663 – #edu22

Welcome to the season opener of WELSTech! We’ve packed this special episode with our favorite edtech guest hosts, exciting announcements about the upcoming WELS Education Conference, a first-hand review of the iPhone 13, lots of Logitech love, and a new Christian Worship digital lectionary. All this, and you can consume it in either audio or video format! Fancy like!!

The discussion

It’s a full house on WELSTech today as Martin and Sallie kick off a new season and are joined once again by our favorite education technology guest hosts, Professor Rachel Feld from Martin Luther College and Jason Schmidt, Executive Director of Wisconsin Virtual School.

And if that wasn’t enough excitement, WELSTech is re-introducing video! Our audio podcast continues without a blip, but now listeners will have the option to be watchers, if they prefer video!

The interview

WELS Education Conference – Paul Patterson from WELS Lutheran Schools joins the conversation to share some of the first details about the upcoming WELS Education Conference, June 20-22, 2022 at the Ingleside Hotel in Pewaukee, WI. Under the theme United in Christ, Diverse in Service, attendees will choose from topics in six strands – Feedback and Assessment, Higher Order Thinking, Student Achievement, Student Centered Classroom, Social Emotional Learning, and Leadership in Ministry. There’s much for educators to get excited about!

News in tech

Picks of the week

Ministry resources

Community feedback

Coming up next on WELSTech

Learn a new acronym – PKM – and the ideas behind Personal Knowledge Management.

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Getting Into Vlogging – Part 2

In Part One of the series on vlogging I shared a recommendation for a camera: the Sony ZV-1. Obviously this is the centerpiece of any vlogging configuration. Getting good clear video is important. However, a great case could be made that the audio of a vlog is of equal importance…perhaps even more important. Viewers will quickly move on from a video they can’t hear clearly. While the Sony ZV-1 has a good microphone, it will vary depending on conditions (wind, background noise, ventilation, etc.). The best way to insure the cleanest audio capture is through a dedicated microphone, and in the world of vlogging, that means a wireless microphone. The good news is there are a lot of excellent choices out there at various price points.

Microphone Kit

Goal

To have a microphone setup that is easy to use, captures audio at the source (i.e. very close to the speakers mouth), and is wireless to allow disconnected movement. The battery life should be sufficient for at least an hour of uninterrupted use, send audio to the video source, but also record it as a standalone mp3 file.

RODE Wireless Go II (my recommendation)

The RODE Wireless Go II is a dual channel wireless microphone system. It comes with one receiver that can be attached to the hot/cold shoe mount on the Sony ZV-1, and two transmitters with wind screens which can be clipped to a shirt collar. It’s key features (from their website) include:

  • Dual channel wireless microphone system for recording two sound sources simultaneously
  • Series IV 2.4GHz digital transmission, 128-bit encryption – crystal-clear audio at up to 200m (line of sight), optimized for extremely stable operation in dense RF environments
  • 3.5mm TRS analog output, USB-C and iOS digital output – universal compatibility with cameras, mobile devices and computers
  • On-board recording – over 40 hours of internal memory
  • Option to record each channel separately or combine them for ultimate flexibility in post-production
  • In-built rechargeable lithium-ion battery – up to 7 hours battery life

After using the product for a little while now, I’d note the following pluses and minuses:

Positives:
  1. Very small and compact. It can be carried in a pocket or purse.
  2. Great audio quality, especially when paired with a Lavalier mic. I’d suggest the RODE SmartLav
  3. Having the audio sent back to receiver and recorded on the transmitter as well is a real life saver and allows you to get out of range of the receiver and still capture audio.
  4. There is a “safety channel” which records at -20dB in case you main audio clips, so you have a usable recording despite the wrong gain on capture.
  5. Can be used with most cameras and even smart phones with the write adapters.
Negatives:
  1. A little pricey. Currently about $300 on Adorama.
  2. When clipping on a shirt collar it is very obvious, especially with the windscreen. It also has rather bright status lights on the front, making it even more obvious.
  3. Uses micro usb to charge. A small nit pick, but it would be nice it if had USB-C.

All in all, this is an excellent solution for anybody who wants to regularly vlog and capture consistently great audio.

Watch for a video review soon.

Next time we’ll address post production video software options.

662 – From LEGOs to Email

WELSTech is back with LEGO news and a wrap up of the book discussion of A World Without Email. Martin shares a free tool for creating diagrams and flowcharts, and the community mail bag includes the ability to ride along with a raindrop. Did we mention LEGOs?

The discussion

Every techie loves LEGOs, so it’s appropriate we offer huge WELSTech congrats to Caleb and Jacob Schilling, WELS members recently featured on Season 2 of LEGO Masters.

Protocols & Specialization – Martin and Sallie conclude the discussion of A World Without Email by Cal Newport with practical suggestions for improving workflow and moving away from the hyperactive hive mind way of working.

Picks of the week

Community feedback

Coming next on WELSTech

A new season of WELSTech kicks off, loaded with all kinds of WELSTech goodness, of course! We welcome guest hosts Rachel Feld and Jason Schmidt as well as Paul Patterson from the Lutheran Schools Office who will preview the upcoming WELS Education Conference 2022. All that, and we’re adding video to the show too!

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661 – Adding Value to Information

This week on WELSTech, we resume the book discussion of A World Without Email by Cal Newport with chapters 4 & 5, all about knowledge work processes. Martin shares his first blog post in a “Getting Into Vlogging” series, and Sallie has news about free Bible verse motion video content for church screens.

Ford assembly line, 1913 – via Wikipedia

The discussion

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Manage the Workflow – Martin and Sallie share thoughts on chapters 4 & 5 of A World Without Email by Cal Newport, which begins to explore improved options for knowledge workers to offset the hyperactive hive mind.

Picks of the week

Community feedback

Coming next on WELSTech

The book discussion concludes with a discussion of chapters 6 & 7 and the conclusion of A World Without Email by Cal Newport.

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