This podcast episode helps educators replace token gestures with genuine, ongoing cultural inclusion. Jodie Clarke shares reflective AI prompts, planning tips and partnership strategies that respect cultural protocols while fitting the realities of everyday practice. From designing culturally connected spaces to documenting learning meaningfully, you’ll gain clear, confidence-building steps to honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives throughout your programme.
In “5 Ways to Turn Notes into Meaningful Observations with AI,” Jodie kicks off her AI Empowered Planning Cycle mini-series with five practical methods for turning scribbled notes into comprehensive observations. Learn a simple 3-step AI prompt sequence that keeps your unique voice, connects play to EYLF outcomes, and produces family-friendly language – cutting 20 minutes or more from every observation while lifting documentation quality.
“How AI Can Help Educators Make Learning Visible” flips the focus from pretty walls to powerful stories. Jodie explains how AI can transform fleeting observations into rich, EYLF-aligned narratives, suggest innovative digital and outdoor display ideas, and streamline your entire documentation cycle, so families, assessors and, most importantly, children see real learning on show, not generic décor.
In “Use AI to Create Social Stories, Visual Schedules & Communication Boards,” Jodie shows educators how Claude, ChatGPT and her own Empowered Educator assistants can break ‘blank-page syndrome’. Follow detailed prompting frameworks to draft, refine and personalise professional visual supports, keep content culturally sensitive, and link every resource back to EYLF outcomes…all while safeguarding privacy and saving hours of planning time.
“Embedding Sustainability into Play-Based Learning with AI” shows educators how to design eco-friendly experiences that fit any setting, from family daycare to OSHC. Jodie shares AI prompts for instant activity ideas, tips for documenting and sharing progress with families, and guidance on funding bigger green projects, so sustainability becomes a natural, enjoyable part of your programme rather than another task on your to-do list.
In “Using AI to Plan, Document & Extend Learning Through Invitations & Provocations,” Jodie clarifies when to set up an intentional invitation and when to spark inquiry with a provocation. Learn to prompt AI assistants for new ideas using resources you already own, capture learning quickly in EYLF language, and map clear extensions – all so you can spend less time at a screen and more time engaging with children.
Using AI to Write Your Summative Assessments” guides you through a clear, five-stage method for turning scattered notes into personalised, framework-aligned reports – without the overwhelm. Jodie shares ready-to-use prompts, shows how to organise observations in seconds, and explains techniques to keep reports warm and authentic while letting AI handle structure and polish. Whether you’re new to AI or already experimenting, you’ll leave with practical steps to halve your writing time and produce assessments that truly capture each child’s learning journey.
In “Rethinking Behaviour Management – A Connection-Based Approach with AI Support,” Jodie shows educators how to shift from controlling behaviour to understanding it. You’ll learn the principles of relationship-focused guidance, discover layered AI prompting techniques for real situations, and master the TEST method to adapt AI suggestions to your unique early learning environment. Practical workflows, common pitfalls and family-friendly communication tips turn tricky moments into opportunities for deeper connection…all while keeping your authentic educator voice front and centre.
Using AI to Create More Personalised Professional Development for Educators” reveals how Jodie turns tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity into on-demand mentors. Learn to map your skill gaps, build custom learning plans, and tap AI for resource curation, reflection questions and assessment support. Leaders will also find team-wide strategies for targeted growth – all aimed at making PD flexible, relevant and immediately useful in your early learning environment.
In “Understanding Educational Theories with Perplexity AI,” Jodie shows you how to replace endless Googling with quick, credible information. Discover prompts that compare key theorists, see how Perplexity’s follow-up feature keeps you focused, and learn to tie findings straight to EYLF outcomes. Perfect for new and experienced educators who want reliable, source-linked information without the research overwhelm.
In “How To Train Your Team on the Responsible Use of AI,” Jodie gives directors and coordinators a clear roadmap for moving staff from hesitant AI dabblers to confident, ethical users. You’ll learn how to gauge your team’s AI readiness, choose the right mix of workshops, mentoring and online courses, and weave realistic early-childhood examples into every session. Jodie shares practical frameworks for addressing the “cheating” stigma, aligning AI with your service philosophy and EYLF/NQS expectations, and building a culture of continuous learning that lifts documentation quality while trimming workload. Press play to turn generic AI outputs into personalised, professional insights that truly reflect each child’s learning journey.
In this episode – “Developing an AI Policy for Your Early Childhood Service,” Jodie takes you through a clear, collaborative process for writing and introducing an AI policy that truly protects children and empowers educators. You’ll discover the twelve essential components every policy needs – from data privacy and ethical safeguards to staff roles, family consent and ongoing review. Jodie explains how to map AI applications to EYLF principles and NQS elements, engage your team and families, and build sustainable systems for training, incident response and continuous improvement. Realistic examples, practical frameworks and a free PDF Action & Reflection Guide make it easy to move from ideas to action, whether you’re just starting out or refining AI practices already in place. Press play to turn potential confusion into confident, strategic leadership in the age of artificial intelligence.
In “Smart AI Strategies To Support Quality Improvement & Assessment,” Jodie Clarke explores how AI tools like Claude, Gemini and ChatGPT can help early childhood professionals in Australia align practices with the EYLF and NQS. You’ll learn to generate engaging programme ideas, simplify documentation and assessment, and drive your service’s quality improvement journey—all while maintaining ethical use and professional judgment. Perfect for educators and leaders seeking a supportive, collaborative approach to AI in their early learning environments.
In this episode of the Early Education in the Age of AI podcast, we delve into the world of learning stories, a popular observation method in early childhood education that celebrates the unique learning journeys of each child. We explore the core principles that set learning stories apart from traditional observation methods, highlighting their strength-based approach, detailed storytelling style descriptions, and emphasis on interpretation and analysis.
In this essential episode of Early Education in the Age of AI, Jodie explains how to write effective prompts that generate meaningful, personalised responses, and more importantly, how to review and revise AI content so it truly reflects your unique educator voice and expertise.