You don't need to be an AI expert to get real value from AI. You need one small job on your to-do list and about five minutes.

In the first episode of The Empowered Educator Podcast, I share five simple ways I use AI as a teaching assistant in my own classroom. None of them are big or flashy. They're the everyday tasks that quietly eat our week, and in every one, you're still the trained educator making the professional calls.

In this episode:

• Brainstorming and getting started. Get past the blank page with lesson hooks, discussion questions, exit tickets and real-world scenarios you can contextualise for your class.
• Creating and adapting resources. Turn a text, a video or a tired old worksheet into quizzes, scaffolds, vocabulary activities and more, without starting from scratch.
• Differentiation and accessibility. Adjust reading levels, add sentence starters and build extension questions so more students can access the same learning.
• Feedback and assessment support. Build comment banks, exemplars and student-friendly marking criteria. I also explain how I de-identify student work, and why privacy and school policy come first.
• Tackling the little jobs. Draft emails, notices, agendas and newsletter content, and fix the awkward sentences that take longer than they should.

Five minutes saved doesn't sound like much. Five minutes saved several times a week adds up to time back for your students, your own growth, or just being a human outside school hours.

So start small. Pick one job, try one idea, and see what it gives YOU back.

Want the video version and slide deck from this episode? They're included for Empowered Educator Hub members: www.tristanheron.com/hub

Stay connected

Facebook: www.facebook.com/EvolveEdTech

Instagram: www.instagram.com/EvolveEdTech

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@tristanheron

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TristanHeron

Here's something I'm certain of: you have an answer to a question another educator is asking right now.

That idea is the reason The Empowered Educator Podcast exists.

In this trailer, I introduce myself and explain what the show is about. I'm a fully qualified K-12 teacher. I've spent most of my career in secondary schools teaching English and History, and I'm still teaching full-time. Every tool, strategy and idea I share here has to work in a real classroom on a real Tuesday.

In this episode:

• The Moodle moment. In 2012, one-to-one devices were first rolling into Australian high schools. That's when I found out what EdTech can actually do.
• A bushfire summer. In January 2020, the smoke kept us all inside. Those weeks became the starting point for The EdTech Teacher, then Evolve EdTech, and now Tristan Heron.
• Why it's personal now. There's no corporation and no support team. It's one teacher building practical support for other teachers after the bell.
• How the podcast will work. There are four seasons a year to match the four school terms. Each season has five episodes of about 30 minutes, released fortnightly.

This show is for teachers, school leaders and support staff who want to use technology and AI with confidence, without the overwhelm. It's also for anyone who suspects their classroom know-how could help educators well beyond their own school. It can.

So grab a cuppa. This is the voice that'll be in YOUR ear every fortnight.

Want practical EdTech support between episodes? Join the Empowered Educator Hub: www.tristanheron.com/hub

Stay connected

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/EvolveEdTech
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/EvolveEdTech
• TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@tristanheron
• YouTube: www.youtube.com/@TristanHeron