Screen Casts= Love HATE relationship.

I was really looking forward to learning how to do a screen cast.  The professors in my grad school all use them and I kept thinking "how do they do that?"  Well now I know.  I set out to try a couple of free programs online to figure out which one would be right for me.
  With computer usage an everyday occurrence in a lot of classes having step by step directions ready to go just makes sense.  Enter screen casts!  You get it all- audio and visual.  The double whammy of instructing.  Plus kids can follow along on their computers while you play the screen cast on the projector and you add in the hands on element.  Below are the screen casts I created and teh sites I created them on.

Screenr- This program is the DEVIL!  I hope the creator of this program enjoys the depths of Tartarus.  I was in tears, nay I was bawling from this program.  It was easy to use for certain.  You click launch recorder and you're good to go.  Unless you have problems with your Java. Then you will have to take a few to figure that out (did that).  Then you create a nice little screen cast- free version is no longer than 5 minutes.  Then you get the news- only members can download or publish their video.  I suppose the rest just sit and stare at their screens after making theirs.  So I signed up first through Google.  It would never complete my registration.  I tried 13 times- that's right 13 confirming emails and still no go. Then I gave Twitter a go.  Taking this route took 6 tries but finally I had an account.  I can download my video now right?  WRONG!  "Please confirm your email again"  Well, here we go again.  I think it took 5 additional tried before it would finally give me an embed code- still no download.  So after hours of frustration, no less than 19 emails, many tears, and a glass of wine here it is- as the title says (despite the spelling error that I wouldn't chance it to correct) this was not worth the trouble. 




Screencast O Matic-  This program was the exact opposite of the one previously mentioned.  I had zero problems with this site.  I went there, began using the record device immediately and when I was done I was given the option to download my video right away.  Like Screenr you have the ability to create a 5 minute screen cast without registering for anything.  This site also has a few helpful links.  I liked the links for "what teachers are using screen casts for".  It obviously gives a few ideas for screen casts in the classroom.   I will be using this program again.  I will even be using it to re-record the video I made in the other program.  Below is my first and only attempt at this site.