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.
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.
