BYOD Reflection

 Digital storytelling is a robust way for the assessment of student learning. It can also be an engaging and fun way for learners to synthesize and articulate their learning through a variety of modes. It can be used in most, if not all, content areas or learning environments because it allows flexibility in the demonstration of the learning. Digital storytelling as an assessment is also a natural differentiated tool because students can use platforms and demonstrate learning how, when, and where they are comfortable through auditory and visual means.

Our school provides laptops to all teachers, so there is not a need for them to bring or use their own devices, although many of them keep their phones on them in the classroom. Our students have one-to-one iPads in grades kindergarten through fourth grade. Our fifth grade to twelfth grade students have one-to-one laptops. This makes technology integration much easier, but it does require a large amount of money both for initial purchases of devices and maintenance. This was a fundraising priority for several years to make it happen.

For this digital storytelling project, the teachers should have the basic equipment that they need. They may choose to use additional microphones rather than those included in their computer. They may also choose to use varying screen casting software or other tools to enhance their visual tools such as a scanner, external writing tablet, music or other background noise, and so on. Teachers could use their school devices or their personal devices to ensure comfort and accessibility to finish their digital stories. Extra tools such as microphones, cameras, and tablets should be purchased for teachers to borrow when they get to the recording section of their digital story.