On this week’s episode, Sallie and Jason Schmidt hold down the WELSTech fort with a lively discussion of Minecraft gaming in the education setting. From self portraits to roller coasters to models of famous locations, the platform all but guarantees student engagement and collaboration.

Creative Building – Jason Schmidt, Tech Coordinator for Bennington ISD and WELSTech’s semi-regular classroom technology correspondent, educates Sallie on the educational side of the popular video game Minecraft.

Registration is officially open for summer FinalWeb training with Martin and Sallie at the Center for Mission and Ministry. Learn more and sign up at bit.ly/fwtraininginfo.

Episode 335 – No fooling … Next week we’ll be talking about the recent Christ In Media Institute Mobile Phone Conference. (Broadcast date – 04/01/14)

Today on WELSTech Martin and Sallie, along with special guest, Steve Zambo, share the tech side of live video streaming and some helpful tips (enhanced with visual aids) to take your video production to the next level. Find out about the electronic version of NPH’s Meditations, and be amazed as Sallie shares not 2 but 7 tips and picks! Jackpot!

Go Live – Martin and Sallie share the technical side of live video streaming with a behind the scenes look at YouTube’s streaming video service, and an overview of FinalWeb and LiveStream options plus information on encoders, bandwidth, and more.

Tips from a pro – Steve Zambo, President of Salty Earth Pictures and Instructor of Digital Cinema & Media at Wisconsin Lutheran College, shares tips to improve video quality including framing the shot, lighting, audio and more.

Meditations from Northwestern Publishing House is now available for iOS and in Kindle and Nook eBook format.

Registration is officially open for summer FinalWeb training with Martin and Sallie at the Center for Mission and Ministry. Learn more and sign up at bit.ly/fwtraininginfo.

Episode 334 – Jason Schmidt from Omaha, NE joins Sallie for a MineCraft EDU discussion. (Broadcast date – 3/25/14)

This week enjoy a free music download from WELS musician Pat Watson (www.reverbnation.com/#!/patwatsonproject) – Borrowed Time

What is WELSTech without a lively book discussion? Even though Martin is traveling, he manages to join Sallie for the conclusion of the sometimes contentious book discussion of The Shallows. He brings along a tip and pick as well, and Sallie shares some interesting community feedback. Listen up!

Book wrap up – Apps for speed reading, such at Spritz, promise to lower reading time while increasing comprehension. But are these digital enhancements taxing our overloaded brains even more?  Martin and Sallie conclude their discussion of the current WELSTech book selection, The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing To Our Brains by Nicholas Carr. In chapters 9 and 10, the author drives home his point that the electronic smorgasbord of the Internet does have an effect on our brains ability to store information in long-term memory. We need “down time” to allow our brains to process and store memories.

Registration is officially open for summer FinalWeb training with Martin and Sallie at the Center for Mission and Ministry, July 29 – August 1. Learn more and sign up at bit.ly/fwtraininginfo.

Episode 333 – Video is the focus of the next WELSTech episode. Specifically Martin and Sallie will discuss considerations and mechanics of live streaming worship and WLC Prof. Steve Zambo will share techniques for enhancing video production. (Broadcast date – 03/18/14)

This week only, download a free music single from Cross To Glory (www.facebook.com/crosstoglory) – My Grace Will Do

The world is going mobile and Martin shares “how-to” ideas for becoming a mobile app developer. Sallie may be enjoying warmer climates this week, but she gets her 2 cents in the tips, picks and feedback conversation. As a matter of fact, Sallie’s pick of the week may be so anti-tech that it jeopardizes her co-hosting seat!

DIY Mobile – Martin is just back from the BrainStorm K20 Technology Conference and shares tips and tools from his “Build A Mobile Web App in 2 Hours” presentation.

Subscribe for e-mail delivery of WELS’ latest devotions, news and more – wels.net/subscribe

Registration is officially open for summer FinalWeb training with Martin and Sallie at the Center for Mission and Ministry, July 29 – August 1. Learn more and sign up at bit.ly/fwtraininginfo.

Episode 332 – Martin and Sallie wrap up the discussion of the current WELSTech book selection, The Shallows by Nicolas Carr. Tune in for chapters 9 & 10. (Broadcast date – 03/11/14)

This week only, download a free music single from a Japanese WELS artist, Kaori Egawa – Call Out To Jesus

This week the WELSTech web site is all new, after a major upgrade and relocation, and the WELSTech goodness abounds. Guest host Gail Potratz, along with Tyler Shadick, bring us up to speed on the emerging trend of digital badges for assessment in education. We even dole out a few of the first-ever WELSTech badges. FinalWeb training registration is unveiled, plus much more.

Endorse, Honor and Certify! – Badges in education are changing the way teachers assess and motivating students to achieve. Gail Potratz, WELSTech’s semi-regular classroom technology correspondent from Emanuel in New London, WI and Tyler Shadick, Online Learning Systems Analyst from Concordia University, Wisconsin, talk with Martin and Sallie about the reasons to consider badges as part of your assessment strategy and the tools to help you get started.

Check out the new WELSTech Badges

Registration is officially open for summer FinalWeb training with Martin and Sallie at the Center for Mission and Ministry. Learn more and sign up at bit.ly/fwtraininginfo.

Episode 331 – Martin flies solo and shares secrets for building web apps. (Broadcast date – 03/04/14)

This week only, download a free music single from WELS musician and staff minister Benhur Khamrang (Reverbnation) – Brothers, Sisters, Let Us Gladly

This week’s WELSTech focus is on the necessary but formidable topic of copyright as it relates to all types of intellectual property – audio, video, images, music and lyrics – used in church and school settings. Martin and Sallie are joined by Northwestern Publishing House copyright expert Kristine Laufer for the discussion. Also this week we learn about video resources for youth ministry, canned responses in Gmail and a creative way to keep fit.

Copyright answers – Kristine Laufer, Rights and Permissions Coordinator for Northwestern Publishing House, talks with Martin and Sallie about copyright issues including various use of Christian Worship and Christian Worship Supplement.

Doing copyright right – Martin and Sallie share resources to assist churches and schools with their compliance with the complex issue of copyright law.

Royalty-Free Image Resources:

With special thanks to WELSTech’s very special anonymous contributor …

Episode 330 – Gail Potratz from Emanuel in New London, WI joins Martin and Sallie as we talk about the latest technology trends in education. (Broadcast date – 2/25/14)

This week enjoy a free music download from WELS praise band Koine (www.koinemusic.com | Facebook)- Lord Jesus, You Have Come In Love

Google’s place in our lives and influence over the way we think is the subject of chapter 8 of Nicholas Carr’s The Shallows and also the subject of today’s WELSTech discussion. Martin and Sallie may be on opposite sides of the debate, but they find common ground in today’s discussion.  Listen for that, plus a ton of community feedback covering everything from midi music to webcam doorbells.

Is Google Evil? – The WELSTech book discussion is back, and today’s topic is chapter 8 of Nicholas Carr’s The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing To Our Brains which focuses on Google’s powerful position and how they may be using it to influence the way we think. Recognizing this, but also pointing out the author’s premise focuses only on the effect of these changes on our brains while overlooking our souls, Martin makes a great point about the Christian’s soul in light of all the changes around us.

Join the online interactive Bible study led by WELS President Mark Schroeder on the topic of “I’d like to read the Bible, but …” happening Wednesdays in February at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Eastern time. Learn more.

Episode 329 – Join Martin and Sallie for a discussion for the important topic of copyright as it relates to the church and school. (Release date – 02/18/14)

This week only, download a classic WELS tune from ExCorde – Lutheran Woman

Feature image courtesy of Maria Guimarães

It’s edtech week on WELSTech, and we have not one, but two, great additions to this week’s podcast. Drew Willems shares the “State of Technology at Shoreland”  (and simultaneously enrollment numbers likely spike), plus Jason Schmidt guest hosts with Martin and Sallie and talks wireless infrastructure. Martin gives us the rundown on a new Kindle, and Jason shares some enhanced Raspberry Pi.

Chrome Academy wannabes – Shoreland Lutheran High School Technology Director, Drew Willems, talks with Martin and Sallie about their tech initiatives including flipped classrooms, x:1 support of digital devices, training student tech leaders for manning the Chrome Depot, and much more.

Wifi the right way – Setting up wifi to support the needs of multiple users with multiple devices should be the starting point of planning for school and church technology. Martin and guest host Jason Schmidt explain the basic areas for consideration when implementing a wifi network, most importantly that it takes expertise, not just a few generic routers from the local tech-in-a-box store, to do wifi right.

(1:06:25) Episode 328 – The WELSTech book discussion is back as Martin and Sallie look at Chapter 8, “The Church of Google”, from Nicolas Carr’s The Shallows. (Broadcast date – 2/11/14)

(1:07:20) This week enjoy a free music download from WELS artist Chris Driesbach (chrisdriesbach.com) – Modern Evangelist

Tune in to this week’s WELSTech for links galore to help you (and Sallie) get started in a paperless existence. Listen for ideas to begin digitizing both personal and ministry paperwork. Webmasters will appreciate this week’s ministry resources for enhancing search engine optimization. And find out if Martin knows where to find Bible-minded people.

A digital life – Martin and Sallie share ideas for converting the paper we are so fond of filing away into digitized bits and bytes and in the process improving our access to important information, enhancing our stewardship of time and allowing for easy sharing and collaboration.

Episode 327 – Mr. Sunshine, Jason Schmidt, guest hosts with Martin and Sallie on our edtech focused podcast as we talk wireless infrastructure. Drew Willems from Shoreland Lutheran High School is set to share a “state of Shoreland technology” report as well. (Release date – 02/05/14)

This week only, download a free music single from Stephen Bautista (www.stephenbautistamusic.com or stephenbautista on Twitter) – A Brand New Day

We’re broadcasting live from Martin Luther College for this week’s WELSTech. Martin and Sallie are side-by-side with MLC students as they discuss the future of technology in ministry. Live Q&A keeps us on our toes, we find time for an exercise break, plus Martin gets a special surprise.

The students’ perspective – Martin Luther College students Katie Schultz, Joel Hopper, Emily Waldek, Dan Schallert and Jared Natsis talk with Martin and Sallie about ministry and technology and their expectations for future. It turns out that these Millennials surprisingly think “less is more” when it comes to shiny tech.

Get ready for an online interactive Bible study led by WELS President Mark Schroeder on the topic of “I’d like to read the Bible, but …”. The 4-week study begin February 5th at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Eastern time. Learn more and download bulletin inserts and posters to promote the study in your congregation.

Episode 326 – Going paperless is easier than you think! Martin and Sallie share ideas to digitize (and organize) your life. (Release date – 01/29/14)

This week only, download a free music single from WELS musician and staff minister Benhur Khamrang (Reverbnation) – Crown Him With Many Crowns