Tag Archive for: education

734 – Frameworks, Leaves & Llamas

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WELSTech meets edtech meets ministry this week as we talk tech integration steps for learning and building the infrastructure to support it. We also include details on upcoming classes and webinars of interest, AI image generation, and a surprise new DIY podcast method that gives AI a voice!

The discussion

Framing it with SAMR – We welcome back to WELSTech Director of Academic Computing for Martin Luther College Professor Rachel Feld and Director of Technology for Oshkosh (WI) Area School District Jason Schmidt. This season our episodes with Jason and Rachel will include references to the technology integration framework SAMR, which stands for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition. After a bit of a SAMR crash course, we learn more about how the basics of tech infrastructure in a school affect the implementation of SAMR.

Ministry resource

  • Coming Soon from MLC
    • Enhancing Ministry with Technology taught by Martin Spriggs – Spring 2025
    • Open Learning webinar presented by Dr. James Carlovsky – AI Power Hour: Boost Your Productivity with Creative Tools – November 4 at 7 pm Central
  • There’s still time to nominate for the WELSTech AI Summit

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WELSTech will be back in a few weeks, and we’ll all be surprised by the discussion topic!

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724 – Getting Started with AI

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On this episode of WELSTech we finish our book discussion of The AI Classroom with a focus on school leadership’s role in shaping AI policy, curriculum, and usage. Along with edtech gurus Rachel and Jason, we share oodles of AI tools, events, and news, plus some non-AI tech topics including cybersecurity, end of school-year activities, and iPads.

The discussion

Leading School AI – We wrap up this season’s WELSTech book discussion of The AI Classroom: The Ultimate Guide to Artificial Intelligence in Education, looking at Part 4 of the book – The AI Horizon. Rachel Feld and Jason Schmidt join the conversation and agree on way more than normal!

Ministry resource

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Recent AI in Education headlines

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We’ll celebrate Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Assignment Day with Senior Seminarian Silas Dose discussing his thesis topic – Here Be Dragons: Fantasy, Escapism, and a Christian Response.

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721 – AI, and More AI

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Tune in to this episode of WELSTech for a discussion of ways Artificial Intelligence (AI) can assist teachers with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) plans. We also talk about AI policy for schools and evaluating AI tools. The Newline C series is an affordable new interactive flat panel with no operating system on board. And Northwestern Publishing House (NPH) announced a new Christian Authors Live series.

The discussion

UDL + Tools – This season’s WELSTech book discussion of The AI Classroom: The Ultimate Guide to Artificial Intelligence in Education by Daniel Fitzpatrick, Amanda Fox, and Brad Weinstein continues. Martin and Sallie are joined by edtech extraordinaries, Rachel Feld and Jason Schmidt, and we talk about AI’s sweet spot with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as well as tips for wading through the myriad AI tools available for teachers and students.

Ministry resource

Rachel put together an AI Tool Repository with links, tutorials, and Terms of Use for the AI tools mentioned in Chapter 9 of The AI Classroom

Picks of the week

Community feedback & events

  • Newline C series interactive flat panel with no operating system
  • Christian Authors Live event featuring Dr. Michael Berg – April 25

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Future proof your tech

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717 – Promptcraft

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AI in education and church makes for an interesting WELSTech episode! Tune in for special guest hosts Rachel and Jason and help with crafting and refining useful AI prompts to assist with everything from report card comments to church graphics.

The discussion

PREP and EDIT – Martin and Sallie are joined by edtech gurus Rachel Feld and Jason Schmidt to continue the discussion of The AI Classroom: The Ultimate Guide to Artificial Intelligence in Education by Daniel Fitzpatrick, Amanda Fox, and Brad Weinstein. Chapters 6 & 7 are all about the prompts we give AI and what we do with the results.

Ministry resource

Posts on AI for Church from Church Tech Today

Picks of the week

Community feedback & events

  • ChatGPT for Teachers course from Blueprint Schools

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Women’s Ministry webinars with Rachel Halldorson

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713 – Enough With The Boxes!

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Wonderful … Creative … Verbose? This episode of WELSTech features a talent boost that’s sure to entertain while it educates! We’re sharing what we’ve learned about AI during our book discussion with our special guest edtech correspondents. There’s also a special Advent treat, picks to improve your productivity and video production, plus a couple of cool videos explaining multi-grade classrooms.

The discussion

Ped-AI-gogy – Martin and Sallie, along with our well-spoken education technology correspondents Rachel Feld and Jason Schmidt, return to this season’s book discussion of The AI Classroom: The Ultimate Guide to Artificial Intelligence in Education by Daniel Fitzpatrick, Amanda Fox, and Brad Weinstein. Chapters 4 & 5 are centered around pedagogy and make for an interesting, albeit boxy, look at the continuum of adoption of the current disruptive tool, Artificial Intelligence (AI), in education.

Ministry resource

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WELSTech celebrates Christmas with an interview of Dan Nommensen

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WELSTech episode 709 promotion image - AI in the Classroom.

709 – AI In The Classroom

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The future has arrived on WELSTech as we kick off a series of shows on artificial intelligence. We also discuss The Foundation series from Congregational Services, making stickers on the Cricut Xtra, using your phone as a webcam, and more. Turn it up and enjoy!

The discussion

WELSTech episode 709 promotion image - AI in the Classroom.The Uprising – A new season of edtech discussion is underway with special guest host, Prof. Rachel Feld from Martin Luther College. We’re discussing the recently published book The AI Classroom: The Ultimate Guide to Artificial Intelligence in Education by Daniel Fitzpatrick, Amanda Fox, and Brad Weinstein. Part one of the book is a bit of a history lesson on artificial intelligence (AI). We talk about what it is, how it works, and ways we’re already using it, plus we look at its potential for the future, and some of the not so admirable qualities of AI.

Ministry resource

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Next time

We don’t know the topic yet, but it will be great because Martin and Sallie will be in the same place!

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656 – Dominick Olson

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On this episode of WELSTech we kick off a series of interviews with recent graduates of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary on their tech-in-ministry related senior theses topics. First up, we look at the role virtual reality might play in future ministry efforts.

The interview

Pastor Dominick Olson recently graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (WLS) and was assigned to Resurrection Lutheran Church in Rochester, MN. His senior thesis at WLS was titled Putting the Reality in Virtual Reality: A Look at the Viability of Virtual Reality for Applications in Ministry. You may read the essay in the WLS Digital Library (PDF). Martin and Sallie talk with him about the topic.

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644 – Five Below Cables

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WELSTech is back with the final installment of our Atomic Habits book discussion as well as an interview about cyber security training for children. Martin and Sallie make their last picks of 2020, and we learn about captioning video calls. The beautiful Christmas concert from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary closes this last podcast before Christmas, and we send our best wishes to WELSTech listeners for a joyous celebration of our Savior’s birth.

The discussion

Make It Satisfying – Just in time to apply to the new year, Martin and Sallie finish their book discussion of Atomic Habits by James Clear with a look at the 4th law and taking your habits from good to great.

Join us in January for our next book discussion of The Post-Quarantine Church by Thom Rainer.

The interview

Security education – MLC second-career staff ministry student Mike Tracy shares his experience in cyber security training, and, in particular, his thoughts on training children about information security.

Picks of the week

Ministry resource

How to Add Closed Captions to a Video Call

Community feedback

WELS now

Creating digital side doors featuring Pastor Peter Hagen and the Raised with Jesus podcast from the December Forward in Christ magazine.

Enjoy the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Christmas concert.

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2020 is drawing to a close, and that means it’s time to look back at some of our favorite WELSTech moments of the year.

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632 – Google Just Wants To Save You Some Money

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On WELSTech this week we talk with a long-time WELSTech contributor about his pandemic experience. In addition, we have hardware recommendations, an exciting virtual conference to share, “free” items for schools, and highlights from Apple’s World Wide Developer’s Conference.

The interview and discussion:

Coast to coast – Martin and Sallie chat with WELS educator Perry Lund regarding his pandemic experience in church and high school classroom.

Picks of the week:

Community feedback:

Featured videos/online course:

Apple WWDC 2020 keynote in 18 minutes

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Summer interviews on pandemic ministry continue

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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

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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!

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