ScreenPal, formerly Screencast-O-Matic, is one of the original and most impressive screen recording tools out there. That makes it a great option, specifically tailored to education, for teachers that want a way to record their screens -- and more -- to share with the class.

This can be used on a big screen in the class, across personal devices, and outside the class too -- making teaching more free, while still taking advantage of the digital tools available.

Teachers can use this tool to provide a guided tour of new software that they want students to learn before arriving in class where it will be used -- saving time and resources.

You can also edit videos, among other useful tools, so teachers can create bespoke projects to be used that year or year-after-year, to save time while still offering super effective teaching to the class.

Read on to find out everything you need to know about ScreenPal.

• How Do I Screencast a Lesson?
• Best Tools for Teachers

What is ScreenPal?

ScreenPal is simple to use yet offers an array of rich features that allow you to record your screen, and audio, to share when you want, as a video.

ScreenPal works perfectly as a tool for the flipped classroom in which you can teach students in their own time and on their personal devices, with ease.

ScreenPal is highly compatible as it works across multiple platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Chromebooks. So it should be accessible to most teachers and students alike.

To be clear, the company changed the name from Screencast-O-Matic to ScreenPal as a way to show the growth of the app, which is now a more comprehensive screen capture, video creation, sharing, and interactive video platform. More on that next.

How does ScreenPal work?

ScreenPal lets you get started right away for free through any of the platforms you may want to use it on. Premium options with more features are also available, but that's all laid out in the pricing section below.

Sign up for the service and you can download and open the app to get started for free. Using the menu at the top you can select the Capture Screen, where you can then decide what resolution screen size you want and if you require audio also. You can then open a web browser of whatever you're going to be talking about, for example, then drag the black frame to what area you want recorded. You can then start recording.

ScreenPal offers four options in total: 

- take a screenshot image
- launch the video recorder
- open the video editor
- open uploads. 

Recent screenshots and records are also given quick access at the opening point.

For an image, you drag the cursor over the area you need and simply let go. More detailed image capture features are also available, such as cropping and resizing images, blurring and highlighting sections, or adding graphics and text to screenshots.

For video, you can record the screen, your webcam, or both at once -- ideal if you want a visual of your face as you demonstrate a task, to make it more personal.

In both cases you can choose to upload to a channel you use, making sharing and student access an even more straightforward process than sharing over email, for example. 

As you can imagine this is all straightforward to use, but being a video recording tool, there are also lots of videos offering guidance on how to get the most out of the many features that ScreenPal has to offer.

What are the best ScreenPal features?

ScreenPal gives you tremendous flexibility with the option to record your entire screen, a specific window, or a region you select. You can also record from your webcam at the same time, even with the option to background blur, so students can see your face in a small window, as you guide them through what's on screen.

The editing features, even on the free version, are worth a mention as you can trim, load captions, add narration, crop, resize, and annotate with colors, shapes, text, and more. And with up to 1080p resolution it should be more than enough for most screens.

Files can be saved locally or uploaded to the ScreenPal cloud storage option. You can also quickly share using social media if, for example, you were creating something for public consumption.

Integration is also impressive with easy use of Google Drive, YouTube, and DropBox, all from within the app itself. Go premium and you can add to that list Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Meta.

How much does ScreenPal cost?

ScreenPal is free for all in its most basic form. But there are education specific tiers you can go for if you want more in depth features.

The Free version gets you limited screenshots, limited length recordings, basic sharing, editing, image creation, content hosting, and interactive videos. Plus, unlimited cloud storage, YouTube and Google Drive uploads, a Chrome extension, and a screenshot tool for educators. 

Go for the Deluxe Edu plan at $2 per month and you get unlimited recorder functionality, full video editing, audio recording and editing, integrated video storyboards, and automated captions.

The Premier Edu plan, at $4 per month, gets you all the above plus standard stock media, secure cloud backup, custom branding, CTA buttons, and priority support.

The Max Edu plan, at $6 per month, gets you the above plus video quizzes and polls, advanced analytics, video heatmaps, premium Shutterstock, and a full stock music library.

There is also a Team Edu plan, charged at $2 per month at time of publishing (80% off), which is paid annually. This gets you the above plus collaboration tools, team management, advanced integrations, transfer ownership, and SSO including SAML.

ScreenPal best tips and tricks

Use the webcam
Screen capture is helpful but using your webcam in conjunction lets students see your face to make the process more personal and engaging.

Make a FAQ
To save you time and make everything easier for students, create a FAQ video to help with any potential issues students might have using this system.

Script it
Speaking freely can work but creating a script, or even just a guideline, can help to give a better flow to your end video results.

• How Do I Screencast a Lesson?
• Best Tools for Teachers

Screencast-O-Matic is a free screen capture system that allows teachers the opportunity to easily share their device screen with students, both in class and during remote learning. 

Screencast-O-Matic offers screenshots and allows you to record video of actions being carried out, such as showing a student how to use an app they need to work with on a project, for example.

Since storage and publishing are online and video editing is built-in, this is a very capable yet easy-to-use option for teachers who need to share a screen video quickly and easily.

Read on to find out everything you need to know about Screencast-O-Matic.

• How Do I Screencast a Lesson?
• Best Tools for Teachers

What is Screencast-O-Matic?

Screencast-O-Matic is a super simple yet powerful tool for video screen capture and screenshots. Since screenshots are easy to get with almost any device, we're going to focus on video.

Other options are out there, but few are free while offering the wealth of features that Screencast-O-Matic has.

Screencast-O-Matic is a great tool for a flipped classroom as it does nearly everything you could want for free. It also has pro-grade features available for a small annual fee, but more on all that below.

Screencast-O-Matic works on both Windows and Mac devices with its publishing platform running within a browser window. Apps for iOS and Android are also available, which allow you to sync and capture mobile videos, too.

How does Screencast-O-Matic work?

Screencast-O-Matic gives you login through a browser window to get started. Once you've got an account and have granted permissions, you are able to start screen capturing. 

Screencast-O-Matic offers four options: take a screenshot, launch the recorder, open the editor, and open uploads. Recent screenshots and records are also given quick access at this opening point.

For an image, you drag the cursor over the area you need and simply let go. More detailed image capture features are also available, such as cropping and resizing images, blurring and highlighting sections, or adding graphics and text to screenshots.

For video, you can record the screen, your webcam, or both at once – ideal if you want a visual shot as you demonstrate a task, to make it more personal.

The ScreenCast-O-Matic app allows you to adjust the size of the recording window based on resolution. The recommended amount is 720p, however, you can use 1080p for full-screen resolution if you wish. 

It is also possible to trim recordings, write captions, and add music tracks. More features are offered in the paid version.

What are the best Screencast-O-Matic features?

Screencast-O-Matic allows you to do all the image and video features mentioned above and it will also let you narrate audio over video, without paying a cent. 

Sharing is super simple with lots of options a click away including: Facebook, YouTube, Google Drive, Twitter, and email. For Dropbox or Vimeo, you'll need to be a paying user.

Files are all stored the hosting service of Screencast-O-Matic, which has a decent 25GB capacity. The free version even includes LMS and Google Classroom integration.

The ability to trim videos and add captions and music is great but the paid version has more features such as zooming and drawing for live video annotations, captions with speech-to-text, GIF making, and image editing such as blurring and shape adding.

How much does Screencast-O-Matic cost?

Screencast-O-Matic is free for all. This gets you lots of the above features and that 25GB storage capacity. More than enough for most teachers' needs.

Should you wish to go for the extra features, including the easy video editor, computer audio recording, sound effects, narration and music importing, scripted recordings, and more, then you'll need to pay the meager annual sum of $20 for the Deluxe version.

If you want the top-end Premier package, with a stock library and custom video player and controls, 100GB storage, and ad-free website, it's $48 for the year.

Screencast-O-Matic best tips and tricks

Use the webcam
Screen capture is helpful but using your webcam in conjunction lets students see your face to make the process more personal and engaging.

Make a FAQ
To save you time and make everything easier for students, create a FAQ video to help with any potential issues students might have using this system.

Script it
Speaking freely can work but creating a script, or even just a guideline, can help to give a better flow to your end video results.

• How Do I Screencast a Lesson?
• Best Tools for Teachers

The best Screencast-O-Matic tips and tricks for teaching can help make digital learning more immersive and engaging, both in the classroom and for remote learning.

Screencast-O-Matic is a great tool for use in flipped and blended learning classrooms. It allows educators to record videos and images of their computer and smartphone displays for use as teaching tools. This can mean offering guidance on a digital tool, talking through a slideshow, or annotating work – all with your webcam and mic also recording you to let you help students with a personal touch.

Done right, this tool can be really useful for both teachers and students. As more classes embrace remote learning and flipped classrooms, now is the time to learn more about Screencast-O-Matic.

So, read on for the best Screencast-O-Matic tips and tricks for your class.

• What is Screencast-O-Matic and How Does it Work?
• Best Tools for Teachers

Use your webcam

Screencast-O-Matic lets teachers record video of both what's on their screen but also from their webcam. It allows you to place yourself in a small window at the corner of the screen so you can guide students through what's going on with both visual and audio support. 

During remote learning, this personalized touch, in which students can see and hear you, is an essential part of keeping them engaged. It can help a student feel supported and, since they can re-watch, allows them to know your assistance is there as they need. It can also let you make a guide video a bit more fun and lively as a human face helps personalize an otherwise software-focused interaction.

Think big

Studies have shown that most students will use a desktop computer or laptop to access teaching content. So when making your videos it's important to think big, knowing that whatever you show will be on a screen larger than a smartphone.

Consequently, you'll need the resolution to be set high enough to not be pixelated. It also means you can think visually, adding in imagery and making sure to draw attention to the part of the screen that is relevant. So if you're giving a guide on how to create a Google Doc, for example, be sure to clarify what you're doing with the mouse as it moves about the screen, naming what you're clicking as you go.

Create a FAQ video

When it comes to explaining a certain topic, or even simply going back to school, a FAQ video can help to clarify issues for students. It can provide a resource that students can revisit as and when they want, and also buys you time as fewer questions need to be answered.

Be sure to plan the various questions and answers you're going to tackle. When you edit your video, you can be concise with each answer. This is a good opportunity to use on-screen visuals, such as text, to show the questions. This breaks up the video and allows students to dip back in to specific questions and answers easily without having to rewatch the whole video.

Use videos to prep

One major advantage of using Screencast-O-Matic videos is that it prepares students ahead of a class. You can set a video as a task to go over between classes to effectively teach a class outside of the assigned time. Then, when students arrive, they're already knowledgeable about a subject allowing you to dive in deeper or use that knowledge in practice. 

This is like having a second teacher helping you to work with the students. Yes, you have to take the time to make the video, but this can be done when you are free, ultimately giving you more flexibility. The video can also be used again for future classes so it could be a good time investment for the future. 

Mix media sources

While you can create a Screencast-O-Matic video with your face and words over the top, it can pay to use other resources already available. For example, there are many YouTube videos that can be useful.

So you might pose a question or bring up a subject, then have that explained or answered in a YouTube video, which you play and talk over, or use and talk about as needed within your video.

Keep to your students' pace

Some students will work faster than others. For those done early, having these video resources that you can share helps to make sure everyone is kept engaged without you having to focus on one person or group more than another.

From backup worksheets and videos to additional learning resources, this can be a great way to make sure the entire class is kept working. Once again, planning ahead and creating these resources allows you to use them in the future too. So while there might be more work at the front end, this will pay off in the long term.

Use a script

The Screencast-O-Matic easy video editor is a great way to put together a well-formulated video for students. But it can be easier and work out better if you plan ahead too. Using a script is a useful way to do this.

By planning out what you're going to say, either exactly or with bullet points, you can stay focused throughout your video. This will keep it minimal so you won't have as much to edit after it's recorded, saving time.

• What is Screencast-O-Matic and How Does it Work?
• Best Tools for Teachers

Screencast-O-Matic

Create and share high-quality screencasts without breaking the bank

Pros: The intuitive design makes for a fun user experience, and the paid versions are cost effective and include a full suite of editing tools.

Cons: It takes time to build a content library; a gallery of standards-based, high-quality screencasts would be helpful for time-starved teachers.

Bottom Line: A well-designed screen and video recorder that lets teachers and students focus on creating engaging content from the get-go.

Read more 

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

I started to write this post in my last blog, but I realized that I was putting the cart before the horse. My last blog started off as five tools to present content in an alternative way, but it soon turned into strategies rather than tools. The funny part of it is that it helped give me the reminder that we always need: technology is used to amplify instruction and the tools should always come second!

The tools below all give you great options to get started in producing and using content in different ways. If you have not read my blog on alternative strategies to deliver content, I highly encourage it. I think the best way to use these tools is to find some structure that puts you in between the traditional lecture-based classroom and the flipped classroom approach. All these tools can be used to get you there!

cross posted at www.bigguyinabowtie.com

David Lockhart is an edtech presenter, speaker, advocate, and coach with over ten years' experience teaching high school social studies. As an Education Technology Specialist with the Iteach Center at Kennesaw State University, he works with a metro Atlanta school district to personalize learning for students with the aid of technology. Read his blog at bigguyinabowtie.com and follow him on Twitter @bigguyinabowtie.