WELSTech Audio

WELSTech Camp 2013 is just a memory at this point, and this episode of WELSTech is dedicated to recapping the big moments from the event. Martin and Sallie, along with 101 WELSTech-ers of all flavors, gathered on Saturday to talk about the many facets of tech in ministry (and to have coffee). Today’s show features a recap of the highlights as well as interviews with attendees.

Afterglow – Martin and Sallie discuss the first-ever WELS unconference event, including the challenges around organizing the suggested topics into a working schedule for the day, the most popular topics (would you be surprised if we told you Google was in the title of several sessions) and the joy one MLC student experienced when we handed her a brand new iPad!

(13:02) “What did you learn today?” – Videos of attendees are incorporated in the episode.

(18:43) Thanks Brent Nemmers for pointing us to this Microsoft announcement that Office 365 is now available for FREE for non-profits!

(41:10) Episode 308 – Gail Potratz from Emanuel in New London, WI is back, filling the seat of WELSTech’s semi-regular classroom technology correspondent. Tune in for a discussion of Gail’s “Year 2” experience with Chromebooks. (Release date – 09/24/13)

(41:54) We  close the podcast with the music of Corban Creek – Psalm 13

Things are changing on today’s WELSTech as we kick off our newest book discussion selection. During the school year we’ll be talking about a chapter a month of Nicholas Carr’s The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains. Also new this fall is a weekly tech tip from Martin and Sallie plus a renewed focus on ministry resources.

Book discussion kick off – It’s back to the regular WELSTech schedule this week as Martin and Sallie begin the discussion of this season’s book discussion selection, The Shallows by Nicholas Carr. Today’s discussion kicked off with a video overview of the book (6:15), and continued with a look at the prologue and chapter 1.

The author describes the change to “staccato”, internet-speed thinking, and the move away from deep comprehension. It seems that actually reading the book will be a worthy challenge to our digitized brains.

(21:02) We’re rebooting our Ministry Resources segment and looking for WELSTech listener assistance to share many tech-in-ministry ideas. Martin promises a prize drawing next spring for those who submit comments. Let the sharing begin!

(42:05) Even if you can’t attend this weekend’s WELSTech Camp in person, you can follow the live streaming and group collaborative notes. Find links posted on the WELSTech Camp wiki.

(48:45) Episode 307 – Tune in for special coverage of the first ever WELSTech live event. We’ll bring you the best of the discussions and activities from WELSTech Camp 2013. (Release date – 09/17/13)

(49:05) We close this week’s WELSTech with the music of Michael Schroeder (www.michaelschroeder.com and on Facebook) – A Friend of Mine

School and classroom web sites are the topic of today’s WELSTech. We cover the basics of what belongs on a school site from the start and share ideas of things to add to the site to take it to the next level. For the classroom, we discuss the use of student blogs and social classroom management sites as well.

School and Classroom Sites – We made it to the last full chapter of our summer eBook, Church & School Website Content. This week Martin and Sallie tie things up for school and classroom pages with recommendations for basic and advanced school related content as well as supplemental sites that may serve as all or part of a classroom site.

(28:39) WELSTech Camp is coming up on September 14 at Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN. Registration has been extended until September 6 so there is still time to attend and possibly win a Mimio Teach Bar ($800 value) or 16GB iPad ($500 value)!!

(41:56) Episode 306 – As the summer Church and School Website Content eBook series draws to a conclusion our new book discussion series kicks off and you’re invited to read along with Martin and Sallie. This year’s book will be The Shallows by Nicholas Carr.  (Release date – 09/10/13)

(44:40) We close with the music of  Mike Westendorf (www.mikewestendorf.com and mikewestendorf on Twitter) – Blessed Is The One

This week on WELSTech we share ideas for structuring the menu of your church web site, incorporating the web site content we’ve shared throughout our summer eBook series. There’s also discussion of the rapidly approaching WELSTech Camp plus Sallie is broadcasting from a new location.

Church Site Menus – Martin and Sallie are nearing the end of the summer eBook, Church & School Website Content, so the discussion focus shifts to tying together the individual content pieces we’ve explored previously into a neat and tidy web site structure. Listen for ideas for starting a brand new web site as well as ideas to take a basic site to the next level.

(26:02) WELSTech Camp is coming up on September 14 at Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN. Register and attend the free event to be in the drawings for a Mimio Teach Bar ($800 value) and 16GB iPad ($500 value)!!

(36:50) Episode 305 – Tune in next week for ideas on structuring the menu system of your school and classroom web sites in chapter 11 of our summer Church and School Website Content eBook series. (Release date – 09/03/13)

(37:58) We close with the music of Stephen Bautista (www.stephenbautistamusic.com or stephenbautista on Twitter) – You Never Did

Tune in to WELSTech this week for a discussion of the many types of documents you should consider housing on your church or school web site. And we know you’ve been waiting on the edge of your seat to to find out how Martin fared in the Hong Kong typhoon.

Documents – Martin and Sallie take a look at the many important documents that can be shared on a church or school web site in this week’s chapter of our summer eBook, Church & School Website Content. The discussion covers considerations for document formats and organization as well.

(23:10) WELSTech Camp is coming up on September 14 at Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN. Besides the great discussions, we’re planning a fun SCVNGR hunt and a Chapel of the Christ tour. Register and attend the free event to be in the drawings for a Mimio Teach Bar ($800 value) and 16GB iPad ($500 value)!!

(35:08) Episode 304 – Next week we shift gears with chapter 10 of our summer Church and School Website Content eBook series as we take a broader look at all of the components to include in a basic church web site. (Release date – 08/27/13)

(27:55) This week we close with the music of Revelation, a music ministry of Wisconsin Lutheran College (www.revelationwlc.com) – You Are the God

On WELSTech this week we continue our summer eBook series with a discussion of adding great content from other sites to your church and school web site. Martin is on the other side of the world, broadcasting from Hong Kong yet again, but the magic of technology makes him seem right next door.

Really Simple Syndication – This week’s eBook chapter of Church & School Website Content spotlights the wealth of great content that can be easily and dynamically displayed on church and school sites using RSS technology. Spanning the globe and the calendar, Martin – from Hong Kong where he is anticipating a typhoon – and Sallie share links to lots of great sites with RSS feeds.

(18:50) WELSTech Camp is coming up on September 14 at Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN. Register and attend the free event to be in the drawings for a Mimio Teach Bar ($800 value) and 16GB iPad ($500 value)!!

(27:15) Episode 303 – Newsletters and bulletins and supply list, oh my! Next week on WELSTech we look at the documents that should be available on your church and school website as we continue the summer Church and School Website Content eBook series. (Release date – 08/20/13)

(27:55) This week we close WELSTech with the music of Cross To Glory (www.facebook.com/crosstoglory) – Rescued

This week on WELSTech we discuss ideas for gathering data with forms on your church or school web site, and our listeners come through with a wealth of feedback on everything from iPad protection to Chromebook deployment in schools. Plus Martin has a new gadget to unbox!

2-way conversation – Gather information from your web site visitors using the innovative ideas in this week’s installment of our WELSTech summer series,  Church & School Website Content. Martin and Sallie share ideas for forms and a strategy for designing and implementing them.

(20:55) WELSTech Camp is coming up on September 14 at Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN. Register and attend the free event to be in the drawings for a Mimio Teach Bar ($800 value) and 16GB iPad ($500 value)!!

(33:40) Episode 302 – Coming soon to a summer series eBook near you, Martin and Sallie share ideas for enhancing your church or school web site with great content from across the web via RSS technology. (Release date – 08/13/13)

(34:40) This week we close WELSTech with the music of Kevin Loersch – Blest Be The Tie That Binds

We’re celebrating on WELSTech this week as we broadcast our 300th episode from WELS Synod Convention. Tune in for WELSTech by the numbers, not one or two interviewees … but five, and even special party cupcakes.

Celebrating tech in ministry – Martin and Sallie are side-by-side for this special episode, the 300th WELSTech filmed from the floor of WELS 62nd biennial convention and for the first time in front of a live audience. They take at look back at WELSTech by the numbers. Just how many picks of the week have been made in 5.5 years?  And they are joined by a host of interesting convention delegates who share their perspectives on tech in ministry.

(44:18) Episode 301 – Our “Church and School Website Content” summer series continues next week with a discussion of the many ways to use forms to enhance web sites and support the needs of the church and school data collection. (Release date – 08/06/13)

(44:52) We close the podcast with the music of Koine (www.koinemusic.com | Facebook) – Lord Jesus, You Have Come In Love

This week on WELSTech we return to our summer series on church and school website content and share ideas for enhancing your web site easily by embedding great photo, calendar and video content from across the web. And if you are in the market for cabling, you won’t want to miss Martin’s pick this week!

Photos, videos, calendars and more – You don’t have to re-invent the wheel to have great Church & School Website Content. Take advantage of many embeddable web resources to enhance your web site with multi-media content, calendars and even automatic links to Bible verses.

(26:55) WELSTech Camp is coming up on September 14 at Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN. Register and attend the free event to be in the drawings for a Mimio Teach Bar ($800 value) and 16GB iPad ($500 value)!!

(36:05) Episode 300 – Join Martin and Sallie as we celebrate WELSTech’s 300th episode, live from Synod Convention in New Ulm, MN at 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 30, 2013. Watch live at livestream.com/welslive. (Release date – 07/30/13)

(37:20) We close this week’s WELSTech with the music of The Branches Band (www.branchesband.com|Facebook) – The Mountain

On this week’s WELSTech, Martin and Sallie talk about considerations and share practical tips for implementing live video streaming on your church or school website. Martin shares a way to rid spyware on PCs, and we take a look back at computer history.

Go live – The WELSTech 2013 Summer series, Church & School Website Content, continues as Martin and Sallie discuss considerations and components for including live video streaming on your church or school website. The companion eBook includes links to copyright resources that are particularly important to understand before the cameras go live on your site. And if that isn’t enough, check out links to the sample websites for live video page examples.

(19:35) WELSTech Camp is coming up on September 14 at Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN. Register and attend the free event to be in the drawings for a Mimio Teach Bar ($800 value) and 16GB iPad ($500 value)!!

(29:35) Episode 299 – Closing in on the 300th episode, next week’s WELSTech will feature a discussion of embed-able photos, calendars and more as part of the summer WELSTech Church and School Website Content eBook. (Release date – 07/23/13)

(30:15) We close this week’s WELSTech with the music of Michael Schroeder (www.michaelschroeder.com and on Facebook) – Just As I Am