The week’s edtech focused WELSTech episode features ideas for assisting students with broadband Internet access in their homes, the opportunity to host a movie theater screening of the new Luther movie, a new computer science curriculum for middle schoolers, a design tool for the church and school office, and some tasty(?) robotics.

Jason Schmidt, Technology Coordinator for Bennington Public Schools near Omaha, NE and one of WELSTech’s Semi-Regular Classroom Technology Correspondents, is just back from a exciting weekend of First Steamworks competition from First Robotics. Check out The Blue Alliance for live streamed competition videos.

Broadband equity for students – While Martin enjoys a little family time, Jason and Sallie discuss the topic of digital equity. Students inability to access the Internet via a broadband connection in their home environment can be caused by economic factors as well as lack of coverage in rural location. This inequity has been identified as a difficult challenge impeding technology adoption for K-12 students in the New Media Consortium K-12 Horizon Report 2016. We take a look at programs to assist with meeting this challenge.

Learn how your congregation can host a movie theater screening of the new Martin Luther movie, A Return To Grace.

Promevo TV featured this Head to Head: Asus C302 vs. Samsung Chromebook Plus. Who wins!? video review, a new addition to the WELSTech Product Demo YouTube playlist.

Episode 491 – Pastor Stephen Daly shares his experience with the Bullet Journal, the analog system for the digital age. Release date: Wednesday, April 5.

This week WELSTech hosts Martin and Sallie take time out from wedding showers to share some great community feedback. There’s lots to learn – from Google news to electronic giving to several sites for learning math. Apple’s latest announcement may have you seeing red, MLC invites you to tour Luther land, and Sallie shares a video gold mine.

Community chatter – This week Martin and Sallie share the latest news and discussions on the WELSTech social scene.

Apple’s iPad upgrades makes it cheaper and faster that the iPad Air 2

Celebrate Reformation 500 with Martin Luther College – Consider a 2018 Tour of Luther Lands

WELS Video On Vimeo

From the Google Plus Office 365 Schools discussion, we learn more about FluidMath, Tablet and Interactive Whiteboard Math Software, a new addition to the WELSTech Product Demo playlist.

Episode 490 – Jason Schmidt joins Sallie for what promises to be a lively edtech discussion. Release date: Wednesday, March 29.

Pictures have always been a part of ministry. Throw in digital images AND social media and you have powerful tools to share the gospel. Join WELSTech this week for our continuing series on Social Media in Ministry with a look a two popular photo sharing sites: Flickr and Google Photos. As a bonus, you’ll also hear about upcoming WELS events, Martin’s new “macro” macro lens and help writing God’s Word on your heart.

Flickr and Google Photos for ministry – Perhaps not at the top of most social media list, Martin and Sallie explore the use of photo and video hosting sites, Flickr and Google Photos, in the church and school setting. View the Flickr and Google Photos for Ministry infographic.

On My Heart – A Lutheran Memory Work Program

Check out Google Photos Tutorial 2016, a new addition to the WELSTech Product Demo playlist.

Episode 489 – Tune in for tech-in-ministry goodness of the people, by the people and for the people … on WELSTech community feedback week! Release date: Wednesday, March 22.

Tune in to WELSTech this week for Sallie’s show and tell of a recent parent talk she led covering positive uses of the Internet for kids and families. You’ll also learn about an opportunity to host a theater showing of the new Martin Luther movie from WELS and be inspired for Lent by Martin’s ministry resource.

Discerning hearts – Parental (and teacher) responsibilities in the digital age are like never in history with many streams of digital media available at the fingertips of our children. Sallie shares resources from a recent presentation on Positive Uses of the Internet for Kids & Families to assist with teaching children to have discerning hearts.

Amazon’s massive AWS outage was caused by human error

Host a Screening of “A Return to Grace: Luther’s Life and Legacy”

The newest addition on the WELSTech Product Demos YouTube playlist is MaKey MaKey – An Invention Kit for Everyone.

Episode 488 – In the next installment of the WELSTech Social Media for Ministry series, we look at social photo sites Flickr & Google Photos. Release date: Wednesday, March 15.

This week on WELSTech Rachel Feld joins the conversation to discuss the latest developments in online and adaptive learning. Educators will want to listen on Rachel’s iPad/iPhone pick called “Duck, Duck, Moose.” Sallie is unplugging … for a day, and Martin shares a great site to get reviews of gadgets for those who are looking to plug more things in.

Individualized learning for littles – Using the New Media Consortium K-12 Horizon Report 2016 as a springboard, the edtech conversation du jour is online learning, but not just for high-schoolers. Teacher Rachel Feld from Bethany in Kenosha, WI shares her 1st and 2nd grade classroom experience with online tools that adapt for individualized student needs.

Amazon AWS S3 outage is breaking things for a lot of websites and apps

Celebrate Lutheran Schools Week with students from St. Paul’s Lutheran School in New Ulm, MN, We’re Happy! on the WELSTech Schools YouTube playlist.

Episode 487 – Tune in for a primer on positive parenting in the digital age. Release date: Wednesday, March 8.

It’s time once again for WELSTech’s Community Feedback episode. Martin and Sallie share everything from church newsletter tips to pinned infographics, Chromebook news to ideas for creating church directories. Sallie is raking in the ministry resource comments and Martin is printing (imagine that!). All this, plus Pastor James Hein shares his insightful thoughts on ministering to millennials.

Share and share alike – The WELSTech community is not known to disappoint, and this month’s Community Feedback is proof!

Ministering to Millennials – Pastor James Hein from St. Marcus in Milwaukee joined the WELSTech conversation to share his insight on reaching out and nurturing the millennial age group (born from 1980-2000). He also shared his interesting view of the how the church of the future may look a lot different and why quality and efficient technology may play a role in the change.

Martin Luther College 2017 College Choir Tour Schedule

The newest addition on the WELSTech Music YouTube playlist is What a Friend We Have in Jesus from Koine.

Episode 486 – Rachel Feld, techy teacher extraordinaire, co-hosts as we look at the future of online learning in K-12.  Release date: Wednesday, March 1.

It’s Valentine’s Day on WELSTech, and we’re talking about chocolate’s important place in technology along with a little discussion on the use of Facebook for church and school as part of a social media strategy. Martin pulls back the curtain on Google’s logs of his travels, and Sallie shares a ministry resource walkthrough of the Free Bible Images web site.

Facebook for ministry – Martin and Sallie answer the Why, What, Who and How questions regarding using Facebook to share the Good News of Jesus with the 1.2 billion daily users of the site. View the Facebook for Ministry infographic.

Registration is underway for the 54th LWMS Convention, happening June 22-25 in Orlando, FL

Free Bible Images

Learn more about Sallie’s pick of the week in this new addition to the Product Demo playlist titled Word Swag Tutorial – Turn your iPhone or iPad into a Marketing Machine.

Episode 485 – Martin and Sallie share the latest and greatest news from the WELSTech community. Release date: Wednesday, February 22.

This week on WELSTech, Amanda Rose, founding member of Holy Hen House, talks to us about women’s ministry and how God has blessed their humble efforts. We continue our focus on ministry resources by exploring just how easy it is to create and publish a vlog (Video Blog).

Chatter that matters – WELSTech welcomes Amanda Rose, the head “Hen” over at Holy Hen House. Listen as Amanda shares the background on their blogging effort which God has blessed and turned into so much more. The group connects with others via technology, but the focus is relationship and mentoring so face-to-face meetups and events have become an important part of their efforts.

Registration is underway for the 54th LWMS Convention, happening June 22-25 in Orlando, FL

A guide to Friday’s comet eclipse full moon triple feature

Ten Tips for Vlogging

The newest addition on the WELSTech Music YouTube playlist is Immanuel (From The Squalor of a Borrowed Stable) sung by David Wesley, a recommendation from Bread for Beggars.

Episode 484 – Tune in for the next installment in the WELSTech Social Media for Ministry series focusing on the use of Facebook. Release date: Wednesday, February 15.

This week on WELSTech we talk about the future of wearable technology in education. It’s not quite ready but it’s coming! Listen also for news from Google Voice, a new edtech evaluation tool for schools, and WELSTech’s own Alex Trebek.

Sew in a circuit board – Jason Schmidt, Technology Coordinator for Bennington ISD near Omaha, NE and one of WELSTech’s Classroom Technology Correspondents, chimes in on the topic of wearable tech which has been identified as having mainstream K-12 educational adoption in the next 4-5 years in the New Media Consortium K-12 Horizon Report 2016.

The new Google Voice launches bringing a modern look, group chat, photo sharing & more

Learn more about wearable technology in this TEDxSFU video, How wearable technology will change our lives, on the WELSTech Presentation/Teaching YouTube playlist.

Episode 483 – Amber Rose joins Martin and Sallie to share some about “Chatter That Matters” from the Holy Hen House. Release date: Wednesday, November 2.

WELSTech this week is a walk through an awesome variety of feedback from our listeners including great tips, websites, and many other ministry resources. Martin and Sallie share their own favorites as well as spend some time talking about texting for ministry.

Exploring – The monthly WELSTech community feedback episode is overflowing with new tech-in-ministry ideas to explore.

Interactive Faith Bible Study

Learn more about church copyright from the Christian Copyright Solutions webinar, Understanding the Copyright Complexities of a Galaxy Far, Far Away, the newest addition on the WELSTech Presentation/Teaching playlist on YouTube.

Episode 482 – Edtech week rolls around again next week, and we’ll be discussing wearable technology with Jason Schmidt. Release date: Wednesday, February 1.