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.”
📐 Using Gemini GEM to Create Progress Descriptor Examples in Maths 🇳🇿
Are you a New Zealand educator trying to unpack the Ministry of Education’s new five progress descriptors? In this video, Dr. Craig Hansen travels up to Pukepoto School in Kaitaia to show how teachers can combine the power of AI with the Refreshed Curriculum to bring consistency, clarity, and speed to student reporting! This got us thinking, so we created a video about Gemini – though we did not do this during the day at the school as our focus was non-technical.
Learn how to use Gemini to instantly break down complex curriculum sequence statements into specific classroom indicators for teachers and clear, actionable descriptions for parents and whānau.
Using RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation), Gemini references your uploaded documents exactly—ensuring the output is completely accurate to the NZ context without making up information.
⏱️ Timestamps
0:00 – Intro: Visiting Pukepoto School & The Assessment Challenge
0:50 – The Struggle of Unpacking Progress Descriptors for Mid-Year Reports
1:50 – Looking at the Progress Descriptor Poster (Teachers vs. Parents Columns)
2:45 – Setting up the AI Prompt using the TALIT Framework
4:05 – Uploading the Curriculum Sequence Statement (Year 4 Geometry)
5:30 – Reviewing Gemini’s Output: From Emerging to Exceeding
8:00 – Integrating AI Data into Hero, KMAR, ETAP, or EDGE
8:30 – Learn More: NZQA-Accredited Micro-Credentials for Educators
📋 The Exact Gemini Prompt Used in the Video:
Copy and paste this prompt directly into Gemini to try it yourself! Make sure to upload your Ministry of Education Progress Descriptors PDF first (see the link below).
“You are an expert teacher of mathematics in year four in New Zealand and you’re teaching geometry using the New Zealand Refreshed Curriculum October, 2025. You will use the uploaded five progress descriptors and the indicators for teachers and the descriptors for parents and whānau to break down what the particular sequence statement below looks like according to the five progress descriptors of emerging, developing, consolidating, proficient, and exceeding.
[PASTE CURRICULUM SEQUENCE STATEMENT HERE]”
🔗 Resources & Links
🌐 Summit Institute Website: https://summitinstitute.ac.nz
The Five Progress Descriptors https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MVBngLhyaWSRnmItc2MFOJyGaqqrzYVG/view?usp=drive_link
📜 NZQA Approved Micro-Credentials: Want to master ChatGPT, Gemini, and Notebook LM in your school? Reach out to us for the only NZQA-accredited AI micro-credentials for educators in New Zealand!
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#NZEd #PrimaryTeaching #MathsNZ #AIEducation #GeminiAI #SummitInstitute #NewZealandCurriculum
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.
