Instructify

Are you using screencasts yet? For the uninitiated, screencasts are mini-movies that demonstrate how to perform tasks on the computer. And making your own is super-easy thanks to Screencast-o-Matic. Easy to use and incredibly useful - that’s a combo that we at Instructify always appreciate.

Screencast-o-Matic uses a transparent frame that you place over whatever program you want to demonstrate. Just hit record and do your stuff. Screencast-o-Matic records your every mouse click so students can see, for example, how to create a drop down list in Excel. If you have a microphone, you can even add audio. When you’re done, export it to a Quicktime .mov file and share your teaching prowess with your students and the world.

If little Johnny is out with the flu, just send him a link to an online tutorial you put together in about five minutes. Screencast-o-Matic is perfect for illustrating research methods, musical instrument tutorials, or if you need to demonstrate a particular piece of software. Speaking of software, to make your screencasts you’ll need Java 1.5, which you probably have installed already. You won’t need to download anything else, though - Screencast-o-Matic is completely online. And soon, your lessons can be online, too. -BILL FERRIS

Screencast-o-Matic

How do you use screencasts? Let us know in the comments!