Screenr is a free screen recording application that requires no installation and works right through your browser.

I generally do my fair share of screen recordings usually to show people how to use applications. I use the great free tool Jing to do this and have loved it but it does require a few simple steps to install it and get it working. Screenr takes an easy process and makes it even easier somehow.

You literally only need a Twitter account and a browser to be recording short tutorials (5 min max) with Screenr that have a surprisingly great quality. Once you have recorded you are left with the option of Tweeting your recording, although you can elect not to tweet but you still need to sign into Twitter (hence needing the Twitter account). From there you can access the raw files for that you recorded or get the embed code to put it anywhere you like. All this is done platform independent because it is all browser powered.

Screenr also has a bookmarklet that makes it easy to quickly and easily record wherever you are as long as your browser is open. This truly is such an easy tool to easily incorporate into your routine that could save tons of time in giving direction to students or other instructors. Screenr videos will also play on an iPhone and other mobile devices which is great for getting your tutorials to people wherever they are.

I don’t see this tool replacing Jing or Camtasia (the granddaddy of all screen recorders and possibly the most expensive as well) but it does simplify and speed up the process of screen recording and sharing. If you don’t already have Jing or Camtasia then Screenr may be the right fit for you, heck I will probably be using it more often than I use the other tools because it fits so well into my workflow.

Here is an example of a short screenrecording I created.

How can this be used in Education?

I would come up with my own reasons to use this in education but honestly early in the writing of this post I found another article that shows great ways of how to use Screenr for education so here it is.
http://www.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/how-to-use-this-free-screencasting-tool-for-e-learning/

Tweet This Post 

Best Free Podcast Directory On Web via kwout

Phonecasting is a simple way of creating podcasts, all you need is a phone and an account on Phonecasting. With both of those you can phone into the number that they give you, talk, and you are actively recording a podcast from just about anywhere through your cell phone. You can also set it up so anyone can listen to your podcast from their phone or cell phone just by calling a different number that you get from your Phonecasting account.

But what about iTunes U? What if I want to use iTunes U as the way for my students to access my podcasts? Well you can easily download the podcasts that you create on Phonecasting (only the ones you create because we respect copyright) and then you can upload it to iTunes U. Problem solved, all the benefits of both these great tools.

Phonecasting has many other options that allow you to create groups, rss feed, and other great social media goodies but I will leave that exploration up to you if you want to use the extra functionality. The reason I won’t go into that is due to it being slightly more difficult to set up, nothing too intense but I have a feeling people just want an easy way to create a podcast.

How can I use this for education?

Podcasts are great for so many different reasons so I will try to give a few examples of how they are good and a few examples of why to use Phonecasting to create your podcasts.

Podcasts

• Deliver lectures that are always accessible for the student
• Deliver added benefits content (introduction to yourself, explanations, readings, daily course tips, etc ) to students like videos and audio
• Record your computer screen (need to use a different tool like Jing) to easily show students how to do common or complex tasks on the computer

Why use Phonecasting?

• I can record almost anywhere, even on a bus or while I am walking the dog.
• Its easy to record
• I can still download my podcasts
• People can listen to my podcast from their mobile device

Tweet This Post