This week, WELSTech starts fresh for the 2020-21 podcast season with a revised show lineup, a great interview on 21st century catechism, a new book discussion, and a couple of hardware picks of the week. There’s also community discussions around Instagram for ministry, Google for Education application requirements, and document camera recommendations. We cap it off with a celebration of 100 years of Campus Ministry!

Back to the books – Martin and Sallie kickoff a new book discussion of Atomic Habits by James Clear with a look at the mathematics of compounding tiny changes over time to reach the tipping point and benefit from the exponential “power of latent potential.”

Catechism instruction – Pastor Paul Waldschmidt from Peace Lutheran Church in Hartford, WI recently taught a summer course at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary titled Educational Technology for the Catechism Classroom. He chats with Martin and Sallie about the methods and tools he implemented in order to foster the 4Cs identified as 21st century skills – create, communicate, collaborate, and critical thinking – in his classroom.

Atomic Habits free resources

WELS Campus Ministries celebrates their 100 year anniversary

We talk edtech with a pair of guest hosts – Rachel Feld and Jason Schmidt!

On this episode of WELSTech we wrap up our summer look at ministry across the synod during the pandemic by talking with WELS Human Resources Director Dennis Maurer. We also discuss NPH’s new “at-home Sunday School” program. Google extensions and add-ons shine in the “Picks of the week” segment, and WELSTech listeners have lots to say about social media for schools, and more!

Pandemic protocols at the CMM – WELS Director of Human Resources Dennis Maurer talks with Martin and Sallie about the policies and procedures which are in place at the WELS Center for Mission and Ministry (CMM).

Sunday School at home – New from Northwestern Publishing House (NPH) are resources for doing Sunday School from home using Christ-Light materials and free, age-appropriate video lessons by experienced WELS teachers.

How to use Choice Eliminator add-on for Google Forms

WELSTech goes back to the books with a kickoff discussion of Atomic Habits by James Clear.

This week on WELSTech we hear from the Martin Luther College Director of Public Relations about the challenges and changes to communication during the pandemic. In addition, there’s a wide variety of tech tools and tips that may benefit your ministry including safely back to school webinars, Gmail organization, Bitmoji classroom images, and farewell to classic Google Sites. Tune in and turn it up!

Communicating to a college community – Bill Pekrul, Director of Public Relations at Martin Luther College (MLC), talks with Martin and Sallie about the levels and multiple channels of communication they utilize. Bill also shares tips that congregations and schools can use as they devise communication plans.

Additional examples to consider from MLC communication:

MLC Update

Summer interviews on pandemic ministry continue, next time with Dennis Maurer, WELS Director of Human Resources.

Tune in to this week’s WELSTech to learn about a new tech tool to check temperatures before admitting people to your buildings for church and school. We also share googly picks, tips for content filtering and worship projection, and COVID-19 resources from WELS.

Thermal Scanner – Art Flater, WELS member and owner of Central Office Systems, shares a timely tech innovation, the Pyrexia Kiosk, which uses thermal scanning technology to check body temperature before allowing admittance to a building.

Members of St Mark, Green Bay, pray for police

Summer interviews on pandemic ministry continue

This week the WELSTech featured interview focuses on pandemic music ministry blessings and challenges. Martin and Sallie geek out a bit with their picks of the week, the WELSTech community buzz is around Chromebooks and texting solutions, and we share details about an upcoming “Back to School” webinar by WELS Lutheran Schools and Christian Family Solutions.

Making Worship Music from a Distance – Lisa Uttech, Music Director for Christ the Lord, Brookfield, WI, and Kristen Koepsell, Music Coordinator for Cross of Christ, Boise, ID, share their experiences with congregation and school music during the COVID-19 event.

Hands on with PowerToys for Windows 10

Summer interviews on pandemic ministry continue

On WELSTech this week we talk with a long-time WELSTech contributor about his pandemic experience. In addition, we have hardware recommendations, an exciting virtual conference to share, “free” items for schools, and highlights from Apple’s World Wide Developer’s Conference.

Coast to coast – Martin and Sallie chat with WELS educator Perry Lund regarding his pandemic experience in church and high school classroom.

Apple WWDC 2020 keynote in 18 minutes

Summer interviews on pandemic ministry continue

The WELSTech Summer interview series kicks off today. We’re taking a look at the many faces of ministry during a pandemic from across the synod in an effort to spark ideas and encourage excellence in all ministry, whether in good times or challenging times. There’s also some awesome community feedback on everything from smart tech to VBS and Summer Sunday school to free Bible images.

Unique ministry ideas – Pastor Rob Guenther from St. John’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm, MN joins Martin and Sallie to share his ministry experience during and beyond COVID-19.

Check out the unique video ministry experience from St John’s, New Ulm, MN, where they spliced the current readings and sermon into full church worship recordings from 2019, making the safer-at-home worship experience feel a bit more normal.

Summer interviews on pandemic ministry continue

WELSTech Summer has arrived with an abbreviated show format and a break from pandemic discussions this week. We’re talking productivity, including tips to stay productive long term. A new Googly podcast, wired internet solutions, progressive web apps, online lesson planning tools, and an awesome song are all part of the conversation. Press play now!

Productive summer ahead – Martin and Sallie kick off the WELSTech Summer with a discussion of a recent blog post titled 7 Rules for Staying Productive Long-Term. The conversation also includes ideas for cleaning up your digital footprint this summer.

Is He Worthy? by the Fellowship Bible Church of Northwest Arkansas

We kick off our summer interview series on pandemic ministry

We wrap up another school year on WELSTech with a discussion of teachers’ pandemic summer plans. Rachel Feld joins the conversation and shares an exciting virtual conference announcement from Martin Luther College. Enhance your PC clipboard capabilities with martin’s pick of the week, plus there’s loads of community feedback to learn from.

Unknown summer plans – Martin and Sallie talk education, technology, and the unknown with Professor Rachel Feld, Martin Luther College’s Director of Academic Computing. The end of a very unique school year has arrived! Congrats to everyone for surviving the major shift to distance/online education. Now teachers and administrators have time to rest and assess the past few months before moving into planning for the unknown school year which lies ahead.

YouVersion Bible Lens is ending May 31

Unique Online Learning Assessment Ideas from Ditch That Textbook

Way back in January we announced the 2020 WELSTech theme of Bible Study. And then … our world changed in response to a global pandemic. Worship and Bible Study became almost entirely dependent on technology. Today we talk with a pastor podcaster who had the platform in place to share God’s Word effectively in the midst of this crisis. We also celebrate MLC Day and share a plethora of news, picks and resources to assist you.

Podcasting experience – Pastor Peter Hagen serves Resurrection in Maumee, OH and is the voice behind the Raised with Jesus podcast. WELSTech listeners will also remember him from episode 591, where he introduced us to the idea of Digital Side Doors. Today he joins Martin and Sallie to share his “Bible 100” podcasting series experience.

iOS COVID-19 Contact Tracing

WELS Family Devotions

Listen (again) to our favorite song from Martin Luther College – I Will Rise

Rachel Feld co-hosts the last of our edtech shows for the 2019-2020 school year as we look ahead teacher’s (pandemic) summer.