Screencasts
From March to May, educators were opened up to the world of virtual learning. For some, it was a piece of cake. For others, there was some struggle. I recall many teachers freaking out on how they were going to teach exact content online. Many of these educators were not aware of screencasts. A screencast captures a person's computer screen and creates a video of everything that is happening on it while the person speaks. It's like a voice over! When teachers use screencasts for instruction, they are able to go through a lesson smoothly by showing specific steps to an audience. In addition to this, the video does not only have to consist of the computer screen. Users can also turn on their webcam so their audience can actually see them as they speak through the video. It's so amazing, and if students miss out on anything the first time they watch the screencast, they can always just rewatch it!
I worked with two screencast websites today: Screencastify and Screencast-o-matic. Both of them are excellent and are highly recommended for educators. Of course, I only have the free accounts right now, so I can't really go into details about their premium accounts. Anyways, just know that they both get the job done.
I actually have used Screencastify before during my teaching career, especially during our virtual learning time! It's very easy to work with, for users just need to make an account and download the Google Chrome extension for it. I like it because since I'm signed on to my Google account, all of my screencasts automatically upload into my Google Drive into one place! Of course, I have other download options available as well, but I've always preferred using Google Drive for work creations. The only thing that is upsetting about the free account is that it only lets you record a screencast for five minutes! I know, five minutes is not a lot of time. However, I've actually managed to create a lot of successful screencasts in under five minutes if I prepare what I'm going to say/do ahead of time. However, there are topics that would definitely need more time, so I can understand if many will get frustrated over this.
I just downloaded and tried Screencast-o-matic today, and I'm glad that I did! At first, I was hesitant to download it, but I realized that it's an excellent tool to have handy for future virtual learning. I then noticed that users can record up to fifteen minutes on the free account! Something that was also different from Screencastify was that users have to fix the width of the screen they want recorded by dragging a trim. Because of this, users need to be careful to not cut anything out by accident. On the other hand, Screencastify automatically just records the whole entire available screen, which is easier. After I was done, I had the option to upload to my Screencast-o-matic account, YouTube, or download it as a file. I also had the option to add closed captions and/or music. I didn't today but maybe I'll play around with those features in the future!
In conclusion, I'm really torn between which one I like better. Screencast-o-matic really surprised me today with the whole fifteen minutes limit on free videos since I was used to recording in five minutes or less. However, I am also already super comfortable with Screencastify, so I feel a bit biased, especially with the whole Google Drive feature. I guess it really depends on what the user is really looking for in a screencast application. Everybody has different preferences, but just know that they are super similar to one another and I will advocate for both! :)
Check out my screencasts below using these websites. The screencasts are about the same thing though. I went ahead and made them about how to access my school's library catalog. Other ways educators can use screencasts within instruction include showing the steps to use a specific tech tool, how to solve a math problem, how to upload something on to Schoology, modeling reading strategies, etc. What's your favorite screencast application? Let me know so I can check it out!
Screencastify Screencast Example:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dpdDYlrOM4XMC1qLAtMCOxP74Bc-62uU/view?usp=sharing
Screencast-o-matic Screencast Example:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14pleXLUJRTGD9D_kPbOxr30-RTUXQnQc/view?usp=sharing
I worked with two screencast websites today: Screencastify and Screencast-o-matic. Both of them are excellent and are highly recommended for educators. Of course, I only have the free accounts right now, so I can't really go into details about their premium accounts. Anyways, just know that they both get the job done.
I actually have used Screencastify before during my teaching career, especially during our virtual learning time! It's very easy to work with, for users just need to make an account and download the Google Chrome extension for it. I like it because since I'm signed on to my Google account, all of my screencasts automatically upload into my Google Drive into one place! Of course, I have other download options available as well, but I've always preferred using Google Drive for work creations. The only thing that is upsetting about the free account is that it only lets you record a screencast for five minutes! I know, five minutes is not a lot of time. However, I've actually managed to create a lot of successful screencasts in under five minutes if I prepare what I'm going to say/do ahead of time. However, there are topics that would definitely need more time, so I can understand if many will get frustrated over this.
I just downloaded and tried Screencast-o-matic today, and I'm glad that I did! At first, I was hesitant to download it, but I realized that it's an excellent tool to have handy for future virtual learning. I then noticed that users can record up to fifteen minutes on the free account! Something that was also different from Screencastify was that users have to fix the width of the screen they want recorded by dragging a trim. Because of this, users need to be careful to not cut anything out by accident. On the other hand, Screencastify automatically just records the whole entire available screen, which is easier. After I was done, I had the option to upload to my Screencast-o-matic account, YouTube, or download it as a file. I also had the option to add closed captions and/or music. I didn't today but maybe I'll play around with those features in the future!
In conclusion, I'm really torn between which one I like better. Screencast-o-matic really surprised me today with the whole fifteen minutes limit on free videos since I was used to recording in five minutes or less. However, I am also already super comfortable with Screencastify, so I feel a bit biased, especially with the whole Google Drive feature. I guess it really depends on what the user is really looking for in a screencast application. Everybody has different preferences, but just know that they are super similar to one another and I will advocate for both! :)
Check out my screencasts below using these websites. The screencasts are about the same thing though. I went ahead and made them about how to access my school's library catalog. Other ways educators can use screencasts within instruction include showing the steps to use a specific tech tool, how to solve a math problem, how to upload something on to Schoology, modeling reading strategies, etc. What's your favorite screencast application? Let me know so I can check it out!
Screencastify Screencast Example:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dpdDYlrOM4XMC1qLAtMCOxP74Bc-62uU/view?usp=sharing
Screencast-o-matic Screencast Example:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14pleXLUJRTGD9D_kPbOxr30-RTUXQnQc/view?usp=sharing
Great information provided for both screencasts, I also feel torn between the too. More than likely I'll have to stick with screencastify because Google Classroom is out districts official platform. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteScreencast-o-matic is also compatible with Google Classroom. If you go to the Share icon on your video, the Google Classroom sharing button is at the bottom.
DeleteAt times when I record with screencastify, I don't notice that my time is up until the video stops. I have had to re-record the video several times in order to get it time just under the 5 minutes. For this reason I would probably use Screencast-o-matic this year because it would allow me more time to explain a concept. -- Leo
ReplyDeleteIone, I am in the same boat as you. I use Screencastify all year so I am very comfortable with it. I also realy liked Screencast-o-matic when I played around with it. I especially loved the 15-minute recording window. Sometimes you need a little more than 5 minutes!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your insight. I haven't used Screencastify. I really love the ability to automatically download to your Google drive. I don't like the five minute limit though. But... I did pay for Screencast-o-matic, which wasn't expensive. But I will try Screencastify once my subscription runs out.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
I enjoyed using both. I believe they can be used at different times depending on the message you want to get through. If its short, then Screencastify, if its long then Screencastomatic. They each have their pros and cons, but ultimately are amazing to use!
ReplyDeleteI really liked your critique on both screencast options. I have been unfamiliar with both up until this point however I can see the pros and cons of both of them. All in all, as long as we are trying to use these tools in same way, shape, or form there is no way we can go wrong! :)
ReplyDelete