616 – Bible Study in a Tree Stand

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December has arrived on WELSTech, and its got us talking about Bible study ideas for the upcoming new year. This episode also includes news from Hour of Code, Christmas concert schedules, a family stewardship devotion series, and an opportunity to help Michigan Lutheran Seminary enhance their YouTube options.

The interview & discussion:

In the Word – Principal Brad Gurgel from St Peter Lutheran School in St Peter, MN provides an update on their school and church Bible reading initiative which he first shared at this summer’s EdTechLead19 (presentation link). Alycia Cameron also updates us on the Berean Bible Challenge she is leading, and Martin and Sallie have additional ideas for Bible study as we approach a new year.

News in tech:

Hour of Code – December 9-15

WELS now:

  • Christmas Concerts
    • Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (Live Stream)
      • Sunday, December 8 at 3:00 and 7:00 pm
    • Martin Luther College (Live Stream)
      • Saturday, December 7 at 7:30 pm
      • Sunday, December 8 at 4:00 pm
  • Shop online with Northwestern Publishing House from their ‘Tis His Season catalog
    • Use coupon code FREETIDINGS at checkout to receive a free copy of Tidings of Comfort and Joy when you make a $50 or more purchase from the catalog

Picks of the week:

Ministry resource:

Christians Under Construction family stewardship devotion series

Community feedback:

Featured video:

Check out Smart Dezign: Church Media Made Simple on YouTube, including this video on Making a $4 Dollar Store DIY Teleprompter

Next time:

Pastor Kurt Lueneburg and Adam Goede from the Christian Giving office share ideas for online giving.

Get involved:

615 – Bitmoji All Around

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On WELSTech this week we learn a lot of things … how to facilitate school-home communication, where to find security guidelines for churches and schools, how to remotely operate Google Slides, that Apple has a new MacBook Pro on the market, and that the trio of co-hosts are all Bitmoji users. Who knew!

The discussion:

Connecting Guardians and Schools – In the recently released Future of the Classroom report, Google shares 8 trends which they believe will have an impact on how schools prepare students for a yet-to-be-defined future. Teacher-parent communication, one of the 8 trends outlined in the report, is an area where technology can assist, and Jason Schmidt, Instructional Technology Coach for Oconto Falls School District, joins the conversation to share his experience with a tech tool designed for this purpose.

News in tech:

New MacBook Pro 16″

WELS now:

General Information Security Guidelines for WELS Organizations

Picks of the week:

Ministry resource:

Remote for Slides

Community feedback:

Google’s rollout of RCS chat for all Android users

Featured video:

Enjoy Koine Worship Media’s Now Thank We All Our God.

Get involved:

614 – Glide

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On WELSTech this week we focus on mobile app creation using Glide. It’s ease of use, versatility, and price tag (free!!) make it a great candidate for building apps for ministry. We’ll hear from two men who are using Glide in the high school setting. Spark your own app development effort with the resources and ideas from this week’s episode.

The discussion & interview:

Go mobile – Martin and Sallie discuss the features of Glide App, a free tool for developing mobile apps driven by data in Google Sheets. Teachers Carl Hochmuth from Luther Preparatory School in Watertown, WI and Jonathan Witte from Luther High School in Onalaska, WI share their experience using Glide apps in their ministry settings.

Glide Apps Examples

News in tech:

WELS now:

Picks of the week:

Ministry resource:

Gospel Outreach With Media – Fall 2019 Online Conference

Community feedback:

Featured video:

Check out the latest updates to Glide Apps with this Data Editing playlist of video tutorials.

Next time:

We talk edtech with Jason Schmidt!

Get involved:

613 – CatTech

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The cat takeover continues on WELSTech with this week’s revelation that cat photography is the number one reason to purchase the new iPhone. In other news … we talk about 4 shifts in technology integration, a gamified geography (and more) web app, the latest Google goodness, creating infographics, and more!

The discussion:

Shifting edtech gears – Prof. Rachel Feld from Martin Luther College shares details about the 4 Shifts Protocol, the methodology behind the book Harnessing Technology for Deeper Learning.

The interview:

Fantasy education – Eric Nelson, WELS member and teacher-founder of FANschool.org, shares the story behind harnessing the fun of fantasy football for use in education. Students draft countries and score when their countries are mentioned in the news. Teachers can set up a league for free for up to 35 players. Learn more.

News in tech:

Google spotlight

WELS now:

Picks of the week:

Ministry resource:

Community feedback:

5 Tips for Creating Infographics with Students using Adobe Spark Post and the Noun Project

Featured video:

At South Side Elementary School in Kendalville, IN, students learn computational thinking starting in kindergarten and develop advanced reasoning skills throughout their elementary school years. Supporting Powerful STEM Learning with Technology: Computational Thinking

Next time:

The Gospel Outreach with Media online conference is in full swing and includes a presentation from Sallie about an easy way to build mobile apps using Glide Apps. Tune in for more about the conference and about Glide!

Get involved:

612 – Be a Social Media Maker

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WELSTech is back with a timely discussion topic of social media for churches as you head into the busy holiday season. Martin shares what interests him from the recent Amazon event, and Sallie has lots of options for listening to the Bible. Christian apologetics is in the limelight (and the video archives) following the recent Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Symposium on the topic. And the WELSTech community feedback is great, as usual!

The discussion & interview:

Get Social – Martin and Sallie share tips for enhancing your church or school’s social media presence. Also Trish Nitschke, Social Media Manager for Time of Grace, joins the conversation to share her social media expertise.

News in tech:

Echo everything

WELS now:

Picks of the week:

Ministry resource:

5 Audio Bible Listening Options – Overview video

Community feedback:

Featured video:

Learn more about the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Symposium on Apologetics from this Together Video update.

Get involved:

611 – iBullying

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This week we welcome Jason Schmidt back to WELSTech for a classroom technology conversation on the latest version of status symbol bullying. We also talk with Justin Liepert about Google Administration. There’s device news, a slick update to the WELS online Yearbook, and church homepage advice along with picks of the week and an amazing theme song for the new school year. Listen up!

The discussion:

Classroom technology chat – Jason Schmidt returns to the co-host chair as our semi-regular classroom technology correspondent and brings his own flavor of Wisconsin sunshine to the podcast. He’s the Instructional Technology Coach for Oconto Falls School District.

This week we’re talking about tech-flavored bullying, which is simply a new version of the status symbol envy which we experienced for Air Jordan or Ralph Lauren clothing in the past.

The interview:

Google Administration – Justin Liepert, Technology Coordinator at Winnebago Lutheran Academy, shares highlights from his summer EdTechLead19 sectional on Google Administration.

News in tech:

WELS now:

Learn more about Lutheran School’s Ministerial Growth and Evaluation process at many of the upcoming Teachers’ Conferences

Picks of the week:

Ministry resource:

WELS Online Yearbook now has District, Conference, and Circuit info on Churches and Schools

Community feedback:

Featured video:

Enjoy More Than a Conqueror, the theme song for this year at Immanuel Lutheran School in Greenville, WI, written and performed by Pastor Jeremy Mattek and Joey Schumann.

Get involved:

610 – The Word And Your Photos

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This cat-friendly WELSTech school-year season opener marks the return of our extended format, including news in tech, WELS now, and ministry resources. We’re talking about apps for creating verse images, updates to the Google Lectionary Calendar, and church video connections. Plus, we are happy to welcome Dr. Tom Kuster to the conversation as he shares details on an extended-reality-in-ministry project!

The discussion:

Sample Bible Lens verse image featuring Mia Draper – Click to view larger

Create verse images – A smartphone can fill a key role in church, school, and personal communication efforts. Martin and Sallie discuss the many apps that make it easy to create images with Bible text overlaid, perfect for sharing on social media.

The interview:

How can XR technology be used to serve the Lord? – Dr. Tom Kuster from the Christ in Media Institute shares details on their current XR (extended reality) Project and Festival and how schools can get involved. The first 10 schools to sign up will receive a $200 Oculus-GO VR headset to further their research.

News in tech:

The Google Lectionary Calendar has been updated with the next three church years! Learn more on the WELSTech Wiki.

WELS now:

WELS National Conference on Lutheran Leadership – Register now for early bird pricing

Picks of the week:

Ministry resource:

WELSTech Challenge Album – Search flickr using WELSTechPhotoChallenge

Community feedback:

Featured video:

This week we feature a double-header of congregation “Connection” video examples. First up is the Fall 2019 Good Shepherd Connect from Good Shepherd, Sioux Falls, SD.

And second is the September 2019 Pilgrim Connection from Pilgrim, Menomonee Falls, WI.

Get involved:

609 – Military Ministry

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This week on WELSTech we wrap up our summer focus on WELS Congregational Services with a look at the important work done by the Military Services Committee. We also have feedback, advice, and picks on a variety of topics including online giving, counting files in Google Drive, setting up a new computer, and a collaborative programming platform.

The discussion:

Serving those who serve our country – Pastor Paul Ziemer joins Martin and Sallie to share details on his role as WELS Civilian Chaplain to the military and the work of the WELS Military Services.

Picks of the week:

Community feedback:

Featured video:

Get an insider’s look at Glitch in this Welcome to Glitch! video.

Get involved:

608 – For The Generations To Come

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The WELSTech Summer series continues this week with an interview with the Coordinator of WELS Congregational Services. Sallie’s learning new programming skills on her phone while Martin is keeping things doubly secure with Google. In the Community Feedback segment, one listener shares his experience with an affordable digital display solution.

The discussion:

Congregational Services – Pastor Jon Hein serves as both Director of WELS Commission on Congregational Counseling and Coordinator of WELS Congregational Services. Martin and Sallie chat with him about another important job he filled at the recent Synod Convention, that of convention essayist (with a modern twist). He also shares info on several new initiatives in Congregational Services.

Picks of the week:

Community feedback:

Featured video:

Watch Pastor Jon Hein’s Synod Convention presentation.

Get involved:

607 – Synod Convention 2019

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WELSTech comes to you from WELS Synod Convention 2019 where Martin and Sallie talk with four of the attendees about their convention experience. And we even have video this time!

The discussion:

Paperless for the win – Many hands (and a dash of technology) make the Synod Convention experience a success.  Even more impressive is this year they did it without one click of a binder! Martin and Sallie learn about the convention experience from a variety of perspectives.

Get involved: