276 – Let’s Collaborate!

On this edition of the WELSTech Podcast we share many web-based (and often free) tools which assist with all types of collaboration including sharing documents and calendars, creating mind maps and wikis, and holding private conversations and video conference calls.

The discussion:

Working together online – Martin and Sallie share scenarios for online collaboration in church and school ministry and a list of web-based tools that can assist with that process.

• The Google platform includes …
  • Groups
  • Sites
  • Drive
  • Hangouts
  • Calendar
  • Google+
  • Photos
• The Microsoft platform includes …
  • Office 365
  • SharePoint Online
  • SkyDrive
  • Skype
• Social sharing options …
  • Facebook private groups
  • BuddyPress
  • Elgg – sample: Christ Lutheran Church in Baxter, MN
• Project management options …
  • BaseCamp
  • Trello
• Mind Mapping options …
  • Mindjet
  • Mindomo
  • MindMeister
• Wiki options …
  • MediaWiki
  • Wikispaces
  • PBWorks
• Web Conferencing options …
  • Skype
  • Google Hangouts
  • Join.me

The interview:

(21:24) Global collaboration – Pastor Brad Wordell, who serves our synod as Missionary to Japan as well as Coordinator of Asia Publications for Multi-Language Publications, sat down with Martin recently to talk about the management tasks involved in translating gospel resources into many new languages. That work is made easier with the use of online collaborative tools.

Picks of the week:

• (28:49) Smithsonian Quests
• Doodle and YouCanBook.Me

Community feedback:

• (38:02) Redefining the Innovative Classroom Webinar
• Suggested Laptop Agreements for Middle School Families
• Data & Graphs from MathGoodies.com
• MIT App Inventor
• 5 Ways to Use Google+ “Hangouts On Air” for Ministry
• Using Google Docs to Facilitate a Writing Workshop
• 15+ Tools for Getting Things Done

Coming up on WELSTech:

(45:08) Episode 277 – You’ll flip over next weeks edtech discussion of flipped classrooms, featuring Gail Potratz in the guest host chair. (Release date – 02/26/13)

The featured artist:

(45:45) We close the podcast with the debut of a new WELS artist, pianist Kirk Meyer (www.kirkmeyer.com) – Chief of Sinners Though I Be

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