Screencasts

As a new teacher I once hoped to record my lessons but at the time had no idea how to do so. I thought this would help if I had to be out and would also help my classes run consistently without having to repeat myself 6 times a day year after year. I did get a tip from a colleague but never took the time to do so. Then the pandemic hit and school shut down and we were all thrown into remote learning whether we were prepared or not! 

In the beginning I used Microsoft PowerPoint to record lessons and add comments to the information on the screen. Then I learned how to use Canvas Studio to make recordings since this was the Learning Management Software (LMS) chosen by my district. I tend to be a creature of habit so I leaned heavily on the first program I learned to use for recordings -PowerPoint. After a few bumps in the beginning I learned how to best use it for my style and it served me well for a year of hybrid learning.

I now have tried a few new-to-me options and my initial impression is good for both. 

I started with Screencast-O-Matic. I signed up for a free account and after watching a short tutorial video felt confident that I knew enough, given my previous experience, to jump right in. It was very easy to use and intuitive for me to navigate. I do wish that while recording the mouse would show up in the same manner as it does on the recording, with a circle around it. I have a tendency to move the mouse unnecessarily when it comes to recordings but this has been less distracting on the programs I have used previously. I think if I could see it the way it appears in the final product it would help me stay mindful of frivolous movement. Overall this was a positive experience. You can check out my  video from Screencast-O-Matic at this link: https://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cr6Z0sVlhPi  

My second experiment was with Snagit from TechSmith. This program has a free 15 day trial with no credit card but requires that you download an app to your computer. This was a seamless process as long as you know how to find it once it is downloaded. I much prefer that any new app stare me in the face once the download is complete but this one just tucked itself away into the background. If I did not know that I can simply start typing from the Windows screen with no obvious search box I might have panicked a bit. I found Snagit to be similar to Screencast-O-Matic for the recording process but slightly confusing as to how to share it. This is probably due mostly to the fact that I like to keep my technology simple and this app is clearly made for those who would use it more than I would. You can check out my video from Snagit at this link: https://www.screencast.com/t/8xOyKn8rW 

I was pleasantly surprised by how easy these both were to use, I fully expected some weeping and gnashing of teeth as I tried to use new technology but this was thankfully not the case. For someone who needs to create screencasts often I could see where it would be worth the cost to invest in Snagit but I do not plan to pay once my free trial is over. Screencast-O-Matic works great for my current needs and would serve me well for any screencast recording needs outside of my district's LMS in the event that in the future I change districts to one with a different LMS.

Now the real challenge to screencast applications would be to develop a way to automatically edit out my stammering and rambling while recording - that would really be worth its weight in gold! 

What screencast applications do you use? Do you have any tips or tricks to share? Comment below and help your fellow educators learn new things!