The Global swine fever outbreak is causing alarm throughout the world. In the UK, some health officials have suggested that schools shut in order to halt the spread of the disease. But schools need to carry on. Now must be the time for educators to look seriously at internet alternatives. This could be the time that podcasting really does come into its own.

At the moment, podcasting in education has been a delightful add on. It’s useful to have but just what do you do it with it? After all there’s nothing like educating students in the flesh. Unfortunately, podcasting may need now to be taken seriously as an educational tool with some schools possibly having to close because of the swine flu outbreak. It’s crucial, therefore, for educators to be able to deliver a podcast properly. So what’s the easier method for educations wanting to know about how to podcast, especially if they are on a tight budget.

Crudely, educators could record their lessons into a built in microphone onto their laptops. But for the listener it would receive probably little attention, despite the talents of the teacher. Ambient hiss caused by a quiet environment would be distracting. Teachers would also end up repeating the lesson after they have delivered it to the rest of the class.

If educators really want to learn how to podcast, they need to invest in a good quality tie microphone, a mixer and a laptop. They would also need to download suitable recording software. They could then deliver their lesson as normal and record it as normal. Editing time would also have to factored in.

Once the recording is finished, the podcast could be placed on the school’s secure pages of their website. Teachers could also add lesson notes and homework to the website too. For pupils unable to attend the lesson, they could catch up with the missed lesson as a podcast by visiting the school’s website. Alternatively, an email could be sent around to absent pupils with links to the particular lessons missed.

By getting into the habits of recording, educators will find their podcast lessons will be a vital resource for pupils to re-visit points in a class they may have missed. Educators need now more than ever to learn how to podcast because of the swine flu outbreak. Podcasting is now an essential education tool which is coming into its own.

Timothy Mitchell is a Director at RedRok Media, which produces professional podcasts. Timothy has recorded many podcasts for UK Government. RedRok Media

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