The end-of-year gift-making rush is a source of huge stress for educators. We're pressured to create perfect, product-focused items, which often goes against our "process-over-product" approach. In this episode you’ll learn how to use AI to simplify end of year activity planning, create inclusive experiences, and (most importantly) write meaningful gift tags that communicate the real learning behind every child-made creation.

✅ How to brainstorm process-based gift ideas (not just product-based ones) 

✅ Using AI to create inclusive, step-by-step instructions for all children 

✅ The secret to writing meaningful gift tags that link learning to the EYLF 

✅ How to adapt activities for sensory needs and varying abilities 

✅ Simple prompts to get AI to write your end of year documentation 

✅ How AI can help educators handle the tricky "Christmas vs not Christmas" challenge 

💻 CLICK HERE TO OPEN THE RESOURCE PAGE FOR THIS EPISODE

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📍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

🟢🟣 This episode is for every educator who has felt the "Sunday afternoon panic" of trying to fill out a weekly program with a balance of play based activities and intentional teaching. I’m taking you beyond generic planning themes and Pinterest boards to explore how AI can become your "educational thinking partner". You'll learn how to use AI to better understand child-led inquiry , create meaningful provocations , and differentiate your planned experiences without creating unnecessary writing or extra work.

🟣 What You'll Find Out:

✅ How to stop the Sunday planning panic 

✅ Why generic weekly themes can make it harder to see the real learning taking place

✅ How to use AI as an "observation detective" to analyse play 

✅ Using AI to create 'provocations' that extend thinking 

✅ How to differentiate one setup for multi-age groups 

✅ Practical AI prompts you can copy and paste into ChatGPT or your preferred AI tool

🟣 Resources Mentioned In This Episode

The AI Empowered Educators Membership: 

Explore specialised ECE tools and AI assistants mentioned throughout this episode…

Empowered Educator AI Assistants:

➡️ Pippa the Planner (inside the Extension Ideas Creator form)

➡️ Dottie Documentation & Ellie EYLF

➡️ Eden Environments

➡️ Maisie Mindful Inclusion

Empowered Educator AI Smart Forms:

➡️ Extension Ideas Creator

➡️ Junk to Gem Idea Generator & Loose Parts Play Spark

➡️ Multi-Age Activity Modifier

🟣 Visit this episodes resource page HERE for more tips and prompts you can copy

🌟 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

In This Episode

If you've ever felt let down by generic AI responses, this episode is for you. Jodie talks through the common frustration of using one-size-fits-all AI tools and explains a more effective way forward. You'll learn how to see AI not as a single tool, but as a team of specialised assistants. This practical guide will help you choose the right support for any task, turning AI from a source of frustration into a genuinely helpful partner in your ECE role. 

What You'll Find Out...

✅ How to use the C.A.R.E. formula to write better AI prompts 

✅ The difference between Generalist, Specialist, and Smartform AI tools 

✅ How to decide which type of AI is right for your specific task 

✅ Why specialist AI assistants can deepen your pedagogical thinking 

✅ How to use all three AI types together to support your EYLF or MTOP planning cycle 

✅ The fastest way to get started with AI, even if you feel hesitant

Resources Mentioned

🔎 AI Empowered Educators Membership: Learn more about the specialist assistants and Smartforms mentioned in this episode. Visit the information page here on the website.

🔎 Episode 32 Resource Page - See the C.A.R.E prompt formula in action to copy and use

🔎 Generalist AI Tools: ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude

🔎 Empowered Ed Specialist AI Assistants: Ellie EYLF, Dottie Documentation, Lacey Leadership, Fran FDC

🔎 Empowered Ed AI Smartform Tools: Learning Story Observation Writer, Anecdotal Observation Writer, Tricky Conversation Email Drafter, Summative Assessment Writer

🌟 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

Discover how you can use a free AI tool to create beautifully illustrated, personalised storybooks in minutes. 

This episode moves beyond the tech and focuses on meaningful, ethical co-creation with children. Learn how to use children's art and ideas as the foundation for meaningful stories that support social-emotional learning, document group projects, and ease transitions, all while upholding an educator’s professional responsibility to protect each child's digital identity.

✅ The 'golden rule' you need to follow for using generative image tools with child safety and EYLF principles in mind . 

✅ How to write the perfect 4-part AI prompt to create a custom storybook with your characters

✅ How to turn a child's drawing into the main character of a story. 

✅ How to create social-emotional stories to help navigate big feelings and common challenges. 

✅ How to use AI storybooks to document and celebrate group projects. 

✅ How to make transition tales for children starting school or a new room. 

✅ How to use AI as a 'what if' machine to spark older children's creativity in school and outside school hours care services.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Create a Personalised Storybook in Under 60 Seconds?

1:15 - The Goal: Practical & Ethical AI Strategies

3:20 - The Golden Rule: Our Professional Responsibility for Digital Safety

5:55 - My 4-Part Formula for the Perfect Story Prompt

10:10 - Using Other AI Tools to Write Your Script First

22:15 - IDEA 1: The Social-Emotional Story Weaver

29:45 - IDEA 2: From Child's Art to Published Author

35:45 - IDEA 3: The Group Project Chronicler

40:50 - IDEA 4: The Transition Tale

45:20 - IDEA 5: The "What If?" Machine (for OSHC)

51:45 - How to Save & Share Your AI Storybooks

56:10 - How to Continue Your AI Learning Journey

💡 Google Gemini: The AI tool with the free storybook creator feature.

💡 Anthropic Claude: An alternative AI tool for scripting your story text first.

💡 AI Empowered Educators Membership: Access specialised assistants like Maisie Mindful Inclusion and Dottie Documentation for brainstorming learning goals before you write your story prompt. 

🎬 Watch the video of this episode HERE

🌟 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

🟢 Are your program plans in step with the land - or just with the wall calendar?

In this episode of Early Education in the Age of AI, Jodie invites you to step outside, notice the signs of the season around you, and discover how to bring them into your planning in ways that are both engaging for children and respectful of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander seasonal knowledge.

🟣 What You'll Find Out:

✅ Why seasonal planning goes far beyond “spring” and “summer.”

✅ How Aboriginal seasonal calendars connect learning to place and culture.

✅ Common roadblocks educators face when planning with the seasons - and how to overcome them.

✅ Practical, beginner-friendly AI prompts to help you research, link to the EYLF, create provocations, and connect with families.

✅ Two real-life scenarios … one from a family daycare and one from an early learning centre, showing how AI can be adapted to different environments.

✅ Essential tips for ensuring your planning honours cultural protocols and community voices.

Whether you’re in a small backyard space or a sprawling early learning centre, you’ll leave with ideas you can try this week…starting with just one seasonal observation and three AI-generated learning experiences.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

🟢 AI Empowered Educators Membership

🟢 Create a Storybook with Google Gemini

🌟 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

🟢 EP 29 - Feeling unsure about how the September 2025 NQF changes will impact your service - or how to adapt without adding more hours to your current workload?

In this episode of Early Education in the Age of AI, I break down the latest National Quality Framework (NQF) updates in simple language, so you know exactly what’s changing and why. We’ll explore what these updates mean for early learning environments, family daycare, preschool, and OSHC services, and most importantly…how you can use simple, ethical AI tools to respond confidently while keeping your professional judgement at the core of your work.

🟢 Whether you’re an AI beginner or simply curious, this episode will help you:

✅ Understand the key changes coming into effect in September 2025

✅ See how they connect to your planning, documentation, and compliance tasks

✅ Learn 3 beginner-friendly ways AI can help with the planning cycle and incident reporting

✅ Save time while still meeting your obligations under the National Quality Standard (NQS)

✨ The main NQF changes arriving in September 2025 and how they affect educators in all service types

✨ How AI can support incident reporting, policy updates, and compliance documentation without risking privacy or ethics

✨ Practical examples of AI prompts tailored for early childhood and OSHC educators

✨ Tips to make sure AI strengthens… not replaces, your own professional knowledge

📌 Download the AI Prompts & Action Guide for NQF Changes on the Podcast Page HERE 

📌 Join me inside the AI Empowered Educators Membership – AI smartforms, chat assistants and training for all early childhood professionals

📌 National Quality Agenda IT System - An online tool offering providers secure direct communication with regulatory authorities

🌟 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

🟣 In This Episode...

Many educators feel that technology has no place in nature play, and for good reason. We want to protect the authentic, hands-on experiences that are central to early learning. However, this episode reframes the conversation, explaining how AI can be a useful ally for the educator behind the scenes. Find out how to use AI as a creative assistant and consultant to help develop a clear outdoor play philosophy that’s grounded in the ‘3rd Teacher’ approach, audit existing spaces for hidden potential, and brainstorm budget-friendly ideas for engaging playscapes using natural and upcycled loose parts.

Jodie also walks you through personalising specific prompts that will make it easier to create risk-benefit analyses that give you the confidence to facilitate challenging, adventurous play, and for brainstorming local seasonal observation guides that connect children to their specific environment. 

🟣 What You'll Find Out:

✅ How to use AI to define your unique outdoor play philosophy. 

✅ How to audit your outdoor space to find hidden potential. 

✅ How to brainstorm budget-friendly, nature-based play ideas. 

✅ How to create a risk-benefit analysis for adventurous play. 

✅ How to generate a locally focused seasonal observation guide. 

✅ How to communicate the value of outdoor play experiences to families.

🌟 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

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.

✅ 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.

What is one small change I can make to light or sound this week?

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

🌟 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

🟢 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?

🌟 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

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.

✅ 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.

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.

"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."

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?'"

🌟 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