Opportunities
Hui
All opportunities are funded by GCSN and can be attended at no cost
Te Tihi o te Mātauranga Professional Learning and Development 2025
The TToM committee work to bridge the knowledge gap around delivering a digitally inclusive curriculum and digital fluency in schools for kaiako and ākonga.
GCSN x Christchurch City Libraries
Partnering with the Christchurch City Libraries Design and Delivery team, we are proud to support a range of engaging PLD opportunities designed to upskill ākonga, kaiako and schools to use digital technologies in new and creative ways. These amazing programmes are closely aligned to the New Zealand Curriculum and enable ākonga and kaiako to access support from the Christchurch City Libraries team to develop their digital capabilities.
To apply for funding, please fill out the registration form specific to the programme(s) you want to attend and we will consider your application.
Locations & Days
The programmes below are available at the following Libraries on these specific days:
Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre - Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays
Matatiki Hornby Centre - Mondays
Tūranga Library - Thursdays
New Brighton Library - Tuesdays, Thursdays
When registering your interest please specify which locations and days suit you.
Key Competencies
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Thinking
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Using language, symbols and texts
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Managing self
Locations, Days and Times:
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Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre: Monday, Tuesday, and Friday 9:30am to 2:30pm
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Matatiki Hornby Centre: Monday 9:30am to 2:30pm
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New Brighton Library: Tuesday and Thursday 9:30am to 2:30pm (T shirts only)
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Tūranga Library: Thursday 9:30am to 2:30pm
Full day session (9:30am - 2:30pm)
Maximum of 12 ākonga
Year 7+
Ākonga will learn to create vector artwork using the software Affinity Designer.
Select one specific product for ākonga to design for, such as a t-shirt, poster, laptop cover, stickers, or tote bag. Ākonga will then apply their designs to the chosen product, gaining hands-on experience with both digital design and print production techniques.
Please note: Ākonga will need to bring one t-shirt or tote bag for printing.
Please contact us if this is a barrier; GCSN funding support may be available.
Curriculum Links
The Arts - Visual Arts
Developing Practical Knowledge (Level 4)
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Explore and use art-making conventions, applying knowledge of elements and selected principles through the use of materials and processes.
Developing Ideas (Level 5)
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Students will generate, develop, and refine ideas in response to a variety of motivations, including the study of established practice.
Technology
Nature Technology - Characteristics of technological outcomes (Level 3)
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Understand that technological outcomes are recognisable as fit for purpose by the relationship between their physical and functional natures.
Technological Knowledge - Technological products (Level 4)
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Understand the relationship between the materials used and their performance properties in technological products.
Key Competencies
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Thinking
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Using language, symbols and texts
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Managing self
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Relating to others
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Participating and contributing
Locations, Days and Times:
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Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre: Monday, Tuesday, and Friday 10:00am to 1:00pm
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Matatiki Hornby Centre: Monday 10:00am to 1:00pm
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New Brighton Library: Tuesday and Thursday 10:00am to 1:00pm
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Tūranga Library: Thursday 10:00am to 1:00pm
One three-hour session (10:00am - 1:00pm)
Maximum of 12 ākonga
Years 6 - 12
Through their efforts to collaboratively build a village in Minecraft Education Edition, ākonga will personally experience frustration, resilience, and privilege in a safe environment. Library staff will then facilitate a conversation where students can share their experiences and explore what it means to be up standers at school and in their own lives.
Ākonga will develop their ability to express their own values, explore the values of others with empathy, and make ethical decisions and act on them.
Curriculum Links
Social Sciences (Level 3)
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Understand how people make decisions about access to and use of resources
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Understand how people make decisions about access to and use of resources
Social Sciences (Level 4)
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Understand how people participate individually and collectively in response to community challenges.
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Understand that events have causes and effects
Technology - Brief development (Level 3)
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Describe the nature of an intended outcome, explaining how it addresses the need or opportunity. Describe the key attributes that enable development and evaluation of an outcome.
Technology - Planning for practice (Level 4)
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Undertake planning that includes reviewing the effectiveness of past actions and resourcing, exploring implications for future actions and accessing of resources, and consideration of stakeholder feedback to enable the development of an outcome
Full day session (9:30am - 2:30pm)
Maximum of 12 ākonga
Years 5 - 8
Ākonga will take a practical, hands-on approach to podcast creation, learning essential skills such as writing scripts for a targeted audience and using podcasting equipment and audio software. Script writing is done in small groups, as is the learning of recording and production techniques. During production, ākonga will edit mistakes, import music, and layer multiple tracks to create a polished final podcast.
This programme also provides a pathway for entry into
Top of the Pods, a competition where teams of ākonga from across greater Christchurch submit their own podcasts to be in to win awesome prizes.
Key Competencies
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Thinking
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Using language, symbols and texts
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Managing self
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Relating to others
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Participating and contributing
Locations, Days and Times:
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Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre: Monday, Tuesday, and Friday 9:30am to 2:30pm
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Tūranga Library: Thursday 9:30 to 2:30pm
Requirement: Model Release Form
As the recording involves capturing the voices of participating children, a signed model release form is required for each child. This form must be completed by a parent or legal guardian.
Teachers will be sending a copy of the form to parents/guardians to complete and return.
Curriculum Links
English - Oral Language - Communicating and Presenting - Knowledge
Presenting to others
(Years 4-5) • Clear presentations have a strong introduction, well-organised main ideas, and a conclusion. • Effective speakers choose words, ideas, and a presentation style (e.g. formal, informal, serious, humorous) that match the audience’s knowledge, needs, and interests. (Years 4-6) • Skilled speakers change their tone, volume, and pace to fit the message, audience, and situation. (Years 7-8) • Effective presentation planning involves selecting language, structure, tone and content that suit the audience, purpose and form, for example: - in podcasts, conversational language (informal, natural-sounding, speech that mimics everyday conversation) builds rapport, a planned sequence of segments or topics supports clarity and engagement, and the inclusion of examples, signposting, and analogies helps orient the listener. • Voice modulation and non-verbal communication can guide audience attention, reinforce meaning, and strengthen impact.
Listening and responding to others
(Year 5) • Effective discussions involve: - listening to others and asking questions that connect to what they have said - noticing when someone goes off topic and helping bring the conversation back to the main idea - checking for understanding by asking questions or saying things in a different way. (Year 6) • Effective discussions involve: - sharing different opinions in a respectful way, so everyone feels safe to speak - noticing when people have similar ideas and working together to reach an agreement - asking clear questions to help clarify complex information - noticing who has or hasn’t spoken and inviting others to share their thoughts - thinking about what others have said and explaining how it has changed or confirmed existing ideas. (Years 7-8) • Effective discussions require everyone to show respect, include others, and work to understand each other by listening carefully, handling disagreements calmly, and staying focused on the topic.
English - Writing Processes - Knowledge
Revising and Editing
(Years 4-6) • Rereading each sentence and paragraph while writing ensures the writing makes sense and sounds right. • Making changes to texts in response to feedback can improve clarity for the intended audience. (Years 7-8) • Revising is a process that involves improving the content, style, features, and tone of a text to better suit the audience, purpose, and message. • Feedback can provide valuable information about how the writing could be improved, and writers need to think carefully about whether or how to use it.
Technology
(Progress Outcome 2 - Designing and developing digital outcomes)
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Students will make decisions about creating, manipulating, storing, retrieving, sharing, and testing digital content for a specific purpose, given particular parameters, tools, and techniques.
Full day session (9:30am - 2:30pm)
+ 1 hour follow-up session at your school
5 (minimum) - 12 ākonga (maximum)
Year 4+
Embark on a hero’s journey with our Miniature Maker workshop! Ākonga will develop a character through creative writing, design a 3D model, create a background using AI image generator, and laser cut a terrain tile inspired by their story. The session includes an hour miniature painting session back at school.
Please note:
1) The follow up session may not be available to schools beyond Christchurch City limits.
2) 3D printing will not take place during the session due to time constraints.
Key competencies
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Thinking
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Using language, symbols and texts
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Participating and contributing
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Managing self
Session times
Session # 1 9:30am to 2:30pm
Session # 2: 1 hour (at your school*)
Locations and Days for Session 1:
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Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre: Monday, Tuesday, and Friday 9:30am to 2:30pm
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Matatiki Hornby Centre: Monday 9:30am to 2:30pm
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New Brighton Library: Tuesday and Thursday 9:30am to 2:30pm
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Tūranga Library: Thursday 9:30am to 2:30pm
Curriculum Links
English - Practices - Writing processes – Planning (Year 5)
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Use organisers (e.g., graphic organisers or mnemonics), suitable to the text structure, to organise and plan writing
English – Knowledge – Writing - Composition - Audience, purpose, and language choice
(Year 4-6) • Choosing the best word helps convey an exact meaning, and words with similar meanings (e.g. ‘freezing,’ ‘frosty’, ‘chilly’, ‘cool’) can create different effects depending on the context, audience, and purpose of the writing. • Imagery is descriptive language that helps the reader imagine what something looks, sounds, feels, smells, or tastes like. (Year 4) • Selecting and using words and phrases appropriate to the purpose of writing (Year 5) • Planning and writing with an audience and purpose in mind so that their writing is in the most appropriate text type and style.
English - Practices - Writing processes – Planning (Year 5)
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Use organisers (e.g., graphic organisers or mnemonics), suitable to the text structure, to organise and plan writing
English - Practices – Writing Composition, writing to entertain (Years 4-6)
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Narratives are driven by what the character wants or needs, and how they try to achieve it.
Technology - Technological Knowledge - Technological products (Level 5)
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Students will understand how materials are selected, based on desired performance criteria.
Key competencies
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Thinking
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Using language, symbols and texts
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Participating and contributing
Locations, Days and Times:
Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre: Monday, Tuesday, and Friday 10:00am to 2:00pm
Half day session (10:00am - 2:00pm)
Maximum of 10 ākonga
Years 7 & 8
Coding Creations (Vex Robotics) is a dynamic, hands-on programme using VEX Robotics and block-based coding (text based optional). Ākonga will learn key computational thinking skills by programming robots and understanding core concepts such as inputs, outputs, and automation. The programme also encourages critical discussion around the role of robotics in the future workforce - both its potential to support industry and the ethical implications of automation.
Ākonga will also explore how to use large language model (LLM) AI tools to assist with debugging, idea generation, and reflection. Perfect for small groups of learners ready to integrate robotics, coding, and emerging technology in a practical, future-focused way.
Curriculum Links
Technology - Technological Knowledge - Technological Modelling (Level 3)
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Understand that different forms of functional modelling are used to inform decision making in the development of technological possibilities and that prototypes can be used to evaluate the fitness of technological outcomes for further development.
(Level 4)
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Understand how different forms of functional modelling are used to explore possibilities and to justify decision making and how prototyping can be used to justify refinement of technological outcomes.
Technology - Technical Knowledge - Technological Systems (Level 4)
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Understand how technological systems employ control to allow for the transformation of inputs to outputs.
Technology - Nature of Technology - Characteristics of Technology (Level 3)
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Understand how society and environments impact on and are influenced by technology in historical and contemporary contexts and that technological knowledge is validated by successful function.
Technology - Nature of Technology - Characteristics of Technological Outcomes (Level 3)
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Understand that technological outcomes are recognisable as fit for purpose by the relationship between their physical and functional natures.
Applications-based PLD
GCSN is proud to work with a range of providers to support schools across greater Christchurch. We offer funding for PLD sessions for kaiako as well as learning opportunities for ākonga to schools looking to grow digital fluency, learn new digital technologies skills, or integrate digital technologies at school and home.
If you are looking for something specific let us know using the form below and we will do our best to match you with a suitable provider to support your school.
Are you looking to create the perfect product?
Or explore new technologies to refine your production process?
Have you thought about how to promote your idea?
GCSN is excited to support teams participating in the Young Enterprise Scheme across the Greater Christchurch area. If your YES team has an inspired idea and is looking for support to learn new digital fluency skills, create a product, or marketing and branding support we may be able to help out!
If you are a YES team looking for support, let us know what you are looking for using the form below and we will be in touch soon!