NEX Summit 2023

Monday 5 May & Tuesday 6 May 2025

For a detailed programme of the two-day Summit click below.

The Summit is designed specifically for NEX leaders and kaiārahi. You are welcome to bring up to three people from your executive. All 35 NEX have been invited.

Ko Hikurangi te maunga, ko Waiapū te awa, ko Ngāti Porou te iwi, ko Pōkai te wharenui, ko Te whānau ā Pōkai te hapū, ko Te Kapa a Hinekōpeka te tūrangawaewae, ko Pania Te Maro ahau - Daughter of Fred and Margaret, sister of Steven, Brent and Rana, mother of five, nanny of 13.

Pania has a background of teaching and leadership in Māori Immersion educational settings. She is an Associate Professor and Kaihautū Māori at Te Kura o te Mātauranga – Institute of Education at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa - Massey University, and a Kaiārahi Tiriti for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Pania is currently a principal investigator for a Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (NZCER), which is a 3-year funded research project investigating how schools, kaiako and mokopuna enact mana ōrite for mātauranga Māori when they teach and learn mathematics. This year is the second year of the research. She also advises on a science project with a very similar exploration.

“The next steps for Networks of Expertise (NEX) as a Te Tiriti honouring organisation.”

Pania’s research investigates how mātauranga Māori can be equitably privileged alongside mathematics knowledge in education. Her work has contributed to a system where the Crown and Māori as Tiriti signatories welcome and encourage opportunities for exploration into the diverse knowledge systems that we have here in Aotearoa New Zealand. Pania will work with you to share how you support your teams to operationalise equity for mātauranga Māori across your streams of work. She will support you to consider how this aligns with Te Tiriti provisions, using a Critical Tiriti Analysis framework to articulate what your desired next steps will be, and how they can be actioned. She will also be talking with you about pipi and kina, rain and Ranginui.  

Adult Learning - Creating Sticky Learning for Adults: This session will be presented by Tim Thatcher, who is currently the Team Lead for The Department of Conservation’s Learning and Development team. They are responsible for training 3000 staff in leadership and technology skills. As a former high school teacher of 9 years, Tim is familiar with the challenge of providing professional development to teachers.

Most people forget what you’ve taught them so the art to effective training is to design learning that sticks! In this session with Tim, you’ll explore what motivates adult learners and how to tap into that motivation. Together, you will look at some tools to help create a learning environment for adults that is empowering and most of all effective. You’ll see how professional development is done at the Department of Conservation and consider how some of these approaches can be used to create adult learning experiences that lifts people up and helps them succeed.

Literacy & Mathematics Presentation: This session brings together two Networks of Expertise (PENZ and NZBoGT) to showcase innovative approaches to embedding literacy and numeracy. Presenters will share strategies, resources, and professional development opportunities designed to support educators in meeting co-requisite requirements and strengthen literacy and numeracy in their subjects.

Artifical Intelligence (AI): Three presentations on AI from TDA, DTTA and Tim Gander from AIEdCop.

- TDA’s AI Policy, Risk Assessment, and Chatbot: Tools for NEX Leaders:

This session will unveil TDA’s AI Policy and Risk Assessment Framework, providing NEX with key documents to navigate AI safely and effectively. Attendees will gain access to these resources and learn how they can be applied within their networks.

TDA will also introduce its AI chatbot, designed to support teachers with NZ curriculum-aligned support. A live demonstration will showcase how the chatbot works, its safety guardrails, and the content it was trained on. NEX leaders will have exclusive access to test the tool in Term 2, ahead of its nationwide launch in Term 4.

To wrap up, TDA will introduce practical AI tools, available free for NEX via Arcanum and AWS, designed to streamline tasks and save time for NEX leaders.

‍- AI Framework: Digital Technologies Teachers Aotearoa (DTTA) has developed an AI framework to guide schools in integrating artificial intelligence into teaching and learning. This framework provides a structured approach to understanding AI, its applications, and how it can be used effectively in education. They have also developed a set of tools to support decision makers, including teachers, to select AI tools for specific uses.

In this presentation, DTTA will present the journey and framework and invite insights, feedback, and discussion from NEX leaders. This is an opportunity to shape the future of AI in schools, ensuring the framework and tools meets the diverse needs of teachers and learners across Aotearoa.

- AI Community of Practice: Join Tim Gander as he introduces the AI Community of Practice, explaining how it works, its vision for the year ahead, and its role in shaping AI integration in education. This session will explore the potential for collaboration between NEX and the AI Community of Practice, creating opportunities to support teachers nationwide.

Choice of workshops: (You will need to select one)

1. Honouring Te Tiriti: A NEX's experience: Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Art Educators (ANZAAE) is committed to becoming a Te Tiriti-honouring organisation, embedding tikanga Māori into its structures, resources, and professional learning opportunities. This workshop will explore ANZAAE’s journey—its challenges, successes, and the practical steps taken to ensure that Te Tiriti principles are woven into its governance, resources, events, and network support.
2. Lessons Learned from Implementing UKD: Social Sciences were the first curriculum area to implement the ‘Understand, Know, Do’ (UKD) framework, thus gaining a wealth of insights into how this approach should be rolled out to teachers.  Over the past several years, Aotearoa Social Studies Educators Network (ASSEN) has worked alongside teachers to navigate the challenges, refine strategies, and develop practical ways to embed UKD effectively in classrooms. This workshop offers a unique opportunity to learn what worked, what didn’t, and what to consider when rolling out UKD in other curriculum areas. Don’t start from scratch—build on the lessons learned from Social Sciences.
3. TDA Extra Support: An opportunity to talk with the TDA team about anything and everything NEX. It could be issues, problems, questions and the team will do their best to help. If you register for this workshop, you will be contacted by TDA to best tailor our support.

Panel Discussion: A panel of NEX Leaders (Agribusiness, NZRASLA, NZGTTA & TENZ) will contribute to a Q & A on 'Increasing your Reach'. This will include strategies these NEX are using to support colleagues across the country.

NEX time for NEX: There will be an opportunity on both days for NEX leaders to share and discuss a variety of topics related to NEX work. We will be asking for suggested topics in the registration form.

In the registration form, we are asking each of you to share ONE highlight for your NEX that has been successful. TDA will collate the answers and provide the list of responses at the Summit.

Morning tea, afternoon tea and lunch on both days will be provided. Any allergies/dietary requirements should be recorded in the registration form.

There are no set field trips this year. However, between 3:15-4:00pm on Monday we have a variety of suggestions for you:

* This is an ideal time to meet with your NEX executive in person

* This is an ideal time for clusters of NEX to meet

* Explore the wonders of Te Papa

* Go for a walk along the beautiful Wellington waterfront

Join with TDA and your fellow NEX leaders at St John's Bar & Eatery from 4:00pm on Monday 5th of May. TDA will be providing a range of finger food and light snacks. Drinks will need to be purchased by participants. We look forward to seeing you there!

All travel arrangements need to be arranged by you.

There is a taxi stand directly outside of Te Papa to help with airport transfers.

If you are driving, there is all day parking located at Te Papa.

All accommodation arrangements need to be arranged by you.

Luggage storage will be available on both days if needed. Please take your belongings with you to the conference room on Level 3. Storage will be provided inside the conference rooms. (Don't drop off your belongings at the general public storage area when you walk through the entrance doors.)

If you have any questions regarding the Summit please contact our Summit administrator at mike.f@tda.org.nz

Attendees are advised that photographs and videos may be taken during the event and reproduced for promotional purposes by TDA and their affiliates, which may include television, social media, websites, and printed material.

Registration Closes: Friday 11 April 2025