Answering the Question I’m Asked the Most – Practical Ed Tech

At the finish of nearly every weekly publication I remind audience to feel no cost to reply to ask me inquiries. Through the university year there is one concern that I am asked extra than any other. In actuality, I was requested this problem a few times on Friday. The dilemma is, “what do you use to make your instructional videos?”

Screencast-o-matic is the resource that I use to make practically all of the films that look on my YouTube channel. I use the “deluxe” edition of it which costs about $50/12 months. As another person who would make hundreds of movies each yr, Screencast-o-matic is worth the expense.

If you never make as lots of films as me, really do not need to have all of the enhancing resources that I use in Screencast-o-matic (truncated resumption of recordings is one particular I use virtually everyday), or really don’t want to commit any cash (I’m thrifty, too) then there are a great deal of fantastic cost-free possibilities which include the new Chrome OS screencasting application. The adhering to are my go-to tips for instructors who are looking for a absolutely free and uncomplicated way to generate screencast instructional films.

Loom

Loom is a well-liked screencasting instrument partly because it gives a generous listing of free of charge functions for lecturers and mainly because those people functions operate genuinely nicely. Maybe my favored of all those characteristics is the ability to history a screencast instantly from your Gmail inbox or from anyplace else in your Chrome browser. Loom also features computerized transcript era, viewing insights (get notifications when persons watch your films), and a device for suppressing background noise in your recordings.

Loom lets you obtain your recordings and MP4 files and share your movies immediately to a assortment of areas together with YouTube. Here’s a demo of how I used Loom and Google Jamboard to make whiteboard videos.

Chrome OS Screencast Application

If you use a Chromebook and your pupils use Chromebooks for all of their university work, then the screencasting application that was extra to Chrome OS back in June is a great tool for building screencast tutorial videos. The noticeable reward of utilizing the created-in recorder is that you never have to put in any 3rd-get together extensions. Moreover, your recordings instantly conserve to your Google Generate. And simply because the online video is saved in your Google account, it is unbelievably effortless to share your video clips with your college students. The best part of the designed-in Chrome OS screencasting device is that your online video is instantly transcribed for you and your college students can have that transcript translated into the language of their choice.

The shortcomings of the Chrome OS screencast recorder are the restricted drawing tools and restricted editing applications. But the most significant shortcoming is that the videos can only be performed back again on Chromebooks.

Screencastify

Until finally a couple of months ago Screencastify was at the top of my checklist for cost-free screencast online video generation choices. Unfortunately, at the start of Oct Screencastify launched a bunch of new constraints to their free of charge system which include a restrict of only ten video clips and elimination of the choice to down load your movies as MP4 information to use exterior of the Screencastify atmosphere. That stated, if you only require to history a screencast online video each the moment in a while, Screencastify does operate properly and has some awesome editing applications available in the cost-free prepare.

A notice for Mac buyers

My mates who are looking through this on a Mac may possibly be thinking, “what about QuickTime?” QuickTime is a great selection for generating a short screencast video. It does not have the modifying options of the equipment shown previously mentioned, but it’s however a totally free and convenient option.

Animated Explanations

Previous week I declared a new program that I’m educating in November. It’s called Animated Explanations and I’m fired up to train it in a new structure for the very first time! The course commences on November 1st. If you are intrigued, you can learn more here and register listed here.

50 Tech Tuesday Guidelines!

50 Tech Tuesday Tips is an E-book that I created with chaotic tech coaches, tech integrators, and media experts in head. In it you are going to locate 50 tips and tutorials that you can use as the basis of your very own brief PD sessions. Get a copy right now! I’ll host a free webinar for any college that buys 10 or much more copies of my Ebook.