How can this be used in the classroom? This a very handy tool if you’d like to explain a concept before or after a lesson. As a math teacher, you could use a stylus to write out a math problem and explain as you solve it. If you are biology or science teacher, you can import an image (anatomy, cell structure) and use the app to highlight or move different parts of the image as you narrate. Last but not least, this app works great if you’d like to start producing materials for “flipping your classroom” regardless of what subject you teach. Videos are exported to MP4 format which can be played back or further edited on a computer.
Benefits and limitations: While I’ve covered other iPad apps that allow you to create a screen recording, you’re forced to do the entire lesson in one take. The great thing about Explain Everything is that it allows you record ONE slide at a time. This means if you cough or make a mistake, you’ll only have to re-record the slide you were working on and not the entire presentation! The iPad microphone is also extremely sensitive so it will pick up sounds of your clothes shuffling or other sounds around the room. Be sure to record in a very quiet environment.
Video Tutorial: For a video (2 minutes) recorded using the Explain Everything app on the iPad, click the play button below:
