Screencasting Tools

Over the last several years I have come to love screencasts, probably because I am a very visual learner. The first screencast that I ever used was given to me as a job aid to help the students I was advising learn how to search for classes and add them to their shopping cart.  My students found it to be more helpful than just a typed list of instructions and so did I.  I have watched a number of screencasts during the course of the MLS program and had the opportunity to create several screencasts during my practicum semester.  The thing that I dislike about creating screencasts is hearing the sound of my own voice.

In preparing for this assignment I came across some helpful information on Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything site.  She provides some general tips and information, along with articles about screencasting in education, rubrics for screencasts, and a long list of screen recorders to choose from.  Thank you, Kathy!  Please visit her website for more information. https://www.schrockguide.net/screencasting.html

Screencast-O-Matic:

I have used this screen recorder a number of times and really like its simplicity.   I have found it to be great for quick recording that does not require a great deal of editing.  The dashboard is easy to read and navigate.  This recorder will allow you to create videos or just a single screen capture and there are multiple sharing options, including uploading your video to YouTube.  I did not see tools for annotating or drawing on the screens that some of the other applications provide but I am using the free version so that may be why.  The free version does limit the number of videos that you can create and upload so if you are going to be making a lot of screencasts, then I recommend the paid version. Upper elementary children should not any difficulty learning how to use this screen recorder.  Apart from the slow upload time, I really like this tool.

I used Screencast-O-Matic to show my students some of the virtual events and offerings provided by the Harris County Public Library in the hopes of easing some summer boredom.  Check it out below.

Loom:

Loom is the second screen recorder that I tried, and though it works well, I still prefer Screencast-O-Matic.  It works with Chrome so I had to add it as an extension before using it. This was easy to do and it can be removed at any time.  As with the other recorders, there is a free version and a paid version with more upgrades. Loom works essentially the same way but was not as easy to navigate. When I first tried it out, I was confused because it uses the word “share” instead of “record” so it took a few minutes to figure out that sharing is recording.  This may not be an issue for some but I like the bright red record button that Screencast-O-Matic uses.  Also, the buttons for pausing and deleting are not as easily visible.  I do like that this sight allows you to organize your videos into folders and provides several tutorial videos.  You can share your videos publicly or privately with a link.  So, this screen recorder does everything that Screencast-O-Matic does but, for me, it is not as easy to navigate.

I used Loom to create a short tutorial for Canva, a design application.  Check it out below.

References:

Schrock, Kathy. (2010). Screencasting in the classroom. Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything. http://www.schrockguide.net/screencasting.html