Screencasting- what are some good options?

Screencasting brings back some terrible memories of the Covid years. I did use screencasting to record a grammar lesson for example, and then posted it for my students. I took a sabbatical during the Hybrid year to stay home with my kids and help them through Hybrid schooling. I didn't need to use this super often, however I did use it one other time when I came back to school. We held a virtual back to school night and I needed to do a screencast. Instead of videoing just myself and reinvent the wheel, I was able to take my normal presentation and just present it as if parents were in front of me. The added benefit was that I could also navigate away from my presentation and show them apps and log ins. This helped me for last year when we were back in person because I remembered everything I had shown them on the screencast and added it in to my presentation.

I'm just now thinking about some benefits that screencasting could have for ELLs but also all students really. Let's talk about a few screencasting options.

1. Screencastify- great for google classrooms, instructional tool, chrome browser, 30 min. recording limit, user friendly. 

2.  Screencast-o-matic (now ScreenPal)- mentioned as most flexible, works with most browsers, may need to upgrade to get all features. Free plan caps recordings at 15 minutes. Not as user-friendly and has a learning curve.

3. V Maker-best option for simple screen recoding. Free version has no watermark or recording limits. Record, download, and send. Can upgrade to paid for more features. 

4. Loom- Noted as a great free option for creating and sharing lessons. Other people can share and discuss recordings. With a teacher account, you can share lessons, students can't use it to record. Students can sign up for free accounts. 

5. Explain Everything- great for lively presentations that students can create using multiple platforms. "Instead of recording their browser window, students start with a blank screen and pre-load slides, websites, images, videos, and more. Then, they record the slides as they speak, draw, and direct the presentation" (Common Sense Education, 2023). Pre-loaded content, collaboration!

There are a lot of different options here for teachers and students. Cook (2021), mentions, "Teachers can record instructions at different stations that each have a dedicated chromebook. Students can then visit each station and repeat as many times as needed." This would be a great way to tie in screencasting and it would help all levels of readers and speakers because they can watch and re-watch the directions. Certain stations could also be more appropriate for lower readers or ELLs and the recordings and vocabulary in the screencast could match the level of reading/comprehension that the students have. 

I like this video because it teaches/explians how to create tutorial videos for your classroom. I can relate to the "running around trying to problem solve." He goes through all of the basics for how to use screencastify create these videos. The tutorials will help all students, as well as keep parents in the loop with what their child is working on. It may teach the parents a thing or two also. Overall, I think using one of the screen casting tools will benefit all types of students. 

10 Ways to Use Video for In-Person Learning | Screencastify. (n.d.). Retrieved July 13, 2023, from https://www.screencastify.com/blog/10-ways-to-use-video-for-in-person-learning

New EdTech Classroom (Director). (2019, September 26). How to Make Video Tutorials with Screencastify. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHr9r-F-k1s

The Best Screencasting Tools for Classrooms | Common Sense Education. (n.d.). Retrieved July 13, 2023, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/best-in-class/the-best-screencasting-tools-for-classrooms