Tag Archive for: books

218 – Boundaries

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This week on the WELSTech Podcast The Church of Facebook book discussion continues, and Pastor Alan Siggelkow shares his observations of Christians usage of social media.

The discussion:

Our blurry social world – Martin and Sallie continue the current book discussion with a look at Chapter 4 of The Church of Facebook where author Jesse Rice compares the adjustment to this new socially connected world to a blind man who regained his sight after 45 years and didn’t know how to interpret all of the new visual input he was receiving.  In a similar fashion, with no frame of reference for social media usage, it’s hard to know where to draw the lines in terms of privacy, relationships and time management.

The interview:

(18:26) The Christian and social media – Pastor Alan Siggelkow, who serves as the chairman of the synod’s Committee on Mental Health Needs and works as a counselor for Wisconsin Lutheran Child and Family Service, chats with Martin and Sallie about the positive and negative ways that social media can be used by Christians.

Ministry resources:

(36:47) Claim your church in Google Places

  • Listen to the Internet Toolbox for Churches podcast to learn how.
  • Check out Sallie’s sample

Picks of the week:

  • (40:31) MyPermissions.org
  • If This then That – ifttt.com

7 Best:

(46:46) Coming up on February 1st we’ll unveil the very first WELSTech 7 Best list, and listeners can be part of the list creation.  Simply let us know your favorite

Digital Bible Study Tools

You can tweet us using #WELSTech, write on our Facebook or Google+ wall, leave a voicemail (405-FOR-WELS), send an e-mail, mail it in on a carrier pigeon or whatever method you want to use.  Just let us know what you think is best!

Community feedback:

  • (48:52) Dave Huep suggested listeners create passwords which remind them of spiritual blessings.
  • Teacher Ryan Rosenthal from Faith in Fond du Lac, WI shared a link to 16 of the best Internet Safety Sites for Kids from iLearn Technology.
  • Teacher Paul Patterson from Peace in Sun Prairie, WI shared information about a special from InfoCor on interactive StarBoards which work on existing white boards.  Special pricing is $189 with coupon code 121911_StarBoardLink.
  • Teacher Kurt Gosdeck phoned in an update from his 1:1 computing 3rd and 4th grade classroom at St. Lucas in Kewaskum, WI.  Listeners may remember with interviewed Kurt on episode 203.  Recent class digital projects include …
    • Grandparent’s Day Project
    • Animal Wiki
  • Links shared in the WELSTech Diigo group this week include …

Coming up on WELSTech:

(57:51) Episode 219 – Next week on WELSTech we’ll hear from Pastor Tom Koch about online Bible study. (Release date – 01/18/12)

The featured artist:

(58:45) We close the podcast with the music of Corban Creek – Psalm 46 from their CD titled “Could It Be Me”

Get involved:

214 – Hyperconnected for Jesus

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This week on the WELSTech Podcast the discussion topic is the effect of a multitude of Facebook connections on us as individuals.

The discussion:

A message for your audience – Martin and Sallie return to their discussion of The Church of Facebook, this month reviewing Chapter 3, Dispensation.

Picks of the week:

WELS.net feature:

(18:12) Streams Seasonal Radio

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(41:53) Episode 215 – Join Martin and Sallie for a special Christmas week interview with Missionary Nathan Wagenknecht and his wife Julie. (Release date – 12/21/11)

The featured artist:

(42:59) We close the podcast with the music of  instrumentalist Joey Schumann (JoeySchumann.com | Joey on Facebook) – O Come, O Come Emmanuel from his CD titled “Light That Shines in Dark”

Get involved:

209 – The Church of Facebook

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This week the WELSTech Podcast welcomes author Jesse Rice as we discuss his book, The Church of Facebook.

The discussion:

“Home is where …” – Returning to the current book discussion, Martin and Sallie look at Chapter 2 of The Church of Facebook and discuss the reasons Facebook feels like “Home” to so many people.

The interview:

(13:52) Chat with the author – Jesse Rice (@JesseRice on Twitter) talks with Martin and Sallie about his book, The Church of Facebook. Find out how Jesse sees Facebook as both a catalyst and a symptom of our ability to connect and what Jesse thinks is the churches’ biggest mistake on Facebook.

Picks of the week:

Of interest:

(39:37) Watch live video streaming of the WELS National Choral Festival on MLC TV

  • Pops concert – Friday, November 11 at 7:00 p.m.
  • Sacred concert – Sunday, November 13 at 2:00 p.m.

Community feedback:

  • (40:53) Via the WELSTech Diigo group we learned about many links:
    • Wikipedia Selection for Schools
    • Tim Tebow spawns searches and more
    • xtimeline – Explore and create free time lines
    • Grade Level Skills Help at Internet 4 Classrooms
  • Alycia Cameron shared the Hallelujah Chorus with captions by Quinhagak, AK students and community members.  What a great project for students learning about video editing.
  • David Schumann from Peace in Janesville, WI shared his congregation’s experience with converting to MailChimp e-newsletters.

Coming up on WELSTech:

(51:23) Episode 210 – Uncover hidden treasures as Martin & Sallie lead a virtual walking tour of the WELSTech show notes page and the WELSTech Wiki (wear your sneakers). (Release date – 11/16/11)

The featured artist:

(52:20) This week we close the podcast with the music of Koine (www.koinemusic.com | Facebook) – God’s Word is Our Great Heritage from their debut CD titled “Koine”

Get involved:

205 – Use Tech To God’s Glory

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This week on the WELSTech Podcast the discussion topic is our need for “connection”, and we examine the root of our motivation to use technology.

The discussion:

Connection – Martin and Sallie discuss the latest WELSTech book selection, Chapter 1 of The Church of Facebook. The author, Jesse Rice, lays the foundation for the phenomenon of Facebook, pointing out the most basic of human needs … the need for “home”.

News in tech:

(9:47) Death of Apple’s Steve Jobs

Picks of the week:

  • (16:21) Mindjet for iPad
  • WELS Online Mobile App version 2.0 for iOS

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(33:52) Episode 206 – Martin and Sallie explore all the variations of VoIP or Voice over IP (Internet) including Skype, Magic Jack and Google Voice. (Release date – 10/19/11)

The featured artist:

(37:22) We close the podcast with the music of Dawn Michelle Williams (www.dawnmichellewilliams.com | Twitter | Facebook | My Space) – Where I Belong from her CD titled ”Dawn Michelle Williams”

Get involved:

201 – Take Two

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This week the next WELSTech Podcast book discussion kicks off and we hear about new digital products from Northwestern Publishing.

The discussion:

Grab your reading glasses – Martin and Sallie kick off the latest WELSTech book selection, The Church of Facebook by Jesse Rice.  The book, subtitled “How the Hyperconnected Are Redefining Community”, looks at the effect social media has had on our lives and on the connections we make.  Listen to a discussion of the book introduction, including a look at the strange occurrence at the opening of the Millennium Bridge in London, and grab a copy to read along with us.

The interview:

(12:22) NPH goes digital – Kurt Adams and Mark Buske from Northwestern Publishing House (NPH) join Martin and Sallie to talk about the recent addition of a variety of digital items to their product line.

Ministry resources:

News in tech:

  • (33:05) GameStop To Stock iOS Devices and Accept Your Old Devices For Store Credit

Picks of the week:

Of interest:

  • (39:50) Check out the latest issue of the ShopWELS Insider for information on great deals available to congregations, schools and individuals from a variety of vendors including Apple, Verizon and InfoCor.  Subscribe to receive the newsletter via e-mail each quarter. Sign up at ShopWELS.net to take advantage of the special pricing.

Community feedback:

  • (41:13) WELSTech 200th podcast contest winner Jason Petoskey shared his appreciation for the Flip camera.
  • Pastor Clint Rogas from St. Paul in South Haven, MI is looking for an audio solution to replace cassette ministry for shut-ins.  The “catch” is it has to be easy to operate, which rules out most small MP3 players.  Does anyone have ideas?
  • Via the WELSTech Diigo group, we learned about …
    • Molecular Expressions
    • Atlas Interactive Map from Discovery Education Streaming
    • Projects from Wikispaces
    • Resources on Digital Citizenship from Edutopia
    • Zim Wiki
    • NASA @ Home and City

Coming up on WELSTech:

(50:48) Episode 202 – Key to church office success is managing the ever-changing calendar of events. Tune in as Martin and Sallie share tips on effective calendaring. (Release date – 09/21/11)

The featured artist:

(51:50) We close the podcast with the instrumental music of In His Service (www.adagioconcepts.com) – Send Me from their CD titled “In His Time”

Get involved:

183 – Security and Privacy and Fair Use, Oh My!

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This week on the WELSTech Podcast we finish our current book discussion and chat with Greg Boggs about school privacy solutions.

The discussion:

It’s a wrap! – Martin and Sallie finish up their discussion of the current book selection, Leading 21st Century Schools by Lynne Schrum and Barbara B. Levin, with a look at chapters 8 and 9 of the book.  Topics include privacy, acceptable use policies, web site evaluation and the digital divide.

The interview:

Greg Boggs(21:45) Ask the expert – Greg Boggs, a member of St. Mark in Lincoln, NE, joins Martin and Sallie to share his experience with school network content filtering as well as wireless security concerns.

  • SmoothWall Guardian for Education

Ministry resources:

News in tech:

Picks of the week:

  • (50:32) Khan Academy
  • Kensington ComboSaver Master Coded Combination Notebook Lock

Of interest:

  • (54:36) Check out WELS live streaming schedule for the upcoming graduation and call season
  • FinalWeb Training in New Ulm, MN and Milwaukee, WI
    • FinalWeb for Teachers in New Ulm on June 27 and Milwaukee on August 1 – bit.ly/fw4teachers
    • FinalWeb for Dummies in New Ulm June 28-30 and Milwaukee August 2-4 – bit.ly/fw4dummies

Community feedback:

  • (57:00) Joanne Nemmers, school secretary at Calvary in Dallas, TX, is looking for After-School Care management software.  We suggested the open source solution, PHP Timeclock.  Do you have a recommendation?
  • Jonathan Favorite, staff minister at Crosswalk in Phoenix, AZ, suggested WELSTech model LifeHacker’s content delivery approach.
  • Martin shared a promo video for the new CPH graphic novel, Echoes of the Hammer.
  • Jason Schmidt, teacher at Gethsemane in Omaha, NE, shared a link to Haiku LMS (Learning Management System).
  • Sallie shared several links for ministry usage:
    • Sharing Stuff from The Table Project
    • InfoGraphic-a-Day by David Warlick
    • G.O.S.P.E.L. video

Coming up on WELSTech:

(1:06:45) Episode 184 – On the menu is “All Things Apple” as Martin and Sallie are joined by Apple Geniuses, Bob and Aaron, to talk about ministry uses of Apple products. (Release date – 05/18/11)

The featured artist:

(1:07:59) We close the podcast with the music of Kevin Loersch – Children of the Heavenly Father from his CD titled “Abide With Me”

Get involved:

174 – Revisiting WhatAboutJesus.com

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This week on the WELSTech Podcast we return to our book discussion and take a closer look at techie outreach resources.

The discussion:

Communication for School Leaders – Listen as Martin and Sallie discuss Chapter 7 of Leading 21st Century Schools which covers tech-based ideas for school leaders to engage parents, alumni, school boards and other “stakeholders” in education initiatives.

Ministry resources:

What About Jesus(13:51) WhatAboutJesus.com – Access and share outreach oriented resources covering questions about Jesus and God, life concerns, introduction to worship, worship helps and much more.

  • Visit the Ministry Resources page for a compilation of items shared throughout WELSTech history.

News in tech:

(19:08) iPad2 announcement – Recently Joshua Johnson from Nebraska Evangelical Lutheran High School posted a question on the WELSTech Facebook page looking for 1 to 1 computing recommendations.  If you are considering iPads for 1 to 1 computing in your school, check out these resources:

Picks of the week:

Of interest:

(28:23) FinalWeb Training in New Ulm, MN and Milwaukee, WI

  • FinalWeb for Teachers in New Ulm on June 27 and Milwaukee on August 1 – bit.ly/fw4teachers
  • FinalWeb for Dummies in New Ulm June 28-30 and Milwaukee August 2-4 – bit.ly/fw4dummies

Community feedback:

  • (31:14) We received lots of Facebook feedback from last week’s podcast:
  • Sallie and Martin shared links via the WELSTech Diigo Group
  • Pastor Phil Arnold from St. Matthews in Stoddard, WI shared a link to Mellel, a word processor for Mac which handles Greek and Hebrew text seamlessly.
  • David Schumann from Peace in Janesville, WI shares online worship video resources from another congregation, Good Shepherd in Wisconsin Rapids, WI, with his congregation because they don’t produce their own.  Find a list of all streamed worship services and online sermon video archives on the WELSTech Wiki.
  • Via twitter we heard from …

Coming up on WELSTech:

(46:03) Episode 175 – The Microsoft Office tool set is the discussion topic of the day, and Staff Minister Dan Schoeffel shares his tech favorites. (Release date – 03/16/11)

The featured artist:

(47:20) We close the podcast with the music of Corban Creek  – Psalm 13 from their CD titled ”Could It Be Me”

Get involved:

170 – The Proclaimer

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This week on the WELSTech Podcast we return to our school technology book discussion and interview Mexico Missionary Mike Hartmann.

The discussion:

Inspire and Assess Technology Integration – Martin and Sallie discuss chapter 6 of Leading 21st Century Schools which focuses on school leaders motivating technology changes in education.  Practical guidelines for assessing tech enhanced lessons are shared as well.

  • Martin Luther College Certificate of Education Technology and Masters with Educational Technology Emphasis.
  • School Technology Plans on the WELSTech Wiki

The interview:

Missionary Mike Hartmann(14:13) The Proclaimer – Missionary Mike Hartman from Leon, Mexico joins Martin and Sallie to share a story of outreach using a solar-powered, wind-up MP3 player in remote Mexico.

  • Using technology to Proclaim the Word from WELS Missions blog
  • The Proclaimer from Faith Comes by Hearing
  • Lutherans in Mexico, the Hartmann’s blog

Ministry Resources:

  • (28:50) We asked for online donation options, and our WELSTech listeners responded with several:
    • Jared Mahnke from Luther High School in Onalaska, WI uses Just Give.org – Visit their donation page
    • Joshua Johnson from Nebraska Lutheran High School in Omaha, NE shared that they use Vanco powered by e.services for donations, tuition payments, and other giving needs – Visit their donation page
    • Martin shared links to EasyTithe.com and MinistryGive.org
  • Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly (1990-2010) is available from Logos
  • CreationSwap.com shares images and multi-media for congregational usage

Picks of the week:

  • (35:53) Compelling Facebook Fan Pages by Chris Brogan
    • How to Build a Facebook Page from Mashable
      • More on FBML (Facebook Markup Language)
      • Check out the FBML-enabled WELSTech tab – set to be the landing page for “non-fans”
  • Flickr

Community feedback:

  • (43:08) Are you considering Google Apps for your congregation or school?  If so, you’ll want to read the recent WELSTech Listserve discussion thread on the topic.  We’ve created a Google Apps page on the WELSTech Wiki.
  • Michael Luce from Abiding Faith in Ft. Worth, TX wrote to let us know he’s participated in online worship with all of the congregations on the online worship listing on the WELSTech Wiki.  Do you stream your services live?  Add your church to the list!
  • Helpful links shared via the WELSTech Group on Diigo:
    • Web 2.0 Bloom’s Taxonomy
    • MakeUseOf’s PDF Guides
    • Extreme Planet Makeover
    • Backup Alternatives

Coming up on WELSTech:

(53:18) Episode 171 – We’ll answer the question “What should I blog about?” and talk with Pastor/blogger Dan Waters about his motivation and topics for blogging. (Release date 02/16/11)

The featured artist:

(54:01) This week we close with the music of Kevin Loersch – Amazing Grace from his CD titled ”Abide With Me”

Get involved:

166 – A Chatter-Free Podcast

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This week the WELSTech Podcast looks at school technology during a book discussion and an interview with Greg Schmill, Director of WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools.

The discussion:

Teaching and Learning With Technology – Martin and Sallie discuss Chapter 5 of Leading 21st Century Schools which looks at specific web-based tools and strategies that are useful in the classroom.

The interview:

Greg Schmill(16:06) Generations – Greg Schmill, Director of WELS Commission on Lutheran Schools, shares insights from his recent presentation titled Bridging the Generation Gap.  He examines each of the generation’s needs and specifically how different uses of technology can assist in engaging Builders, Boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials in our schools.

News in Tech:

(37:51) The 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is history.  WELSTech brings you the event buzz:

Picks of the week:

Community feedback:

  • (47:00)  Nancy Marks from Immanuel in Missoula, MT repurposed the WELSTech QR Code contest for catechism students
  • Larry Sellnow from Holy Trinity in Wyoming, MI shared his positive review of SnapGrades.com on the WELSTech Listserve
  • Mark Jackson from Immersion Digital, creators of the Glo Bible, shared news that Glo was featured on the Windows 7 Slate devices at CES.
  • Laura Schwertfeger is looking for software to create a church anniversary DVD.  We recommend Animoto.com.
  • Pastor Rob Guenther from Grace in Kenai, AK shared two Web 2.0 tools for distance Bible class
  • Pastor James Borgwardt from Risen Savior in Pooler, GA wrote looking for a WELSTech recommendation of an e-News tool .  We pointed him to MailChimp.com.
  • Martin shared a link to an article reviewing the results of Maine schools 1-1 computing initiative
  • Jeremy Provost sent us a link to a new iPhone app, Clean Tunes, for editing objectionable content out of songs

Coming up on WELSTech:

(58:40) Episode 167 – Administrators and office personnel will want to tune in as we discuss solutions for sharing files in the church and school office. (Release date 01/19/11)

The featured artist:

(59:56) We close the podcast with the piano music of Dawn Michelle Williams (www.dawnmichellewilliams.com | Twitter | Facebook | My Space) – Beautiful Savior With Canon in D from her CD titled ”Inspirations”

Get involved:

161 – You Too Can Be A Walking Jukebox!

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This week the WELSTech Podcast is loaded with tech teaching tools to enhance your classroom planning.

The discussion:

More Tech Tools to Consider – Continuing the current WELSTech book discussion of Leading 21st Century Schools, Martin and Sallie highlight a few of the tech tools discussed in chapter 4 where the focus is on primary resources, peripheral devices and subject-specific resources.

The interview:

Ryan Rathje(19:24) Trinity Technology – Teacher Ryan Rathje from Trinity in Belle Plaine, MN joins Martin and Sallie to share tech integration ideas from the trenchs including new programs they have implemented with netbooks, iPods, an online gradebook and more.  Mac users will also appreciate Ryan’s list of favorite Mac teaching tools.

Ministry resources:

News in Tech:

(39:15) ROAMpay mobile credit card reader

Picks of the week:

Christmas 2010 WELSTech Scavenger Hunt:

(45:45) Week 4 of our latest WELSTech contest is here, and we’ve hidden our “QR Code of the Week” somewhere on the WELSTech site.  Listen each week through December 15th as we reveal clues for finding 5 QR Codes which will point you to a mystery message. Following the December 15th show you can enter the mystery message for a chance to win a $25 Cafe Press gift certificate, where your WELSTech merchandise dreams can come true!  The winner will be selected from all correct entries and announced on our special Christmas week podcast airing December 22nd.

  • This week’s clue to the code location is … Photography in the Classroom.
  • Get the previous clues: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3
  • Remember, you can use your smartphone or an online decoder to decipher the message.  Have fun!

Community feedback:

  • (47:15) Martin shared a link to The Great Bible Shift from Catalyst Space
  • Sallie shared Mashable’s 5 Innovative Classroom Management Tools that she had never heard of
  • Maren McPeak from St. Mark’s in Citrus Heights, CA tweeted a question for WELSTech-ers … “Anyone develop an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) for k-8 students that references use of network, Google App and/or Moodle accounts?”
  • David Schumann from Peace in Janesville, WI shared a caution about “Toner Pirates”

Coming up on WELSTech:

(54:25) Episode 162 – GTD (Getting Things Done) meets the church office on next week’s office administration podcast, and we interview Staff Minister Jon Ruddat. (Release date 12/15/10)

The featured artist:

(55:32) We close the podcast with the music of Kevin Loersch – Mary Did You Know from his CD titled ”O Holy Night”

Get involved: