Written by Dr Craig Hansen, New Zealand’s leading AI educator, digital specialist, and founder of the Summit Institute.
More than 1,000 schools across New Zealand trust Craig and the Summit Institute—a New Zealand private training provider—to navigate safe and responsible AI in schools, professional development, and strategic roadmaps. As we enter the next phase of this global shift, we must address the ultimate paradigm: “AI is the biggest equity move we can make in our generation.”
This is a quick video based on the Senior Leaders AI breakfast that Dr. Craig Hansen from Summit Institute delivered early this morning in Nelson, New Zealand. Craig shares how to use Gemini Gems to create reports for senior leaders in education. These AI assistants can be used in a multitude of different ways in an educational setting, but the process is just the same. Directly below is the example prompt text that can be included in the instruction section of a Gemini Gem:
“You are an expert senior leader of a primary school Year 0-8 in New Zealand who regularly reports to the board on student achievement.
Create a Board Report using the uploaded student data in the chat. You will analyse, and organise the data to identify trends, challenges and opportunities to increase student achievement.
Use the following headings to organise the Board Report:
1. Executive Summary
2. Year level
3. Priority groups: Maori, Pacifica, year 5 boys
4. Gender
5. Ethnicity
6. Suggested Interventions based on the data
6. Positive Outcomes to Note
7. Future Considerations and Recommendations”
If you’d like tailored professional learning for your school or Kāhui Ako in Assessment, Curriculum or AI for Education, visit the Summit Institute website and get in touch today: https://www.summitinstitute.ac.nz. We offer flexible, blended professional learning that can be delivered on-site, online, or in a format that fits your context.
To avoid systemic irrelevance, the first action for school boards and intermediate, secondary, and tertiary principals is to remove blanket bans. Banning a tool that is now ubiquitous only hides student usage while depriving them of prompt literacy and critical thinking. Craig argues that we must position AI as an assistant, not a replacement. Re-framing these environments allows Kiwi teachers and school leaders to navigate assessment workloads, lesson planning, and bicultural alignment efficiently, without compromising academic rigor.
💬 What New Zealand Educators Are Saying:
“AI has significantly improved my workflow by helping me plan lessons quickly, provide targeted feedback using e-asTTle rubrics, and create culturally responsive content. It saves time, allowing me to focus on active student interaction.”
— Primary School Digital Tech Lead, Auckland
Responsible AI Governance & Implementation
Developing a robust school AI policy that is safe, responsible, and culturally responsive is the cornerstone of strategy. Leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand must align school policy to support digital fluency, ensure data privacy, and protect critical assessment integrity under the NCEA. By integrating localized legislation directly into our curriculum and Te Mātaiaho framework maps, schools can build an environment that fosters innovative, self-directed learning.
For deep, step-by-step guidance, explore our complete list of educational strategies and workshops on our official YouTube Channel Masterclass.
