Nada Awwad (She/Her) graduated from the University of Alberta in 2014, where she studied Political Science and History. After working in the business world for around eight years, Nada wanted a career where she felt more fulfilled and could leave a lasting impact. In September 2022, Nada started the  Education After Degree program at the University of Alberta, where she quickly discovered her interest in assessment practices. Like many students, assessments had been something she struggled with throughout her primary schooling, and her journey through the education program helped shed light on this experience. Learning that there was a better way to create assessments that would take all student abilities and neurodiversity into consideration so that every student was allowed the opportunity to succeed was eye-opening and intriguing. Having recently completed her first practicum, Nada is more sure than before that education is the right path for her. She is more motivated than ever to ensure every student is supported in every way possible, especially regarding the assessments we create for them. (Fall 2023)

Selassie Drah (he/him, they/them) is in the final year of his/their After Degree in Education (Secondary), majoring in Social Studies and minoring in English. Selassie's previous degree was in Sociology with a minor in Political Science. Selassie is passionate about music (and other forms of performance arts) and working with youth. According to Selassie's nomination letter: "Being enrolled in Education allows me to work with youth in a greater capacity than social work allowed me to. Taking EDPY 303 with Dr. Daniels in Fall 2023 inspired my passion for proper assessments. This class helped me realize that proper assessments are/can be instruments for creating equity in more ways than are often imagined. It also helped me better understand my own experiences with inequity in education. By being a CRAME Ambassador, I hope to learn and incorporate into my practice more ways of making my classrooms equitable spaces for all students, classrooms that are miniatures of the ideal future." (Fall, 2023)

Wyatt Russell (he/him) completed his BSc in 2021 with a specialization in Geology and is now on track to earn his BEd in secondary education with a major in General Sciences and a minor in Physical Sciences in 2024. Wyatt explained in his nomination letter that through learning about classroom assessment he had to confront some of his own assumptions about testwiseness and fairness stating that "I was forced to reckon with the fact that what I had considered fair assessment was in fact, unfair for some of my classmates who didn’t pick up what I did. This is why good assessment has become so important to me in my educational practice, unfair or unreliable practices not only cause headaches from a validity standpoint, but they also cause stress for students." Through his role as an ambassador, Wyatt seeks to model to others the importance of a willingness to learn not just about tangible assessment but "a whole culture around the topic that is more beneficial to the students... Assessments shouldn’t be scary to some students and a fun puzzle to another, they should let us know whether or not students have learned what we’ve taught them, and if they haven’t, we go back and teach them again until they understand." (Fall, 2023)

Lorena Silva (she/her) has a Bachelor's in Physics from her home country, Brazil. She moved to Canada with her husband a little over three years ago in search of a new adventure, which included a new career. After being a public servant in Brazil for over ten years, Lorena wanted to feel more fulfilled at her job. Teaching was something in the back of her mind since she was a young girl and engaged in pretend play as a 'teacher' to her younger brother and other invisible 'students.' She got into U of A in 2022 as an after-degree student and is on her way to graduating as an elementary teacher in December/2023. Taking EDPY 303 in the Winter 2023 semester sparked a great interest in assessment in Lorena, who wishes to devote herself to using good and researched-based assessment methods and tools, as well as contributing to improving them. Lorena's first practicum experience confirms her love for children saying "they always give me so much energy, especially when I'm feeling super tired. It is not an easy experience with so much planning to do and so much to learn, but it has been so rewarding! It confirms I made the right decision. I already know I will miss them so much after my practicum ends. And so I want to do everything in my power to make sure I'm (effectively) taking students further in their education." (Winter 2023)

Sally (Ilang) Song (she/her) is originally from South Korea. She has traveled, educated, worked, and lived in an international multicultural environment. She has a BA/BFA with double majors in Visual Arts and Theatre Production and Design and M.Ed in Art Education. She will graduate from the University of Alberta Secondary After-Degree program with a major in Art and a minor in Social Studies in 2023. Sally applied for this Award for several reasons. She says, "most importantly, I believe in the benefit and power of good assessment practices in art education, which would guide and lead students to become creative, open-minded, critical, reflective, and inquiring learners and artists with growth mindsets.” As an Assessment Ambassador, she hopes to research and implement effective, reliable, and valid assessments for art projects and find structured and approachable ways to evaluate students’ creativity in interdisciplinary project-based learning. Lastly, through this Award, she wishes to meet and collaborate with professional learning communities to bring holistic art education. (Fall 2023)

We are please to introduce out inaugural Assessment Ambassador awarded in Fall 2021. Jonathan (he/him) hopes to be a secondary Social and English teacher and has previous experience in ELL that he would love to include in his upcoming career. He explains " I applied for this award because, as strange as it may sound, I have always loved constructing tests, quizzes, and gamified assessments. Only recently have I become aware that this passion for writing a good test could ever translate to a completely non-sadistic career, and I am excited to see where it leads, and I believe that this award could very well open doors for me." Jonathan is also a small business owner, as over the pandemic period, he created his own pub trivia company: "I have been writing custom games for customers for just over a year, and I am amazed to say that I think it might be where all my passions meet. It is my opinion that the similarities between a pub quiz in a brewery and a pop quiz in a classroom are closer than most may think." (Fall 2022)

Please meet Jerika (she/her) - one of three Assessment Ambassadors from the Winter 2022 semester. She is in the third year of Elementary Education. She is originally from a small hamlet in Northern Alberta, and when she finishes her degree she hopes to move back and teach at her old elementary school. Jerika explains that "I applied for this award at the end of my EDPY 303 class, which I found a particular interest in. In high school, I helped one of my teachers create quizzes, worksheets and tests which is why I originally wanted to become a teacher." Through this assessment ambassador award she hopes to develop new strategies to implement in her classroom and meet new individuals with the same passion, as well as grow as an educator. (Winter 2022)

CRAME welcomes Jade (she/her) as an Assessment Ambassador. She is from an acreage outside of Stony Plain, Alberta. Jade has a passion for living an active life and playing sports with the hopes to coach many school sports teams in her future career, as well as share this passion with students. She is in the third year of the Bachelors of Secondary Education with a major in math and minor in physical education. Jade described her motivation for applying to be an Ambassador as follows "I applied for this award out of an interest in creating assessments that showcase students' strengths and knowledge. Majoring in math has inspired me to look beyond just tests and quizzes for assessments and find a way to add creative projects or real world applications to my teaching practice. By finding new ways to assess, it provides differentiation for students to achieve success and it may change the negative way some students view school." By being an Assessment Ambassador she hopes to inspire others to look at the ways in which we assess students and continuously grow as an educational professional. (Winter 2022)

UPDATE: The members of CRAME send their deepest condolences to Jade's family following her sudden and tragic passing on August 3, 2022. 

Our third Assessment Ambassador from the Winter 2022 semester is Sara (she/her). Sara has a BA in Political Science, and is studying in the Elementary After-Degree Program. She is Libyan-Canadian, has lived in four different countries, and speaks three languages. Above all, I am a mom and a future teacher passionate about learning. Sara explains that "my determination to pursue a career in teaching is due to my desire to inspire children to love to learn. I believe that as a teacher, you are a life-long learner, and this passion for knowledge is what I hope to instil into my students." In terms of being an Assessment Ambassador Sara says "I applied for this Award because my main goals are centred around how to develop my teaching skills and understanding to serve my future students best. I believe that the first step towards my goal is to focus on assessment and how we can extend and improve our assessment methods. I hope to pursue my interests in research and assessment development in order for students to focus on their learning, personal achievements, and developments rather than their imposed grade." (Winter 2022)