I must say that while trying to complete this assignment, I had a strong urge to embrace my luddite roots and resist the advance in technology. This assignment, which probably should have taken a few minutes, took hours due to countless technical problems with smart software, screen-o-matic, and the beloved java. I think the Java and screen-o-matic issues were mac/user errors, but the smart recorder thing is still driving me crazy. Whenever I would press the record button, it would just close. I couldn't find anything online that could help me trouble shoot what was going on. If anyone has any ideas, I would gladly take advice on what I was doing wrong.
I was finally able to get Screenr to work. I thought this application was very user friendly, and created a fairly high quality video. The idea of screen casting is a very valuable tool. I really wish I would have been using this for the last couple of years. It could have saved me from many a frustrated parent or students who couldn't find what they were looking for, or were unable to perform a task online. I plan on using this a lot this year. As we continue to ask the students (and parents) to embrace new forms of technology as learning tools, it is important to be able to make these quick tutorials to make sure they are equipped to be successful using the technology.
I did the same thing! It seems like such a great way to communicate with students and parents. I loved the format of your website and can see how that would be helpful to parents.
ReplyDeleteThanks for showing me how to use Screenr. Though Smart Recorder worked so easily for me on my Mac, I like that Screenr is web-based and can be used on any computer! Maybe we should teach Dianne how to use these and then split up the various tutorials needed for our upcoming kids to navigate our website, Moodle, flipped videos/YouTube channels, etc...
ReplyDeleteGreat Screencast! I appreciate your honesty in how long this process took you, but I am glad that you were able to figure it out and that it is something you can see yourself using.
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