How to Record Screencasts in Gmail

Nimbus Screenshot is a Chrome extension that I've featured in the past as a good tool for creating annotated, scrolling screenshots and for creating screencast videos on Chromebooks. The latest update to Nimbus Screenshot added the ability to record screencast videos directly from your Gmail inbox. 

With Nimbus Screenshot installed in Chrome you will see its icon appear in the composition window whenever you're composing a new message or replying to a message. Simply click on the Nimbus icon and you can start recording a screencast of your browser tab, a specific window, or your entire desktop. When your recording is finished it will be automatically inserted into the body of your message. 

Watch this short video to see how you can record a screencast in Gmail by using Nimbus Screenshot.

Applications for Education
Nimbus Screenshot in Gmail provides an easy way to reply to requests for tech help. Creating a quick screencast video to answer a student's or a colleague's question about how to do something on his or her computer can be a lot more efficient than trying to write step-by-step directions.

Comparison of Screencasting Tools

Screencasting is a fast and easy way to capture what is happening on your screen along with your voice or video of you speaking. Teachers can use screencasts to create self-paced lessons for students, tutorials, and supplements to sub plans. Students can use screencasting to tell stories or demonstrate their understanding of a topic or concept. There really are no limitations on screencasting can be used in schools. 

The are quite a few screencasting apps available and sometimes it is difficult to figure out which one to use. My advice is to try out a couple of different ones to see which one you are most comfortable with. All of these are free and some allow you to access additional features for no additional cost by referring friends and colleagues. All of them work nearly the same way.

This chart compares Screencastify, Screencast-o-matic, Nimbus, Soapbox, and Loom. 

Click here to see a larger version of the chart.

Want more information about screencasting? Check out this post that discusses some additional apps.