Play as Justice: Designing Liberatory Play Worlds with Generative AI in Early Childhood Education

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 11:45 am - Gold 2
  In Roundtable Session: Connecting the past, present, and future: Reclaiming play and literacy for all children

Abstract

This study examines how early childhood education students engage with generative AI tools to design justice-centered dramatic play scenes for second grade children. Implemented in an Early Childhood course in a Southern California public university, the project explores how students use ChatGPT, DALL·E, and Canva AI to co-create play worlds rooted in themes like anti-racism, linguistic equity, and disability inclusion. Framed by the 2026 AERA theme, this work draws on liberatory early childhood scholarship and critical digital literacy. Data will include student artifacts, reflections, and in-class observations. By analyzing how students critique AI bias, affirm children’s diverse identities, and co-create imaginative play scenes, this study contributes to a new vision for teacher preparation, one that bridges equity, technology, and creativity.

Author

• Michelle DeJohnette, Cal Poly Pomona