Screencasts in Education

Screencasts are a great way for educators to share their screen and demonstrate learning through demos and tutorials. It makes it easy to walk through new websites, apps and technology concepts without being in a face-to-face environment…and, the great thing about them is that they are recorded and can be saved for a reference at another time. Wouldn’t it be amazing if your library could have a collection of “how-to” videos for teachers and students about how to use technology?

When I was exploring some of the ways to create screencast videos, I found that Screencast-O-Matic and Screencastify were my favorite. I also created a “mash” between Apple ipad “Screen Recorder” and iMovie. I thought it would be a great opportunity to showcase new apps that teachers can use to integrate technology.

Screencast-O-Matic

Now, while I did enjoy the final product, I found Screencast-O-Matic to be a little more difficult to access. The Screen Recorder Launcher had to be downloaded to my computer, but I didn’t find an easy way to access it from my “Applications.” I had to go back to the Screencast-O-Matic website (https://screencast-o-matic.com/) and then click “Start Recorder.” Then, it provided me the option to record my screen, my webcam, or both. When I chose to record my screen, it provided me an adjustable screen frame to adjust what it records. This was nice, because I could “crop-out” my tabs and other areas that I didn’t want my viewers to see. When you start recording, it gives a 3-second countdown before it starts recording. When the recording is complete, you can click “done,” and choose what you would like to do with the recording. You can save as a video file, upload to Screencast-O-Matic, or Upload to Youtube.

The free option is a limited version, but there is option to upgrade to Solo Deluxe ($1.50/month billed yearly) or Solo Premier ($4.00/month billed yearly).

Here is an example of a screencast created using Screencast-O-Matic. This video was created to show students how to access Destiny Discover from our online library catalog.

Screencastify

Screencastify (https://www.screencastify.com/) is a screen recorder from Chrome that is available as an extension. Once it was added, it was super-easy to use. A small icon shows up on my toolbar, which is easy to access.

Once it is installed, you simply click the icon to choose what kind of video you want to make; either a browser tab, the desktop, or the webcam. One disadvantage to using this program is that you can’t record both the screen and the webcam simultaneously using the free version like you could on Screencast-O-Matic. The default countdown is set at 3 seconds, but can be adjusted. For the free version, the time-limit per video is only 10 minutes and a limit of 50 videos can be recorded each month. Users can also upgrade to the Premium version for unlimited videos and an unlimited recording length for $24.00 a year.

When recording a video with Screencastify, users are asked if they want to share their entire screen or the application window. It counts down and users can record and have access to drawing tools. Once users are done recording, they can click the icon on the toolbar, or click “Stop Sharing,” which is displayed at the bottom of the screen. Users can then have the option to upload the videos to the Google Drive or copy and share the link. I really loved how easy it was to just have it automatically show up in my Google Drive. From there, it is easy to access in the future or share with others through our district Google Drive.

Here is the screen recording I made using Screencastify. This recording walks through our library webpage and lets viewers see some of the resources that we have available to them on that webpage.

iPad Screen Recorder/iMovie Mashup

I wanted to be able to have a way to create videos that walk teachers through some of the ipad apps that are available, how to use them, and how they can be implemented into instruction. So, from my Control Panel screen, I clicked on “Screen Recorder.” Now, the screen recorder does record sound coming from the ipad, but it does not record outside sound so it did not record my outside narration. This had to be added later through iMovie.

Once you click the Screen Recorder button, it will count down from 3 before it will start recording the screen. But, you can go through the motions of what to do, being aware that you will need to add sound later. You may want to just narrate as you go  to make sure that you are good with your timing. 

Once your screen is recorded, you open the iMovie app and upload your video there. Then you can add a voiceover to your movie by clicking the microphone icon. It is not as “seamless” as the other screencasting programs, but if you want to create a movie on an ipad to demonstrate something, this “mash-up” makes it possible.

Here is the screen recording that I made with the iPad Screen Recorder and with iMovie. It shows teachers about the Chatterpix app and how it can be used in the classroom.

After viewing all of these versions, I think that the screencast program that I liked using best was Screencastify. I just liked how easy and seamless it was to record my screen and share my information.

There are many ways that Screencasting can be used in the classroom. Teachers and librarians can use it to demonstrate new technologies or showcase new apps, but it can also be a wonderful tool for students to show their learning. Students can talk through different things that they have learned or walk through products they have created. Kathy Schrock has a ton of useful screencasting resources, including general information and rubrics to use for screencasts at her website http://www.schrockguide.net/screencasting.html.

Sources:
Schrock, K. (2018). Screencasting and screen recording in the classroom. Retrieved from http://www.schrockguide.net/screencasting.html.