Screencasting -- recording your screen with or without sound or other video -- is a common need for distance learning or creating online help videos. While we don't have a district-purchased software to do this, there are two pieces of software that we frequently recommend to folks who want to record their screens. 


1) Loom

Loom is available as either a Chrome extension or as a downloadable program. 

Perks: 

  • Very simple way to record your screen, and if you have a webcam it's easy to add your webcam feed to the recording
  • After recording, your videos are uploaded to Loom and can be shared with a link. You can also make folders or playlists of videos and share those with links as well. 
  • If you sign up with your @maryville-schools.org account, Loom should upgrade you to their premium plan for free

Downside:

  • Sometimes Loom doesn't auto-upgrade your @maryville-schools.org account to the premium version, and you have to email their support for help.


To download Loom, go to Loom.com, click on "Get Loom for Free," and use the "sign up with email" option at the bottom, using your @maryville-schools.org address. Once you're logged in, click on the icon with your first initial in the upper right hand corner of the screen, and select either "Download Desktop App" or "Install Chrome Extension." There are more features available in the desktop app, but if you're just getting started, the Chrome Extension is quick and easy. UPDATE: We've learned from experience now that if you record using the Chrome extension and you have trouble uploading the video, there's no way to recover the lost footage. If you record using the Desktop app and the upload fails, you can open a ticket with Loom and they can help you recover the files. More info on that process here. 


Additional Loom Walkthrough Demo can be seen here.


2) ShareX


ShareX is availabe in the Microsoft Store or at www.getsharex.com.

Perks: 

  • ShareX is exceptional for taking regular screenshots. When you download it, it will set the "Print Screen" button on your computer to take a screen shot. 
  • You can also use ShareX to create animated GIF's like all the cool kids
  • Tools to edit names or other personal information out of screenshots
  • Lots of features
  • Most of the animations and screenshots in our Solutions articles are made using ShareX

Downside: 

  • Lots of features, which can sometimes be intimidating
  • On screen recording, it doesn't record audio by default. You have to set it to record sound separately (see solutions article on ShareX - Enabling Audio for more details)