Teachers are searching for free screen recorders online as countries around the world have come to a virtual standstill in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. As you know now, schools haven’t been exempt from the repercussions with most schools shuttered till late April at the earliest.

Teachers are now abruptly faced with the challenge of continuing to educate their students through online distance learning methods. You are probably among the thousands of teachers from across the world in the same boat.

Video tutorials and presentations are among the top methods to bundle in the day’s classes. But to do this, you need free screen recorders and video editing tools. With a good screen recorder, you will be able to create video tutorials, narrate your presentations and describe screenshots. 

To save you the time and energy, I have compiled the top 3 best and free screen recorders for teachers and others in the education industry as they utilize today’s technology to ensure students can still receive a quality education during this unexpected pandemic. These screen recorders can help you even after the outbreak subsides, especially if you operate on a flipped classroom strategy. 

1. Screencast-O-Matic

With intuitive tools for video creation, Screencast-O-Matic makes video creation easy. For teachers, this screencasting software offers a range of features you would be hard-pressed to find on other software. For example, it offers Java applet launching so you don’t have to install the software to use it.

Easily the best bit about Screencast-O-Matic is its straightforward and intuitive controls. The controls are easy to understand so even if you are new to it, you won’t be overwhelmed. It is extremely streamlined and you can record your screen or webcam stream and have it published on YouTube within minutes. Since it is online only, you don’t even have to install it – simply fire up the platform and start recording! 

Key Features

Direct Publishing Option

Immediately after you are done with the video, you can publish it on YouTube as long as YouTube. This feature is available on the free version too (I will compare the two below) making the experience convenient and hassle-free.

Record your screen and webcam simultaneously

You can record your screen and webcam simultaneously – allows you to avoid using multiple software to combine recordings. 

Scripted recordings

Screencast-O-Matic has an inbuilt script functionality where you type or import your script, then record your voice and record the screen actions. So far, no other software replicates this feature with the same grace.

Free VS Paid 

The paid version, of course, has more features. For instance, video editing tools are only available in the paid version. Furthermore, the free version is capped at 15 minutes per recording and the final output includes a watermark. For a full comparison, visit here.

2. Screenrec

ScreenRec is a lightweight screen recording and screen capture software that gets the job done in a click. It is unbelievably simple to use and has no learning curve so to speak. Select the area, click the button and get on with your recording. 

You can capture the specific area or the complete screen and edit the capture with annotation tools. On the side of audio, choose between your microphone or the audio out of the speakers. Of course, you can switch it off completely too. 

Key Features

Share results instantly

When you are done with the video recording, a secure cloud link of the video will be copied to your clipboard. Say goodbye to long upload times, connecting to cloud storage and whatnot. 

Recordings are safely stored

All your recordings and screenshots are saved on a secure online cloud (2GB limit). This keeps your recordings safe if you lose or break your device. 

Track engagement

As you send out online tutorials and presentations, you may wonder how many of your students are actually paying attention. 

ScreenRec’s Deep Analytics can help with that. It offers detailed stats on how your students are engaging with your content so you can finetune and improve your teaching style.

Cost: Free

3. Screencastify

Screencastify is a screen recorder made for use with Google Chrome only – this makes it compatible with Chromebooks too. One has the option of recording a particular browser tab, webcam only or the entire desktop as well as configure which microphone to use. You may be disappointed at the lack of options on Screencastify but the UI is mainly aimed at simplicity – this enables even a newbie to get to recording in a few seconds. So, if you are starting out, I can’t recommend Screencastify enough. 

Key Features

Google Drive integration

Screencastify seamlessly integrates with Google Drive letting you quickly save recordings on the cloud. Google Drive can serve as a backup option and it is simpler to share videos as a link instead of uploading it (repeatedly!).

Edit and easily upload on YouTube 

You could also easily upload your videos to YouTube instead. A nifty feature about Screencastify is that it allows you to easily switch accounts – important for those handling multiple accounts. 

Great file organization

The software has a clean recording page where you can view all your recordings at a glance.

Free VS Paid

The free version of Screencastify lets you make screen recordings and use the annotation tools to create engaging content. There are however, a few limitations, namely that recordings are limited to 10 minutes (per recording) and a total of 50 videos a month. All your videos will also have the Screencastify watermark. 

The premium version costs $49 a year and removes all the above restrictions while also enabling video editing and a range of export options. 

Final thoughts

This sudden shift toward online learning may seem like an overwhelming move, especially if you have no prior experience with online teaching. However, by effectively incorporating technology into your learning style, you stand to enhance the learning experience and increase engagement from your students. As the world moves towards a future where digital and in-personal education merges together, you could be at the forefront of this shift if you begin ahead of the curve! 

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