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This week on WELSTech Martin and Sallie are joined by Gail Potratz for a discussion on SMARTBoards in the classroom.  Gail interviews Linda Kasten, a SMARTBoard-enabled teacher.

Listen now or download Episode 056 (50:49)

The discussion and interview:

• SMARTBoards in the Classroom - As more schools integrate interactive whiteboards into their classrooms, Martin, Sallie and our semi-regular classroom technology correspondent, Gail Potratz, discuss resources for making the most of your SMARTBoard.  Gail interviews Linda Kasten (8:35), a first grade teacher from St. Paul’s in Muskego, WI and 6-year veteran SMARTBoard user about the impact SMARTBoards have had on her students.
  • What does it mean to really use a SMARTBoard? from technoLanguages
  • Purchasing a SMARTBoard
    • ShopWELS.net pricing
    • Fact sheets from WELS Parish Schools - www.wels.net/jump/smartboard
  • Find more SMARTBoard resources on the WELSTech wiki - Create an account and add your favorites to the page!

The tidbits:

• Picks of the week (32:50)
  • Upload and share PowerPoint and Keynote presentations – www.SlideShare.net
  • Spark creative writing – www.PicLits.com
    • Sallie’s sample PicLit & St. John’s student creations
  • Create online presentations – www.SlideRocket.com
• Of interest (41:00)
  • Seminary Mission and Ministry 2009
    • This years theme:  “Go and Make Disciples: At Home, Abroad, For Life”
    • February 3-5
    • Details and registration information at www.wls.wels.net
• Community feedback (41:48)
  • New wiki member “dessmith” tried out the WELSTech Wiki Sandbox.  You can too!
  • Alyssa Dunning from WELS Web Services recommended www.usend.io for sharing large files easily.
  • Julie Duran, WELS Webmaster, sent us a link to a page of web technology resources for churches from Squidoo.
  • John Shoosmith of Redeemer in Yakima, WA shared a link to a new closed-captioned sermon from Cross and Crown in Georgetown, TX.
• Coming up on WELSTech (45:55)
  • Episode 057 - The discussion of Clay Shirky’s Here Comes Everybody continues with Chapter 3, “Everyone is a Media Outlet”

The featured artist:

• This week we close with the music of In His Service featuring WELS musicians Dr. Patricia Backhaus and Valerie Floeter (www.adagioconcepts.com) - I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say from their CD titled In His Time (48:03)

Get involved:

• Add a comment below
• E-mail: welstech@wels.net
• Voice mail: 414-375-2334
• del.icio.us tag: welstech
• Join:
  • WELSTech listserve
  • WELSTech on facebook
       

This week on WELSTech Martin and Sallie are joined by Gail Potratz, our semi-regular classroom technology correspondent, and we discuss digital devices in the classroom and kick off a new WELSTech contest.

Listen now or download Episode 038 (50:13)

The discussion:

• Digital devices in the classroom – Are computer labs necessary in today’s schools?  Martin, Sallie and Gail share ideas for integrating digital devices into the classroom learning process.
  • Interactive whiteboards
    • SMART Board – www.smarttech.com
    • eBeam – www.e-beam.com
    • Mimio boards - www.mimio.com
  • Computers
    • Gail’s 8th grade home page is a launching pad for all of their online classroom resources 
    • Teacher supervised e-mail for students – www.gaggle.net
    • Sample Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)
  • Phone in your comments (414-375-2334) to this question
          
    What digital devices do you use in your classroom or Bible class? 
    • All comments received by October 7, 2008 will be entered in a drawing for a $15 gift certificate to the WELSTech Podcast store - www.cafepress.com/welstech

The tidbits:

• Picks of the week (30:25)
  • Build images for your wiki menu – glogger.mobi
  • NASA Image gallery – www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery
  • HP 2133 Mini-Note PC
• WELS.net feature (40:37)
  • Sunday School Teacher Training – www.wels.net/jump/wnusstraining
• Community feedback (42:08)
  • Cindy Krueger, member of Shepherd of the Hills in Lansing, MI, shared a link to Michigan Library Consortium’s (the other MLC) list of open source software recommendations
  • Anna, a student at Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School, asked about uses of technology in church – a religion class assignment

The featured artist:

• We close with the music WELS artist Mike Westendorf (www.mikewestendorf.com) - Prelude to Praise from his CD titled Run Boy Run (45:27)

Get involved:

• Add a comment below
• E-mail: welstech@wels.net
• Voice mail: 414-375-2334
• del.icio.us tag: welstech
• Join:
  • WELSTech listserve
  • WELSTech on facebook
• Shop the WELSTech store

This week Martin and Sallie share information on Web 2.0 and how it can be used to further ministry efforts.  They also interview MLC Prof. Dave Pelzl on SMARTBoards.

Listen now or download Episode 012 (42:16)

The discussion:

• Web 2.0 - The past 3 years have seen dramatic changes in the ability of anyone to self-publish via the Internet, often times using free tools. Martin and Sallie discuss the impact of the “Read/Write Web” and share some cautions as well as opportunities which these new tools provide, especially in terms of ministry.
  • Video documentary on Web 2.0  changes – The Machine is Us/ing Us
  • Promoting Digital Equity with Web 2.0 and Open Source from The Infinite Thinking Machine blog - Includes links to their picks for your “Digital Tool Box” in areas of productivity, keyboarding, editing digital images, and graphic organization
  • Explore the nominees and vote for your favorite Web 2.0 applications from Webware

The interview:

• SMARTBoards - MLC mathematics professor Dave Pelzl joins Martin and Sallie to share information on the interactive white board product, SMARTBoard, including its usefulness in the K-12 classroom setting.  Prof. Pelzl will be presenting SMARTBoard training at this summer’s School Leadership Conference. 
  • SMART Technologies - www.smarttech.com
  • WELS SMARTBoard resources & pricing - www.wels.net/jump/smartboard
  • Demonstration video of the SMARTBoard in action
  • 2008 WELS National School Leadership Conference
    • June 16-19, 2008 – Waukesha, WI
    • www.wels.net/jump/leaderconf

The tidbits:

• This week’s picks
  • CutePDF – www.cutepdf.com
  • Laridian Bible software for mobile digital devices - www.laridian.com
• WELS.net feature
  • Inspire royalty-free photos and art - www.wels.net/inspire
• Of interest
  • WELS Web Streaming – www.wels.net/jump/webstreaming

The featured artist:

• Revelation, a music ministry of Wisconsin Lutheran College, performs You are the God from their CD Led By The Light - www.revelationwlc.com 

Get involved:

• Add a comment below
• E-mail: welstech@wels.net
• Voice mail: 414-375-2334
• del.icio.us tag: welstech
• Join:
  • WELSTech listserve
  • WELSTech on facebook