JORDANHILL SCHOOL BLOG AND PODCAST TRAINING SESSION How to use ICT to enhance teaching and learning.

AIMS OF THIS SESSION: To understand how blogs and podcasts could benefit teaching and learning. To understand how to use and maintain a blog effectively for educational purposes. To understand how to use the Audacity software to create a basic podcast.

BLOGS Blogs are used widely throughout the world to share information. They allow people to share information in a quick and easy way and they allow people to have a voice to many people.

BLOGS IN EDUCATION Blogs can be used in many ways for educational purposes: To share ideas. To give out handouts (saving paper and time) To give slideshows to pupils For revision purposes and for extra notes. For homework dates and times. To highlight useful websites. To highlight TV educational TV programs. To give reminders of important dates (trips) To highlight good examples of pupil work. To share success criteria.

BLOGS IN OUR SCHOOL IMPORTANT: At this moment in time Jordanhill school is working out where they would like our blog policy stand. The IT department are currently looking at Glow blogs, and our current school blogs. Due to this it is currently not possible to set up a department blog. The IT department has said they hope to have this sorted out in the near future. However right now they can do nothing to set one up.

THE GEOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT BLOG. Go to the school website: Click on secondary on the left hand side. Go to the Geography blog. The first post should be “Blog and Podcast SCOPE session 09/10/2012” Click on the link and save. You will now have downloaded this presentation

HOW TO USE 1. First thing to do is log on. 2. Next is to add entry. 3. You can now create a title and the main body of the text. 4. After this you can decide to add a picture or file (this is under the main body of text) 5. Then when you click on add it will join the body of the text as a link. 6. After this you can click on what year it is for. 7. This will then be saved in the Archive for that year group. 8. It’s that simple.

AUDACITY

BENEFITS OF PODCASTS. The creation of the Podcast itself has many benefits: It is an enterprising task. It promotes group work. It develops skills in a number of roles. It consolidates knowledge (through writing scripts and recording them) The Podcast offers a great revision tool, especially for audio learners. Podcasts can be put on iPods and then listened to whenever there is spare time. For example on the bus.

AUDACITY SOFTWARE Go to the start menu and choose the Audacity software. A blank project will be set up.

AUDACITY SOFTWARE Go to the start menu and choose the Audacity software. A blank project will be set up. We are going to go through the basic controls to make your first podcast.

BASIC CONTROLS This is your main set of controls. They are as basic as you would imagine.

BASIC CONTROLS This button skips to the start of the project

BASIC CONTROLS This button plays the project.

BASIC CONTROLS This button plays is the record button

BASIC CONTROLS This is the pause button

BASIC CONTROLS This is the stop button

BASIC CONTROLS This skips to the end point of the project. I said it was easy!

BASIC CONTROLS Here are your cursor options and we are only going to look at two of them for now. This tool lets you start as specific parts of the project and highlight parts of the project

BASIC CONTROLS This tool lets you start edit the control the “level” of the recording. So you can manage volume output levels.

BASIC CONTROLS These show the volume output level. The second is the recording level. (this is very important, if it is too loud of too quiet your podcast will be terrible! So you need to use trial and error to get the levels right.)

BASIC CONTROLS The two tools here zoom in and out out the recordings. This helps when editing as the further you zoom the smaller the time scale is (so you can edit between seconds instead of minutes)

BASIC CONTROLS This is a recording of someone speaking

BASIC CONTROLS Make sure the Hz are at the right level. If not the recording will come up very fast or slow.

BASIC CONTROLS You can change this at the bottom left hand corner of the screen

BASIC CONTROLS Make a recording. Hit the record button and say something.

BASIC CONTROLS Listen to it back. Press the button to skip to the start and press play. (The sound quality may not be great due to the mics)

BASIC CONTROLS You can now edit this recording with the same tools you would in word. Ctrl + C = Copy Ctrl + V = Paste Ctrl + D = Duplicate You can also highlight a part and press delete to get take it out. You can go to file and undo if you make a mistake.

MULTIPLE RECORDINGS Now we will make a second recording to add to the top one. The way I work is by making a “master recoding” at the top and adding to it.

RECORDINGS After you have made a second recording highlight is copy is and paste it onto the end of the first recording.

RECORDINGS You will have the new recording on the end of the first one. Click on the first track where you want to listen to it from. For example here.

RECORDINGS Press play. If you like it then keep it. If not hit undo.

RECORDINGS If you like it or not remember to delete the second recording otherwise it will play over the top of the start of the whole thing. Click here to do so.

OTHER CONTROLS AND OPTIONS This is the top tool bar. It has all your options to save. Import music tracks. Put effects on the recording.

OTHER CONTROLS AND OPTIONS To save the project. If you want to save as an Audio track (for people to then listen to or download) File then Save as WAV.

OTHER CONTROLS AND OPTIONS Effects: Highlight the part of the recording you want to put an effect on. Then go to Generate then Choose the effect you want.

OTHER CONTROLS AND OPTIONS To add a music track you must have a track saved. Then you go to …………… Be careful of copyright!!

BETTER SOUND QUALITY. Sound quality is a big problem when recording. The science department has a lot of microphones, a mixer and everything else you will need to create a high quality recording.

NOW IT IS A CASE OF TRYING IT OUT. I didn’t want to overload you with data. For more information you can go to help and then ………

FOR ALL THE INFORMATION YOU WILL NEED wiki.audacityteam.org