Ready, Set, Record!

Recording in Google Slides

@LisaBerghoff

My mom has been a real estate agent for over 40 years. One of the things that often comes up when she is listing a house is whether or not it has "built-ins". These are kind of polarizing because people either really want them or they don't. I love built-ins in a house because it means you don't need extra furniture. The same is true when functionality is built into an application. Over time, we have seen more and more types of built-ins added to Google products. I love these because many of them are tools that you want to use but in the past you had to add an extension or go to another site. 

Slides recordings in Google slides is a perfect example of a relatively recent built-in that is so simple and can be used in many different instances. 

What is Recording In Google Slides?

Recording in Google Slides is a feature that is available with our school Google license. It gives you the ability to record your slides without using an external recording app. You can include your webcam so you are also seen on the video in addition to your slides. You have a 30 minute time limit for each recording you create. Also, you must have edit access to the slides in order to create a new recording. If you or your students like to use other browsers, please note that you can only record your presentations in Chrome and Edge browsers. However, you can view, share, and delete recordings from any browser. 

How Do I Use Recordings In Google Slides?

To record, open your slides presentation and click where it says "Rec" and then click "Record new Video". The controls are very simple and easy to use.

• To start the recording, click the red record button.
• To start over, click the red button to pause and click re-record.
• To save it, click the red button to pause and click save to drive.
• You can blur your background by clicking turn on camera blur.
• You can open your speaker notes while you are recording.
• You can also change the size of your webcam window, or move your camera from the lower right corner to the middle, or any other corners. 

How Do I Find And Share My Recording?

To find your recording, open your slides presentation and click the Rec icon. You will see a list of recordings you have made of these slides. The recordings are also saved into a folder on your Google drive called Slides Recordings.

To share, open the presentation where you made the recording and click the Rec icon. Click the title of the recording you want to share. It will open in full-screen view and there will be a share button in the upper right corner. 

If you want to remove a recording from a presentation, click Rec. For the recording you want to remove, click the three vertical dots (more menu) and click remove. 

When Would I Want To Use Google Slides Recordings?

Here are a few times where this could be helpful. I am sure you can think of many more.

• Sub plans. Send the slides to your students and include your video that walks them through what they need to get done while you are gone.
• Student presentations. If you have students that get easily distracted by bells and whistles that come with other screen recorders, or who struggle to toggle between applications, this is a great option.
• For students who are absent or need more scaffolding and support. Create the video and post it on Schoology.
• Flipped lesson- give the information using Google Slides Recordings and then when they come to class you can do a deeper dive, answer questions, and let them wrestle with the material.
• Training style presentations for showing students how to access materials. This can just live on your Schoology page.

Ready to try Google Slides Recordings?

Let me know how you decide to use it.

As always, reach out if you would like some help.