Five minutes with Susan Cumming

Susan Cumming supplements face-to-face learning with virtual classrooms, giving students the chance to learn where and when it suits them most. Susan is also a strong supporter of 1-to-1 laptop programs, where students use laptops in class. She now helps her colleagues to implement similar programs. In 2008 Susan won a Smart Classrooms Teacher Award.

What's your ICT learning journey been like?
I started off not even being able to log onto a computer. I slowly tapped into learning objects, then virtual classrooms and so on.

How has Smart Classrooms helped?
The Digital Pedagogy Licence gave me the skills and recognition to go further.

What was your first ICT activity/project?
A comic chat.

What did you think about ICT, back then?
Ignorance is bliss. I didn't know what I didn't know so I had no idea what I was missing out on.

What do you think about ICT, now?
I think it is fabulous. How did I ever teach without it? I wish I could go back and reteach some of my classes.

How do you and your students use ICT?
Students are in control of their own learning and they actually spend more time now consolidating concepts. There is very little down time and students are not dependant on me. We use ICT to communicate with each other and others in the district, to enhance and consolidate concepts and to explore new things.

What would you say is the most exciting thing you do with ICT?
The students really like wikis and blogs. They find the constant interaction and collaboration fun and fulfilling.

What are you doing now, that you were not doing before you began using ICT for teaching and learning?
Letting students learn for as long as they want. The old fashioned way always seemed to cut some students off either before they finished an activity or just as they were extending, so as not to bore the students in the middle. Now, they are free to explore their own areas for as long as they like and I have no behavioural problems.

Do you think using ICT is changing your pedagogy?
It changes the whole structure of how my classroom operates. Before it was very regimented and strict to maintain good classroom control. I now have trust and faith in my students, which in turn has led to a better organisational classroom structure.

Is your use of ICT benefiting your students?
It is benefiting them because they are all learning all the time.

What have you found to be best thing about digital pedagogy?
The constant stimulation and feedback that it gives students to encourage them to keep going.

What has been the most difficult thing about digital pedagogy?
Only the occasional technical issues that arise and now, issues about keeping up with the students abound.