Tag Archive for: education

274 – Digital Learning Day

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Today the WELSTech Podcast celebrates Distance Learning Day with ideas for raising awareness of your school’s technology offerings as well as an interview with Profs. Jim Grunwald and Rich Gurgel about the synod school’s online offerings.

The discussion:

Worth celebrating – February 6 is Digital Learning Day, and Martin and Sallie share ideas for celebrating the many ways education is changing as more and more schools integrate technology.

The interview:

(12:04) Profs. in Digital Ed – Dr. Jim Grunwald from Martin Luther College and Pastor Richard Gurgel from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary join Martin and Sallie to discuss the current distance education initiatives being offered by synod schools.

News in tech:

Picks of the week:

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(48:28) Episode 275 – Martin and Sallie return to their current book discussion, looking at chapter 6 of Presentation Zen. (Release date – 02/12/13)

The featured artist:

(49:20) We close the podcast with the instrumental music of In His Service (www.adagioconcepts.com) – Go To Dark Gethsemane

Get involved:

273 – The Un-Conference

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This week on the WELSTech Podcast learn about EdCamp, a grass-roots, free conference format that is spreading across the country.  Chances are there is an un-conference EdCamp scheduled near you, and on today’s WELSTech you’ll hear about what to expect when you attend.

The interview & discussion:

(3:46) No red jello – Jason Schmidt, Tech Coordinator for Bennington ISD near Omaha, NE, returns to the edtech guest host chair to join Martin and Sallie for a discussion of the EdCamp “un-conference” format.  Emily Dittmar (@MsDittmar on Twitter), a Library Media Specialist in the Marshall, WI public school system and EdCamp organizer, also talks with us about her experience of collaboration and networking among all types of educators and administrators in a relaxed, unplanned structure at EdCamps.

  • EdCamp Wiki
  • EdCamp Madison,WI – February 23, 2013
  • EdCamp Omaha, NE – March 23, 2013
  • New Forms of Professional Development

Picks of the week:

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(49:40) Episode 274 – Next week on WELSTech Martin and Sallie celebrate Digital Learning Day and talk with Jim Grunwald from Martin Luther College and Rich Gurgel from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary about WELS digital education. (Release date – 02/05/13)

The featured artist:

(50:36) We close the podcast with the music of Corban Creek – Home Above

Get involved:

264 – iPads in Education

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This week’s classroom technology WELSTech Podcast is all about iPads. Gail Potratz shares her insights, we interview Jon Beilke and Nate Hochmuth from Salem in Greenfield, MN about their very recent implementation of iPads, and we even have iPad “Picks of the Week.”

The discussion:

The other side – On past education focused podcasts, we’ve spent a lot of time talking about Chromebooks in the classroom. Today Martin, Sallie and our semi-regular classroom technology correspondent Gail Potratz from Emanuel in New London, WI explore the ins and outs of 1:1 iPads in the classroom. Gail also shares some of the experiences of Kathy Brandt who uses iPads in her 3rd and 4th grade classroom at Pilgrim in Menomonee Falls, WI.

The interview:

(18:26) iPads in WELS Education – Teacher Nate Hochmuth and Principal Jon Beilke from Salem in Greenfield, MN share their very new experience of 1:1 iPads in the 7th and 8th grade classroom.

Picks of the week:

WELS.net Feature:

(50:15) Check out the improved WELS Mobile beta site at m.wels.net.

Of interest:

(53:25) View the live stream of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary’s “Sing a Song of Christmas” concert on December 9th at 3:00 or 7:00 p.m..

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(1:06:00) Episode 265 – Next week we wrap up our 7 Best series with a countdown of the 7 Best Mobile Computing Tips. Send us your favorites for the list by Sunday.  (Release date – 12/04/12)

The featured artist:

(1:07:15) We  close the podcast with the music of Michael Schroeder (www.michaelschroeder.com and on Facebook) – The Reason For The Season

Get involved:

260 – East Meets West

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Join us for a very special WELSTech Podcast as we span the globe with Martin joining from Hong Kong and guest host Jason Schmidt along with Sallie in the U.S. Our edtech chat this week covers the Moodle Learning Management System (LMS) as well as an interview with John Dorn about the Edmodo LMS.

Note: With our WELSTech Audio/Video Engineer (a.k.a., Martin Spriggs) out of the office exploring the opposite side of the world and presenting at a translator’s conference, today’s video podcast is posted in two parts – the primary show and the interview. We look forward to supplying the normal single video format upon Martin’s return.  Thanks for understanding!

 

 

The discussion:

Moodle mania – Jason Schmidt, Technology Coordinator at Bennington ISD in the Omaha, NE area and guest edtech correspondent for WELSTech, talks with Martin and Sallie about the popular open-source, free Learning Management System, Moodle.  Watch as Sallie demonstrates a Softaculous automated install of Moodle in under 3 minutes!

The interview:

(15:20) Edmodo in action – Science and Technology Teacher John Dorn from Illinois Lutheran Schools in Crete, IL talked with Martin and Sallie recently about  his schools adoption of the Edmodo Learning Management System.  John shares tips and tricks he’s learned through training and experimentation with the system, such as setting up a consistent user naming scheme.

  • Voki – Create speaking avatars to deliver audio instructions – Great for preschoolers and early readers
  • Quizlet
  • Edmodo training resources & webinars

News in tech:

Picks of the week:

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(59:19) Episode 261 – Martin and Sallie countdown the 7 Best Video and Webconferencing Tools for connecting with others. Note the special recording date and time (11/07/12 at 2:00 p.m. CST) means the podcast release will be delayed a bit.

The featured artist:

(1:00:55) We close the podcast with the music of The Branches Band (www.branchesband.com|Facebook) – Nothing But the Blood

Get involved:

255 – Are Chromebooks In Your Future?

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WELSTech’s monthly education episode is back, featuring our periodic co-host Gail Potratz as well as an interview of Chad Kafka. The edtech flavor of the day is Google as we talk about Chromebooks and Google Apps in middle school settings.  We’re also looking for beta testers of the new WELS Mobile app. Cap off the WELSTech goodness with instructions for creating your very own digital signage page!

The discussion:

Back to School with Gail – Martin and Sallie are joined once again by Gail Potratz, Tech Coordinator at Emanuel in New London, WI and WELSTech’s semi-regular classroom technology correspondent, as we discuss the in’s and out’s of Gail’s recent Chromebook implementation in Emanuel’s 7th grade. Start up speed, battery life and a price point that can’t be beat seem to be reasons to give the Chromebook a serious look if you are considering a 1:1 initiative in your school.

  • Martin’s Google Chrome blog series

The interview:

(23:50) There’s an app for that – Chad Kafka (www.chadkafka.com), Technology Coach in the Franklin, WI public school district and Google Certified Teacher, talks with Martin and Sallie about his school district adoption of Google Apps, including success stories and tips for making the most of the solution.

Ministry resources:

(44:44) Be a beta tester of the new WELS Mobile app!  Surf over to m.wels.net in your smartphone or tablet web browser, and kick the tires.  E-mail Martin your feedback.

Picks of the week:

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(1:12:06) Episode 256 – We’re back with our latest 7 Best countdown, this time of Member, Prospect & Student Management Tools including software, tools, and tips for managing data in the church and school office. (Release date – 10/02/12)

The featured artist:

(1:13:03) This week we close with the instrumental music of flutist Jeannine Dennis – Celebration Medley

Get involved:

251 – Summer Software Showcase: KidBlog.org

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We wrap up our Summer Software Showcase series this week with a focus on the classroom blogging tool, KidBlog, and the many ways it can be used in an education setting.  You won’t want to miss the latest Community Feedback and Martin’s browser tab trick either.

The discussion:

Goodbye Summer – Martin and Sallie record the last Summer Software Showcase segment, focusing on ministry uses of the classroom-centric blogging tool, KidBlog.org.

  • How to Use Blogs from Scholastic – Grades 3-5 and 6-8
  • Visit our sample WELSTech KidBlog.  The login link is in the upper right.
    • Admin login
      • Username: WELSTech Admin
      • Password: WELSTech
    • Student login
      • Username: WELSTech Student
      • Password: WELSTech

Ministry Uses

  1. Electronic Journaling – Check out Sallie’s list of writing prompts for elementary students
  2. Subject or topic specific writing
  3. Keyboarding practice
  4. Online discussion or Q&A
  5. Posting teacher assignments

Picks of the week:

Community feedback:

  • (23:13) 10 Commandments of Internet Research
  • The Mindset List
  • AwayFind
  • Information Literacy

Coming up on WELSTech:

(34:20) Episode 252 – Join Martin and Sallie next week for a countdown of the 7 Best Password Management Tips and Tools. (Release date – 09/04/12)

The featured artist:

(35:35)  We close the podcast with the music of  Revelation, a music ministry of Wisconsin Lutheran College (www.revelationwlc.com) – Ancient of Days 

Get involved:

242 – Summer Software Showcase: Schoology

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This week on the WELSTech Podcast the discussion covers the education management platform Schoology.

The discussion:

Learning Management – Martin and Sallie shine the Summer Software Showcase spotlight on the online learning management system Schoology.

Visit the WELSTech demo course by logging into Schoology

Ministry Uses

  1. Classroom course management
  2. Catechism class
  3. Online Bible study
  4. Study and faculty groups
  5. School communication

Picks of the week:

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(26:47) Episode 243 – Celebrate Independence Day with Martin and Sallie as we count down our latest 7 Best list.  This month we focus on the best webmaster resources. (Release date – 07/04/12)

The featured artist:

(27:58)  This week we close the podcast with the music of Kevin Loersch – When Love Is Found 

Get involved:

238 – Class Time

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This week the WELSTech Podcast may inspire you to learn something new this summer.

The discussion:

Summer Plans – Jason Schmidt (jasonschmidt123 on Twitter), Technology Coordinator for Omaha, NE-area Bennington Public Schools and one of WELSTech’s semi-regular classroom technology correspondents, chats with Martin and Sallie about professional development opportunities for educators this summer including the online courses each are prepping to teach for Martin Luther College.

  • Martin Luther College’s Summer 2012 Courses
  • Lutheran School’s Leadership Conference
  • Wisconsin Lutheran College’s Google Summit – Featured on WELSTech Episode 220
  • FinalWeb for Teachers and for Dummies
  • ISTE Conference
  • ISTE Online Coursework

Picks of the week:

Community feedback:

(36:25)  Lakeside Lutheran High School’s Videography students recently created a lipdub video which involved the entire student body, faculty and support staff, covered the entire campus and was filmed in one (amazing!!) take.  Teacher Todd Hackbarth shared details of the planning and effort that went into the video, the reaction they’ve received and other video projects they worked on.  Check out the video for yourself below.

 

Coming up on WELSTech:

(41:18) Episode 239 – Martin and Sallie countdown the 7 Best Bookmarking Tools. (Release date – 06/06/12)

The featured artist:

(42:50) We close the podcast with the music of The Branches Band (www.branchesband.com|Facebook) – Go Tell It On The Mountain from their “A Branch Is Growing” CD

Get involved:

236 – Tech Forum Recap

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This week WELSTech listeners will experience a virtual field trip to a recent education technology event which Martin attended.

The discussion:

Along for the ride – Martin recently attended the Tech Forum Chicago event sponsored by Tech & Learning Magazine, and shares some insights from the day.

The interview:

(22:53) Reaching out to the world – Shoua Moua, lay member of Immanuel Hmong Lutheran Church in St. Paul, MN, joins Martin and Sallie to talk about their video streaming and archive service which was started with the help of a California congregation and has grown into a worldwide outreach effort to Hmong.

Ministry resources:

Picks of the week:

  • (43:47) How Your Church Can Use Post Types To Be More Interesting On Facebook
  • Skitch

7 Best:

(49:22) On the June 6th episode of WELSTech we’ll countdown our next 7 Best list, and listeners can be part of the list creation.  Simply let us know your favorite

Bookmarking Tools and Tips

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

Of interest:

  • (49:53) FinalWeb training – This summer we’re offering online training on web site creation and maintenance using the FinalWeb system.   And, for the first time, we’ll be using Google Hangouts!
  • Graduation and Call Day live video streams
    • Martin Luther College – LiveStream Channel
      • May 18 – Concert – 4:00 & 7:30 p.m.
      • May19 – Graduation Service – 10:00 a.m.
      • May 19 – Call Day Service – 2:30 p.m.
    • Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary – Streams Live
      • May 22- Vicar Assignments – 7:00 p.m.
      • May 24 – Call Day Service – 10:00 a.m.
      • May 24 – Concert – 7:00 p.m.
      • May 25 – Graduation Service – 10:00 a.m.

Community feedback:

  • (52:45) For Windows 7 users who may prefer digital storytelling with Windows Movie maker instead of Windows live Movie, Jimmy Pautz shared a link to a bog post with instructions for Installing Windows Movie Maker 6.0 on Windows 7
  • A link shared in the WELSTech Diigo group this week was A Plan for Technology Integration
  • Via Pinterest Perry Lund shared the digital citizenship infographic I took this photo of my friend I want to share …

Coming up on WELSTech:

(55:17) Episode 237 – Martin and Sallie tackle the tough topic of copyright on next week’s podcast. (Release date – 05/23/12)

The featured artist:

(56:15) We close the podcast with the music of  Revelation, a music ministry of Wisconsin Lutheran College (www.revelationwlc.com) – God Of Wonders from the CD titled “We Walk By Faith”

Get involved:

233 – Digital Storytelling

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This week on the WELSTech Podcast we define Digital Storytelling in education and share tools and examples of this creative expression format.

The discussion:

Tell me a story – Gail Potratz, WELSTech’s semi-regular classroom technology correspondent from Emanuel in New London, WI, joins Martin and Sallie and the discussion focus is digital storytelling including its definition and the many resources available to help students create in this popular format.

Ministry resources:

(25:20) Should Your Church Have a Blog

Picks of the week:

Of interest:

  • (38:54) FinalWeb training – This summer we’re offering online training on web site creation and maintenance using the FinalWeb system.   And, for the first time, we’ll be using Google Hangouts!
  • A new channel for WELSTech – Listen now on Stitcher Smart Radio

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(47:24) Episode 234 – Just in time for the many graduation and summer vacation photos opportunities, Martin and Sallie countdown the 7 Best Photo Organizing and Editing Tools.  (Release date – 05/02/12)

The featured artist:

(49:01) 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: