Screencasts

                                                          Screencast-o-Matic Vs. ScreenCastify 

Screencast-o-matic

I was a little apprehensive at first with the thought of recording myself. One must get used to recording yourself, of course after some practice, screen casts become easier to complete. I absolutely love Screencast-o-Matic. I have been using this screen cast to record my lessons for virtual learning this school year. I have heard mixed reviews on this particular screen cast as it does have a limit of recordings you are given before you have to upgrade. Recently I upgraded to the premier plan because it allows for longer recordings and extra bandwidth. It also has great editing features. 

ScreenCastify 

This was the first time I used ScreenCastify. Some of my colleagues use this certain screen cast, but I feel indebted to Screencast-o-matic. I was a little confused as to how to go about recording even after taking the virtual tour. After exploring the application, I noticed it only gives you a 5 minute recording time frame. I also noticed you are also able to clip videos and adjust as needed, which is a great feature. 

There are plenty of ways to incorporate screen casts within the school setting. As Dr. Gross mentioned, screen casts can be used to record lessons, give tutorials for students on different applications or directions, and share out information to students and parents. Creating screencasts gives off a more personal experience as some offer the option of recording yourself as you are recording. 

I personally prefer Screencast-o-Matic over ScreenCastify. I am familiar with this screencast, as I mentioned I have been using it for my virtual classroom. I am sure if I was introduced to ScreenCastify or another screen cast I would probably prefer that one over Screencast-o-matic. The tools to record in Screencast-o-matic are very straightforward and I feel it is user friendly.