Podcasting students share their tips

PODCASTING EXPLAINED Podcasting lets you automatically receive the latest episode of your chosen programme as soon as it's available. You need to "subscribe" to receive a podcast, rather like you might subscribe to a magazine and get it delivered each week. You receive the episode as an MP3 sound file which you can download. MP3 explained

As part of BBC News School Report, students are being encouraged to use different technology to create their news.

Podcasting is one way to broadcast news on the internet.

Students from three schools visited the BBC's digital learning centre (21CC) to learn how to make a podcast on 31 January 2007.

More information about 21CC

Follow these tips from students at Villiers High School in London, Coombeshead College in Devon and Longsands High School in Cambridgeshire, to learn how to make your own podcast.

CREATING A WEB PAGE

Before making podcasts, students created a web page on which to place them.

Guidance on creating a web page

PLANNING A PODCAST

Students looked through papers and websites to find their news stories

Students' were asked to create a podcast containing three elements:

• News headlines
• A story about School Report
• A local story about the school or area

They scoured the daily newspapers and news websites for items that would appeal to people their own age.

WRITING A PODCAST SCRIPT

Many students had pre-prepared scripts, which they re-drafted on the day.

Their scripts contained an introduction from the presenter (giving their FIRST name only and the name of their school), news headlines and news stories.

Students were asked to make sure their script was:

Students are reminded to do their research before writing the script
• Informative - told the audience the key facts
• Clear - used a language the audience would understand
• Engaging - made the audience take notice
• Natural - sounded like the presenter was speaking to a friend

Amy and Jodie, both 12, from Longsands High School, gave their advice on writing scripts: "Research the stories before you start.

"When writing the script, put the most important thing first, as you don't have much time."

BBC journalists, running the course at 21CC, offered these additional script-writing tips:

• Use a big font so the presenter doesn't stumble or pause while reading the script
• Keep the script short to try to make your news as succinct as possible
• Remember to be accurate
• Print the script out as reading from a piece of paper is easier than from a computer screen
• Read the script out loud to check how it sounds and change it to make it sound better

PREPARING FOR INTERVIEWS

Having decided who they wanted to interview, students wrote down the questions they would ask.

BBC journalists offered these question-writing tips:

• Be specific
• Use open questions which will not lead to a "yes" or "no" response
• Have fun and be creative
• Think about the angle you are going to take
• If you have already prepared some material, think about how the interview could fit in with this
• Think about how the interviewee might respond to your questions. Is there another way to phrase them to provoke a better response?

Students were reminded of the importance of briefing the interviewee about how long the interview would take and what the interview would be used for.

Tom and David, both 13, from Longsands High School, said it was a good idea to "relax and rehearse before going into the interview".

RECORDING INTERVIEWS

Students at 21CC were shown how to use iriver - a digital recording device, similar to an MP3 player. Other methods of recording, such as straight onto a computer or using a mini-disc recorder, can also be used.

Students heard how journalists check their equipment before leaving the news room to gather material for a story.

Taking their lead from the professionals, students tested their recording equipment (several times in some cases) before conducting their interviews.

They also made sure the sound levels were correct by asking their interviewee to answer a simple question such as: How did you travel here? and What did you have for breakfast?

BBC journalists offered these interview tips:

• Listen carefully to the answers
• Be confident
• Use face movements, such as smiling or lifting your eyebrows, to show you are listening
• Think on your feet
• Don't be afraid to re-record your questions if you stumble

Raja, 12, from Villiers High School, said: "Even though we had a few technical difficulties the outcome was quite good. You need a lot of creativity to initiate your thinking."

He added that the best way to conduct an interview was to "be yourself".

ACCESSING PODCASTS

In order to familiarise themselves with the podcasting process, students were shown how to download and subscribe to a podcast from the internet.

Pupils from the three schools used iTunes but other podcast software can also be downloaded for free.

EDITING YOUR PODCAST

COPYRIGHT ISSUES Music should not be used in a podcast unless you own the rights to it. Some software comes with tunes and jingles that can be legally used in a podcast. The safest way to make sure you are not doing something illegal is to make your own sounds or music

Having recorded their interviews, students loaded them onto a computer before editing them together with their recorded scripts and jingles.

The students at 21CC used Garageband, a piece of software which comes with most Macintosh computers, but other editing software can also be used.

Students assembled the ingredients of their podcast in chronological order, beginning with a jingle to introduce their news programme.

The news headlines were laid down next, followed by individual news stories and interviews.

Some pupils finely edited their audio clips, cutting out pauses and mistakes.

TEACHERS' FEEDBACK

Teacher Helen Breakspear from Longsands High School, said: "The confidence of the students has increased so much. Having someone professional explaining to them what to do has given them a real sense of purpose.

"They can now teach other people and that empowers them. I think it's amazing."

They've never looked at newspapers so prolifically before. They've realised it gives you something to talk about. I think all kids should be exposed to this. Karine Waldron Teacher, Villiers High School

Karine Waldron, a teacher from Villiers High School, said: "The students are now starting to get used to the goings-on in the world. They've never looked at newspapers so prolifically before. They've realised it gives you something to talk about. It's expanding their minds. I think all kids should be exposed to this."

She added that creating a podcast had addressed several curriculum areas including literacy, and speaking and listening. as well as improving concentration. "The students have had to pay attention to everything that's been going on and stick to deadlines," she said.

Making a podcast: Timetable
1000 GMT	1015	Arrive
1015	1030	Discussion: What is a podcast?
1030	1045	Look through newspapers and websites for news headlines and stories
1045	1100	Look at pre-prepared scripts and see how these can be made into a podcast
1100	1110	Break
1110	1130	Write questions for interviews
1130	1200	Learn how to test and use recording equipment
1200	1230	Record interviews in groups
1200	1300	Lunch
1300	1400	Finish interviews and learn how to use podcast software
1400	1410	Break
1410	1530	Edit interviews and create final news programme