By LeeAnne Lavender, PeerSphere Storyteller
Louie Barnett, an educator and curriculum developer for Amala Education, is on a mission to redefine assessment in education. As the host of the innovative PeerSphere peer learning community, “future-ready assessments,” he brings a wealth of experience and a passion for assessment design to the fore.
“For our first PLC session, we spent time exploring what assessment is, and what is good assessment,” says Louie. “Generating information about student learning that we can use to improve outcomes… that’s what came out as a common understanding among our community members. Assessment must have purpose. It’s all about improving student learning.”
In the initial session of the “future-ready assessments” PLC, engagement levels were high, with participants actively sharing their insights. Louie incorporated interactive slides, fostering an atmosphere of open exchange and collaboration. The focus on building a collaborative community was evident, with connections and relationships taking center stage.
“The participants in this PLC are a diverse group of educators, ranging from elementary to high school teachers, and each contributes a unique perspective,” says Louie.
Louie went to university in London and joined Teach First in the UK when he graduated; this took Louie to Liverpool for a few years, before he took his first overseas teaching position in Singapore at UWCSEA (United World College South East Asia). At UWCSEA, Louie taught chemistry and the IB’s Theory of Knowledge course.
“That’s where I also got introduced to Amala while co-facilitating Initiative for Peace (to develop peace building skills for students),” says Louie. “That experience really expressed my passion for innovative assessment design and got me into educating for peace and writing a peace building course for refugee youth. That developed into a full time job in 2019.”
Louie is proud of Amala’s work, which has enabled over 75 young refugees to get high school diplomas.
“I’m excited to connect with other educators who care about the same things I do, and who want to be innovative in their approach to assessment,” says Louie.
Stay tuned for more news from this PLC, as there will be exciting ideas brewing to benefit all educators across the PeerSphere network!
