Rate My Professor Cheryl Pym

Cheryl Pym holds a Master of Education (MEd) and Bachelor of Education (BEd) from Massey University, along with a Higher Diploma in Teaching (Secondary Home Economics) from the State College of Victoria. She has been a staff member at the University of Otago College of Education since 2001, initially appointed as a Facilitator at the Invercargill Campus. Over the years, she advanced to the position of Associate Director and subsequently Director of Education Support Services (ESS), based at the Invercargill Campus with contact in Dunedin. ESS, which has supported teachers and school leaders for more than 30 years and has been part of the University of Otago since 2007, provided professional development services until its closure on 20 December 2024.

In her roles, Cheryl Pym focused on technology education, serving as a National Technology Professional Development Facilitator and providing specialist support within the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) for teachers in Food and Textiles Technology. Her professional interests include teaching and learning, professional development, curriculum development, designing, pedagogy, e-learning, collaborative learning, and problem solving. She contributed as a critical friend to the Tawa College Teacher-Led Innovation Fund project aimed at supporting students' cultural awareness through technology and design processes. Pym was also a member of the Expert Advisory Panel convened by Royal Society Te Apārangi in December 2020 for their 2021 report 'Technology and hangarau learning in Aotearoa New Zealand,' which advised the Ministry of Education on enhancing teaching, learning, assessment, and career pathways in the field. Through the ESS blog, she shared reflections on curriculum design thinking, pedagogy, and resources such as 'Lifelong Kindergarten' by Mitchel Resnick, emphasizing creative learning and the child at the heart of educational practice. Her work has supported educators across New Zealand in advancing technology and hangarau education.