Near the End of Week 4

I finished my podcast and submitted it on time.  I tried to edit out some of the noise, but actually kept making it worse the more I edited.  I don't understand the mechanics very well of sound and manipulating sound.  And watching the blue waveform move around is distracting, while speaking.  Thankfully, I had taken the podcasting workshop previously, so I didn't have to relearn the entire process, just parts of it.  I didn't install the LAME application correctly and can't figure out how to, so I uploaded the podcast in iTunes as a WAV file , then converted it to an MP3 file, copied it and pasted it on my desktop.  I then uploaded the MP3 file to Google Docs, which thankfully  was easy to do. I am grateful for my colleagues' help in the podcasting discussions In the Computer Apps course, as many of us were struggling with the process, while for others it was a breeze.   All I could think when I was finished was, "What an ordeal!"

I understand the need  for audio instruction for students who have reading challenges of whatever kind.  So I know I need to practice and get better at podcasting and screen casting.  I also need to include the scripts for hearing impaired students.  It is a matter of prioritizing and making these things a part of every project I do.  Some day I will do all this with little thought.

Now I need to focus on my instructional website and the wiki.  Then I will put it all together into the CMS Moodle to create my whole course.  I chose horticulture since gardening is the top hobby in America. Some people will turn their hobby into a business at some point in their life.  And more horticulture businesses are needed with the global warming issue, we are currently experiencing.

My course is a fictitious landscape design II course. My podcast was about extending the growing season with high, low and medium tunnels and hoop houses.  My instructional website is about designing and constructing a rain garden to solve ponding and pollution runoff issues.  My webquest was about designing and constructing garden structures in a park space with willow plantings. I tried to imagine what I would benefit from learning if I were to take a landscape design course. I believe putting more horticulture courses online will allow more people to benefit from higher education's knowledge resources. Everyone can't be driving to bricks and mortar universities for the small offering of hands on horticulture courses.  With the Internet, effective applications, and creative thinking, we can bring the courses to the students.Win-win.