Tech Tool - Screencast-O-Matic

This week's tool is one that I have personally used and loved using when I was a classroom teacher -- Screencast-O-Matic. This software records whatever is on your computer screen and creates a video that you can save to your computer or post immediately online using several different platforms like Google Classroom, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Vimeo or Dropbox. You can add a webcam video or just have audio recorded along with the the screen capture. There is also a video editor tool that allows you to add music tracks, zoom in on certain parts of your screen capture, add text, images or captions. 

This tutorial does a great job walking you through how to use the screen recorder.



There are a couple different versions, from free to Deluxe, with varying features available for each. You can purchase an account for one user or multiple users (as an organization or group). As far as free online tools go, this one has quite a good bit of functionality for the free version. The paid version has so many extra features though that really make it worth the money. For teachers, it is only $1.50 per month, so that makes this one of the most affordable online tools out there.


Applications for Educators

Screencast-o-matic is optimized for teachers. It can be integrated into any of the online education platforms like Google Classroom, Canvas, Moodle and several others, so it is extremely easy to use and share with students. You could record lessons for flipped classrooms, blended learning, virtual learning (like on snow days or days you are absent), or as extra resources and tutoring. It would make a great way to demonstrate to students how to do assignments or access things online since it records your every move on your own computer. The narration and caption tools along with added text and images makes it easy to enhance the video for teaching. You can use the free version, pay for your own subscription or have your school or district purchase a multi-user access. 

Comments

  1. GreerOctober 14, 2018 at 6:39 PM

    Thank you for reminding me about Screencast-o-matic! I had forgotten how easy it is to use--I wish I had used it for my own blog this week. I can think of several projects that Screencast-o-matic could conquer at my school. One would be to show students how to log in to Chrome once they log on to their Chromebook. That sounds counterintuitive but it is maddening to see how many students google in their teacher's name to find her classroom, or google into gmail every time they need to check their email. They don't know how use the little gray icon grid to access their drive, mail, or calendar! I'm going to try it asap.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

More Tech Tools! Digital Microscopes

Image
Hello again! Today I bring you more thoughts on technology tools and technology integration. I do have a tech tool and ideas for using it, but first – let me tell you something about technology models that I recently learned: I taught for four years in a public high school and two years in a charter school (also public but there are some notable differences) before beginning this journey into library science. In those years, the SAMR technology model was something that was pushed on us teachers when we were trying to integrate new technologies into the classroom. Standing for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition, this model categorizes the use of technology in the classroom. We were actually assessed by our administration on which level our technology integration fell into during observations. I didn’t realize until reading this article  ("Through the Looking Glass") by Dr. Lucy Green, that this model is a hoax! Well maybe hoax is a strong word, b...
Read more

Hello and Welcome!

Image
Hello and welcome to my Blog! My name is Stephanie and I am in my 3rd semester in the SLIS program. I am a former high school science teacher and am currently working full time at CVS as a pharmacy technician while working on this degree. My husband and I have two dogs, two cats, and one baby on the way -- I'm 6 months pregnant and due in January with a little girl! We live in the upstate, outside of Anderson/Greenville, in a small town called Belton. My hobbies include gardening, sewing and reading. I love to travel and will be going to Ireland this October for my little brother's wedding. I used to be an avid reader and somehow fell off the bandwagon during college and my years teaching. A wonderful English teacher friend of mine encouraged me to get my butt reading again and my love of literacy and reading has come back. I've been surrounded by English/literacy friends at work and I'm so fortunate for their guidance. That's ...
Read more

Intellectual Freedom & Comparing the AASL and ISTE Standards

Image
Intellectual Freedom & Comparing the AASL and ISTE Standards When you visit a country you’ve never been to before, you have to learn a few of the laws. You have to know the rules to stick by, so you don’t end up finding yourself on the wrong side of the law unintentionally. You’ll also want to learn some customs and traditions – often these govern more than the laws of the land. Nobody wants to be the tourist who offends every shop and restaurant owner they encounter. The same goes for a new librarian – you have to learn what governs you as a librarian as well as the trends and major issues facing the profession. It’s important to know the standards and understand how they govern the world of libraries but it’s just as essential to know them in terms of the issues librarians are currently facing. Two sets of standards govern modern school librarians – the National School Library Standards from the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the standards from...
Read more