Help in a GIFfy: Using Screencasting to Save your Sanity!

Picture this: You've designed a lesson the likes of which your students have ever seen. You've carefully crafted the activities so that students get the most from their time with you. You painstakingly go over directions and give step-by-step-by-step instructions for accessing websites and computers. You coddle your little chicks with helpful, patient hands until you're sure they can fly on their own. Then it happens: the hand on the left side of the room shoots up, "Miss, what are we supposed to do again?"

If you're like me, a former Jr. High teacher, you are no stranger to this scenario. You have learned great patience over the years for questions like these; however, nothing quite throws your plans out of whack than a student asking a question. In a past life, I would have carefully repeated myself several times per class period with a recount of my instructions.

But no more.

This is when the SnagIt for Chrome extension is a true sanity saver for me. By recording screencasts of :20 or less, anyone can create these little gems for troubleshooting. Whip up some animated help sheets and Voila! Suddenly multi-step or tech heavy procedures are chunked into smaller, more manageable steps. I can point my students to a QR code or a short URL to a help sheet designed just for them.

Of course, this is just one way I use SnagIt for Chrome to simplify my life. Check out these 3 ways animated GIFs have saved my sanity:

Better How-Tos with Google Docs

If you’re a Google Docs user, you probably know you can’t embed videos into a document. You have to link or use static images, which can actually muddy up the appearance of a help

sheet. A “quick-tip” sheet suddenly turns into a 3-page disaster. Use animated GIFs to demo multiple steps at a time, and combine directions in smaller chunks. Easier on the eyes and easier on the learning curve!

Pictures (Not Words) in a Preso

We’ve all heard the sage advice against filling up your presentation slides with words. So instead of instruction laden how-to presos, use SnagIt for Chrome and record :20 (or less) videos that can be turned into GIFs. Embedding your little moving images can send out a BIG message! I find that the effect is more than explanatory. It will also wow your participants when in presentation mode (and that’s a GREAT way to impress your boss!)

I recently used animated GIFs in a preso at our annual TCEA conference about good slide design. I wanted to demonstrate ways that anyone could create balanced, aesthetically-pleasing presentations without leaving out vital information.

Tech Help Requests with Helpful Images

Getting help on your computer can be daunting. If you're not a super techie person, you may not know how to explain just what is going on with your machine. "The blue thingy is flashing and there's a beep coming from the back of the big metal square at the back of the box" A statement like that is an honest insight into the lack of technical knowledge most people have. But it isn't too helpful for troubleshooting. Use quick screenshots of the error or problem to help illustrate your point. Twenty seconds or less is plenty of time for someone who knows computers to see what's causing you trouble.

Here is an example of using SnagIt for Chrome to make a GIF:

If one of these uses for SnagIt for Chrome doesn’t lend itself to simplifying your life, you must be robot. Educators and student alike will appreciate clarity when learning something new. Try it out today and see for yourself how easy it is to make such a big impact in your classroom!