Tag Archive for: edtech

655 – COVID In The Rearview Mirror

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On this episode of WELSTech, we close out the school year with guest hosts Rachel and Jason by reflecting on lessons learned. The picks of the week cover everything from scheduling to audio books to texting tools, with a little gaming bonus as well. Rachel shares Bible lesson A/V resources she’s compiled and details about MLC’s free summer conference!

The discussion

Goodbye to school year 2020-21 – Martin and Sallie are joined once again by Prof. Rachel Feld from Martin Luther College and Jason Schmidt from the Oconto Falls School District, and we reflect on lessons learned during this school year and the importance of summer rest for our superhero teachers.

Picks of the week

Ministry resource

Bible Lesson Media Resources

Community feedback

WELS now

OpenLearning@MLC – a free virtual conference hosted by martin Luther College on June 15 & 16

Get involved

651 – Let’s Grow

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This week on WELSTech we take a deep dive into the topic of school marketing with a great interview and discussion on the topic. Guest hosts Rachel and Jason have the perfect tools for designing your next social media post. Crisis planning resources and a call for presenters round out the episode.

The interview and discussion

Dana Kirchoff joins Martin and Sallie to discuss the roots of school marketing – knowing your community and their needs so schools can strategically design programs and communication to meet the needs.

WELSTech’s edtech gurus, Prof. Rachel Feld from Martin Luther College and Jason Schmidt from the Oconto Falls School District, also share their perspective on school and church marketing and social media.

Picks of the week

  • Typorama
  • Canva for Education
  • Ripl
  • How to Set Departure and Arrival Times in Google Maps

Ministry resource

One By One Bible Study

Community feedback

WELS now

WELS National Education Conference

  • Happening June 20-22, 2022 at the Ingleside Hotel in Pewaukee, WI
  • Call for Presenters – deadline May 31, 2021

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647 – Rachel and Jason EdTech Favorites

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WELSTech welcomes guest hosts Rachel and Jason for a discussion of our favorite edtech resources. Plus we share picks, events, discussions, and reports to supplement your tech-in-ministry efforts!

The discussion

The best in edtech – Our WELSTech edtech gurus extraordinaire – Prof. Rachel Feld from Martin Luther College and Jason Schmidt from the Oconto Falls School District – are back, and the discussion centers on our favorite edtech content.

Picks of the week

Ministry resource

Sign up for the Learning with Google event – February 17 from 2 to 3:30 pm Central

Community feedback

WELS now

WELS annual report

Next time

Coming up in two weeks, teacher Justin Liepert is in the interview chair and Martin and Sallie talk about the post-quarantine church.

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642 – Screencast Tools and Tips

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We’re giving thanks this week on WELSTech – for our WELSTech community and for our awesome edtech co-hosts, Rachel & Jason. Tune in for a lively discussion of screencasting as well as picks, resources, and feedback that are sure to enhance your ministry efforts. Plus there’s something new on WELSTech, and you don’t want to miss the announcement!

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A new feature on WELSTech is the ability to subscribe to receive e-mail alerts when new episodes of the podcast are released.

The discussion

Image by mmi9 from Pixabay

It’s really that easy – Martin and Sallie are joined by semi-regular classroom technology correspondents Rachel Feld, Director of Academic Computing at Martin Luther College, and Jason Schmidt, Instructional Technology Coach for Oconto Falls School District, and the topic of the day is screencasting.

Tools

Tips

Picks of the week

Ministry resource

WELS Educators During Covid-19 and Beyond

Community feedback

WELS now

While you are subscribing to WELSTech e-news, you may also want to sample a recent release of the weekly e-news from WELS Lutheran Schools, check out the archives, and subscribe.

Next time

We’ll do this again in two weeks, and the topic will be the 3rd Law of Atomic Habits – Make It Easy (chapters 11-14).

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638 – Thoughts On Virtual Learning…Free Of Charge

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A new era of WELSTech has arrived as we welcome not one, but two classroom technology correspondents to the guest host chairs on the same episode! We’re talking hybrid education along with picks of the week, community feedback, and all the other WELSTech goodness we can pack into our time together.

The discussion

New school year, new challenges – This season on WELSTech we thought we’d double the fun for edtech discussion episodes by inviting both Rachel Feld, Director of Academic Computing at Martin Luther College, and Jason Schmidt, Instructional Technology Coach for Oconto Falls School District, to join Martin and Sallie on the same episodes.

Today we talk about the challenges and opportunities which are evident in classrooms this school year because of the pandemic. Jason and Rachel share tools for formative assessment which is important for gauging learning comprehension in normal situations and is magnified in hybrid/virtual learning situations.

Picks of the week

Ministry resource

Sunday School At Home with Christ Light from Northwestern Publishing House (NPH)

Community feedback

WELS now

Sign up for Marriage Moments, weekly videos with discussion ideas highlighting a Biblical marriage thought. Additional details are available here.

Next time

We’re back in two weeks with the 1st law of Atomic Habits plus an interview.

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637 – Atomic Habits

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This week, WELSTech starts fresh for the 2020-21 podcast season with a revised show lineup, a great interview on 21st century catechism, a new book discussion, and a couple of hardware picks of the week. There’s also community discussions around Instagram for ministry, Google for Education application requirements, and document camera recommendations. We cap it off with a celebration of 100 years of Campus Ministry!

The discussion

Back to the books – Martin and Sallie kickoff a new book discussion of Atomic Habits by James Clear with a look at the mathematics of compounding tiny changes over time to reach the tipping point and benefit from the exponential “power of latent potential.”

The interview

Catechism instruction – Pastor Paul Waldschmidt from Peace Lutheran Church in Hartford, WI recently taught a summer course at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary titled Educational Technology for the Catechism Classroom. He chats with Martin and Sallie about the methods and tools he implemented in order to foster the 4Cs identified as 21st century skills – create, communicate, collaborate, and critical thinking – in his classroom.

Picks of the week

Ministry resource

Atomic Habits free resources

Community feedback

WELS now

WELS Campus Ministries celebrates their 100 year anniversary

Next time

We talk edtech with a pair of guest hosts – Rachel Feld and Jason Schmidt!

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629 – Put Down The Gradebook

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We wrap up another school year on WELSTech with a discussion of teachers’ pandemic summer plans. Rachel Feld joins the conversation and shares an exciting virtual conference announcement from Martin Luther College. Enhance your PC clipboard capabilities with martin’s pick of the week, plus there’s loads of community feedback to learn from.

The discussion:

Unknown summer plans – Martin and Sallie talk education, technology, and the unknown with Professor Rachel Feld, Martin Luther College’s Director of Academic Computing. The end of a very unique school year has arrived! Congrats to everyone for surviving the major shift to distance/online education. Now teachers and administrators have time to rest and assess the past few months before moving into planning for the unknown school year which lies ahead.

Ministry resources:

WELS now:

  • OpenLearning@MLC – Martin Luther College Virtual Teachers’ Conference
    • June 16 & 17
  • Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Graduation and Assignment Service
    • May 21 at 10 am
  • Register by May 28 for Educational Technology for the Catechism Classroom
    • Led by Pastor Paul Waldschmidt through Grow in Grace

News in tech:

YouVersion Bible Lens is ending May 31

Picks of the week:

Community feedback:

Featured video:

Unique Online Learning Assessment Ideas from Ditch That Textbook

Get involved:

627 – Five Suns from Jason

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WELSTech once again leads off with the topic of the year, COVID-19, as we welcome Mr. Sunshine, Jason Schmidt, and discuss the impact the pandemic is having on education. We’ve got lots of news, picks, and community feedback to share as well as a link to the amazing synod-wide Easter hymn that brought Sallie to tears.

The discussion:

What does this mean? – This week’s round table includes Martin, Sallie, and Jason Schmidt, Instructional Technology Coach for Oconto Falls School District, as we discuss the current and future impact of the rapid transition to distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

News in tech:

  • iPhone SE
  • Apple and Google’s Covid-19 Tracker Isn’t a Privacy Concern, but it is a Game-Changer

WELS now:

MLC Day is May 6 – honoring the class of 2020 at Martin Luther College

Picks of the week:

Ministry resource:

Worship daily at 9 am Central (or access the archive at any time) with the Luther Preparatory School Chapel

Community feedback:

Featured video:

Enjoy the WELS virtual choir singing I Know That My Redeemer Lives

Together at the Tomb – WELS Easter Worship Service 2020

Get involved:

625 – Potluck: Online Education Ideas

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Tune in to this week’s WELSTech for a ton of resources to support the new “normal” of online ministry. Professor Rachel Feld joins us to share ideas for teachers adjusting their classrooms to function from a distance, and Missionary Mike Hartman is with us as well, graciously sharing knowledge and experience around carrying out church online. Plus there’s more resource links than you can shake a stick at!

The discussion:

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Education from a distance for everyone – Martin Luther College’s Director of Academic Computing Professor Rachel Feld joins Martin and Sallie as we reflect on the past days and the immense shift to online education.

The interview:

A little help from a friend – Missionary Mike Hartman from the One Latin America Team shares lessons learned during work with Academia Cristo and advice on online ministry.

News in tech:

WELS now:

Postponed/canceled events …

Picks of the week:

Ministry resource:

Resources from WELS and NPH – includes …

  • 80 hymns from Christian Worship
  • Digital access to March and April Forward in Christ magazine
  • 6 weeks of Christ Light Sunday School lessons
  • Kids Connection
  • Devotion options
  • WELS Connection

Community feedback:

Featured videos:

From Bread for Beggars – The Chosen–How to Watch for FREE and an Opportunity to Discuss

Watch the trailer …

From the Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School Echoes – Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled, a mix of individual singers recorded March 25, 2020 during “Safer At Home”

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CC 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)

622 – Android Apps With Jason

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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: