ScreenCastify was the star of my Google+ feed yesterday. It seemed like everyone was talking about this new Chrome tool that allows you to create screencast videos in your browser even on a Chromebook. With ScreenCastify installed in Chrome you can record everything happening in a tab in your browser. Voiceovers are supported and a pointer is included by default. Completed recordings can be saved to your computer or uploaded directly to YouTube.

There are a few things to note about ScreenCastify before you get too excited about it. First, your Chromebook and or Chrome browser must be up to date (that shouldn’t be a problem in most cases) as Chrome version 32 or higher is required. Second, while recording the desktop is an option it is an experimental option and may not work as you hope it will. Third, your microphone is turned off by default so you will have grant ScreenCastify access to your computer in order to record a voiceover.

Applications for Education
ScreenCastify could be the screencasting tool that users of Chromebooks have been waiting for for a long time. As a teacher you can use ScreenCastify to create short video lessons. You can have students use ScreenCastify to create tech help videos for classmates, parents, and teachers. Having students do that is a good way for them to practice giving clear directions.