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Since 2020, Freeport School District 145 has been on a journey to redefine what classroom engagement looks like. While many districts saw video tools as a temporary fix for remote learning, Freeport saw an opportunity for a permanent instructional shift.
At the heart of this shift is Hannah Curran, a 3rd-grade teacher whose use of Screencastify has turned her classroom into a hub of personalized, accessible, and data-driven learning.
In a typical elementary classroom, a teacher’s biggest challenge is being in two places at once. Hannah has solved this by cloning herself through video.
By recording targeted instructional videos, Hannah can lead a high-intensity intervention with one small group while another group receives her direct instruction via video. For her It’s not just about recording a lesson, it’s about freeing herself up to provide the face-to-face support that her students need most.
Hannah doesn't just ask her students to watch; she asks them to engage. By using Interactive Questions, she transforms a video into a two-way conversation. These comprehension checks provide Hannah with a real-time heat map of student understanding.
If a student struggles with a concept at the 2-minute mark, Hannah knows before the school day is even over. Research from the Journal of Edtech (2025) and Research and Advances in Education (2024) notes that when giving feedback to students, speed matters. Real time feedback results in significantly higher student motivation, 1.5x lower risk of failure, and a 42% increase in time-on-task.
Hannah’s impact extends beyond her own four walls. As a member of a vibrant professional learning community, she utilizes Screencastify’s shared folders to swap resources with her colleagues.
This collaborative spirit is a reflection of Freeport’s broader success. Since the district-wide rollout in 2020, Freeport has seen consistent video usage and sharing. The culture here isn't just about using tech; it’s about sharing success.
The next chapter for Hannah and Freeport is Universal Design for Learning. With the district now leveraging advanced captions and translation features, Hannah’s 3rd-grade lessons are becoming more inclusive than ever.
Whether it’s a student who needs captions to reinforce literacy or a family member at home who needs a translation to help with homework, the invisible teacher is now speaking more languages than ever before.
The study Implementation Fidelity of Universal Design for Learning and Effects on Student Achievement, Engagement, and Belonging published in 2025 tracked institutions over a 24 month period to determine how strictly adhering to UDL frameworks impacted diverse learner populations.
High fidelity institutions integrated all three components of the UDL framework- multiple means of engagement, multiple means of representation, and multiple means of action of expression.
Those with high fidelity implementation found a 37.4% increase in overall learner performance and a 42.8% increase in engagement amongst previously disengaged students. Castify is one tool that allows teachers to foster all three pillars of the UDL framework. It offers multiple ways to engage students, multiple ways for them to represent their learning, and multiple ways for them to express themselves.
Hannah Curran’s classroom is a perfect example of what happens when great teaching meets the right tools. As we look toward the future, her work reminds us that technology is at its best when it's used to build bridges, between teachers and students, between school and home, and between colleagues.
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