Screencast-o-matic

A few months ago, I played around with present.me as a tool for sub plans: record myself teaching a lesson, have the sub press play, and all students receive the same message from me.

I tried to use present.me about a month ago when I took a sick day.  It was slow.  My powerpoints wouldn't upload.  It locked up my computer twice and I was forced to restart twice.  I gave up.  I left written plans.  And my students acted like wild carnivores after a baby gazelle.  Not ideal.

In planning this past week to be out for Vertical Team, and in light of the fact that my PLC cohort, Bridget, was sick and practically voiceless, we decided to try a new way of recording lessons: http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/

(The math department has been using Screencast-o-matic to record lessons for their flipped classroom and we decided to try it.  Sidenote: those math folks are so awesomely brave!)

It was so easy!

Within 10 minutes, Bridget and I had watched the introductory video, downloaded the program, and had done a few trial runs.  We learned that not only will Screencast-o-matic record your voice and what's happening on the screen, it can also record video of you (which pops up in the corner like picture-in-picture).  I decided to record myself in the video because I wanted to gesture to books and make my kids feel like I was in the room with them.  Bridget did solely screen/voice because she wasn't feeling well and was recording from her apartment.  Either way, it was so easy.

PROS for Screencast-o-matic:
So easy!
Not web-based, so you can do it whenever, wherever. 
Can save files (mp4) to your computer/GoogleDrive/etc.
Because you can save, it's easy to share with others without needing a username/password.
Can record anything and everything on the screen.
Can add video of yourself.

CONS for Screencast-o-matic:
Can't edit while you record; must start over (or at least I couldn't figure out how to edit).