WELSTech Audio

Tune into this episode of WELSTech for a master class in herding cats as we navigate a lively discussion of the MLC degree and certificate offerings for technology directors. There’s also a broad range of picks of the week, Martin’s Screens and Souls presentation from Leadership Conference, and some free Google training to discuss.

The discussion

Technology director – Martin and Sallie welcome our semi-regular edtech co-hosts, Dr. Rachel Feld and Jason Schmidt, along with yet another friend in the ed tech space, Dr. Bob Martens, Martin Luther College (MLC) Director of Information Technology. The discussion centers on the MLC Technology Director graduate degree program (a 30 credit MS Education Administration program) as well as two new certifications also offered by MLC in Education Technology Leadership and Technology Integration, each requiring 9 credits.

Summed up as learning to be comfortable with the uncomfortable, the three share how the program teaches edtech leadership skills needed to manage the many facets of the ever-changing edtech learning environment.

Ministry resource

CoSN K-12 Innovation

Notebook LM summary – Infographic, Audio, Video

Martin’s Leadership Conference presentation on Screens and Souls

Picks of the week

100G LR4 Single-Mode Optical Module

Water Reminder Smart Light

Google Chrome Split View

Pirate Ship

Book of Concord

Community feedback

Free Google Certifications – Google Certified Educator Level 1 & 2 as well as Gemini Certified Educator and Gemini Certified student

Get involved

Add comments

Send us an e-mail [email protected]

Join the WELSTech community:

WELSTech Google Group

WELSTech on Facebook

WELSTech on Pinterest

WELSTech on Instagram

Add to the WELSTech wiki welstechwiki.gapps.wels.net

Contribute to the #WELSTech Twitter conversation

Follow us on Twitter – welstech, mspriggs and salliedraper

Share with the Diigo group welstech

Take a look back at 2025 with Martin and Sallie as they share highlights, memories, and favorites from year 18 of the WELSTech Podcast.

Events

WELSTech AI Summit

AI Focus

Ministry resources

Grace Ungemach’s weekly newsletter on digital marketing – learn.lutheran.marketing

Check out this week’s 2026 Brand Direction message

WELS National Conference on Lutheran Leadership

2025 Ministry Resources

Interviews

Lori Ehlke – 748 – Lori Ehlke Art

Dr. Kristi Meyer – 761 – Comms and Cardigans

2025 Interviews

Picks of the year

Notebook LM – Sallie’s WELSTech 2025 infographic example

Christ Begins by Prof. Luke Thompson, in Christian Worship, hymn 385 – Lyric video

The updated WELS Call Report

Pitaka Phone Cases

Wispr Flow

Plaud

The real number 1 – co-hosts Dr. Rachel Renno and Jason Schmidt

2025 Picks of the Week

Next time

Year 19 of WELSTech is ahead of us. What will it hold for tech-in-ministry?

Get involved

Add comments

Send us an e-mail [email protected]

Join the WELSTech community:

WELSTech Google Group

WELSTech on Facebook

WELSTech on Pinterest

WELSTech on Instagram

Add to the WELSTech wiki welstechwiki.gapps.wels.net

Contribute to the #WELSTech Twitter conversation

Follow us on Twitter – welstech, mspriggs and salliedraper

Share with the Diigo group welstech

Merry Christmas from WELSTech! We’re continuing our holiday tradition of sharing a special Christmas interview with our listeners. This year, we’re excited to welcome Melanie Giddings from the Lutheran Schools Office to talk about the important work underway to develop a new religion curriculum.

The interview

A new curriculum in development – Melanie Giddings, Curriculum Coordinator from WELS Lutheran Schools, joins Martin and Sallie to share an inside look at the work being shared by many hands on a new Pre-K to 12 religion curriculum being developed to succeed Christ Light.

Christmas Coloring Book Collab

There’s still time to submit your AI-generated Christmas coloring page for inclusion in a WELSTech crowd-sourced coloring book. Send your entries to [email protected], and we’ll choose a random contributor to receive some sweet WELS swag!

Try this prompt:

A black and white coloring page for kids of [YOUR TOPIC], thick lines, white background, no shading, no grey scale, simple vector style.

Microsoft Designer

Adobe Express Coloring Page Generator

ColorBliss.art

Crayola Color Camera

Next time

Join us in January for our look back at WELSTech 2025!

Get involved

Add comments

Send us an e-mail [email protected]

Join the WELSTech community:

WELSTech Google Group

WELSTech on Facebook

WELSTech on Pinterest

WELSTech on Instagram

Add to the WELSTech wiki welstechwiki.gapps.wels.net

Contribute to the #WELSTech Twitter conversation

Follow us on Twitter – welstech, mspriggs and salliedraper

Share with the Diigo group welstech

‘Tis the WELSTech Christmas season! Join us for a giveaway announcement that involves the good news of Christmas, coloring books, and AI. You could win a fun WELS item while you exercise your AI skills. Christmas concerts, anniversary offerings, travel apps, managing your smart home, and free EDU GPT round out this episode. Let’s goooo!

The discussion

Celebrating in color – Martin and Sallie are collocated, Christmas-color coordinated, and collaborating on a coloring project. Everyone is invited to participate in an AI experiment, creating Christmas-related coloring pages which we’ll compile into a sharable book. Send your entries to [email protected], and we’ll choose a random contributor to receive some sweet WELS swag!

Try this prompt:

A black and white coloring page for kids of [YOUR TOPIC], thick lines, white background, no shading, no grey scale, simple vector style.

Microsoft Designer

Adobe Express Coloring Page Generator

ColorBliss.art

Crayola Color Camera

Ministry resource

WELS Christmas Concert details – wels.net/events

WELS 175th Anniversary – Special Offering

Picks of the week

iExit

Hubitat

Community feedback

Chat GPT is free for teachers until June 2027

Learn more from Tom’s Guide

Next time

Melanie Giddings, Curriculum Coordinator from the Lutheran Schools office, shares details on this important work.

Get involved

Add comments

Send us an e-mail [email protected]

Join the WELSTech community:

WELSTech Google Group

WELSTech on Facebook

WELSTech on Pinterest

WELSTech on Instagram

Add to the WELSTech wiki welstechwiki.gapps.wels.net

Contribute to the #WELSTech Twitter conversation

Follow us on Twitter – welstech, mspriggs and salliedraper

Share with the Diigo group welstech

This week on WELSTech we take a deep dive into Google’s NotebookLM. Discover how this AI tool uses only your uploaded documents to create everything from video and audio overviews, flashcards, and summary documents, plus learn about other innovative AI tools like Hume Voice AI and the Plaud audio recorder that are changing the way we work and communicate.

The discussion

I wonder …. – Martin and Sallie are joined by Dr. Rachel Renno, Director of Academic Computing for Martin Luther College, and Jason Schmidt, Director of Technology for Oshkosh (WI) Area School District to discuss Google’s NotebookLM and how it leverages AI only on the documents you upload. Use NotebookLM to generate video and audio overviews of your content as well as summary documents, flashcards, and quizzes. Plus, it integrates easily into Google Classroom!

Sample NotebookLM – WELSTech SAMR Season Overview

Video overview

Audio overview

Ministry resource

10 Ways A Pastor Can Use Google NotebookLM for Work, Ministry and Beyond

Picks of the week

Hume – Voice AI

Plaud – AI audio recorder

Auctria online auctions – Sample auction by Risen Savior Lutheran School, Mankato, MN

Nomadic Travel Pack

Community feedback

iCloud and Google Drive are NOT Backups from Kim Komando

HubSpot Specialist needed in WELS Technology

From WELS Intersections on Facebook

Thanksgiving Social Media post ideas

Church Technology in 2025 and beyond from Tithe.ly

Nextdoor – local community communication

Reach app – group email and text

Apple Business Connect – control your church or school display on Apple Maps and more

Get involved

Add comments

Send us an e-mail [email protected]

Join the WELSTech community:

WELSTech Google Group

WELSTech on Facebook

WELSTech on Pinterest

WELSTech on Instagram

Add to the WELSTech wiki welstechwiki.gapps.wels.net

Contribute to the #WELSTech Twitter conversation

Follow us on Twitter – welstech, mspriggs and salliedraper

Share with the Diigo group welstech

On this episode of WELSTech, we take a closer look at one of the standout offerings from the upcoming WELS National Conference on Lutheran Leadership. We also revisit the WELS Strategic Plan, with a special focus on the Calling pillar. Plus, we’ve got our usual lineup of helpful Picks of the week and the latest Community Feedback. Ready to dive in? Simply press Play!

The interview and discussion

Church Planning – Martin chats with John Rathje, Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at Kent State University, about his upcoming breakout session at the WELS National Conference on Lutheran Leadership titled Planning That Works.

January 19-21, 2026 at the Chicago Hilton

4 Keynotes & 69 Breakouts

Register now for early bird pricing – $299

Reserve your hotel room

Ministry resource

WELS Strategic Plan – Christ Through Us

Calling pillar

Conect

Picks of the week

Daily cyber security tips from Total Defense via their Facebook page

WhatsApp

Community feedback

From the WELSTech Google Group

A call for and Information Security Committee Member

Looking for a Chromebook policy

Next time

Jason and Rachel return for some educational technology goodness!

Get involved

Add comments

Send us an e-mail [email protected]

Join the WELSTech community:

WELSTech Google Group

WELSTech on Facebook

WELSTech on Pinterest

WELSTech on Instagram

Add to the WELSTech wiki welstechwiki.gapps.wels.net

Contribute to the #WELSTech Twitter conversation

Follow us on Twitter – welstech, mspriggs and salliedraper

Share with the Diigo group welstech

This episode of WELSTech opens with an overview of the recent WELS Artificial Intelligence (AI) survey. The AI theme continues throughout the show, featuring details on the new Hour of AI initiative, a powerful prompt designed to help organize scattered thoughts, a WELS-centric GPT tool, and the latest edition of the TAAFT (There’s an AI for That) newsletter. And yes—watch out for AI llamas!

The discussion

The survey says – Martin shares preliminary insights from the recent AI survey distributed to WELS called and lay workers. While analysis is ongoing, the results will guide and prioritize the efforts of the AI Task Force. Notably, information on ethical considerations and ministry-specific use cases of AI emerged as top desired resources.

Ministry Resource

Updated Google Calendar lectionaries for

Christian Worship 2021

Christian Worship 1993

Picks of the week

Hour of AI

The Prompt that Organizes Your Chaos – featured in Jeff Su’s Workplace Essentials newsletter (Subscribe)

Community feedback & events

WELS GPT by Mark Salzwedel from Christ Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie, MN – Shared in the WELSTech Google Group

TAAFT (There’s an AI for That) newsletter – Sample | Subscribe

Next time

John Rathje shares a bit about his Lutheran Leadership Conference session on planning that works. Register early to secure your spot and take advantage of discounted pricing.

Get involved

Add comments

Send us an e-mail [email protected]

Join the WELSTech community:

WELSTech Google Group

WELSTech on Facebook

WELSTech on Pinterest

WELSTech on Instagram

Add to the WELSTech wiki welstechwiki.gapps.wels.net

Contribute to the #WELSTech X conversation

Follow us on X – welstech, mspriggs and salliedraper

Share with the Diigo group welstech

Fall has arrived on WELSTech, and we’re reminiscing about childhood sweater weather.  We share a church communication focused interview as well as details on all the happenings at January’s Lutheran Leadership Conference. The picks of the week include worksheet alternatives for teachers as well as a great place to keep things. It’s time to press play!

The interview and discussion

Modernizing Church Communication – Martin and Sallie talk with Dr Kristi Meyer, Prof. of Mathematics at Wisconsin Lutheran College, and part-time communications coordinator at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Wauwatosa, WI. She and Pastor Kyle Bitter are teaming up to present a breakout on the topic of church communication at the upcoming Lutheran Leadership Conference. Kristi shares a preview of their breakout content, including one of her game-changing tools for improving communication.

Ministry resource

WELS National Conference on Lutheran Leadership

January 19-21 at the Chicago Hilton

4 Keynotes & 69 Breakouts

Register now for early bird pricing – $299

Picks of the week

Worksheets to WOW! from Ditch That Textbook

Google Keep

Community feedback

Check out WELS Intersections on Facebook

Get involved

Add comments

Send us an e-mail [email protected]

Join the WELSTech community:

WELSTech Google Group

WELSTech on Facebook

WELSTech on Pinterest

WELSTech on Instagram

Add to the WELSTech wiki welstechwiki.gapps.wels.net

Contribute to the #WELSTech Twitter conversation

Follow us on Twitter – welstech, mspriggs and salliedraper

Share with the Diigo group welstech

For the 760th time, welcome to WELSTech, a podcast at the intersection of technology and ministry. This episode features a discussion of the dos and don’ts of church and school surveys. Also included is a new source for liturgical art, a deep dive into “Smart” Health, and a new vocabulary word – workslop! Eek!

The interview and discussion

Survey Best Practices – Martin and Sallie welcome Alycia Cameron, and she shares her experience with conducting surveys and how that applies to churches and schools. Listen for guidelines on whether you need a survey and the suggested length of a survey, plus much more.

WELS AI Survey

Survey Monkey

Gamma Presentation Maker

Fathom AI Notetaker

Ministry resource

Part 1 of Christ Through Us, WELS strategic plan: Culture

Learn more from Forward in Christ

Explore resources

Picks of the week

ELS Liturgical Year Artwork

Smart Health Comparison using Gemini Deep research

Community feedback

Sora 2 is here – from OpenAI

AI is creating ‘workslop’ and hindering productivity

Generate the perfect headshot with Google Gemini – The full prompt

Sallie and Mia gave it a try

Get involved

Add comments

Send us an e-mail [email protected]

Join the WELSTech community:

WELSTech Google Group

WELSTech on Facebook

WELSTech on Pinterest

WELSTech on Instagram

Add to the WELSTech wiki welstechwiki.gapps.wels.net

Contribute to the #WELSTech Twitter conversation

Follow us on Twitter – welstech, mspriggs and salliedraper

Share with the Diigo group welstech

WELSTech is back with an unexpected AI buzz word discussion that’s a hot topic in schools right now – Academic Integrity. Jason and Rachel return bringing videos, gems, and flow to the podcast. Plus, there’s a new tech-enabled look at WELS 10-year strategic plan. Your earbuds are waiting!

The discussion

AI using AI – Martin and Sallie are joined by Dr. Rachel Renno, Director of Academic Computing for Martin Luther College, and Jason Schmidt, Director of Technology for Oshkosh (WI) Area School District to discuss the other “AI,” academic integrity in an artificial intelligence world.

Teachers got mad about a cheat button in Chrome. Now Google’s pausing it.

Pangram

Grammarly’s Authorship

Sample Student AI usage policy for WELS Lutheran schools

MLC AI Usage Guidelines

Faculty

Student

Ministry resource

Bible Lessons Media Resources

Picks of the week

Notebook LM Video Overview – Example

Google Gemini Storybook Gem – Example – featuring anime Jason & Rachel

What’s new in K-2

Recent newsletter issue

Canva Teacher Planner Templates by Teach Cheat

Subscribe

Wispr Flow

Community feedback

ChristThroughUs.net – Learn more about WELS 10-year strategic plan

Get involved

Add comments

Send us an e-mail [email protected]

Join the WELSTech community:

WELSTech Google Group

WELSTech on Facebook

WELSTech on Pinterest

WELSTech on Instagram

Add to the WELSTech wiki welstechwiki.gapps.wels.net

Contribute to the #WELSTech Twitter conversation

Follow us on Twitter – welstech, mspriggs and salliedraper

Share with the Diigo group welstech