Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Dilemmas of a Cyber Dad

Computers and technology are a twin edged sword.
It can cut both ways.
Sorry if that's stating the bleeding obvious but that's a nice way to lead into today's rasp.
There is an almost overwhelming tide of information flowing into my world at the moment.
I have to try and stay on top of developments in technology and audio software in order to teach my eager students.
(strangely, some of them are.)
Mining manuals, jigging guides, scouring sources, translating textbooks, fossicking on forums, it is a relentless quest for knowing a little bit more.
Of course the goal posts aren't being are just being shifted, they are driving porches, leaving you eating the dust of last months upgrade.
It's like you're mapping the coastline but the Teutonic plates are shifting every afternoon.
I geta few freebie Quick start guides and the like but by Jimminy they go out of date fast.
I was teaching podcasting with Audacity on PC then switched to Garageband on Macs.
Garageband is great for podcasting except for a few strange foibles like you cant export to MP3.
Meanwhile the new Beta version of Audacity is also a vast improvement.
You can move tracks around in relation to each other, reduce noise and export to mp3.
So I now use them both.
that's as well as
Cubase SX3- a very powerful but complicated audio app.
Reason-a totally awesome virtual studio.
Protools LE -simple and reliable
Not to mention all the other bit and pieces.
Even Itunes (which a groovey new version was released today) has got more and more complicated.
So I'm using all these programs and trouble shooting my Mac Lab (coz students do the strangest things when they don't know what they are doing).

Sometimes I have to go for a long walk in the bush , far away form things that go bleep and crash.
Another new problem is my two sons.
Marlon is 8 and has a type of Autism called Aspergers Syndrome.
He wants to be on the computer 24/7.
Now my other son Logan who is two can navigate his way around (this is kinda spooky to watch) the Mac I get no chance to get online at all.
Except for my secret Wi Fi hotspot that is.
Down the back of my house I can log in.
I don't know who paying for it but I thank them here.
Whoever you are you are saving my arse fella.

4 comments:

lily was here said...

yes I've heard of Aspergers,it really fascinates me and I'd love to know more about it. My friends son apparently has a very mild form of it, so mild that it wasnt really picked up till early teens despite us knowing that something wasnt quite right with him ...and by the way Marlon is a gorgeous name. And i know what you mean about going for long walks in the bush, I actually live in the bush on a farm and there's nothing so gorgeous as my early evening walk escapes... around 5.30pm when the suns just getting ready to come down, listening to a bit of SK on the ipod thingy and revelling in the wonder of nature!

lily was here said...

ps if you've got any hints on starting out on podcasting, i'd love to hear. I have young primary students to introduce to this and I'd like to sound smarter than I feel on this subject :)

Peter Podcast said...

Suspect the condition runs in the family.
It's very interesting but hard to deal with.
They totally melt down over small things.
As for the podcasting try the links on the side of the blog.
And keeep reading this of courrse :>)

lily was here said...

Hmmm....have you had your oldest brother tested? :)

I do understand though. The boy i referred to is THE most stubborn kid I've ever met who had a really nasty streak. He has difficulty acknowledging others feelings but as a teen he is actually becoming easier to reason with.

Thanks for the pod hints, aha! will do.