BP14_2009103_Web_2.0_Tools_Screenr

Screenr.com

If you’re familiar with Screenflow or Camtasia, then you’ll appreciate the value of screenr.com. Screenr is a free online tool for video capturing your computer screen and creating or sharable video files called screen casts.

Screenr is an extension of Twitter and requires users to create and/or access Twitter accounts. Users can also add an access button to their browsers toolbar to make future recordings quicker and easier.

Once inside the account, the process of video capturing the on screen contents is very simple. First begin recording up to five minutes of video and audio by simply clicking the Record your screencast now button, accepting the script and adjusting the capture window to the desired size, if desired select audio on and source, then click record. A countdown will appear briefly then recording will begin. Once the capture is complete, click stop and be returned to the Screenr.com account. Users may then add a description and post, Tweet, or delete the video. The video will be processed for the web and available for download to your local computer or mobile device as an mp4 file. It can also be shared or embedded into other social sites such as Facebook or Youtube.

Users can share screencasts with other Screenr members and leave comments when viewing screencasts created by others as well as subscribe to rss feeds for their favorite content creators. Although screencast authors can enter description, searchable tags would be a great addition for finding and organizing content.

In the classroom, the obvious use is creating step by step visual demonstrations for students. This would be very useful for visual learners or catching up homebound or absent students. Another, possibly less obvious, use is for student assessment. As students are completing a project, teachers could record and evaluate the processes or steps students used to create for example an edited photo. After completion teachers could see if students followed the procedures correctly or discover areas that were difficult for the student.

Screenr.com is a free and useful tool with the ability to create customized screencasts that can be used to create how to demonstrations for students.