During this time of mass distance learning, screencasts are more important than ever. A screencast allows the user to video their computer desktop, browser window and/or web camera to film how-to videos, lessons, demonstrations, etc. There are several options available for your filming needs, most of them filming up to 15 minutes of time for free. Some platforms may put a limit on how many videos you can record on their free version, so make sure you have practiced your video ahead of time.
When I watched the video for Snag It, I was immediately sold. Sign me up, please and thank you. But then I realized I might not be able to download it onto my Chromebook which is my working laptop.
Snag It allows users to take screenshots of web pages or a whole screenshot. It allows the user to edit screenshots, create step by step instructions, or add videos to provide feedback or extra instruction. It seems like an easy program to use for education in order to create an image with step by step instructions for the beginning of the school year - signing up for Remind, finding things on Canvas or Blackboard, using FlipGrid, etc. You can tag your videos as a way to keep them organized for later usage.
On the other hand, I can see more technology proficient users not seeing a need for this service. They can take their own screenshots and add information to them as needed. And this service does add a risk of providing false information. The ease of which the video demonstrates adjusting a web page is a little worrisome. Thought it could be useful when teaching lessons on double checking primary sources.
The website provides a free trial for users, and then it costs $49.95 a year, and you can download it on up to two devices. I imagine this being a useful purchase.
Screencast-O-Matic
This is my first time hearing of Screencast-O-Matic. Just yesterday, one of the instructional coaches shared a video made with Screencast-O-Matic demonstrating how to check if a student has been on Canvas.
The free version of Screencast-O-Matic allows for unlimited videos at 15 minutes maximum. Once you’ve finished your video, you can upload it to your Google Drive, YouTube, and Screencast-O-Matic in order to keep track of the videos you have created. I liked having the option on where I wanted my videos sent to.
You can organize your videos into folders. There is a search function just in case you have a lot of videos and haven’t organized them yet. When you want to share the video, it provides a lot of different options. You can send a direct link, create your own link, or it gives the embed code.
Editing and such costs extra, but the pricing isn’t too bad for this service. For $1.65 a month you get unlimited recording times, it will intuitively try to access your video editor on a Mac or PC, provide drawing tools and mouse focus.
I created one of these back in November showing students how to access Sora using Screencastify. That one was around 7 minutes long. Here is a newer, updated version that runs around 8 minutes long.
Screencastify
This is the program I have used the most to share with students. The free version allows you to record up to five minutes, though I could have sworn it was fifteen, and in the past it has told me how many videos I had left to make. It allowed for 30 videos in a month, and it has a mouse focus to emphasize areas on your browser. Another downer is that it was hard for me to see my folder of videos on Screencastify. The free version is available for $29 for educators.
This program, along with Screencast-O-Matic and others, has a Chrome Extension. When you are ready to film, just click the extension and it will ask if you want your desktop or browser filmed, your microphone filmed, and/or your webcam. It gives a countdown and begins filming, You can easily pause if you need a moment. When you’re done, you are able to watch it to see if it meets your standards. You can’t really do any editing in the free version of this program. Screencastify automatically makes a file folder on your Google Drive to easily find videos, and it can upload to your YouTube or your Google Classroom. It can generate a QR code and provide the embed information.
I created this video today to help show students how to turn in an assignment through Google Forms. Nice, quick and to the point.
Hippo
One last screencast program I have used in the past is called Hippo. It’s like a mixture of Screencastify and Screencast-O-Matic. With the free version, you can make unlimited videos at 15 minutes maximum. There is a section that provides information for embedding the video. Hippo also creates a folder in your Google Drive to house all of your videos for easy access. A couple of cons with this service is that it does not offer to upload to YouTube, instead offering up Facebook and Twitter. The paid version for personal use only allows you to record up to an hour versus unlimited like other services.
Conclusion
I think I’ll be using Screencast-O-Matic a little more for videos for my classroom. Screencastify is great if you need something short to share with others. And some of these services might be worth paying the annual fee for if you find yourself recording a lot of your lessons.
Sometimes when people are presented with a block of text, it’s difficult to break it down. A digital representation of the information may help. The attention span of students (and adults) is increasingly lowering. This is partly due to technology and the ability to find or scroll through text or images that aren’t stimulating. Using infographics separates information into colorful images that can help students retain the information. Infographics can also be used for students to demonstrate their understanding of information in any content.
As with almost anything having to relate to technology, there are multiple platforms available to create infographics, posters, and other visual materials. Infogram, Piktochart, and Easel.ly offer templates, graphs and other features to help present data visually for users. All three platforms have a free version for people to use a limited number of resources they provide. A monthly or annual price point is offered that opens more resources for your graphic design needs. They each provide a template to work off of instead of having to begin from scratch.
Infogram
This is the program I ultimately used for this assignment of creating an infographic. I didn’t mean for it to be, but the more I used it, the more comfortable I became.
Notes from using Infogram:
- At first it seems like most things need the upgrade. This particular thought came about when I was browsing through the icons. Only a select amount of icons or graphics are given at a time. When you type in a search, more images appear. You are also able to upload your own graphics.
- If you want an infographic that can be easily printed and turned into a poster for your library or classrooms, this is not the platform to use. Infogram focuses on creating interactive infographics. This allows the user to hover over graphs for more information and embed videos or gifs.
- You cannot download your image as a PDF or any other file without upgrading, so if you want to show off your infographic, you need to share it or embed it.
- There are plenty of chart options to input your data into, and they’re pretty easy to navigate.
- The toolbar for fonts, alignment, color scheme, etc. is found on the right side of the screen. There aren’t many font options on the free version.
- It took me a while to figure out how to delete some of the images used on the template. I ended up having to delete the whole square and recreating it which wasn’t hard to do, just annoying. For example, there was a backpack image I didn’t want to use and realized I couldn’t delete it. A minor annoyance.
Click here to view my infographic on Infogram.
Piktochart
Notes from using Piktochart:
- You can adjust the color scheme accordingly which makes things easier as far as making sure everything matches. There are some preloaded color schemes or you can make your own.
- When you want to add your own graphic/icon/shape, there is a drop down option that separates the images by topics. A search bar is also provided. The dropdown is nice because you can easily navigate it and find images that match your infographic theme.
- The toolbar for fonts and other things are easier to access and navigate as they are at the top of the screen, much like using a Google Doc or Microsoft Word.
- It is easy to delete and edit images and text provided by the template.
- The graphic design components - graphs to input your data - are not as user friendly. There are three types to choose from and then plenty of templates. No real graphs are available though. This makes Piktochart better to create infographics where bar, column, or circle graphs aren’t needed.
Easel.ly
This platform frustrated me the most, I’ll admit.
Notes form using Easel.ly:
- The templates weren’t very impressive and not a lot in quantity. The site immediately presents you with a blank canvas to work from. If you’re well versed in created infographics, this might be the platform for you.
- The backgrounds help create your own “template”.
- It doesn’t save automatically! This was probably my biggest issue with this platform. Piktochart and Infogram both automatically saved my progress while I worked on creating an infographic. Maybe I’m just spoiled with Google automatically saving everything, but it was mind blowing to see that I needed to make sure I saved my progress. Especially considering the site timed out on my twice and I had to restart it.
- While circle graphs are not offered, this platform makes it much easier to import your data and create a visually appealing graphic. It also offers pictograms - my section How Many People Are Reading? Offers an example of a pictogram.
- A mixed race couple (black man, Asian woman)
- Two elderly couples
- Three men with beards of different races
- A person with short blue hairHowever, they tend to offer only about 10 images on the free version.
- However, they tend to offer only about 10 images on the free version.
Conclusion
I most definitely preferred Infogram and Piktochart over Easel.ly for their easier use, though I wouldn’t recommend Picktochart if you need to represent hard data. Another possible option to use is Canva. Like the other options, there are templates available, adding in data charts is relatively easy, and it automatically saves your progress.
The best part about these programs being available is that you don’t need a graphic design degree to present information in a visually appealing way. It’s also a great way for students to demonstrate their understanding of information in class. Timelines, data sets from math or science, whatever your content, infographics work!
References:
Moran, K. (2017, October 26). 7 ways audiobooks benefit students who struggle with reading.
We Are Teachers. http://bit.ly/2QrR8UZ
Perrin, A. (2019, September 25). One-in-five Americans now listen to audiobooks.
https://pewrsr.ch/3a5nrAI
PR Newswire. (2020, January 8). Public libraries reach record-high ebook and audiobook usage
in 2019. PR Newswire US.
Rakuten OverDrive. (2020, January 8). Public libraries reach record-high ebook and audiobook
usage in 2019. http://bit.ly/3a2Njxk
Rowe, A. (2020, January 9). Public library ebook and audiobook usage rocketed up to 20% in
2019. Forbes. http://bit.ly/2wauY2N
Yorio, K. (2019, September 27). Audiobooks increase in popularity as science supports their
value. School Library Journal. http://bit.ly/3bdL1vz
