Screencasting

What is Screencasting:

A screencast is a digital movie in which the setting is partly or wholly a computer screen, and in which audio narration describes the on-screen action.

Screencasting Tools:

If you're a Windows user then the free Windows Media Encoder is very easy to use. You can download Media Encoder by going to the following link: www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9series/encoder/

For more ambitious efforts that require editing and allow you to do much more than simply "capture your screen," you can use Camtasia Studio. You can learn more about this by going to their website: Camtasia Studio.

Free Screencasting Services:

There are several web tools that offer free screencasting services. One that I have found very user friendly is Utipu.

TechSmith, the company that makes Camtasia software, offers a free program at the Jing Project. I have not used this program, but I have been very pleased with TechSmith's Camtasia line of software.

How to Make a Screencast:

No matter which tool you use, here are some basic guidelines for effective screencasting.

1. Prepare the Stage

Have a plan and practice navigating through your presentation. Also, plan and prepare your narration as you navigate through the presentation. Making these preparations will limit the number of mistakes you experience during the actual recording.

2.Tell the Story in Scenes

When you've got a short story to tell, it may consist of only a single scene. You can do a lot in 90 seconds of narrated video. You might need a couple of takes, but you can probably create something that's directly usable without requiring post-production. As you attempt longer and more complex screencasts, though, you will likely have to do some editing. If you do have a video editor, which Camtasia Studio offers, editing becomes much easier.

3. Narrating the Action

Composing the audio narration and synchronizing can be difficult. If you have prior experience with voice recording that will help. But even so, you're likely to find that syncing your voice with the action onscreen is a real challenge. For short unedited scenes, you can do multiple takes until you get it right, or as close as possible.

4. Check Your Work

It's exciting to make a screencast, and you'll want to share it with the world right away. But first watch it carefully, from beginning to end, more than once. A variety of problems can creep in during the editing process. There's also a real danger of exposing confidential data.

So What does a screecast look like?

Karla Faulk, a 6th grade math teacher has created screencasts as a way to review new math concepts with her students. In this video Karla has use a graphics tablet.

Screencasting with Graphics Tablet

Another example of using technology to review concepts with your students is to create "Math Review Videos." It is really quite easy using the plug-and-play Flip camera. Simply record yourself working through a problem, upload the video to your computer, and post the video in teachertube or youtube. Give the video link to your students and they'll love seeing you on the internet. If you need help with this process do not hestitate to contact us. In this example Tad, a 6th grade math teacher, has created a math video on decimals and place value.