Jing

1. I came across this digital tool last summer and have used it quite extensively for various purposes. It's a free software that can capture PC screen as images and as video clips, and share them instantly over the Internet. Here's a link to its official site:

http://www.techsmith.com/jing/

2. It's main features include:

a.) Taking a screenshot is nothing special; PrintScreen on keyboard, or SnagIt can do it. Jing lets you take still images of screenshot, and perform basic editing in just a few clicks. For instance, I created the following picture.

b.) Video Tutorial made simple. As online instructors, providing tutorials is essential for making student's learning as effortlessly as possible. Some simple task, such as creating a macro in MS-Word can take several steps to describe in text format, but can be fairly straightforward in video. The Youtube makes it easy to host videos, but how do you create tutorial videos? Jing does this brilliantly. You can select part of your screen to capture video, and then store it in its server on screencast for sharing. that's it. Here's an example I just created.

http://screencast.com/t/Vf3vi6JHXeF

c.) It's free. For basic operation, it's free. There's a paid pro version for more space and easier format to upload to youtube.

3. It's very easy to use and capture. It might be a little bit complicated to access the files on their server.

4. Its potential for classroom use is huge. Like I said, online instructors can easily create tutorials when explaining the tasks and answering technological questions. It's easier to do, and much easier for learners to follow.

5. It's worth learning, if your teaching profession requires a lot of technology use and support.