Screencastify for Education

What is Screencastify?

Based on the words, 'screen' and 'cast'
Cast means to mirror your screen
Like Chromecast if you've heard of that, or like sharing a screen in a Zoom or Microsoft Teams call but recording instead of live
We can use Screencastify to record our voice and screen or a video of us and our screen to show students a tutorial on anything from how to solve a maths equation to how to submit work on Google classroom

Getting Started with Screencastify

Screencastify Getting Started.mp4

How to create a Screencast (step by step)

Follow this link and click 'add to chrome.’
Open the webpage, slideshow or anything that you would like to show in your recording.
Click on the puzzle piece icon that appears next to the star in the top right corner of your browser bar.
Click on the Screencastify extension. It may ask you to enable microphone and webcam.
Choose if you want to record a browser or your whole desktop from the icon options. I will record only a browser if I am showing a slideshow or the desktop if I am showing how to do a task that requires a computer program.
Choose between the microphone and / or embed webcam options, based on your preferences. Embed webcam will create a small video of you in the corner of the recording of your screen.
Press record. You will be given a 3-2-1 countdown before your recording begins.
When you are ready to stop sharing, select ‘stop sharing’ in the blue bar that appears at the bottom of your screen.

11. Once you have clicked, 'stop sharing,' you will be taken to a screen that looks similar to this - it will show your video (this one shows my desktop in the background).

12. You can label your video in the top right corner.

13. You can copy the share link for your video in the top right corner (this is what you will use to post to Google classroom or link in a Google Doc, Slideshow or Site).

14. You can download your video in the bottom right corner. This is useful as you can only save 10 video with a free account but if you download you can make as many as you want.

Editing Your Screencast

Screencastify Edit.mp4

Screencastify Submit for Students

Some Benefits

Flipped learning: With the prevalence of AI and the need to teach differently to ensure quality learning, some are turning to a flipped learning model. Students are provided resources to learn from home and then tested and extended on their learning under supervision at school to promote academic integrity. Screencastify is a good way to front load learning from home.

Diverse learners: Some students will hear instructions and pick them up straight away. Others require repetition. By providing instructions in video form, students are able to replay and follow along with a task where they are up to. This frees the teacher up to cater to the larger questions, rather than repeating instructions.

Multimodal learning: The research says that knowledge is embedded with more chance at a deeper recall for a longer time when information is presented in multiple ways. This is why I include video and written instructions.

Some Uses

English:

Students present book reviews
Teachers create recordings of skills, such as writing, annotating, grammar

Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS):

Analyse primary sources or historical documents by recording a screen to discuss and highlight key points.
Students can create virtual field trips or presentations about geographical locations.

Science:

Record experiments and lab demonstrations for students who may have missed a class or need a review.
Showcase how to analyse scientific data using software tools or spreadsheets.

Maths:

Teachers can create tutorials on complex math problems, explaining step-by-step solutions.
Explain graphing techniques or the use of mathematical software for visual representation.

PE:

Explain different fitness tests, how to conduct them, and how to interpret results.
Use screencasts to discuss the importance of nutrition, provide healthy eating tips, and explain the benefits of various food groups.

Visual Art:

Demonstrate various art techniques, such as drawing, painting, or sculpting, through screencasts. Especially helpful to create a short review of Art movements or historic information.
Provide tutorials on digital art tools and software for creative projects.

Psychology:

Discuss and analyse case studies, theories, or psychological experiments via screencasts.
Explain research methodologies and statistical analyses used in psychological studies.

Business:

Students can use Screencastify to record business presentations, improving their public speaking skills.
Create tutorials on using business-related software, demonstrating features and best practices.

Social and Community Studies:

Students can document and present community service projects or social initiatives they are involved in.
Conduct and record interviews with community members or experts on relevant social issues.

Student Example

Daly THONGPHANITH | 0717374@schoolsnet.act.edu.au |.mp4

Teacher Example

D&G Select & Colour PS.webm

Tips For Recording

The research says that videos should be less than 6 minutes to retain students attention. Consider the important information and pair it back.
Where time permits, practise what you will say in your recording and find the most concise way to say it.
Make sure to find a quite space to record your video so it is easy for students to understand (empty classrooms tend to have good resonance).
If you are going to include webcam, find a well-lit area but avoid lights behind you to prevent backlighting where your video is unclear.

Tips For After Recording

Cut out what you don't need (this can look like cutting the intro or end to your video as well as cropping in the screen to remove unnecessary distractions).
If we loose access to Screencastify Premium, we can only make and store 10 videos with the free version. For this reason, it is good to download your videos as MP4 files and store them on your computer as you may not always have access to limitless video storeage through Screencastify.
I teach using a Google Site where I am unable to embed videos due to Screencastify permissions. I hack this by downloading the video I have recorded as an MP4, uploading it to my own Google drive folder and then getting a share link from there to embed in my website.

Extra Resources

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