ScreenPal, formerly Screencast-O-Matic, is one of the original and impressive screen recording tools out there. That makes it a great option, designed specifically for education, for teachers who want a way to record their screens (and more) to share with the class.
This can be used on a large screen in class, on personal devices and also outside of class, making teaching more free while taking advantage of the digital tools available.
Teachers can use this tool to provide a guided tour of the new software they want students to learn before arriving to class where it will be used, saving time and resources.
You can also edit videos, among other useful tools, so teachers can create custom projects to use that year or year after year, saving time while still delivering super-effective teaching to the class.
Read on to find out everything you need to know about ScreenPal.
What is ScreenPal?
PalScreen It’s easy to use but offers a variety of rich features that allow you to record your screen and audio to share whenever you want, like a video.
ScreenPal works perfectly as a tool for flipped classroom where you can teach students in their own time and on their personal devices, with ease.
ScreenPal is highly compatible as it works on multiple platforms including Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Chromebooks. Therefore, it should be accessible to most teachers and students alike.
To be clear, the company rebranded Screencast-O-Matic as ScreenPal as a way to show the growth of the app, which is now a more comprehensive screen capture, video creation, sharing, and interactive video platform. More on that below.
How does ScreenPal work?
ScreenPal lets you get started right away and for free across any of the platforms you want to use it on. There are also premium options available with more features, but that’s all outlined in the pricing section below.
Sign up for the service and you can download and open the app to get started for free. Using the menu at the top, you can select Capture Screen, where you can then decide what screen resolution size you want and if you also need audio. You can then open a web browser for whatever you’re going to talk about, for example, and then drag the black frame to the area you want to record. Then you can start recording.
ScreenPal offers four options in total:
– take a screenshot image
– start video recorder
– open the video editor
– open loads.
Screenshots and recent logs also have quick access at the opening point.
For an image, drag the cursor over the area you need and simply release it. More detailed image capture features are also available, such as cropping and resizing images, blurring and highlighting sections, or adding graphics and text to screenshots.
For video, you can record the screen, your webcam or both at the same time, ideal if you want an image of your face while you demonstrate a task, to make it more personal.
In both cases, you can choose to upload content to a channel you use, which makes sharing and accessing students an even easier process than sharing via email, for example.
As you can imagine, this is all easy to use, but being a video recording tool, there are also plenty of videos offering guidance on how to make the most of the many features ScreenPal has to offer.
What are the best features of ScreenPal?
ScreenPal gives you tremendous flexibility with the option to record the entire screen, a specific window, or a region you select. You can also record from your webcam at the same time, even with the option to blur the background, so students can see your face in a small window, while you guide them through what’s on the screen.
The editing features are worth mentioning, even in the free version, as you can crop, upload subtitles, add narration, crop, resize, and annotate with colors, shapes, text, and more. And with a resolution of up to 1080p it should be more than enough for most screens.
Files can be saved locally or uploaded to ScreenPal’s cloud storage option. You can also quickly share using social media if, for example, you’re creating something for public consumption.
The integration is also impressive with easy use of Google Drive, YouTube and DropBox all from the app itself. Go premium and you can add Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Meta to that list.
How much does ScreenPal cost?
ScreenPal is free for everyone in its most basic form. But there are specific educational levels you can opt for if you want more detailed features.
He Free The version offers you limited screenshots, limited duration recordings with watermarks, basic sharing, editing, image creation, content hosting, and interactive videos.
Go for him luxury education plan on $2 per month and you get unlimited recording features, full video editing, audio recording and editing, built-in video storyboards, and automatic subtitles.
He Premier Education plan, in $4 per monthgives you all of the above plus standard stock media, secure cloud backup, custom branding, CTA buttons, and priority support.
He maxedu plan, in $6 per monthgives you the above plus video quizzes and surveys, advanced analytics, video heatmaps, premium Shutterstock, and a comprehensive music library.
There is also a educational equipment plan, charged in $2 per month at the time of publication (80% discount), which is paid annually. This gives you the above plus collaboration tools, team management, advanced integrations, ownership transfer, and SSO, including SAML.
Best ScreenPal Tips and Tricks
Use the webcam
Screenshotting is helpful, but using your webcam together allows students to see your face to make the process more personal and engaging.
Ask frequently asked questions
To save you time and make things easier for students, create an FAQ video to help with any potential issues students may have when using this system.
Script it
Speaking freely can work, but creating a script, or even just a guide, can help the final video results flow better.
