Community reviews for Screencastify

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Don't subscribe!!

Since then, my school hasn't resubscribe and now Screencastify says I have to delete all but 10 of my videos before I can make any more free 5 minute videos. So I say "Don't subscribe!!"
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Such a useful tool for selflearing

I really like it since it humanizes learning. It allows kids to watch videos unlimited times whenever they feel they need to review. They can pause videos whenever they think they need to think about what's going on or take a break. This app provides a good learning experience so I believe it's gonna have a great performance in the classroom.
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Advertised as K-12 but cannot be used by students under 13 due to COPPA.

This is a great useful tool for elementary teachers creating offline content that kids can view outside of the classroom time. However, common sense regarding children recording themselves (photos, audio, video) and COPPA compliance means that kids under 13 cannot use it themselves. They aren't upfront about this and market it as K-12 but don't be fooled. Read their privacy-policy and the FTC's COPPA FAQ before asking students to use it.
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A great tool for self-paced learning!

I really like Screencastify and screencasts in general because, when used right, they allow students to personalize learning. Students can watch videos multiple times if they need to review, and they can pause videos when they need to take a minute. I like screencasts best when students can watch them and then ask me questions—sometimes I find that students will passively watch videos and not clarify something they don't understand. I don't like that Screencastify has limited their free videos to 5 minutes—they used to give 10 minutes for recordings. It's also tough when you mess up a recording and need to start over entirely—I wish you could erase a small portion of the recording. Overall, I recommend Screencastify to teachers looking to support their students' learning through short video lessons and other video content.
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Fun and easy to use!

I think that this tool can be useful because you can record class lectures and other activities fairly easily and make it accessible for students that may have missed class or may need to go back and review what they learned in class while they are studying or doing homework.
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Video time in Screencastify

Free!! Great for limited video recording (under 10 minutes). The premium is $24 per year. There is a school package that has a price (minimum of $100 for a 5-pack), Can be a great tool for recording tutorials.
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Rubbish software with poor support

Screencastify is terrible software. I spent 4+ hours changing settings and trying to get the right mic configuration to no avail. It would only use the external mic to record video instead of the internal sound recording. I emailed support at least 15 times and eventually they made me feel like it was my problem or my fault and that this was probably the first example of such a failure they had ever ever ever experienced. And then when i said i could no longer justify spending more time trying all the different options to fix the problem the response was "I cannot process your refund since we have a no-refund policy which is detailed in our terms. I'm afraid you'll get the same response from anyone else in the company. ". LESSON: anyone who reverts immediately to say that the refusal to do the right thing and respond to a genuine complaint is buried in "the terms and conditions" is a BIG red flag. Surely if you have a good product and good support but cannot solve the exceptional occasion when some technical thing causes a failure to use the product then you would be more than happy to refund that customers purchase. But in this case the immediate response was a denial. All that says is that the problem probably isnt unique and that they certainly do not stand behind their product.
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pointer is offset several inches on screen

The idea is great: record anything onscreen, save it to Google Drive with option to upload seamlessly to YouTube. All aspects worked well EXCEPT that the pointer appears *several inches* from where it is actually clicking on screen. I can hear my voice saying what I'm clicking, and see the menus open, etc., but the arrow on screen is nowhere near the menu being clicked. That makes it unusable.
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Versatile for students and teachers!

I think this is a versatile teaching tool! Teachers can use it for classes and for PD. Giving access to students and staff to what is happening in your classes. Students have used it to demonstrate their knowledge and learning. They have used it to demonstrate their synthesis of connections from historical events to the current events that are impacting our world today!
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Versatile and Easy Way for Screen Capture

Screencastify worked well for recording student work or for modeling strategies in the classroom. It is easy to learn and offers students a means to record themselves in a "YouTube" style. I was surprised by the difference in the quality of work that I received using this extension compared to a live presentation. I did prepare a document with links to the tutorials for using this program and how to share the file to make it easier for students since there was an unlimited amount available from the company. I especially liked the engagement factor and ownership that was inevitable with this program.
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