124 – Flying Solo

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This week on WELSTech we continue our book discussion of The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture.

The discussion:

God’s Medium – The WELSTech book discussion of Shane Hipps’ The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture: How Media Shapes Faith, the Gospel and Church continues with Chapter 5, “Evolving the Medium and the Message”.  Martin and Sallie share insight into the southern style Biblical Greek “y’all”.

planeLive from HIA:

(15:45) Technology in the airport – Sallie shares her impressions of technology from the Houston International Airport.

Ministry resources:

(17:07) 5 Harsh SEO Truths that Ministries Need to Know from Church Crunch

News in tech:

(21:33) Facebook now supplies fan page stats via e-mail.

Picks of the week:

Of interest:

(27:48) WELS will be streaming the Martin Luther College Chapel of the Christ dedication service on Saturday, April 10 at 7 p.m.  Check out the agenda for the dedication weekend.

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(44:34) Episode 125 – Gail Potratz joins the conversation as we talk technology in the classroom and interview Dr. Jim Grunwald about the Computer Education Technology program launching this summer at MLC. (Release date 03/31/10)

The featured artist:

(45:00) We close the podcast with the music of Kevin Loersch – O Sacred Head Now Wounded from his CD “Abide With Me”

Get involved:

123 – The Sound of Green

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This week on the WELSTech podcast green technology is the discussion topic and we hear from Office Depot representatives about available ShopWELS.net discounts.

The discussion:

An Eco-Friendly St. Pat’s Day – What better day to “go green” than St. Patrick’s Day.  Martin and Sallie talk green technology (with a bit on green rivers and green cake as well) and share ideas to make your life and your church and school environmentally friendly.

The interview:

Office Depot(23:35) Save on Office Supplies – Joining Martin and Sallie today are Kathleen Wondolkowski and Julie Camp to talk about the many discounted services available to WELS groups and individuals through WELS partnership with Office Depot.

Picks of the week:

Of interest:

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(1:04:36) Episode 124 – Next week is book discussion week.  Read along as we talk through Chapter 5 of Shane Hipps’ The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture. (Release date 03/24/10)

The featured artist:

(1:05:01) We close the podcast with the music of Koine (www.koinemusic.com) – Crown Him With Many Crowns from their CD “Koine”

Get involved:

122 – Social Networking Show and Tell

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This week the WELSTech podcast discussion centers on the use of social networks to further the spread of the gospel.

The discussion:

Ministry Is Social – Martin’s recent Social Networking and Ministry presentation at a Minnesota pastor’s conference is the topic of the day.  Use the link above to follow along “Prezi-style” as he and Sallie discuss the appeal and flavors of social networks and some interesting examples of the use of Facebook and Twitter in ministry.

The interview:

Jason Tesch(21:50) Team Effort – Jason Tesch from Eastside in Madison, WI joins Martin and Sallie to share the story behind their polished church web site.

Ministry resources:

(37:45) How to Build a Facebook Page from Mashable

  • More on FBML (Facebook Markup Language)
  • Check out the new FBML-enabled WELSTech tab – set to be the landing page for “non-fans”

Picks of the week:

Of interest:

(44:46) Join Martin in Saginaw, MI for FinalWeb for Dummies. The three day face-to-face training will be held April 6-8 on the campus of Michigan Lutheran Seminary.  Check out details and register at bit.ly/fw4dummies.

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(52:57) Episode 123 – Join us on St. Patrick’s Day as WELSTech “goes green” with ideas for eco-friendly churches and schools including tips from Office Depot representatives. (Release date 03/17/10)

The featured artist:

(53:58) We close the podcast with the music of The Branches Band (www.branchesband.com) – Nothing But The Blood from their CD “Sing, My Tongue”

Get involved:

121 – Digital Easter Goodies

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This week the WELSTech podcast focuses on ministry resources for Lent and Easter including Pastor Guy Marquardt’s Interactive Passion History site.

The discussion:

Lent and Easter Ministry Resources – Images, video, sample service folders and Bible reading plans are shared on this special seasonal episode of WELSTech.  Martin and Sallie have done their homework and have lots of digital gems to assist in your Holy Week preparations.

The interview:

Pastor Guy Marquardt(11:40) Witness the Passion History – Pastor Guy Marquardt from Christ in Lodi, CA talks with Martin and Sallie about his Interactive Passion History web site.  Modeled after the popular “Choose Your Own Adventure” books, site visitors learn about the last 24 hours of Christ’s life from the perspective of a servant in Pilate’s household.

Picks of the week:

  • (26:24) Web Resizer – Optimize photos for websites and e-mail
  • ExpanDrive – Simple access to online storage

Of interest:

(32:35) There’s still time to register for the Saginaw, MI FinalWeb for Dummies web site training class. The three day face-to-face training will be held April 6-8 on the campus of Michigan Lutheran Seminary.  Check out details and register at bit.ly/fw4dummies.

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(37:19) Episode 122 – Martin shares notes from his recent Social Networking and Ministry presentation, and we talk with Jason Tesch from Eastside in Madison, WI. (Release date 03/10/10)

The featured artist:

(38:18) We close the podcast with the piano music of Dawn Gehlhar – Precious Lord, Take My Hand from her CD “Inspirations”

Get involved:

120 – YouTube in the Classroom

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This week on the WELSTech podcast we talk with the Scholar Ladies of HOPE School and discuss issues around YouTube in the classroom.

The discussion:

Classroom Video Quandary – Joining WELSTech for our monthly installment of classroom technology goodness is Gail Potratz from Emanuel in New London, WI.  This month the ed-tech talk centers on the many uses of YouTube in the classroom, and we share some useful resources and examples to get you started.

The interview:

HOPEs(14:13) Get an A on it – Wendy Greenfield, VP of Development and Communications at HOPE Schools in Milwaukee (WELS), joins Martin and Sallie to discuss the HOPE Idol winning video production and viral YouTube hit, Scholar Ladies.  With nearly one-half million views, we hear the behind-the-scenes story of the use of technology at HOPE to engage the students and share their mission with the world.

Picks of the week:

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(49:34) Episode 121 – Tune in for Lenten and Easter online resources and an interview with Pastor Guy Marquardt on his Interactive Passion History. (Release date 03/03/10)

The featured artist:

(50:18) We close the podcast with the music of Revelation from Wisconsin Lutheran College (www.revelationwlc.com) – Via Dolorosa from their CD “Once For All”

Get involved:

119 – Sallie and Tony Meet

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This week is book discussion week on the WELSTech podcast.  We also catch up with Tony Vincent and clear the air on the worst picks controversy.

The discussion:

The Effects of Changing Media – Telegraph, radio and photos are the three media changes which Shane Hipps focuses on in Chapter 4 of his book The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture: How Media Shapes Faith, the Gospel and Church.  Martin and Sallie discuss the postmodern shift away from the “meta-narrative” and towards image-based communication.

The interview:

Tony Vincent(17:05) The Best Worst Pick Ever! – Tony Vincent, Education Consultant and the person behind LearningInHand.com, joins Martin and Sallie to share his experience and success stories with handheld computing devices in the classroom.  Listen as Tony shares excellent resources and his predictions for the future of PODs (Personally Owned Devices) in the classroom.  What was Sallie thinking when she chose Tony’s site as a worst pick??

Ministry resources:

(42:55) SermonDrop.com

News in tech:

(44:45) Google Buzz launches – Watch the overview video

Picks of the week:

Of interest:

(55:00) Registration continues for upcoming FinalWeb for Dummies web site training classes. Martin and Sallie are presenting three days of face to face training focusing on developing, designing and maintaining your website with excellence.

  • Milwaukee, WI and New Ulm, MN – March 9-11, 2010 – Registration deadline is February 28, 2010
  • Saginaw, MI – April 6-8, 2010
  • Attend any combination of days – one, two or three day registrations welcome
  • $49 per day or $129 for all three days
  • Details and registration at bit.ly/fw4dummies

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(1:00:05) Episode 120 – YouTube in the classroom is the discussion theme as Gail Potratz joins us and we hear about HOPE School’s “Scholar Ladies” viral video sucess. (Release date 02/24/10)

The featured artist:

(1:06:34) We close the podcast with the music of a new WELS group, Cross to Glory, led by Pastor Chris Christenson (www.crosstoglory.com) – You Know I Know from their debut CD “Life’s Song”

Get involved:

117 – Ignore That Podcaster Behind The Curtain

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This week on the WELSTech podcast hear about the technology involved in producing the weekly show and about the radio and podcast ministry called A Reason For Hope.

The discussion:

Podcast Production – Martin and Sallie share a behind the scenes look at the hardware, software and technology magic that goes into the weekly creation of the WELSTech podcast.

The interview:

A Reason For Hope

(15:20) Broadcasting the Good News – Pastor Don Patterson and Bill Eslinger join Martin and Sallie to share the story behind A Reason For Hope, the radio and podcast ministry sponsored by Holy Word in Austin, TX.  (Part 1)

Ministry resources:

(28:30) MemorizeNow.com

News in tech:

(30:15) Apple iPad

Picks of the week:

Of interest:

(38:03) Registration continues for upcoming FinalWeb for Dummies web site training classes. Martin and Sallie are presenting three days of face to face training focusing on developing, designing and maintaining your website with excellence.

  • Milwaukee, WI and New Ulm, MN – March 9-11, 2010
  • Saginaw, MI – April 6-8, 2010
  • Attend any combination of days – one, two or three day registrations welcome
  • $49 per day or $129 for all three days
  • Details and registration at bit.ly/fw4dummies

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(45:47) Episode 118 – We conclude our interview with the folks from A Reason For Hope and also discuss the ins and outs of a good church logo. (Release date 02/10/10)

The featured artist:

(46:34) We close the podcast with the music of WELS band Corban Creek – Another Time from their “Could It Be Me” CD

Get involved:

116 – Photography In The Classroom

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This week on WELSTech the “focus” is photography, and we are happy to welcome back Gail Potratz, our semi-regular class room technology correspondent.

Christmas 2010 Scavenger Hunt:

Clue #4

Clue 4

Remember, you can use your smartphone or an online decoder to decipher the message. Additional contest details available here. Have fun!

The interview:

Pete and Cari Schlossers(3:50) Say “Cheese” – Pete and Cari Schlosser, father and daughter members of St. Paul’s in Menomonie, WI, talk with us about photography in the classroom and share ideas from their upcoming book on the subject.

Ministry resources:

(35:10) Greek, Latin and Hebrew Bible audio recordings – shared by Pastor Guy Marquardt from Christ in Lodi, CA

News in tech:

(36:50) Add any page to Google Reader

Picks of the week:

Of interest:

(51:05) Registration continues for upcoming FinalWeb for Dummies web site training classes. Martin and Sallie are presenting three days of face to face training focusing on developing, designing and maintaining your website with excellence.

  • Milwaukee, WI and New Ulm, MN – March 9-11, 2010
  • Saginaw, MI – April 6-8, 2010
  • Attend any combination of days – one, two or three day registrations welcome
  • $49 per day or $129 for all three days
  • Details and registration at bit.ly/fw4dummies

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(1:12:13) Episode 117 – We visit with Pastor Don Patterson and Bill Eslinger about their radio and podcast ministry, A Reason for Hope. (Release date 02/03/10)

The featured artist:

(1:12:39) We close the podcast with the music of Michael Schroeder, www.michaelschroeder.com – The Answer from his CD titled “The Way”

Get involved:

115 – Has Printing Affected The Church?

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This week on the WELSTech podcast Martin and Sallie discuss the significance of print media on culture and the church.

The discussion:

Printing Press

A look back at the power of printing  – Continuing their discussion of Shane Hipps’ book The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture: How Media Shapes Faith, the Gospel, and Church, Martin and Sallie turn their attention to chapter 3 with a look at the implications of print media on culture and more specifically on the church.  Who knew that the printed word would encourage individualistic, objective, abstract and rational thinkers?

Ministry resources:

(20:50) WELS Deaf & Hard of Hearing YouTube channel – Sign language and close captioned videos of The Lord’s Prayer and The Apostle’s Creed

News in tech:

(22:04) Google Docs file storage announcement

Picks of the week:

Of interest:

(28:26) Announcing FinalWeb for Dummies web site training.  Three days of face to face training focusing on developing, designing and maintaining your website with excellence.

  • Milwaukee, WI and New Ulm, MN – March 9-11, 2010
  • Saginaw, MI – April 6-8, 2010
  • Attend any combination of days – one, two or three  day registrations welcome
  • $49 per day or $129 for all three days
  • Details and registration at bit.ly/fw4dummies

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(35:53) Episode 116 – We welcome back the official WELSTech semi-regular classroom technology correspondent, Gail Potratz, and the topic for the day will be photography in the classroom, including an interview with father-daughter team Pete and Cari Schlosser.  (Release date 01/27/10)

The featured artist:

(36:48) We close the podcast with the music of Mike Westendorf, www.mikewestendorf.com – Follow mikewestendorf on Twitter – Be Still from his CD titled “Color Through The Gray”

Get involved: