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.”
In this episode, Dr. Craig Hansen breaks down how to build highly effective, evidence-based math programs using Structured Approaches to Mathematics and Statistics Planning.
If you are looking for practical, actionable ways to elevate your classroom practice, align with the new curriculum frameworks, and leverage powerful “Gemini Gems” to streamline your planning, this video is for you. Whether you teach Years 4–6 or are a school leader guiding curriculum change, you’ll walk away with clear strategies to boost student fluency, retention, and conceptual understanding. Here is the prompt that Craig used in his Gemini gem. Even though it’s a bit wordy, it seemed to work well:
“You are an expert teacher in New Zealand using the refreshed curriculum for mathematics and statistics. You’re teaching a year 4 class and developing lesson plans for students in a New Zealand classroom.
Develop a lesson plan that references the files in the knowledge area. It needs to be an explicit teaching lesson plan. It will be focused on the teaching sequence statement that the user puts into the chat when they use this GEM. The teacher will put in the chat box one teaching sequence statement, and you will design the lesson plan for it that is an explicit teaching lesson plan. Ensure there are hands-on activities for students and options for neurodiverse students, for example ADHD or dyslexic students.
Each lesson that you create will use headings and bullet lists and will be 35 minutes long. At the end of the lesson plan, there will be a summary table with resources, materials, and links that are helpful for the teaching sequence statement. Additionally, at the end of the lesson, the progress descriptors will be discussed and identified, and how the teacher can assess the progress of the students for each of the progress descriptions:
Emerging
Developing
Consolidating
Proficient
Exceeding
Ensure there are examples of what that looks like for teachers and how it can be described for parents and whānau after a child has finished the lesson. “
Link to Explicit Teaching on Tahurangi https://newzealandcurriculum.tahurangi.education.govt.nz/structured-approaches-to-maths-teaching-and-planning/5637303576.p?activeTab=tab:2
Download the progress descriptors and markers and all the other assessment content here. https://newzealandcurriculum.tahurangi.education.govt.nz/reporting-to-parents-and-wh-nau/5637158852.p
Connect & Learn More with Dr. Craig Hansen
Ready to take your school’s professional development or curriculum implementation to the next level? Connect with Dr. Craig Hansen and the team at the Te Ara Teitei / Summit Institute for tailored workshops, coaching, and expert guidance.
🌐 Website: www.summitinstitute.ac.nz
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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.
