Fantastic Screencast-ic

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 By: Samantha Wilkinson

Images by Eric Curts, https://www.controlaltachieve.com/

I'm sure by now most of us know that chromebooks have a webcam option. When accessed by applications, the webcam allows students to record video or take pictures. They can also record their voice. We love this for digital projects in WeVideo, Wixie, Google Workspace, and more. But did you know that students also have the ability to record their screen, as well as annotate on the screen itself while recording? 

Yes, it's true! I'm talking about a tool that is found on Chromebooks from the ChromeOS launcher button in the bottom left of student devices. *Screencast dramatically enters the scene.*


Once launched, your dashboard will offer some "Getting Started" videos as well as list any previous screencasts the user has recorded. This is where you will find the NEW SCREENCAST button as well, to start a new recording. 


Students have the ability to record full screen, partial screen, or a window. The settings gear gives access to the webcam, which one enabled, can be resized and moved around the screen to avoid covering important information. The marker button appears, with four color options, at the bottom of the screen for annotations. 
 

After the recording is finished, you can view your transcript. You can make edits to the transcript if needed. Get this... you can even edit out portions of the recording by deleting that part of the transcript before you share it!


As with any Google application or tool, the recording can be shared with the blue share button. The best part is that when shared with another chromebook user, the transcript has the ability to be TRANSLATED! So if you have a student who reads another language, you can record yourself explaining the steps, or project, or concept and send it to them to translate. 

So what does this mean for teachers? Well for one thing, with a chromebook, you can easy record and create instructional videos to help increase student understanding. These will include a all your demonstrations and annotations, a transcript, and translation options for your students. 

For students this means another way of showing what they know. Imagine students that not only build a slideshow based on their research from class, but they also record themselves giving the presentation. They can even show themselves solving math problems with audio for teachers to easily see where mistakes might be happening. It is also a way for students to record any issue they may be stumbling on while working on a device, and to record their screen so the teacher can troubleshoot. It's yet another mode for expression of content learned. 

So hopefully now you know why I call it "Fantastic Screencast-ic". Give it a try with you students and let us know the ways they are using it by tweeting us: @aacpsoit

For more information and troubleshooting, click here.

For great step by step tutorial and editing options, see the post from Eric Curts.


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