Instagram, Vine, and Screencasts

The two screencasts programs that I found to be easier for me to use were Screencast-o-matic and Jing. I tried Adobe Spark as well, but it seemed to have too much information and not enough step-by-step instructions like the other two. I liked Screencast-o-matic the best out of all of the programs. It was way easier to use and get started. It also gives you more time to do your screen cast, as opposed to Jing, which only gives you five minutes. With Jing I felt rushed to finish what I was trying to show my students. Also with Jing, the audio did not sound very clear to me when I did the playback. Here are my screencasts from both programs:


Screencast-o-matic

Jing
http://www.screencast.com/users/KrisJones14/folders/Default/media/a622312e-8b25-4b02-9ce5-5384d9379807
 For some reason I had trouble trying to upload the video from Jing on to my blog, so hopefully the link will work for you.


Instagram and Vine
I have had an Instagram account for a few years now, and it is one of my favorite social media apps. I could see using Instagram in the classroom by setting up a class page that all of the students have access to. They could post different images that deal with the subject or topic that we are studying at that moment. I could also use Instagram at the beginning of a lesson as an anchor or attention getter for the lesson. It would be a great way to grab and hold the students' attention. Here is a post from my Instagram:

I just signed up for a Vine account, and am still getting used to all of the logistics. I have browsed around and can definitely see the pros of using this app in the classroom. Videos are always a great way to interest a student in the day's lesson. Vine could also be used in the same ways I suggested using Instagram in the classroom.