ICT: Ages 14 to 16
I have recorded a five to six-minute monologue of useful quotes and arguments for each topic pupils have covered in RE to help them revise for exams. These tracks are uploaded on to the school’s virtual learning environment where pupils can download them on to their iPods and MP3 players.
It was pleasing (if slightly amusing) to hear pupils had been listening to my voice on the way to and from school.
The pupils liked this idea and, with next year’s cohort, they will design their own revision podcasts, with their best ones replacing my rather dry attempts.
Here’s how to do it. With any Windows package there is a sound recorder option. This is found in the accessories folder under entertainment. For under pound;10, you can buy a microphone headset that plugs into the back of the computer and away you go.
The only problem is that the files can be quite large, as they save as Windows Media Audio (WMA). You can easily download a convertor, such as iTunes, which allows you to convert them to MP3 files.
Chris Wheeler teaches RE and PSHE at Ashton on Mersey School in Cheshire.