role in reducing workload burnout by separating irreplaceable "professional work" from time-consuming "mechanical tasks."  ✅ A simple method for co-creating personalised professional development plans with AI to foster loyalty and invest in your team's future. 🟣Continue Your AI Learning Journey With My Support… I know that for many of us here in Australia, the start of a new financial year is a time for planning, budgeting, and thinking about our professional development goals. And for my listeners all around the world, the middle of the year is the perfect time for a reset. To help you get started on your journey to AI empowerment, I'm offering a special discount for the entire month of July. When you join the AI Empowered Educators annual membership, you can take $50 off the total price. 🎁 Just enter the discount code SMARTPODCAST here at the checkout to claim your $50 discount on the annual plan. ✨ Be Inspired... "The best retention strategy isn't a single program or a pizza party. It is a culture. A culture of genuine support, where people feel seen, heard, and valued." 🟣 Try-It-Now AI Prompt Ready to listen more effectively? Use this prompt in your favourite AI tool (like Gemini or ChatGPT) to create a supportive, anonymous survey for your team. Prompt: "Act as an ECE Leadership Consultant. I need to create a short, anonymous 'Wellbeing Pulse Check' survey for my team of early childhood educators. Draft 4 questions that are simple, non-judgemental, and focus on support. The tone should be warm and caring. Include a mix of rating-scale and open-text questions. For example: 'On a scale of 1-5, how manageable was your workload this week?' and 'Is there one thing that would make your week feel more supported?'" 💬 Let’s Connect! 🌟 If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a fellow educator! 🎧 Subscribe & leave a review so we can reach more educators looking to save time with AI 📲 Follow me HERE on LinkedIn for more AI tips & timesavers and leadership strategies 📍Follow me on HERE on Pinterest for play ideas and environment inspiration 💻 Discover What’s Possible with AI in Early Learning... HERE on the FREE AI Resource Page 🔔 New episodes drop every Friday! See you next time as we continue learning about creative ways to use AI in early childhood education - ethically, practically, and with confidence. #aiforeducators #earlylearning #aiineducation #aiempowerededucators #edtech

    43 min

  4. JUN 27

    EP 24| Why AI Won't Make You a 'Lazy' Educator

    🎧 In This Episode... Do you worry that using AI is "cheating" or that it will de-skill your team? This episode tackles the biggest fears surrounding AI in early childhood education head-on. Jodie unpacks why generic tools like ChatGPT often lead to frustration and reveals how purpose-built "Smartforms" can act as your expert partner, elevating your professional practice without replacing your critical knowledge.  This is your step by step guide to using AI confidently, ethically, and in a way that gives you back your most valuable resource: time. 🎁SPECIAL PODCAST LISTENER EXCLUSIVE: Enter the code SMARTPODCAST at the checkout HERE before end of July 2025 to TAKE $50 OFF an annual membership. 🟣 What You'll Learn in 47 Minutes: ✅ The "Unorganised Library" Problem: Why generic AI tools like ChatGPT often give you frustrating, useless responses and how to think about them more strategically. ✅ From Blank Page to Scaffold: The core principle behind well-designed AI tools and how they guide your thinking instead of replacing it. ✅ The "Documentation Ladder": How to use a system of interconnected Smartforms to support the entire cycle of care and planning, from the first spark of an idea to the final weekly program. ✅ Finding Your Professional Voice: How AI can act as your co-pilot, helping you communicate with families with warmth and professionalism, even when you're exhausted. ✅ The "Pedagogical X-Ray": A new way to think about AI as a professional development tool that accelerates your learning and deepens your understanding of the EYLF and NQS. ✅ AI for Leaders: Practical strategies for using Smartforms to build team capacity, facilitate meaningful reflection, and make your QIP a collaborative, living document. 🟢 Smartform AI Tools Mentioned in This Episode: Anecdotal Observation Writer & Learning Story WriterLearning Extension Planner & Weekly Program Plan CreatorLoose Parts Play Spark & Junk to Gem Idea CreatorThe 'My Day' Snapshot & 'Our Day' in ReviewTricky Conversation Email DrafterEYLF Outcome Matcher / Learning Outcome ConnectorQIP Evidence Spark & Mock Assessor SimulatorTeam Reflection Prompt Creator ✨ Be Inspired... "A well-designed AI tool doesn't just give you the answer. It acts as a mentor." 🟣 Try-It-Now AI Prompt Copy and paste this into ChatGPT or Gemini to see how providing scaffolded details improves the result: Act as an expert early childhood educator. Write a short, engaging learning story about a 4-year-old child named Leo. Core Observation: Leo spent 15 minutes at the water table, carefully pouring water from a big jug into a small bottle. He was very focused and smiled when he filled it without spilling. Analysis: This shows Leo's persistence and growing fine motor control. 🟣 Resources Mentioned In This Episode The AI Empowered Educators Membership: Unlock the full library of Smartforms and AI Assistants. Explore the membership here: https://www.theempowerededucatoronline.com/ai-membership-gold-registration/ 💬 Let’s Connect! 🌟 If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a fellow educator! 🎧 Subscribe & leave a review so we can reach more educators looking to save time with AI 📲 Follow me HERE on LinkedIn for more AI tips & timesavers and leadership strategies 📍Follow me on HERE on Pinterest for play ideas and environment inspiration 💻 Discover What’s Possible with AI in Early Learning... HERE on the FREE AI Resource Page 🔔 New episodes drop every Friday! See you next time as we continue learning about creative ways to use AI in early childhood education - ethically, practically, and with confidence. #aiforeducators #earlylearning #aiineducation #aiempowerededucators #edtech

    47 min

  5. JUN 20

    EP 23| The Mid-Year Reset With AI – From Burnout to Brilliance

    🎧 In This Episode… Feeling a little frazzled as you face the halfway point of the year? Whether you’re knee-deep in EOFY admin or wrapping up the term, this episode is your invitation to pause and reset…without guilt. I’ll walk you through three simple ways to partner with your AI assistant as a reflection coach, documentation helper and leadership ally. Discover step-by-step ways to make the most of reflective practice time, compile more effective mid year portfolios and summative assessments and guide hesitant teams through ethical AI adoption. You’ll finish the episode with a clear action plan, renewed motivation, and a plan to step into the second half of the year with confidence (and fewer late-night documentation marathons). 🟣 What You’ll Learn in Around 45 Minutes: ✅ How AI can support a reflective mindset and use that information to plan for your growth, not burnout ✅ How AI can find professional development options that actually interest you ✅ How to audit your current planning cycle with AI  ✅ A way to turn those documentation pieces into engaging, family-friendly portfolios and summative assessments ✅ Guide your team through AI adoption with a simple, ethical roadmap - even if they are AI sceptics and resistant to change.  ✅ How to use the free pdf templates to make a mid year reset easier.  🟣 Try-It-Now AI Prompt Start small with this simple prompt – perfect for easing into reflective journaling with AI: “Can you organise these messy notes into 3 clear bullet points I can use for my reflective journal? Here they are: [Paste your notes].” Or go a little deeper: “Act as a reflective practice coach. Here are my thoughts from the term. Help me identify 3 key themes, 1 area of success, and ask 2 questions to reflect more deeply: [Paste your brain dump].” 💬 Let’s Connect! 🌟 If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a fellow educator! 🎧 Subscribe & leave a review so we can reach more educators looking to save time with AI 📲 Follow me HERE on LinkedIn for more AI tips & timesavers and leadership strategies 📍Follow me on HERE on Pinterest for play ideas and environment inspiration 💻 Discover What’s Possible with AI in Early Learning... HERE on the FREE AI Resource Page 🔔 New episodes drop every Friday! See you next time as we continue learning about creative ways to use AI in early childhood education - ethically, practically, and with confidence. #aiforeducators #earlylearning #aiineducation #aiempowerededucators #edtech

    46 min

  6. JUN 6

    EP 22| Beyond Dot Paintings - Embedding Cultural Perspectives with AI Support

    🎧 In This Episode... Ever feel like you’re walking on eggshells when planning cultural learning experiences? You’re not alone. In this episode, Jodie shares honest reflections, real educator questions, and practical strategies to move from once-a-year token gestures to authentic, ongoing inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in your early learning environment. You'll discover how AI can gently guide your thinking, help you reflect without judgement, and offer culturally respectful planning support - even if you're just beginning. 🟣 What You’ll Learn: ✅ Recognise tokenism and shift to more authentic practice ✅ Reflect confidently and privately on your current approach using AI ✅ Create culturally connected learning spaces ✅ Build genuine partnerships with Aboriginal communities ✅ Use AI to support protocols and respectful planning ✅ Document learning in meaningful, EYLF-aligned ways ✅ Take simple, confidence-building steps to start now 🟣 Episode Highlights 01:22 Tokenistic vs. authentic cultural practice 04:59 Using AI to support deeper reflection 17:56 Designing culturally connected environments 32:36 Building genuine community partnerships 38:36 Using AI to explore cultural protocols 39:58 Building trust with Aboriginal communities 40:45 Preparing your team and families 43:22 Planning for daily cultural learning 44:59 Creating learning experiences with AI help 51:16 Documenting respectfully and meaningfully 58:52 Facing challenges and growing confidence 01:08:25 3 actionable next steps for educators ✨ Be Inspired… “It’s not about having all the answers. It’s about starting with respect, listening, and learning alongside the children.” 🟣 Try-It-Now AI Prompt “I want to embed Aboriginal perspectives into my play-based program. I’m located on [Country] and working with children aged [X]. Can you suggest three meaningful, respectful ways to begin, including one outdoor experience?” 🟣 Reflection Quickie Are my current cultural practices ongoing or occasional?How could AI help me research cultural protocols with care?What’s one small step I can take this week to create a stronger cultural connection in my environment? 💬 Let’s Connect! 🌟 If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a fellow educator! 🎧 Subscribe & leave a review so we can reach more educators looking to save time with AI 📲 Follow me HERE on LinkedIn for more AI tips & timesavers and leadership strategies 📍Follow me on HERE on Pinterest for play ideas and environment inspiration 💻 Discover What’s Possible with AI in Early Learning... HERE on the FREE AI Resource Page 🔔 New episodes drop every Friday! See you next time as we continue learning about creative ways to use AI in early childhood education - ethically, practically, and with confidence. #aiforeducators #earlylearning #aiineducation #aiempowerededucators #edtech

    1h 13m

  7. APR 30

    EP 21| 5 Ways to Turn Notes Into Meaningful Observations with AI

    🎧 In This Episode… Tired of jotting quick notes about children's play only to struggle turning them into meaningful, framework-aligned observations later? In this first episode of the "AI Empowered Planning Cycle" miniseries, Jodie reveals five practical strategies to transform your brief notes or jottings into professional, comprehensive observations in under two minutes - all while keeping your authentic educator voice at the centre. 🟣 What You'll Learn... ✅ Turn quick observation jottings into framework-aligned documentation without starting from scratch ✅ Keep your unique educator voice while saving 20+ minutes per observation ✅ Connect play moments to learning outcomes with confidence ✅ Create reusable, personalised observation templates that work for your specific setting ✅ Translate "educator speak" into family-friendly language that engages parents in their child's learning journey ✅ Use a simple 3-step process for capturing meaningful observations with AI support 🟣 Episode Highlights  01:28 Why observations become the task we never get to 05:06 From "Sophie played in sandpit" to meaningful documentation 10:59 Strategy 1: Jottings to organized paragraphs 14:49 Strategy 2: Finding the learning focus instantly 16:49 Strategy 3: Adding professional context naturally 18:53 Strategy 4: Creating family-friendly versions 21:00 Strategy 5: Building your personalized template 24:00 Try-along: Transform an observation in 2 minutes 31:24 Action steps and free resources ✨Be Inspired… "Observation is the launchpad of more meaningful planning, and with the right AI support, turning your quick jottings into useful reflections doesn't have to be as time-consuming or confusing as it once was." 🟣 Try-It-Now AI Prompt Turn this into an early years learning framework-linked observation paragraph for a [age]-year-old: [Child's name/initial] [brief description of what you observed] Please include: 1. The skills being developed 2. Connection to learning outcomes 3. Potential next steps for extending learning 🟣 Reflection Quickie… Which moments throughout your day do you notice but never document because the process feels too time-consuming?How might creating an AI-assisted 2-minute observation routine change your approach to documentation?Which of the five strategies would make the biggest immediate difference in your current documentation practice?🟣 Resources Mentioned In This Episode… Free PDF "AI in Action: AI Prompt Pack for Easier Observation Writing " AI Empowered Educators Membership - chat with the Empowered Ed team of specialised AI assistants and consultants trained for Early Education professionals👀 Coming Next... In Episode 22, we'll move to the "Assess" stage of the planning cycle, showing you how to turn the information gathered from your observations into meaningful learning goals without getting lost in outcome linking and checkbox mentality. 💬 Let’s Connect! 🌟 If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a fellow educator! 🎧 Subscribe & leave a review so we can reach more educators looking to save time with AI 📲 Follow me HERE on LinkedIn for more AI tips & timesavers and leadership strategies 📍Follow me on HERE on Pinterest for play ideas and environment inspiration 💻 Discover What’s Possible with AI in Early Learning... HERE on the FREE AI Resource Page 🔔 New episodes drop every Friday! See you next time as we continue learning about creative ways to use AI in early childhood education - ethically, practically, and with confidence. #aiforeducators #earlylearning #aiineducation #aiempowerededucators #edtech

    35 min

  8. MAR 14

    EP 20| How To Use AI to Make Children's Learning Visible

    🟣🟢 What’s This Episode About? In episode 20 of the 'Early Education in the Age of AI', show, Jodie from the Empowered Educator Online discusses how to make the shift from decoration to meaningful visual documentation in early learning environments. She highlights the challenges educators face in creating child-centered displays and explores how AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude can assist in making children's learning journeys visible. Jodie also delves into the purposes of displays, including teaching, celebrating, and documenting learning, and provides practical strategies for using AI to support these activities. You'll hear reflective questions, ethical considerations to keep in mind, and actionable steps you can take to incorproate AI into your planning and documentation processes, aiming to create more efficient, authentic, and child-centered learning environments. What You’ll Learn ✅ The three core purposes of display in early learning environments: to teach, celebrate, and document ✅ The philosophical shift from decoration to documentation and why it matters ✅ How AI can help educators create meaningful documentation more efficiently ✅ Practical AI prompting techniques for different documentation types ✅ How to keep children's voices at the centre of any AI-supported documentation ✅ Ideas to expand documentation beyond wall displays to outdoor spaces and digital formats ✅ Time-saving documentation strategies for busy educators Highlights 🟢 Alistair Bryce-Clegg's powerful perspective on child-centred display practices 🟢 Specific AI prompt templates you can copy and use for different documentation approaches 🟢 Strategies for creating learning walls that evolve with children's interests 🟢 Helpful approaches for balancing physical and digital documentation AI Prompts To Try From This Episode ✨ Learning Story Generator"I want to write a learning story about [child's name/age] who [brief description of what they were doing]. They showed [skills/dispositions you observed]. Their own words were [insert any quotes]. Help me write a learning story in first person that maintains my voice as an educator, highlights the significance of this learning, and connects to [relevant framework]." ✨ Visual Documentation Caption Creator"I've taken photos of [describe what the photos show]. Help me create 3-5 short, meaningful captions that highlight the learning occurring, pose thoughtful questions, and make connections to [relevant framework or theory]." ✨ Child-Led Display Text Prompt"I want to create text for a display that incorporates children's voices about [learning experience]. Help me draft questions I can ask children to gather their perspectives, and suggest ways to incorporate their exact words into the display." Your Action Steps Try creating one AI-supported learning story this weekReview your current displays - do they tell the story of the children who learn in your space?Experiment with one new documentation approach from the episode 🚩Episode Highlights  00:00 Introduction to AI in Early Education 02:11 The Shift from Decoration to Documentation 05:04 Core Purposes of Display in Early Learning 10:15 Challenges and Solutions in Meaningful Documentation 18:48 AI Strategies for Effective Documentation 25:05 Practical AI Documentation Techniques 32:44 Ethical Considerations and Child-Centered Documentation 45:16 Future Possibilities and Final Thoughts 55:19 Actionable Next Steps and Conclusion 💬 Let’s Connect! 🌟 If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a fellow educator! 🎧 Subscribe & leave a review so we can reach more educators looking to save time with AI 📲 Follow me HERE on LinkedIn for more AI tips & timesavers and leadership strategies 📍Follow me on HERE on Pinterest for play ideas and environment inspiration 💻 Discover What’s Possible with AI in Early Learning... HERE on the FREE AI Resource Page 🔔 New episodes drop every Friday! See you next time as we continue learning about creative ways to use AI in early childhood education - ethically, practically, and with confidence. #aiforeducators #earlylearning #aiineducation #aiempowerededucators #edtech

    1 hr
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About

Welcome to the 'Early Education in the Age of AI' podcast. Join me (Jodie from The Empowered Educator Website) each week, as I break down early education topics and strategies into simple steps that empower educators, teachers and leaders to confidently embrace, adapt and master the use of ethical AI strategies to support early learning.In every show you'll get new prompts, tips and realistic examples to try from a certified AI ChatGPT expert AND early childhood professional with over 30 years experience, that you can use to make your planning, documentation and day to day practice easier with AI as an educational assistant by your side. I can't wait to inspire you with the possibilities!

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  • Creator
    Jodie Clarke - The Empowered Educator
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 The Empowered Educator All Rights Reserved.
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    Early Education in the Age of AI

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