Tag Archive for: ShopWELS

445 – Something For Everyone

/in ,

WELSTech has something for everyone on this community feedback episode. Topics include social media strategy, mobile photography, Google Apps for Education, church bulletins and more! Martin and Sallie also share the latest news from TechSmith and Google, helpful tips on Excel and the Chrome browser and worship/bulletin artwork from WELS artists.

The discussion:

BuffetThe listeners speak – Martin and Sallie share recent WELSTech community feedback.

News in tech:

WELS now:

Women’s Ministry Conference – July 21-23 at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary

Picks of the week:

Ministry resources:

Featured video:

Learn more about the upcoming Women’s Ministry Conference in this Together video update, saved on the WELSTech “Like’s” list on Vimeo

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 446 – Jason Schmidt joins Martin and Sallie for the last edtech discussion of the school year focusing on outdoor and rainy day tech for schools (and beyond). Release date: Wednesday, May 25

Get involved:

369 – Shop Smart

/in ,

Thanksgiving week on WELSTech brings many reasons to pause and give thanks, plus an interview with the good fellows at ShopWELS vendor Troxell, shopping online stewardship ideas, shopping apps to making your Black Friday (and every shopping day) a breeze, gift ideas and the best Black Friday deals. We’ve got everything but the pumpkin pie!

The interview:

troxellLogo145x125White Glove Treatment – Bob Berry and Chris Hunt from ShopWELS vendor, Troxell, joined Martin and Sallie to talk about their company and product line (including Chomebooks and Google licensing) and their commitment of support as schools transition to various degrees of device assisted learning.

The discussion:

Black Friday and Beyond – Martin and Sallie continue the shopping theme with a look at more of the ShopWELS.net site features as well as several ways to shop online and benefit the work of WELS. There are even some cool shopping-centric mobile apps that get a mention.

News in tech:

Ministry resources:

Tips & picks of the week:

WELS insider:

iPhone 4 Donations for Malawi

Need to know:

  • Registration is open for FinalWeb online training, coming up January 21-23, 2015. bit.ly/fw4d2015
  • Visit the WELSTech Conference 2015 site to sign up for conference announcements via e-mail

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

Episode 370 – Edtech guest host, Gail Potratz, joins Martin and Sallie to share thoughts on her implementation of a badge system for digital assessment. (Broadcast date – 12/02/14)

Featured videos:

This week’s featured video was added to a brand new YouTube playlist, WELSTech Promo – Thanksgiving from Water of Life Lutheran Church in Las Vegas, NV

 

Get involved:

208 – What Will Google Change Next?

/in ,

This week on the WELSTech Podcast shut-in ministry using technology is the discussion topic and we hear about Nebraska Lutheran High School’s firewall software experience.

The discussion:

Tech in shut-in ministry – Martin and Sallie explore ways that technology can assist and enhance ministry to members who are home bound and unable to attend traditional church services.  Listen for discussion of recorded worship, Bible class and more plus ideas for sharing photos and tips for visitation tracking and mileage calculations.

The interview:

(16:24) Safe Computing – We’ve got twice the brainpower behind this school network security discussion as both Greg Boggs, Owner of Quality Communications, and Joshua Johnson, Nebraska Lutheran High School Math Teacher and Technology Director, join Martin and Sallie to talk about SmoothWall, a firewall and filtering solution recently added to the ShopWELS program.

News in tech:

(37:13) Smaller, cheaper tablets could become a big deal

Picks of the week:

Of interest:

(46:53) 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:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(1:08:30) Episode 209 – The Church of Facebook author, Jesse Rice, joins Martin and Sallie to talk about the latest WELSTech book selection. (Release date – 11/09/11)

The featured artist:

(1:09:03) This week we close with the instrumental music of flutist Jeannine Dennis – Mary Did You Know? from her CD titled ”O Holy Night”

Get involved:

206 – VoIP For Beginners

/in ,

This week the WELSTech Podcast is all about Internet-based telephone solutions, and we a look at the offerings from one of ShopWELS newest partners, Digium.

The discussion:

Internet phones – Using Voice over Internet Protocol (or VoIP) to make long distance calls at an affordable or sometimes free rate is the topic of the day.  Martin and Sallie attempt to sort out the various options and share pros and cons of each solution.

The interview:

(20:05) The next level – Mark Robinson from DVI Consulting and principal contact for the ShopWELS program talks with Martin and Sallie about the cost and productivity benefits of IP telephony systems.  Get a glimpse of the future as Mark describes WELS partner Digium and their reliable and effective means of supporting phone system needs for small to medium churches and schools.

Ministry resources:

(39:24) The Christ in Media Institute – Promoting production and distribution of Christian media

News in tech:

(40:05) Google Docs Updates Presentations With Real-Time Collaboration, New Themes, Transitions and More

Picks of the week:

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(58:54) Episode 207 – Tune in to learn the identity of our brand new semi-regular classroom technology correspondent as Martin and Sallie share the mic and talk all things Chromebook! (Release date – 10/26/11)

The featured artist:

(1:00:20) We close the podcast with the music of The Branches Band (www.branchesband.com|Facebook) – I Rejoiced from their “Sing, My Tongue” CD

Get involved:

186 – "Anonymous" Feedback

/in ,

This week on the WELSTech Podcast we tour the new and improved ShopWELS site and talk with Tim Plath about distance ed for high schoolers.

The discussion:

ShopWELS relaunch – The ShopWELS group-purchasing program for WELS organizations and members is getting a face-lift today.  Join Martin and Sallie as we tour the re-designed web site and discuss the exciting deals which are available through the program.  Everything from copiers to office supplies and church organs the cell phone carriers is discounted!

The interview:

Tim Plath(16:21) ALHSO – Here’s another acronym to add to your list.  ALHSO stands for Area Lutheran High Schools Online.  Tim Plath, principal of Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School in New Ulm, MN and Chairman of the ALHSO Administrative Committee talks with Martin and Sallie about the new distance ed program which will begin this fall.

  • Contact Tim for more details or to enroll a student in ALHSO

Ministry resources:

Picks of the week:

Community feedback:

Coming up on WELSTech:

(53:19) Episode 187 – We kick off our summer WELS Hacker series, featuring a discussion of tips and “how-to” blog posts from Martin and Sallie. (Release date – 06/08/11)

The featured artist:

(55:25) We close the podcast with the music of Michael Schroeder (www.michaelschroeder.com and on Facebook)- A Witness from his CD with the same title

Get involved:

123 – The Sound of Green

/in ,

This week on the WELSTech podcast green technology is the discussion topic and we hear from Office Depot representatives about available ShopWELS.net discounts.

The discussion:

An Eco-Friendly St. Pat’s Day – What better day to “go green” than St. Patrick’s Day.  Martin and Sallie talk green technology (with a bit on green rivers and green cake as well) and share ideas to make your life and your church and school environmentally friendly.

The interview:

Office Depot(23:35) Save on Office Supplies – Joining Martin and Sallie today are Kathleen Wondolkowski and Julie Camp to talk about the many discounted services available to WELS groups and individuals through WELS partnership with Office Depot.

Picks of the week:

Of interest:

Community feedback:

  • (50:15) John Shoosmith from Redeemer in Yakima, WA shared his experience with YouTube’s new automatic closed captioning feature and the translation options it provides.  Check out a sample video.  Click the red CC icon in the player control bar to activated the closed caption feature and choose your desired language.
  • Jason Schmidt from Gethsemane in Omaha, NE shared a link to 10 Google Forms for the Classroom.
  • Ryan Rosenthal from Faith in Fond du Lac, WI tweeted links to Ten Free Web 2.0 Tools for the Classroom and 20 Online Tools to Make Learning Fun.
  • Check out the recent discussion topics on the WELSTech Wiki including Organizing a Tech Committee and Fair Use Practices.
  • Dave Heup uses KickYouTube.com to download YouTube videos like the American Pi song.  Don’t you just love Pi Day?  Google does!
  • Perry Lund from Grace in Oskaloosa, IA shared a link to Squeeze, a Mac software pick for file compression.  And he asked how to include WELS videos on his church web site.  Check out the WELS video library at vimeo.com/wels and make use of the embed code on your site.
  • Pastor Jon Guenther from Trinity in Marshfield, WI wrote to us looking for an e-newsletter solution.  We recommend MailChimp.com, and we even have a Bonus WELSTech Goodness episode dedicated to the topic.

Coming up on WELSTech:

(1:04:36) Episode 124 – Next week is book discussion week.  Read along as we talk through Chapter 5 of Shane Hipps’ The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture. (Release date 03/24/10)

The featured artist:

(1:05:01) We close the podcast with the music of Koine (www.koinemusic.com) – Crown Him With Many Crowns from their CD “Koine”

Get involved:

  • Add a comment below
  • Send us an e-mail [email protected]
  • Leave us a voice mail 405-FOR-WELS (405-367-9357)
  • Add to the WELSTech wiki welstechwiki.wels.net
  • Contribute to the #WELSTech Twitter conversation
  • Follow us on Twitter – mspriggs and welstechtrainer
  • Use the del.icio.us tag welstech
  • Use the diigo tag welstech
  • Join the WELSTech community:

059 – Tough Times…No Problem

/in ,

This week on WELSTech the conversation focuses on tech tips for effective ministry in a challenging economy and Martin and Sallie talk with Pastor Daron Lindemann about the new Message from the Master web site.

The discussion:

  • Technology in Tough Economic Times – Martin and Sallie share a host of ideas for wise use of technology in the church and school setting to save money. From reducing paper printing and distribution costs to prolonging the life of hardware, there are many ways to carry out effective ministry in times of economic challenge.

The interview:

  • Pastor Daron LindemannMessage from the Master (20:14) – Martin and Sallie talk with Pastor Daron Lindemann from Grace in Milwaukee, WI about his work on the Message from the Master project and their brand new web site.
    • www.MessageFromTheMaster.com

The tidbits:

  • Picks of the week (39:40)
  • WELS.net feature (44:55)
    • Parents Crosslink Podcast
      • Listen on Streams – streams.wels.net/podcasts?series=parents-crosslink-podcast
      • Read more on the Parents Crosslink web site
  • Community feedback (46:50)
    • Pastor Chris Koschnitzke from Christus in Delavan, WI recently added video sermons to his congregation web site
    • The WELSTech listserve has been buzzing with discussion on electronic banking options and ideas for outreach in a digital world
    • Join the #WELSTech Twitter conversation and follow Martin (@mspriggs) and Sallie (@welstechtrainer)
    • Dan Smith from Holy Trinity in Des Moines, WA asked about our experience running a CafePress.com store. Anyone need a WELSTech coffee cup? :-)  www.cafepress.com/welstech
    • Pastor John Borgwardt from Risen Savior in Pooler, GA is looking for solutions for mass e-mail.  Listen to WELSTech Episode 026 for ideas.
  • Coming up on WELSTech (55:52)
    • Episode 060 – Gail Potratz, our semi-regular classroom technology correspondent, joins us and we discuss setting up a School Technology Plan

The featured artist:

  • Revelation, a music ministry of Wisconsin Lutheran College, performs You are the God from their CD Led By The Light – www.revelationwlc.com (57:06)

Get involved:

Episode 022 – Jun 4 2008

/in ,

This week Martin and Sallie discuss the importance of web site statistics and how they can be used to make your site a more effective communication tool. We also hear about the recent redesign of the ShopWELS web site from program administrator Mark Robinson.

The discussion:

The interview:

  • shopwels.jpgShopWELS (17:43) – Martin and Sallie talk with Mark Robinson, administrator of the ShopWELS program, about the redesign of the ShopWELS web site and the many cost-saving options that make up the program.

The tidbits:

  • This week’s picks (39:48)
  • WELS.net feature (46:37)
  • Community feedback (48:21)
    • Gail Potratz from Emanuel, New London, WI asked about Emergency-911 dialing on Internet wireless phones
    • John Shoosmith from Redeemer, Yakima, WA shared information on adding closed-captioning to Internet video sermons.
      • View a closed-captioned sermon
      • John’s closed-captioning tool recommendation – Subtitle Workshop

The featured artist:

  • This week we close with the music of Mike Westendorf (www.mikewestendorf.com) – I Will Sing from his Climb the Mountain CD (52:30)

Get involved:

Episode 008 – Feb 27 2008

/in ,

This week Martin and Sallie are joined by ShopWELS administrator Mark Robinson and discuss cost saving ideas in the area of telecommunications.

The discussion:

  • E-mail retention and privacy – In response to a listener question, Martin and Sallie share ideas and resources to assist in making e-mail retention and data privacy policy decisions.

The interview:

  • Mark RobinsonTelecommunication – Mark Robinson, WELS member and administrator of the ShopWELS program, joins Martin and Sallie to discuss cost saving ideas for congregations and schools in the area of telecommunications, both telephone and Internet.

The tidbits:

  • This week’s picks
  • WELS.net feature
    • Gospel of John online Bible study from WhatAboutJesus.com – www.wels.net/jump/johnbiblestudy
  • Happenings
    • WELS calendar of events – www.wels.net/jump/wc2008
  • Community feedback
    • del.icio.us user rafaust shared a link via the welstech tag to Doodle (www.doodle.ch), a tool for creating free online polls. One way to use it is for narrowing down a common meeting time for a group of people.
    • Pastor James Wilcox of Rapid City, SD wrote to share info on a free Virtual Private Network (VPN) solution he’s using called Hamachi.
    • Listener Karl Henselin wrote with a follow-up to our discussion last week about Logos Bible study software. He shared links to two other cost-effective Bible programs, E-sword and BibleGateway.com.

The featured artist:

  • WELS pianist Dawn Gehlhar plays Christ Be My Leader from her CD Inspirations

Get involved: