Creating and editing screen recordings with Chromebook Screencast is user-friendly and packed with helpful features such as trimming and translating transcripts. However, Screencast requires at least version 103 of the Chrome operating system and is only available on Chromebooks as it is built into the device OS and not a web application. To make a new recording, click the "New screencast" button.
Chromebook Screencast Toolbar
Record full screen
Record partial screen
Record window
Select the microphone
Select the camera
Turn off the camera
Don’t Speak Too Fast
Managing the pace of your voice allows the Screencast application to break the voiceover into chunks which makes it easier to edit and view. Students can jump to key points when watching the video and you can trim unwanted sections easier if it's in smaller transcript chunks rather than one big text block. Search functionality in the recording makes it easier for students to find key terms and sections in the transcript.
Trim Unwanted Sections
You can skip portions of the transcript. For example, you can remove unwanted bloopers or unnecessary explanations with the post-recording edit functions. Click on the transcript panel and then click the 3-dots button for any section and choose "Skip section". That portion of the video will not be shown when the screencast is played. You can click the "Undo skip" button for that section to be included again.
Edit the Transcript
The transcript transposing process is seamless, but it’s worth having a quick read of the transcript and triple-checking any spelling errors. Once the recording is complete you will see the automatically generated transcript for your video on the right-hand side of the screen. If there is an error in the transcription, you can click the 3-dots button for that section and choose "Edit text" to make any needed changes.
Change the Placement
Click and drag the camera video to any of the four corners to rearrange where the camera recording overlay on the screen recording. You can also click on the camera resize button to switch between large and small sizes for your camera video. You also have the option to turn off the camera and just have a voiceover.
Annotate the Screen
You can use the built-in mark-up tools to annotate your screen, highlight key features and add visual clarification. To annotate while recording, click on the marker button. To change the colour, right-click on the marker button. To delete what you have drawn you can click on the marker button to toggle it off.
Use Props to Add Humour
Adding fun props and checking lighting positions is a great way to make your videos more interesting and professional. Transforming feedback with annotations and a funky video feed is a sure way to re-inspire disengaged students.
Share Via Classroom
You can embed screencast recordings in Google Slides or share them with students via Google Classroom. You can copy the screencast URL to embed in slides. Just make sure to align the sharing settings. You can access existing recordings in the Screencast app as well as search for files on Drive.Â
Use Translation Features
One of the most amazing features of Screencast recordings is the ability to translate the transcript into multiple languages. This feature supports English additional language speakers as well as multilingual homes where parents speak a different language to the language of instruction in the classroom.
Screencast is a powerful way to add multimedia content to your classroom and easily record lessons. It’s also a great way to get students to create recordings and demonstrate learning.