Using the iPad (or Digital Camera) for Accountability During Independent Work

I have a confession. In first grade, I used to "pretend" to build letters with play dough when my teacher walked by, but really I was building puppies and kitties. I would quickly roll them into the letter "C" when she checked on me. [gasp] I've learned my lesson since then, but this got me thinking...

In a perfect world, we could never miss a beat while observing each student working in centers. Realistically, though, we miss a thing or two. Here's the solution for that!

Have students take pictures of their independent work-- on the iPad or digital camera. Here, a student was asked to stamp his spelling words into play dough. I had him take a photo of each word he stamped.

This was great for accountability and also a wonderful informal assessment tool!

How do you hold students accountable during independent work times? Share in the comments below!

Happy assessing,