I have watched many screen-recorded videos in the past, but I never realized how much editing goes into creating a fluid screencast. This process was tedious but rewarding.
I have watched many screen-recorded videos in the past, but I never realized how much editing goes into creating a fluid screencast. This process was tedious but rewarding.
For this project, I decided to create a tutorial called How to Design a Classroom Newsletter using PowerPoint. I chose this topic for two reasons: 1) I have experience creating newsletters using PowerPoint, and 2) many teachers are unfamiliar with PowerPoint's potential for designing fun, visually exciting newsletters. I have seen a lot of dull newsletters produced from Microsoft Word templates, and I know many teachers purchase overpriced newsletter templates on Teachers Pay Teachers. Aside from being a class project, I hope teachers will use and appreciate this video.
For this project, I decided to create a tutorial called How to Design a Classroom Newsletter using PowerPoint. I chose this topic for two reasons: 1) I have experience creating newsletters using PowerPoint, and 2) many teachers are unfamiliar with PowerPoint's potential for designing fun, visually exciting newsletters. I have seen a lot of dull newsletters produced from Microsoft Word templates, and I know many teachers purchase overpriced newsletter templates on Teachers Pay Teachers. Aside from being a class project, I hope teachers will use and appreciate this video.
Camtasia
Camtasia
I used Camtasia, a screen recorder and video editing application, to create my tutorial. I used the program's trial version for this video, which requires a watermark.
I used Camtasia, a screen recorder and video editing application, to create my tutorial. I used the program's trial version for this video, which requires a watermark.
The editing process was lengthy. My initial screen recording was over 9 minutes, but I wanted to keep the tutorial short and sweet—under 4 minutes. I used a video effect to speed up repetitive portions (e.g., typing, copying, pasting). For instance, I demonstrated making the newsletter's first section label. Then, I sped up the process of creating the remaining labels. My video would be long and drawn-out (i.e., boring) without this effect.
The editing process was lengthy. My initial screen recording was over 9 minutes, but I wanted to keep the tutorial short and sweet—under 4 minutes. I used a video effect to speed up repetitive portions (e.g., typing, copying, pasting). For instance, I demonstrated making the newsletter's first section label. Then, I sped up the process of creating the remaining labels. My video would be long and drawn-out (i.e., boring) without this effect.
I used several features to emphasize important parts of the tutorial. For example, I added the "SmartFocus" and "Scale to Fit" animations to highlight relevant portions of my screen. When demonstrating how to adjust the slide size to fit a sheet of paper, I utilized the focus animation to bring attention to the selections I was making. I also included annotations throughout the video—especially when I needed to draw attention to the different tabs and settings I was selecting. Lastly, I highlighted the cursor to allow viewers to follow along easily.
I used several features to emphasize important parts of the tutorial. For example, I added the "SmartFocus" and "Scale to Fit" animations to highlight relevant portions of my screen. When demonstrating how to adjust the slide size to fit a sheet of paper, I utilized the focus animation to bring attention to the selections I was making. I also included annotations throughout the video—especially when I needed to draw attention to the different tabs and settings I was selecting. Lastly, I highlighted the cursor to allow viewers to follow along easily.
I had fun playing with the many features available in Camtasia! However, I think Camtasia still has room to grow. Unfortunately, Camtasia crashed three times during this project. Although I didn't lose progress due to the program's autosave feature, I spent time re-opening Camtasia multiple times. After reading through some reviews, I determined that other people have also run into this issue. Additionally, I think Camtasia could benefit from a better selection of annotation and text formatting options. Still, the pros outweigh the cons, and Camtasia is an altogether high-quality screen recorder.
I had fun playing with the many features available in Camtasia! However, I think Camtasia still has room to grow. Unfortunately, Camtasia crashed three times during this project. Although I didn't lose progress due to the program's autosave feature, I spent time re-opening Camtasia multiple times. After reading through some reviews, I determined that other people have also run into this issue. Additionally, I think Camtasia could benefit from a better selection of annotation and text formatting options. Still, the pros outweigh the cons, and Camtasia is an altogether high-quality screen recorder.
In terms of education, screencasts can be incredibly useful. I have personally used screen-recorded tutorials to self-learn many computer programs, and I have completed several assignments for my Education Sciences degree using tutorials on YouTube. I think screencasts can be beneficial in any level of education, including primary, secondary, and post-secondary education. Even younger students can follow screencasts to learn about simple programs like Microsoft PowerPoint.
In terms of education, screencasts can be incredibly useful. I have personally used screen-recorded tutorials to self-learn many computer programs, and I have completed several assignments for my Education Sciences degree using tutorials on YouTube. I think screencasts can be beneficial in any level of education, including primary, secondary, and post-secondary education. Even younger students can follow screencasts to learn about simple programs like Microsoft PowerPoint.