Jesse Sadlowski is the Director of Technology of Learning and Innovation with the Lethbridge School Division in Alberta. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Fine/Studio Arts from the University of Saskatchewan, a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.), a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Information Technology, and a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Technology and Leadership from the University of Lethbridge.
Jesse shares insights from his more than 20-year career in education, which began as a teacher of students in Grades 5-12, with a focus on career/trades and rural education. He served for several years as a lead education teacher and high school principal before assuming his current role, which he has held for the past nine years. Jesse has presented at global conferences, including Lenovo Tech World, and has contributed to case studies on virtual reality, gaming in education, and database automation. His risk-taking technology initiatives have resulted in the Lethbridge School Division being recognized as one of the leading innovative school divisions in North America.
Jesse outlines his key goals in education, focusing on ensuring student success through effective curriculum delivery and relevant assessments, including both formative and summative assessments. He emphasizes the importance of authentic assessment for students with disabilities or unique learning needs, advocating for accommodations such as audio files and extended time to ensure fair and accurate evaluation.
Jesse is passionate about supporting students with disabilities through accommodations and flexible learning approaches. He mentions that the School Division is undertaking exploratory work with Vretta to develop an online platform that allows teachers to conduct formative assessments and provide timely, consistent feedback to students, with the potential to integrate summative assessments in the future. Discussing the implementation of the Vretta platform, he highlights its advantages, including ease of use, strong security, low bandwidth requirements, and the ability to support all learners, particularly those with special needs. He explains that while the division currently relies on paper-based assessments and Microsoft Forms, they plan to transition to Vretta to address existing limitations in their current assessment practices.
Jesse highlights several advantages of online assessments, including accessibility, engagement, rapid scoring, flexibility to accommodate diverse learning styles, and the ability to synthesize data using AI. He also appreciates the potential benefits of adaptive testing and the use of equivalent test forms to enhance flexibility and reduce academic dishonesty.
Jesse reflects on both the opportunities and challenges that AI presents in education, particularly its impact on student learning and assessment practices. He acknowledges growing teacher concerns around academic integrity, the potential negative impact on learning, and the need to rethink assessment design. At the same time, he points out new assessment approaches, such as interview-style online assessments, as opportunities to enhance assessment and evaluation across all levels.
His current role includes both IT leadership with educational technology and curriculum implementation. Jesse derives great satisfaction in collaborating with his colleagues and stakeholders to develop and implement innovative initiatives. Among these, he highlights his team’s work in synthesizing provincial assessment data into Power BI dashboards used by teachers, principals, directors, and superintendents, enabling more effective use of assessment data for learning improvement (Data to Action). Jesse revels in the dynamic, ever-evolving fields of educational technology and assessment.
Jesse’s personal interests include outdoor activities such as snowboarding and mountain biking. Please feel free to connect with Jesse at: jesse.sadlowski@lethsd.ab.ca.
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