One day · Eight regions · 2027
2027 AI Powered Educator Summit
Less time on the paperwork, more time for your ākonga. Spend one day learning to use AI confidently, safely and for every learner in your class — with live, hands-on training on the tools teachers are using right now.
Kia ora
A day built for classroom teachers
Every kaiako in Aotearoa is being asked to do more in the same hours. Used well, AI gives some of that time back — for planning, differentiating, feedback and whānau.
The 2027 AI Powered Educator Summit is led by Dr Craig Hansen and the Summit Institute team. It's for classroom teachers across the curriculum, from new entrants to senior secondary, wherever you're starting from. Novice or expert, everyone has a lot to gain.
Maybe you've never opened an AI tool. Maybe you use one every day. Either way, you'll leave with ideas and prompts you can use in class the next morning.
The Summit at a glance
- Format: one-day, in-person Summit
- Where: eight regions — see below
- Dates: 28 April to 11 June 2027 — see each region below
- Times: 8:30am to 2pm
- Cost: $280 + GST per teacher, with snacks and lunch included
- For: classroom teachers in any learning area, primary to secondary, and kura
I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Learning new things is always rewarding, and this opened my eyes, as I had never really used AI or technology in this way before.
The session gave me the inspiration and confidence to have another go and experiment. The simple shortcuts were so useful, and making songs was so much fun.
Eight regions
Find the Summit near you
The same one-day programme runs in each region, from 8:30am to 2pm.
Whangārei
Wednesday 28 April 2027
Auckland
Thursday 6 May 2027
Hamilton
Wednesday 12 May 2027
Taupō
Friday 21 May 2027
Wellington
Wednesday 26 May 2027
Blenheim
Thursday 3 June 2027
Christchurch
Wednesday 9 June 2027
Dunedin
Friday 11 June 2027
It was an awesome session! I'm taking away heaps to implement, especially at a new school that has some catching up to do. Taking these ideas back to my colleagues is going to make planning so much simpler, and I'm ready to put them into action right now. AI is a game-changer for planning, differentiation and bridging the gap for diverse learners. It's given me whole weekends back!
I had an awesome day learning from Craig and will definitely be putting what I have learnt to use. The introduction to the world of Gemini was a highlight. AI has saved me days!
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Our Summit partners
The 2027 AI Powered Educator Summit is proudly supported by these education technology companies.
I have learnt so much. My knowledge was limited, but now I feel more confident in what I am doing. I loved how TeachAid works for the classroom, and I think these simple tools will really lighten our load. I'm already saving hours — I don't even know how many!
Using TeachAid saves me time with scaffolding and differentiating — more than 8 hours a week.
On the day
What you'll take away
- Hands-on time with the toolsLive training on the partner tools, with time to try them on real planning, resources and tasks.
- Prompts you can use tomorrowPractical ideas for planning, differentiating, feedback and communicating with whānau.
- Every learner in viewHow AI can help your ESOL learners, your neurodiverse learners and the tamariki who need more stretch.
- Your judgement at the centreWhat to keep private, how to check what AI gives you, and when not to use it.
I had an awesome morning and learnt a lot. I'm excited to go back to my school and share this knowledge. Thank you for carefully explaining everything and answering questions so clearly. I can see AI helping me assess data, make interactive resources and create marking rubrics based on the new curriculum.
Thank you for the presentation today — it was very helpful. Turning off 'improve the model for everyone' in ChatGPT, and linking curriculum themes in Gemini, will be very useful for connecting our Special Character PD to next year's planning. AI saves me a few hours a week.
Ten themes
Ten themes, built around a teacher's real week
We've drawn together hundreds of ways teachers are using AI and grouped them into ten themes. One day can't cover them all, so join us as we use them as our map for the ideas shared: explore each theme and think about how AI could help you in that part of your teaching. Tap a theme to see the key ideas.
01 · Foundations & safe use
Theme 1 · AI foundations: prompting well and using AI safely
Get reliable, Aotearoa-relevant output first time — and know where the lines are.
- The Tell-It framework: who it is, what you want, how you like it
- Settings, custom instructions, Gemini Skills (replaced GEMs) and custom GPTs, and Gemini Notebook loaded with your own sources
- A quick routine for checking accuracy, invented facts, citations and curriculum statements
- Privacy: what never goes into a public tool, and why removing a name isn’t always enough
- Copyright, age limits and terms of use, including student images and voices
- The decisions that stay human: grades, diagnoses, safeguarding, discipline and cultural permissions
- Knowing when not to use AI
02 · Planning & curriculum
Theme 2 · Planning and curriculum design
Unit, term and lesson plans aligned to the refreshed NZ Curriculum (Te Mātaiaho), drafted in minutes and refined by you.
- Learning intentions and success criteria from the curriculum source you supply
- Unpacking the curriculum: knowledge, vocabulary, skills, prerequisites and likely misconceptions
- Checking a unit for gaps, repetition, sequencing and assessment alignment
- Explicit-teaching lesson structures, retrieval and spaced practice
- Contextualising learning to local places, student interests, current events and careers
- Hands-on lessons, mixed-year planning, and checking a plan fits the time you have
- Relief-teacher packs and contingency plans
03 · Resource creation
Theme 3 · Resource creation
Storybooks, worksheets, visuals, slides and quizzes — classroom-ready across every learning area.
- Worked examples, practice sets, reading passages, word problems, task cards and graphic organisers
- Storybooks and visuals with Gemini Storybook, image tools and TeachAid
- Slide outlines, glossaries, vocabulary cards, sentence starters and checklists
- Complete resource packages: explanation, worked example, scaffold, extension and exit ticket together
- Support for every learning area, from English and maths to the arts, technology and languages
- Checking resources for accuracy, reading demand, ambiguity and stereotypes
04 · Responsive teaching
Theme 4 · Responsive teaching and classroom culture
The small teaching moves, routines and relationships that make a lesson land.
- Think-aloud modelling, examples and non-examples, and multiple representations
- Questioning across levels, hinge questions and checks for understanding
- “If–then” lesson branches, alternative explanations and guided-practice hints
- Routines, transitions, participation structures and group roles
- Belonging activities, restorative conversation preparation and factual observation notes
- Welcome-back and transition plans for students returning or moving class
05 · Differentiation
Theme 5 · Differentiation and personalisation
One ambitious learning goal, many ways in.
- The same text at three or four reading levels, keeping the essential vocabulary
- Scaffolds that fade: fully worked, partly worked, prompted, then independent
- Extension that adds depth — justify, generalise, find a counterexample — not just more work
- Choice boards, learning pathways and interest-based practice
- Flexible, evidence-based grouping and tasks that target a specific misconception
- Targeted catch-up linked to what the class is learning now
- Student voice: learning conferences, goal tracking and next-step practice
06 · Inclusion & accessibility
Theme 6 · Inclusion, accessibility and learning support
Remove the barriers without lowering the bar.
- ESOL and multilingual learners: bilingual word banks, oral rehearsal and sentence frames
- Supporting neurodiverse learners, including ADHD, dyslexia, autistic learners and executive-function needs
- Visual schedules, social stories, “first, next, last” cards and task chunking
- Accessible formats: plain language, easy-read, captions, alt text and large print
- Assistive technology: text-to-speech, speech-to-text and transcription
- Drafting IEP and learning-support plan components for the team to refine, and teacher-aide briefs
07 · Assessment & feedback
Theme 7 · Assessment and feedback
Faster, more specific feedback — and clearer evidence of learning.
- Rubrics and student-friendly “I can” statements
- Diagnostic checks, parallel versions and multiple-choice options built on real misconceptions
- Feedback against criteria, turned into one clear next step for each student
- Finding class-wide patterns in anonymised work and planning reteaching
- Evidence mapping, moderation preparation and progress checks
- Self- and peer-assessment prompts
- Assessment that shows authentic learning: drafts, oral explanation and in-class evidence
08 · Whānau & community
Theme 8 · Whānau, culture and community
Stronger partnerships with whānau, and teaching that reflects who your learners are.
- Newsletters, learning updates, class stories and plain-language messages
- Translation drafts in home languages — te reo Māori, Samoan, Tongan, Hindi, Mandarin and more — checked by fluent speakers
- Parent–teacher conference preparation: strengths, evidence, next steps and questions for whānau
- Low-cost, low-tech learning activities for home
- Culturally responsive practice: checking resources for stereotypes and missing perspectives
- Respectful consultation with iwi, hapū and community, and care with mātauranga Māori
- Place-based inquiry using local people, places and sources
09 · Ākonga & AI literacy
Theme 9 · Ākonga and AI: literacy, critical thinking and agency
Teach students to use AI well — and to think without it.
- AI as a thinking partner: debate it, challenge it, improve its answers
- Spot the error, compare explanations and run prompt experiments
- Checking sources and citations, investigating bias and analysing generated media
- Inquiry projects, role-play simulations, design–build–test and science predictions
- Goal setting, self-explanation, hint sequences and asking for help well
- Acknowledging AI use, reflecting on it, and consolidating learning without AI
10 · Workload & growth
Theme 10 · Workload, workflows and professional growth
Claim back your time — then reinvest it in teaching and relationships.
- Emails, report comments, meeting notes, calendars, equipment lists and handover notes
- Dictation and AI inside the tools you already use, like Gemini in Gmail and Docs
- Reusable prompts, templates and repeatable workflows
- Working with colleagues and teacher aides: shared planning packs and moderation
- Teaching as inquiry, structured reflection and rehearsing difficult conversations
- Measuring what AI actually saves you — checking time included — and dropping what doesn’t help
Equity runs through all ten. Every theme asks the same question: how does this help every learner in your class — your ESOL learners, your neurodiverse learners, your tamariki who need more stretch — and how do you keep your professional judgement at the centre?
I came away with a clear prompt framework: tell it who it is, what you want, and how you like it — for example, asking for a three-lesson plan with hands-on options for neurodiverse Year 4 learners. Turning off data sharing in the settings and using RAG to add the NZ Curriculum were invaluable. Work smarter, not harder.
I learned how to use AI to save time and to make things fairer for all students, giving opportunities to kids who may not have had them before. It saves time, provides different creative tasks and levels the playing field.
The day
How the day runs
Each Summit runs from 8:30am to 2pm. The running order below is a draft.
- Welcome. 8:30am
- Sessions with Dr Craig Hansen and team.
- Live training on the partner tools with your regional ambassadors.
- Plan for your own classroom and share what works. Finish at 2pm.
The session gave me permission to try AI and give it a go. I can see it helping me with planning and assessment.
My key takeaway is that you always need a human in the loop. I can see AI helping me create lesson plans that meet the requirements of the new curriculum.
Who it's for
One Summit, whatever you teach
- Just getting started?We start with the foundations — how to prompt well, what to keep private, and how to check what AI gives you.
- Already using AI every day?Go further with custom assistants, reusable workflows and new tools to try.
- Any learning areaEnglish, maths, science, the arts, languages, technology and more.
- Any year levelPrimary, intermediate, secondary and kura.
As Head of Learning Area for Languages, I see a huge opportunity to lead my team in creating self-directed learning tools for students and for differentiation. The Tell-It prompt framework is easy for staff to use. Rather than saving time, I'm using my time differently — and my productivity has increased.
Valuable, flexible and practical learning about using AI as a tool for teachers and senior leaders — there was something for everyone. Creating Gems (now called Skills), personalising prompts and the Tell-It framework were my highlights.
From teachers already in the room
What classroom teachers tell us
Classroom teachers at our AI Breakfasts tell us AI is saving them around 5 hours a week — about 25 days across a 40-week school year.
At least a whole week of my school break used to go on term planning. AI has given me my life back. Storybook and the safety settings for ChatGPT were my stand-out takeaways, and the advice on differentiating for specific neurodiverse students was great.
Learning intentions, success criteria (I loved that) and prompting were my highlights. I'm going to save 10 hours a week because of what I learned today.
Keep learning after the Summit
Take the next step with an NZQA micro-credential in AI in Education, from Fundamentals to Advanced Applications.
Is your principal coming?
The 2027 AI Powered Principal Programme runs alongside the Summit, so your school's leaders and teachers can grow together.
Customisation and privacy were my key takeaways. My only wish is that the session had been longer!
Keeping ChatGPT safe was my key takeaway, and I'd love more time to go further.
More from teachers
What else teachers are saying
Feedback from classroom and specialist school teachers at our AI Breakfasts, teacher-only days and cluster meetings.
“An extremely valuable introduction to the wider uses of AI that can help us claim back our lives as teachers and leaders in the ongoing adventure of education! Thank you for your time. Using Gemini to speed up planning, teaching and resourcing so I can target all learners will save me hours.”
Classroom Teacher, Matakana“Thank you so much for your help and insight into how to use AI. You are very supportive, helpful and understanding, and you don't rush things. AI saves me heaps of time because it helps me cut down on over-planning.”
Classroom Teacher, Taumarunui“My stand-out takeaways were using Gemini to create storybooks and learning stories for students, and the Tell-It framework: tell it who it is, what you want, and how you like it.”
Classroom Teacher, Northcote, Auckland“It is great to be able to keep on top of the things that can help us with an already overflowing workload — it's fantastic to keep up with the times. Thank you! It has opened my thinking to the ways AI can help me even more in the classroom.”
Classroom Teacher, Gisborne“The presentation was very well delivered, and I feel the more we are exposed to using AI in school, the more confident we get. I'll use TeachAid to make plans and lessons that save time, and Gems (now called Skills) for reporting.”
Classroom Teacher, Māngere East, Auckland“I have enjoyed this immensely, and I can see that the rest of the slides will be a great resource. The big opportunities for me are planning better activities with differentiation, adding to Kahoot — which my students love — and changing languages where needed.”
Classroom Teacher, Auckland“I enjoyed all of the sessions — thank you so much. My stand-out takeaways were creating storybooks for our tamariki and learning how to mark students' writing using AI tools.”
Classroom Teacher, Ngatea“I loved it. I love using AI and getting work done more efficiently, and I picked up some great new tricks for creating music and images.”
Classroom Teacher, Gisborne“Really useful information that is relevant to our professional needs — straight to the point and clear. Learning how to edit my original prompt was a highlight, and now I just need to play and explore.”
Classroom Teacher, Gisborne“Great — thank you, it was so helpful. Learning to edit prompts and use RAG to ground AI in my own documents were my key takeaways.”
Classroom Teacher, Gisborne“I learned how to use prompts better and how to edit them to get the result I need.”
Classroom Teacher, Gisborne“What stood out for me is how much information AI puts at my fingertips.”
Classroom Teacher, Auckland“My stand-out takeaways were NotebookLM (Gemini Notebook) and RAG. Now I'm thinking about how to get all of my tamariki using this.”
Classroom Teacher, Waihī“Thank you for your insight and your time. Learning how to use Gemini and the concept of RAG will help me with productivity, efficiency and content delivery.”
Classroom Teacher, Auckland“The creative things AI can make, like songs and storybooks, were really interesting. I'll use it for planning and creating extras for my lessons, and I think it could save me a couple of hours a week.”
Classroom Teacher, Matakana“Thank you so much! The storybook feature and learning how to prompt were my highlights. I'll use AI for reports, emails, and lesson and unit plans — I'm going to save 5 hours a week.”
Classroom Teacher, Matakana“I enjoyed the session — thank you. The storybooks were new to me, and I can see AI helping to reduce my workload by many hours.”
Classroom Teacher, Matakana“Keeping the context small, changing the prompt and downloading straight to Docs were really useful. Planning and creating with AI saves a lot of time — hours!”
Classroom Teacher, Matakana“Creating Gems (now called Skills) for data analysis was my stand-out takeaway. AI will save me hours — a single unit plan could otherwise take me a day or more.”
Classroom Teacher, Hamilton“Thank you — what a great morning! TeachAid and making Gems (now called Skills) gave me so much to explore. AI will save me at least an hour a week on planning alone.”
Classroom Teacher, Tauwhare, Waikato“I was impressed by how capable AI is and how much it can do. It will help me with planning, reports, unit plans, long-term plans, emails and letters, saving me at least a few hours a week on creating images and emails.”
Classroom Teacher, Waikato“Using Gems (now called Skills) to create storybooks and music was my highlight. AI is already saving me about 3 hours a week.”
Classroom Teacher, Bay of Plenty“I now have a deeper understanding of the features in ChatGPT and Gemini, and I'm looking forward to having a play with TeachAid. I'll use AI to write reports and analyse students' writing, which saves me one to two hours a week.”
Classroom Teacher, Tauranga“A great session — well presented and engaging, and perfect for most of the people there. TeachAid could be really beneficial for my colleagues, and AI saves me countless hours.”
Classroom Teacher, Tauranga“ChatGPT and TeachAid gave me useful, practical ways to use AI. It means better use of my time and more effective ways to plan.”
Classroom Teacher, Awakeri“We went in depth into different AI tools and how each one works, and I can take what I learned straight into a teaching setting. AI can reduce the stress of planning and help create exciting content for the classroom — it's saving me about 5 hours a week.”
Classroom Teacher, Ōpōtiki“Using Gems (now called Skills) was my highlight! I'm keen to share what we've learnt with staff for long-term planning, and to create a school-wide system for integrated and unit planning.”
Classroom Teacher, Gisborne“I mainly use AI for inspiration rather than for planning — for translations, worksheets and ideas — and it saves me one to two hours a week.”
Classroom Teacher, Auckland“The storybook, image and music features of Gemini were my highlights, along with the Tell-It format for writing prompts.”
Classroom Teacher, Auckland“Gemini Storybook was my highlight. I'll use AI for lesson plans, and it saves me around 25 hours a week.”
Classroom Teacher, Auckland“Storybook mode was my highlight, and AI is great for making PowerPoint slides.”
Classroom Teacher, Auckland“AI gives me lesson ideas for inquiry topics I'm less familiar with. As I host student teachers every year, I also want to make sure new teachers learn to be the human in the room.”
Classroom Teacher, Auckland“The prompts were amazing for generating lessons. I see big opportunities for storytelling, differentiated instruction, graphs and assessments, and AI saves me about 3 hours a week.”
Classroom Teacher, Auckland“Storybook and music creation were my highlights. I'll use AI for planning ideas and making posters, and I'm keen to see whether it can help with my reports. It's saving me around 15 hours a week.”
Classroom Teacher, Auckland“AI-created stories were my highlight. I can see lots of opportunities for writing and inquiry, and I'm thinking about how to bring this into my writing lessons.”
Classroom Teacher, Auckland“Using Gemini to create stories and ChatGPT to create and link lessons was really useful. I'll create lesson plans, notes and activities — including lessons for neurodiverse students — and it saves me two to three hours a week.”
Classroom Teacher, Auckland“Thanks — awesome, practical information! Gemini Storybook, ChatGPT preferences, altering prompts and making songs were my highlights. As a team leader with a large workload, I'm keen for any practical ideas that reduce it, and AI already saves me about an hour a week.”
Classroom Teacher, Auckland“I realised there is lots more for me to learn about AI. It's a game-changer for neurodiverse learners — social stories for them! — and it saves me a lot of time.”
Classroom Teacher, Auckland“Thank you for a great session. There was lots of learning, and it was really engaging and fun. Gemini can support students' learning in class in so many ways, and good prompts make planning so much easier. As you become more proficient, it will save many hours.”
Classroom Teacher, Auckland“Thank you so much for the session today. Rethinking how to use the tools we already have was my key takeaway, and I'm keen to increase the use of AI across our team. It's saving me about 12 hours a week.”
Classroom Teacher, Hawke's Bay“Learning how to use Gems (now called Skills), and how to use te reo Māori in ChatGPT, were my highlights. I'll use AI for cross-curricular planning, data analysis, grouping and spotting trends — it saves me about 8 hours a week.”
Classroom Teacher, New Plymouth“I learned to prompt more effectively and to create Gems (now called Skills). I'll use AI for reporting and creating unit plans, and it saves me hours.”
Classroom Teacher, Whanganui“Creating Gems (now called Skills) with our school logo and learning how TeachAid can help were my highlights. We'll use AI for lesson plans, unit overviews and Gems (now called Skills) to assess data as a syndicate — it saves me about 5 hours a week.”
Classroom Teacher“The key idea I took away is to let AI help you make your job easier.”
Specialist School Teacher“Gems (now called Skills) were my key takeaway. It was the perfect introduction, and I'm excited about the customised possibilities for our kura.”
Specialist School Teacher“Learning how to use Gemini was my key takeaway. It was awesome — thank you.”
Specialist School Teacher“I learned how to use AI in my school, and I'd love more time with it.”
Specialist School Teacher“Saving time was the big idea for me. It was great.”
Specialist School Teacher“I learned how to use AI — and I want more of it!”
Specialist School TeacherSave your place at the 2027 Summit
Join teachers from across Aotearoa learning to use AI well — for their workload, their ākonga and their whānau.
The investment is $280 + GST per teacher. Snacks and lunch are included.