WEEK 8 - Screencast-O-Matic
Screencasting, or capturing what you do on your computer or tablet in a video format while you narrate your actions, is one of the many benefits modern computer technology has provided to today's educators.
There are numerous free screen casting tools available, and one of the longest standing mainstays is Screencast-O-Matic. You can use it as a web app, or download a version for your PC or Mac. The free version of the tool limits you to 15 minute videos and does not permit editing (but you can get editing and unlimited video length for a meager $15 a year!).
Here's a 3 Minute Teaching With Tech Tutorial for Screencast-O-Matic:
Screencasting can be used to do so many things! Here's a few ideas for different ways you can use screencasting for teaching:
- Open a picture, or several pictures, and talk about them. Maybe you want to share the works of a favorite artist or photographer, or pictures of some geographic area, or something scientific.
- Open a document and discuss it - a section of an ebook, a paper, an article, whatever!
- Navigate a favorite web site and explain what's available there - this could be a museum's online site, a science site, a news resource, or one of so many other awesome online resources.
- The old classic … narrate over a Powerpoint slide deck you use to deliver a lesson in class.
- Show students how to solve a math problem (you can use a tool you draw on, like MS Paint or Educreations).
The ways you can use screen casting for teaching are truly unlimited!
Now, you know the drill … AFTER YOU TRY Screencast-O-Matic, be sure to comment below and tell us about your experience (so you have a chance at winning one of our give aways at the end of the challenge)! If you've already used Screencast-O-Matic, we want to hear from you too! How did you use it for? Was it easy to use? What did your students have too say about it?
About the Challenge:
The Try-a-Tool-a-Week Challenge started March 1st. Every Sunday through the end of May we're publishing a new web page with a new, awesome free tool to try. Everyone who provides their name and email address (click here to open the Challenge introduction page and SIGN UP) will get an email providing the link to the page. The goal is just to have fun and learn about these powerful free web applications for teaching and learning, and along the way you get the opportunity to win some giveaways we'll award at the end of the challenge to randomly selected participants! To have a chance a winning, just participate and share some observations about the tools you each week!
