385 – Don’t Get Too Comfortable

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WELSTech is back with a discussion on congregational, school and personal data and device security. Martin admits he’s warming up to Pinterest with our first-ever Pinterest-centric Ministry Resource. Plus the “Please Open the Door” site for outreach to Mormon missionaries is highlighted.

The interview & discussion:

Pastor James WilcoxBe safe out there – Pastor James Wilcox from Good Shepherd’s in West Allis, WI shares a preview of his WELSTech Conference 2015 breakout session titled Smart Computer Security for Church, School and Life. Interestingly, we learn that security and convenience are diametrically opposed!

Ministry resources:

Pinterest Christian Easter Resources

News in tech:

Streaming music drowns out CD sales in US for the first time – Deezer

Picks of the week:

WELS insider:

Please Open the Door – Reaching Mormon missionaries

Need to know:

We’re giving away Chromebooks, including the new Chromebook Pixel, and lots more “shiny” tech at WELSTech Conference 2015! Register by April 1 to take advantage of the Early Bird price of $199.

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 386 – Jason Schmidt is back to talk Science and Social Studies educational technology sites and apps. Watch and participate on 03/31/15 @ 4 pm Central – welstechlive.wels.net.

Featured videos:

Koine makes another appearance on the WELSTech Music playlist on YouTube as we feature Chapter 1 of their Footsteps to the Cross playlist

 

Get involved:

384 – No Green, But Lots Of Media

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We’re not kissing the Blarney Stone on today’s WELSTech episode. Instead you’ll get a great conversation with WELS Connection producer, Steve Boettcher, on media in the church. There’s also news on 3d printing innovations and the developing IoT plus Pinterest infographics galore!

The interview & discussion:

Steve BoettcherMedia: Friend or Foe? – Steve Boettcher, the man behind the WELS Connection camera for the past 28 years, chats with Martin about his impressions of media and its impact on the work of the church. He shares details on his latest project, a continuation of the Road to Emmaus/Come Follow Me video series which will focus on the life of Christ through the eyes of his mother, Mary. He also previews his keynote address at this summer’s WELSTech Conference 2015. Viewers will get a first-look at the new WELS studio.

Ministry resources:

Bible Study Resources for Road to Emmaus & Come Follow Me

News in tech:

3d Printing – A New Way

Picks of the week:

 

  • Reboot Restore RX – Free & fee-based, depending on your needs

WELS insider:

WELS Blogs

Need to know:

St. Patrick’s Day breaking news … we’ve discovered the rainbow’s end, and it’s at WELSTech Conference 2015! Register by April 1 to take advantage of the Early Bird price of $199.

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 385 – It’s Virus Day on WELSTech as Martin and Sallie share tips for avoiding the identity and data threats which are spreading across the web. Pastor James Wilcox from Good Shepherd’s, West Allis joins the conversation with a preview of his WELSTech Conference “Smart Computer Security” session. Watch and participate on 03/24/15 @ 4 pm Central – welstechlive.wels.net.

Featured videos:

New additions on the WELSTech Presentation and Teaching playlist on YouTube are the full Road to Emmaus video and the trailer for Come Follow Me

 

Get involved:

383 – Execute

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On this week’s WELSTech we look at the heart of executing a gospel-focused productivity plan as we strive to efficiently and effectively use our gifts in service to God and others. Also on the docket are expensive watches, broken link finders, a free online conference from Google and more tabs that you can count!

The discussion:

dare145x125pngPutting productivity into action – In part 6 of What’s Best Next, author Matt Perman details the method of executing your productivity plan including never skipping your weekly review and focusing on one task at a time. Martin and Sallie reveal their sometimes opposite (and colorful) methods for getting things done.

Ministry resources:

News in tech:

Apple announcements abound

Picks of the week:

WELS insider:

Did you miss the Heart to heart parenting blog inaugural webcast? Check out the archived video!

Need to know:

Don’t miss out on the early bird pricing for WELSTech Conference 2015! Register by April 1 for $199.

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 384 – Martin and Sallie examine the role of media in our lives, and Steve Boettcher gives us a preview of his WELSTech Conference keynote. Watch and participate on 03/17/15 @ 4 pm Central – welstechlive.wels.net.

Featured videos:

The newest addition to the WELSTech Presentation and Teaching playlist on YouTube is Concordia Publishing’s What is Lent video

 

Get involved:

382 – Heart to Heart

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This week on WELSTech we’re talking heart to heart with bloggers about a new blog for parents as well as revealing our Trekkie side and following the MLC College Choir on their Midwest tour. Martin shares a Windows-based Chromebook alternative, and we open the listener mailbag of WELSTech goodness.

The discussion:

Blogging for ministry – So you want to start a blog? Martin and Sallie cover the basics of blogging, from content ideas, style and challenges to popular blogging platforms and some of our favorite ministry blogs.

Platforms

Favorite Blogs

The interview:

Heart to HeartNew blog on the block – Martin and Sallie welcome Wendy Heyn and Ann Jahns to WELSTech to talk about a new parenting column from Forward in Christ magazine, Heart to heart. Each month a group of parents discuss a parenting topic and the conversation continues online via Heart to heart blog posts and comments. Ann and Wendy share their firsthand experience as new bloggers, and impressions of the supportive Christian community which is developing.

Ministry resources:

Frequent Church Attendance survey from Gallup

News in tech:

Reflecting on Leonard Nimoy’s recent death led to Star Trek technology that we use today

Picks of the week:

WELS insider:

MLC College Choir is currently touring the Midwest.

  • Check out their schedule to locate a concert near you
  • Follow MLC on Facebook to keep up with the fun experiences they are having

Need to know:

Need clock hours? Join us at WELSTech Conference 2015, and we’ll provide a certificate for 13.5 to 21 clock hours!

Community feedback:

  • Choice Eliminator for Google Forms
  • Printer Pro – Free iTunes App of the Week
  • Copyright resources on the WELSTech Wiki
  • The Miracle Morning
  • Tile

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 383 – We’ve arrived at Part 6 of What’s Best Next, WELSTech’s current book selection by Matt Perman, and it’s time to Execute our productivity plans! Watch and participate on 03/10/15 @ 4 pm Central – welstechlive.wels.net.

Featured videos:

Want to learn more about WordPress? Visit the WordPress Quickstart Video Library or tune in to the WELSTech Instructional YouTube playlist for the WordPress Tutorial 1: Introduction, part of the WordPress Theme Development playlist from LearnWebCode.

 

Get involved:

381 – Sherry, Pirates, and Watches

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This week’s WELSTech has it all: literary adventures, a winery tour, and even fashion advice. Get the inside scoop on great deals from ShopWELS vendors as well as the hottest pre-conference workshops planned for this summer’s WELSTech Conference. All this, and more, awaits.

The discussion:

Pirates TreasureAhoy, Mates – Whether students are spinning pirate tales, researching gasoline or mapping the sites mentioned in Johnny Tremain, there are edtech Language Arts resources to assist and extend their work. Gail Potratz from Emanuel in New London, WI joins Martin and Sallie as we continue the WELSTech Goes to School series with a focus on Language Arts for all grade levels.

News in tech:

OneNote is now (even more) free!

Picks of the week:

WELS insider:

ShopWELS Insider for Winter 2015

Need to know:

Don’t miss out on great Logos deals and the Google Apps pre-conference workshop at WELSTech Conference 2015!

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 382 – Next week on WELSTech, Mart and Sallie talk about Heart to Heart, the new NPH parenting resource. (03/03/15)

Featured videos:

The newest video on the WELSTech Instructional YouTube playlist introduces you to the 60secondrecap.com format – Overview of Huckleberry Finn

 

Get involved:

380 – Projects

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This week on WELSTech we look at project management software. From special events to school initiatives to worship planning, there are many large, multi-faceted projects to oversee in the church and school setting, and project management software may be the solution to that need.

The interview and discussion:

jWagenknecht145x125Project management – Churches and schools can benefit from the organizational and collaborative capabilities of project management software. Martin and Sallie are joined by WELSTech Conference presenter, Julia Wagenknecht, to discuss uses for the various project management software solutions.

Task Management

Online Project Management

Mind Mapping

Additional resources

Ministry resources:

In His Sandals on Audible

News in tech:

AnthemFacts.com

Picks of the week:

WELS insider:

Check out the Wisconsin Lutheran Institutional Ministries (WLIM) new web site

Need to know:

Register for WELSTech Conference 2015 and help us spread the word using our new Press Kit

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 381 – We welcome teacher Gail Potratz to the conversation as the series WELSTech Goes Back To School continues with a focus on Language Arts resources for all grade levels. (2/24/15)

Featured videos:

We’ve dedicated a brand new WELSTech YouTube playlist to Lenten Hymns and Music by Koine, and we feature their song O, Dearest Jesus to usher in the Lenten season

 

Get involved:

379 – Reduce

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WELSTech is back with tips for eliminating some of your workload and serving others in the process. There’s also news on the Google Apps front, a fun survey app for the classroom, online classes and new wiki pages to explore. Join the conversation!

The discussion:

What's Best NextDon’t Do Everything – Martin and Sallie return to this season’s book discussion, looking at Part 5 of Matt Perman’s What’s Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done. This part of the book focuses on the “R” step in Matt’s DARE process for managing work, Reduce, and offers practical ideas for eliminating portions of your workload.

Ministry resources:

News in tech:

Picks of the week:

WELS insider:

Online Friendship Evangelism Course

Need to know:

Register for WELSTech Conference 2015

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 380 – Tune in for a discussion of Project Management software options. (2/17/15)

Featured videos:

Check out this week’s video to the WELSTech Product Demos playlist on YouTube – Introduction to redesigned Admin Console

 

Get involved:

378 – It’s Conference Time!

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Enjoy the Texas warmth on this week’s WELSTech, and learn all about the goodness in store at this summer’s WELSTech Conference. Parenting in the digital age resources, Outlook comes to smartphones and Logos 6 giveaways round out this very full episode.

The interview and discussion:

WELSTech Conference 2015Tech in Ministry Smorgasbord – Martin and Sallie walk through the variety of topics and speakers who will be part of this summer’s WELSTech Conference 2015, happening July 9-11 at Country Springs Hotel and Conference Center in Waukesha, WI. David Tess, Director of Digital Education at Wisconsin Lutheran College shares details about the keynote presentation he’s preparing for the conference.

Ministry resources:

Parenting in the Digital Age

News in tech:

Microsoft Releases Outlook for Android (Preview) and iOS

Picks of the week:

Need to know:

Listen to WELS Radio on the Streams media network

WELS insider:

WELS Interactive Faith online Bible study continues the study of Judges for the next two Wednesday’s at 6:00 and 8:00 pm CST.

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 378 – Join us for WELSTech on a special date and time – Monday, February 9 at 11:00 am CST – as Martin and Sallie look at ways to improve productivity by reducing our to-do list. (02/09/15 at 11:00 am)

Featured videos:

This week we’ve add two new videos to the WELSTech Product Review playlist on YouTube – A quick look at Outlook for iOS and Android and Get Office for Android Tablet

 

 

Get involved:

377 – Putting The O In Gooroo

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Is WELSTech real or simply virtual reality? This week’s education focused episode includes a series kick-off, out of this world picks and the final countdown to WELSTech Conference 2015 registration.

The discussion:

WELSTech Goes To SchoolMath and Technology for the Classroom – Martin and Sallie are joined by Jason Schmidt, Technology Coordinator from Bennington ISD, and they kick off the new WELSTech Goes To School series with a look at Math and Technology web sites, apps and extensions for all grade levels.

News in tech:

Picks of the week:

WELS insider:

Check out the WELS Annual Report in your favorite format …

Need to know:

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 378 – Martin and Sallie walk viewers through the exciting lineup of speakers at this summer’s WELSTech Conference. (02/03/15)

Featured videos:

This week we’ve add a new video to the WELSTech Instructional playlist on YouTube – Khan Academy exercise software, part of the Khan Academy Teacher Workshop playlist

 

Get involved: