Sovereign AI in NZ Education is a two part series that invites educators, AI developers, wh`ānau, students, and other interested people to consider how we - in Aotearoa - can design, build, and use AI tools. The goal of these sessions is to spark and support the creation of AI tools and practices that best serve the aspirations of our students and whānau, and blend well with the skills and insights of New Zealand's educators.

Part 1:

Generative AI is already in Aotearoa’s primary classrooms. It is used by many teachers for planning and by ākonga both in and out of school. However, policy, training, and culturally safe practice haven’t always kept pace.

In this talk, David Coblentz will provide research-based insights into:

teacher adoption patterns,
what students say they’re doing (and worrying about), and
where schools are missing guidance.

We'll also discuss what AI sovereignty could mean in education in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Then we can close with some practical steps for boards, leaders, kaiako, and whānau to support constructive and equitable AI use in Years 5–8.

*While the formal (and online) event will finish at 5pm, those attending in person are encouraged to stay on for snacks and drinks to share. Stay till 6pm or later, and get into the ideas more deeply, in a room full of good people.

David Coblentz is a Senior Statistician at NZCER. In addition to an undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Physics, David holds advanced degrees in Biostatistics (MS), History (PhD), and International Studies (MA) from the University of Washington in Seattle. Prior to coming to NZCER and transitioning into an educational research career in 2021, David worked as a biostatistician, data analytics director, and statistical consultant. David also has university teaching experience in history. His areas of interest include data analysis and data science, history education, evaluation, and AI in education.

Part 2 will follow within two weeks of David Coblentz's presentation. It will be an online event that features two or three local AI in education developers, talking about their current development projects.

We intend to record both parts and make them available via our community site - https://community.sovereignai.nz/