207 – Chromebooks
This week on the WELSTech Podcast cloud-based classroom computing with Chromebooks is the discussion topic as Martin takes a field trip to Grace in Oshkosh to observe Chromebooks in action.
Podcast: Download ()
The discussion:
To the cloud – With much anticipation, Martin and Sallie welcome our new semi-regular classroom technology correspondent, Jason Schmidt, who will be joining WELSTech on an alternating basis for our end-of-month classroom technology focused podcasts. Gail Potratz will be back next month! Jason adds his insight to today’s cloud-based computing discussion of Google Chromebooks and 1-to-1 teaching initiatives.
- Martin’s Chromebook blog series
- Google’s Chrombooks for Education promo video
- Google webinar archives
- 1-to-1 Resources
- 1 to 1 School Flat Classroom Network – Classroom 2.0
- Getting Started in a 1-1 Classroom
- 5 Tips for Classroom Management within 1-1 Environments
The interview:
(21:39) Chromebooks live – Principal Peter Iles from Grace in Oshkosh, WI talks with Martin about their recent implementation of Chromebooks in his 7th and 8th grade classroom. Martin also blogged about his visit to Peter’s classroom.
- Alternate Chromebook pricing
- Follow the Grace Paw Portal blog for class updates
Something extra from Jason:
(43:21) iPads in Preschool
- TapToTalk
- Sesame Street’s The Monster at the End of This Book interactive storybook
Picks of the week:
- (46:00) CK12 FlexBooks
- Autodesk Homestyler & free Autodesk software for students
- Samsung Chromebooks
Ministry resources:
- (55:19) YouVersion NIV giveaway – 48 hours, October 30 & 31 only
- Public domain Martin Luther images from The Library of Congress (1 | 2 | 3) and Wikipedia/Wikimedia Commons (1 | 2)
Community feedback:
- (58:19) Shared this week in the WELSTech Diigo group:
- Fount of Life Lutheran Church is an example of a WordPress-based church web site
- Digital Literacy and Citizenship Classroom Curriculum from Common Sense Media
- Facebook by the Numbers infographic
- What do you love? enhanced search by Google
- Via the WELSTech hashtag on Twitter we learned …
- Rachel Pierson from Trinity in Waukesha is looking for tweeting teachers at the Wisconsin Lutheran State Teachers’ Conference – Keep us informed Rachel!
- Maren McPeak from St. Mark in Citrus Heights, CA says WordPress can be installed on a FinalWeb domain.
- Via Delicious we received a link to a tech-in-ministry editorial from an online theological magazine, Themelios
Coming up on WELSTech:
(1:09:20) Episode 208 – Using technology to assist with ministry to shut-ins is the discussion topic on next week’s podcast. We’ll also talk with folks from Nebraska Lutheran High School about their use of SmoothWall, a new ShopWELS product. (Release date – 11/02/11)
The featured artist:
(1:10:29) This week we close with the music of Crosswalk Lutheran Ministries – Dive Into God’s Word from their CD titled ”Crosswalk Lutheran Ministries”
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1. History and Literature tours
Google Books – Google’s mission to organize the world’s information extends to offline content with their 
Google Calendar – Martin and Sallie kick off Bonus WELSTech Goodness (or BWTG for short), a mid-week, mini podcast series and companion wiki pages covering simple steps to put today’s technology to work in the congregation and school setting. The inaugural BWTG topic is Google Calendar, which is useful for church and school staff collaboration and display on your web site.