Tag Archive for: apps

675 – Staying Productive: At Home & Office

WELSTech headlines with a discussion of tools to keep you productive, wherever you are. Also in this episode, learn about a great blog to follow for ministry tech topics, organizing passwords, taking smart notes, and live streaming devices.

The discussion

Top productivity tools – Martin and Sallie each share the 5 tools that keep them on top of their productivity game.

Ministry resource

Church Leaders blog > Ministry Tech

Picks of the week

Community news & feedback

Get involved

Process icons created by Freepik – Flaticon

622 – Android Apps With Jason

Tune in to this week’s WELSTech for an education-focused discussion including favorite Android apps for Chromebooks, classroom headphone recommendations, eRate, and the Issues in Lutheran Education blog. Plus, we’ve got you covered with details on the 2020 WELS International Youth Rally, Digital Learning Day, and atomic habit forming.

The discussion:

Android on Chromebook

Android apps on Chromebooks – Jason Schmidt, Instructional Technology Coach for Oconto Falls School District, joins Martin and Sallie to discuss Chromebook support and management of Android apps. And Jason throws in a side of headphone recommendations for classrooms to sweeten the conversation.

Apps

Headphones

Image courtesy of Masahiko OHKUBO via Flickr. License: Creative Commons 2.0

WELS now:

Registration opens March 2 for 2020 WELS International Youth Rally

  • June 23-26 at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville
  • Early bird pricing through April 30
  • Get all the details in the registration booklet

Picks of the week:

Ministry resource:

Issues in Lutheran Education – Martin Luther College Graduate Studies and Continuing Education blog

Community feedback:

Featured video:

Enjoy this short introduction to Jason’s pick of the week – Rivet: Better Reading Practice for Kids.

Get involved:

578 – Apps Worth Your Money

Buckle up for a link-palooza of paid mobile apps on WELSTech this week! Plus, there’s lots of news in tech, streaming Christmas concerts, an interesting “children in worship” article series, and a WELSTech-er in video as well.

The discussion:

The survey says – Martin and Sallie, along with several members of the WELSTech Community, share their favorite paid mobile apps.

News in tech:

WELS now:

Live streaming Christmas concerts

Picks of the week:

Ministry resource:

What do you do with children in worship? – a new Worship the Lord series authored by Pastor Phil Huebner

Community feedback:

Jitsi.org – free, open-source video conferencing

Featured video:

Watch the Heart to heart interview of WELSTech-er Pastor Rob Guenter and his son Josiah on the topic of Raising Godly Men.

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 579 – Tune in for ideas to share the Christmas joy.  Release date: Wednesday, December 12.

Get involved:

546 – Awesome Apps: Education

We wrap up “Awesome Apps” month on WELSTech with a look at the edtech space and insights from guest co-host Rachel Feld. Microsoft makes the news, we share a free eBook to help churches communicate on Instagram, and Martin reveals a great way to improve your Windows 10 knowledge for free.

The discussion:

Education apps- Our traditional end-of-month edtech focus brings Prof. Rachel Feld from Martin Luther College into the co-host chair as we explore favorite mobile apps for education.

News in tech:

OneNote Desktop 2016 no longer in active development

WELS now:

Picks of the week:

Ministry resources:

Check out the Everyone Can Create curriculum from Apple

Community feedback:

Microsoft Teams

Featured video:

Learn how to make anything talk with ChatterPix by Duck Duck Moose.

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 547 – Join us to celebrate #mlcday18 WELSTech-style. Release date: Wednesday, May 2.

Get involved:

545 – Awesome Apps: Communication

The WELSTech April series called “Awesome Apps” continues as Martin and Sallie share some of their favorite smart device communication tools for texting, emailing, video conferencing and more. Sallie has to figure out how to say the name of her new car but in the process found a great car buying app, and Martin, tuning in from a conference in Salt Lake City, found the benefits of handwriting notes…digitally.

The interview:

Care giving tech – Dan Stelljes is the Product Development Lead for First Layer Health, a software development company owned by WELS members which focuses on making social and healthcare communication easier for older people. He shares details of their newest product, TheirCare, which delivers video calls, messages, and more to certain internet-connected televisions. One of the uses of the tool is for church shut-in ministry. Contact Dan if you’d like to pilot a program in your congregation.

The discussion:

Communication apps – Reaching out to touch someone via a plain old phone call, is so yesterday. Martin and Sallie discuss their favorite smartphone apps for many forms of communication.

News in tech:

Google shutters it’s goo.gl URL shortening service

Picks of the week:

Ministry resources:

Check out Faithlife’s new Ministry Team magazine

Community feedback:

The Ultimate Guide for Using Trello at Home

Featured video:

What made us laugh in Star Trek IV (circa 1986) is turning into our reality in 2018 – voice controlled devices. Enjoy this throwback to Mr.Scott (a.k.a. The Miracle Worker) communicating with a computer.

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 546 – Prof. Rachel Feld co-hosts, and the discussion centers around awesome apps for the classroom. Release date: Wednesday, April 25.

Get involved:

544 – Awesome Apps: Utilities

The WELSTech month of “Awesome Apps” continues with a rundown of Martin and Sallie’s go-to mobile utilities! From weather to shopping to travel, there’s an app for that. Plus, we share news of a new program to address child abuse and neglect as well as a new online Bible study for women. And the community feedback bag holds lots of interesting tech in ministry goodies as well!

The discussion:

Utilities – We call those devices in our pockets “phones,” but that’s probably the understatement of the century. They have the ability to do so much more that connect to others for a voice conversation. This week Martin and Sallie focus on the plethora of utility apps that can enhance your ministry efforts, productivity, pocketbook, and life, in general.

News in tech:

WELS now:

Picks of the week:

Ministry resources:

WELS Women online Bible study

Community feedback:

Featured video:

If Sallie’s pick of the week intrigues you, learn more about Habitica and Task Management in this week’s featured video.

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 545 – Next week Martin and Sallie talk awesome communication apps . Release date: Wednesday, April 18.

Get involved:

487 – A Family Friendly Internet

Tune in to WELSTech this week for Sallie’s show and tell of a recent parent talk she led covering positive uses of the Internet for kids and families. You’ll also learn about an opportunity to host a theater showing of the new Martin Luther movie from WELS and be inspired for Lent by Martin’s ministry resource.

The discussion:

Discerning hearts – Parental (and teacher) responsibilities in the digital age are like never in history with many streams of digital media available at the fingertips of our children. Sallie shares resources from a recent presentation on Positive Uses of the Internet for Kids & Families to assist with teaching children to have discerning hearts.

News in tech:

Amazon’s massive AWS outage was caused by human error

WELS now:

Host a Screening of “A Return to Grace: Luther’s Life and Legacy”

Picks of the week:

Ministry resources:

Featured video:

The newest addition on the WELSTech Product Demos YouTube playlist is MaKey MaKey – An Invention Kit for Everyone.

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 488 – In the next installment of the WELSTech Social Media for Ministry series, we look at social photo sites Flickr & Google Photos. Release date: Wednesday, March 15.

Get involved:

449 – Fur the Love of Photos

The WELSTech summer series on “mobile ministry” continues as Martin and Sallie explore photography. The cameras we carry on our smartphones can be powerful tools for ministry. Listen in for good camera apps, tips and accessories. Plus, Sallie shares some TechSmith love, and Martin has a square jellyfish for his phone.

The discussion:

Martins iPhone PhotoMobile photography – As the old saying goes, the best camera is the one you have with you. And your smartphone camera may be just the thing you need to accomplish more ministry goals than you realized.

Picks of the week:

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 450 – Mobile hardware, operating systems (iOS vs. Android) and peripherals will be the topic of next week’s podcast. Release date: Wednesday, June 22

Get involved:

448 – Mobile Ministry Apps

WELSTech kicks off our first summer series on “mobile” with a show all about apps…especially those apps useful for ministry. Pastors, teachers, and anyone interested in what a smartphone can do for them will find plenty of ideas. There are also mobile-friendly picks of the week and a review of an adventure-ready Bluetooth speaker.

The discussion:

Mobile phoneThere’s an app for that – After answering the Miss America question of the day, Martin and Sallie share loads of useful apps for public and personal ministry.

Picks of the week:

Community feedback:

Pastor Emile Burgess from Trinity in Caledonia, WI shares his experience with a rugged, adventure-ready Bluetooth speaker, the ECOXGEAR EcoCarbon from REI

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 449 – The focus on mobile ministry continues with a look at all things about mobile photography. Release date: Wednesday, June 15

Get involved:

431 – Our Digital Habitats

This week’s WELSTech features a discussion of the hardware, software, browser extensions and devices which Martin and Sallie use in their day-to-day digital work. We also take a look at the newly redesigned Martin Luther College web site, discuss open source church software and feature a video from Lakeside Lutheran High School’s uber popular YouTube channel.

The discussion:

mergedc145x79Information workers – Martin and Sallie share the tech that makes them smile {big monkey grins}!

Hardware

Desktop

Software

Browser & Extensions

Devices

News in tech:

Google for Education Presents – Content 2.0 Webinar

WELS now:

Ministry resources:

Open Source Church Software Roundup

Featured video:

This week we feature Lakeside Lutheran High School’s Soaring to New Heights video on the WELSTech Promo YouTube Playlist.

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 432 – Chapter 6 of With All Your Heart, the WELSTech book project, is on the docket. The focus will be volunteers, and we’ll talk with folks from the Member Ministry team at St. Paul’s Lutheran in New Ulm, MN. Release date: Wednesday, February 17

Get involved: