Burlington City’s Blueprint for Student Engagement Through Creation with Castify

When it comes to successful edtech implementation, access alone isn’t enough. You need intention, consistency, and a clear connection to classroom impact. In Burlington City, New Jersey, that success starts with people.

For Instructional Technology Coach and License Manager Christina Conolly, the key isn’t just introducing a tool, it’s embedding it into everyday teaching and learning.

“Our success in Burlington City really comes down to a boots-on-the-ground approach - shifting the focus from just using a recording tool to solving actual classroom problems.”

This approach has led to a 34% increase in total interactions on Castify this year. Whether she’s joining common planning meetings, coaching teachers one-on-one, or sending out a Two Minute Tech Tip, Christina focuses on ways that Castify can save teachers time or engage students on a deeper level. Simply setting up an assignment together or introducing a new feature during a PD day makes the technology feel more accessible and less overwhelming to teachers in the continually developing educational technology world.

This regular exposure and support ensures teachers are always equipped with what they need right when they need it.

“It’s not about just spreading the word. It’s about consistently showing teachers that this tool makes their lives easier and strengthens their connections with students.”

And that philosophy is showing up in powerful ways across classrooms with student creation at the center.

Use Case #1: Turning Students into Digital Storytellers

Rebecca Butler & Taylor Breault | 3rd Grade Social Studies

For Women’s History Month, Mrs. Butler & Ms. Breault’s students went beyond traditional posters, they became digital storytellers.

“By embedding student-created screencasts into their research projects, we didn't just teach history; we equipped students with the 21st century fluencies essential for success in a digital world.”

Aligned with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS), this initiative empowered students to:

• Master content: Students analyzed text and synthesized facts into a concise, high-impact digital presentation.
• Develop Professional Communication: Through iterative recording and editing, students sharpened their script writing and public speaking skills.
• Foster Global Awareness: Castify allowed students to give a voice to historical figures, practicing empathy and cultural perspective-taking by narrating the triumphs of women throughout history.

The result? A project that blended content mastery with real world skills like media literacy and communication.

“By the end, they weren't just reading facts off a slide; they were acting as digital creators who knew how to use tech to tell a real, powerful story.”

Use Case #2: Meeting High-Stakes Requirements with Confidence

Rebecca Sprang | AP Computer Science Principles | 11th Grade

In AP Computer Science Principles, students submit a final portfolio as a part of their AP exam,  including a one minute video demonstrating computer programming code.

The video submission must follow strict guidelines in order to align with exam protocols. Students cannot incorporate any identifying information in the video including their name, voice, or face. Using simply screen recording, students must clearly and concisely explain their thinking. 

“Castify was the best tool for this project…students were able to meet strict requirements with confidence and ease.”

To complete this portion of the portfolio, students:

• Became Digital Innovators: Students organized and planned how to explicitly display the function and capabilities of their final computer coding project using Castify’s screen-only recording option so that no identifying information would be revealed through the webcam and microphone.  
• Built Metacognition: By adding their own text captions using Castify’s editor, students explained and reflected upon their process of creation. 
• Enhanced Digital Literacy Skills: Students used 21st century tools to clearly and effectively communicate understanding to an unknown scorer.

According to The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), these are exactly the type of skills our students need to learn in order to be set up for future success.  “Digital competencies and information literacy are increasingly becoming a key component of foundational learning, without which individuals cannot participate effectively and responsibly in social, civic, and economic life.” 

Use Case #3: Empowering Multilingual Learners Through Accessibility

Cara Caruso | ESL | K–6

For Cara Caruso, Castify isn’t just a tool it’s a cornerstone of equitable instruction.

She uses it to support multilingual learners in four key ways:

• Instructional Scaffolding with AI - “Castify’s AI generated captions provide an immediate, visual scaffold for my lower fluency students, allowing them to access the curriculum in their native language while building English vocabulary.”‍
• Test Simulation - Castify’s Submit provides practice for speaking and listening domains of the ACCESS exam, an annual high-stakes assessment for her students. Practicing these skills helps familiarize students with the routine and reduces day-of testing anxiety. ‍
• Creating a culture of accessibility - Students feel supported in every classroom throughout the school, because Ms. Caruso used Castify to demonstrate how to enable translations for ease of communication. A short demonstration video sent to colleagues was all it took for teachers of all grades and subjects to begin regularly translating content.‍
• Empowering student voice - The ability to record and re-record presentations lowers the Affective Filter, which is the stressful and anxious emotional response to language production.  When recording a presentation privately, students can focus on their pronunciation and intonation in a low stress environment. Therefore, they can put their best foot forward and share work they’re proud of with their classmates, further contributing to an inclusive learning environment. 

In using Castify to do these things, Ms. Caruso says she’s seen a culture shift at her school where translation is no longer an extra step. It’s now a seamless part of instructional design, which ensures that all students are supported in every classroom. 

Building Momentum That Lasts

Across grade levels and subject areas, one thing is clear: Burlington City isn’t just using Castify, they’re redefining what teaching and learning can look like using powerful edtech tools like this. From elementary storytelling, to AP level assessments and multilingual learner support, the district is leveraging new features to streamline workflows and meet students where they are, with the tools they need to succeed in today’s world.