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 video, Dr Craig Hansen from Summit Institute explores how schools can bring together sound assessment practice with the ‘Using the Rubrics’ document provided by the Ministry of Social Development for Reading, Writing and Mathematics, coherent curriculum design, and practical uses of AI to improve teaching and learning. You’ll see how thoughtful assessment, clear learning progressions, and well-chosen AI tools can work together to reduce workload, sharpen professional judgment, and support better outcomes for learners.
To make life easier, you can download the document from my Google Drive here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PVZl3qdhxMXS3wUZXUpVnTK_WXEG2VJq/view?usp=sharing
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.
