Leading AI & Digital Strategy Workshop
For School Principals & Senior Leaders in Education
9am – 4pm | Thursday 23 October 2025 | Crowne Plaza, Auckland
A practical separately bookable workshop to equip Principals and Senior Leaders of New Zealand primary and secondary schools or kura with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to lead the development of a future-focused digital strategy that incorporates AI.
With a strong focus on governance, this session explores the opportunities, limitations, and risks of AI, and provides hands-on experience with leading AI tools to support effective planning, policy development, and engagement with your school board and community.
Meet your facilitator
Dr Rod Lane is the Director of Learning and Innovation at the NZ School Boards Association (NZSBA). A former Associate Professor and Head of Learning and Teaching at Macquarie University (Sydney), he draws upon two decades of leadership in curriculum design, assessment, and educational technology to support school leaders in their crucial management and governance roles.
Who should attend?
- Principals, Deputy Principals
- Senior School Leaders
- Educators and team members involved in shaping digital strategy or exploring meaningful ways to integrate AI into school leadership, teaching, or operations.
Why attend?
- Build confidence to lead AI and digital strategy in your school or kura
- Understand your management responsibilities and the governance role of the board
- Learn how to create your own AI-powered and customised Digital Strategy Assistant
- Walk away with a draft digital strategy and AI assistant for ongoing support
Workshop outcomes
Participants will leave with greater confidence and clarity in governing and managing digital strategy and AI adoption in their schools or kura, They will be equipped with:
- A clear understanding of opportunities, limitations, and risks of AI in school contexts
- Knowledge of the board’s role in the governance of technology including AI in schools or kura
- Hands-on experience with AI tools and an understanding of their applications for the management and governance of schools and kura
- A draft framework for a digital strategy incorporating the ethical and legal use of AI tools
Workshop content / agenda
1. Welcome & Scene Setting
- Workshop goals and outcomes for school boards and leaders
- Introductions: mapping where you are at on your AI journey
- Essential AI literacy for school leaders
- The principles of effective AI integration in schools
- Understanding the governance and management dimensions of AI integration
2. Overview of AI Opportunities, Limitations and Risks
- What AI is and how it’s being used in schools or kura
- Responsibilities under the Education and Training Act 2020
- Implications for your board’s decision-making and oversight
- Opportunities: use cases for GenAI in school leadership
- Risks and mitigation strategies: privacy, copyright, equity and fairness, and Māori data sovereignty
3. Governance and Your Board’s Role in AI Adoption
- Board responsibilities under New Zealand governance frameworks
- Key oversight questions your board should ask
- Does this align with our vision and values?
- Are equity and inclusion considered?
- Are our policies and risk management processes fit for purpose?
- How will we monitor and evaluate the impact on student outcomes?
- What reporting mechanisms do we need from the principal?
- What are the Te Tiriti o Waitangi and digital equity obligations?
- How are decisions around digital technology impacting on student learning outcomes?
4. Building a Governance-Aligned Digital Strategy
- Core elements of an effective school or kura digital strategy
- Aligning AI adoption with your school’s vision, risk management, and resourcing
- Building policies and frameworks that support strategic decisions
- Adapting existing policies rather than creating entirely new ones
- Connection to existing health and safety, privacy, and curriculum policies
5. Hands-on AI Experience
- Assessing your schools’ digital readiness
- Building a customised Digital Strategy Assistant using AI tools
- Applying the AI Assistant to produce the first draft of your school’s Digital Strategy
6. Final Wrap-Up and Next Steps
- Summary of tools, templates, and checklists
- Creating your personal action plan
- How to engage effectively with your board on AI and digital strategy
- Evaluation forms and closing karakia
Participants will need to bring a laptop that can connect to Wi-Fi.
