Tune in to this episode of WELSTech for a lively discussion on right-sizing technology for the classroom. Our friends Jason and Rachel are back with a rubric utility, Adobe free education resources, and a sprinkling of AI as well. You’ll be shouting “BINGO!” before you know it!

The discussion

Has education gone too far with technology?  Martin and Sallie are joined by Dr. Rachel Renno from Martin Luther College and Jason Schmidt from Oshkosh ISD to discuss the growing backlash against over-digitization in classrooms. Drawing on Jared Cooney Horvath’s The Digital Delusion, we explore how COVID accelerated tech adoption and why some are now calling for a return to fundamentals.

Ministry resource

National Teen Bible Study – Sunday, March 29 at 6:00 pm Central

Picks of the week

• BestRubrics.com
• Adobe Podcast
  • Part of Adobe Express which is free for education
• BingoBaker.com
• How To Take Smart Notes by Sonke Ahrens
  • Summary by Claude AI

Community feedback

• Hot off the press … Matt Miller’s newest book, AI Literacy in Any Class

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Welcome back to WELSTech, a conversation at the intersection of ministry and technology for over 18 years! Today we look at the newly released Artificial Intelligence Ethical Framework and Risk Matrix. Martin has a free diagramming tool while Sallie shares an affordable new Apple laptop. Plus the community feedback segment includes news of Gen Z returning to religion.

The discussion

AI Support – Martin shares a preliminary look at the latest releases from WELS AI Task Force – the AI Ethical Framework (PDF | Google Docs) and AI Risk Matrix (PDF | Google Docs) documents. Find these resources and more on the WELSTech AI page – welstech.wels.net/ai.

• Share your feedback

Picks of the week

• Apple MacBook Neo
• Excalidraw (GitHub)

Community feedback

• Grace Ungemach’s “Brand Direction” Canva template
• Why Gen Z is returning to religion
• Church 360 Ledger end of like is 6/1/2026

Next time

Tune in for a timely edtech discussion with Rachel Renno and Jason Schmidt

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It’s time for WELSTech 770, your bi-weekly dive into ministry and technology topics of the day. And today the conversation centers around tech to assist with managing a strategic plan. Also in this episode, learn more about the upcoming Taste of Missions event and a helpful new iOS app. Plus, get the “skinny” on Sallie’s hardware pick of the week.

The discussion

Working the Plan – Explore how Trello supports managing and communicating progress on a strategic plan. Martin shares WELS strategic plan in Trello, showing how color‑coded cards and cross‑linked resource boards enable clear, visual tracking of key objectives.

• Christ Through Us, WELS Strategic Plan
• Trello for non-profits
  • Details
  • Apply
• WELSTech sample Trello board

Ministry resource

Taste of Missions – June 13 at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary

• School Challenge
• Poster Contest

Picks of the week

• iPhone Air
• iOS Preview app

Community feedback

Ryan Kirchoff’s latest blog post at Blueprint Schools is a great follow up to our recent interview

Next time

Hear an update from WELS AI Task Force regarding their work on an AI Ethical Framework and Risk Matrix

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This episode of WELSTech features an interview with Ryan Kirchoff where he shares an overview of his recent Leadership Conference presentation on our favorite topic – Artificial Intelligence. Are You an Influencer is the topic of an upcoming webinar. Sallie has a new favorite song, and Martin has a new favorite gadget. Which one will be your favorite?

The discussion

Assist versus lead – Instructional coordinator and consultant Ryan Kirchoff shares highlights from his recent WELS Leadership Conference session on AI and the Church (presentation resource). Since late-2022 when AI was first shared, Ryan’s work at Fox Valley Lutheran High School and with Blueprint-Schools.com has taken on an element of educating others about what and how AI can serve ministry.

• Ryan’s latest course, AI for Impact, is specially priced at $99 per school during February

Ministry resource

• You Are an Influencer webinar
  • February 19 – 7 to 8 pm Central
  • Hosted by WELS Women’s Ministry
• Christmas coloring revisited
  • Shout out to the upper grades at St. John Lutheran School in Fox Lake, WI and Principal Tom Rosenow
  • Download their AI generated Christmas coloring book

Picks of the week

• Now Rest Beneath Night’s Shadow – Melody and chorus by Pastor Caleb Schmiege and Melanie Bourman
• KeySmart SmartCard

Community feedback

• PBX is all the talk in the WELSTech Google Group

Next time

Managing a strategic plan with Trello

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Tune into this episode of WELSTech for a master class in herding cats as we navigate a lively discussion of the MLC degree and certificate offerings for technology directors. There’s also a broad range of picks of the week, Martin’s Screens and Souls presentation from Leadership Conference, and some free Google training to discuss.

The discussion

Technology director – Martin and Sallie welcome our semi-regular edtech co-hosts, Dr. Rachel Feld and Jason Schmidt, along with yet another friend in the ed tech space, Dr. Bob Martens, Martin Luther College (MLC) Director of Information Technology. The discussion centers on the MLC Technology Director graduate degree program (a 30 credit MS Education Administration program) as well as two new certifications also offered by MLC in Education Technology Leadership and Technology Integration, each requiring 9 credits.

Summed up as learning to be comfortable with the uncomfortable, the three share how the program teaches edtech leadership skills needed to manage the many facets of the ever-changing edtech learning environment.

Ministry resource

• CoSN K-12 Innovation
  • Notebook LM summary – Infographic, Audio, Video
• Martin’s Leadership Conference presentation on Screens and Souls

Picks of the week

• 100G LR4 Single-Mode Optical Module
• Water Reminder Smart Light
• Google Chrome Split View
• Pirate Ship
• Book of Concord

Community feedback

• Free Google Certifications – Google Certified Educator Level 1 & 2 as well as Gemini Certified Educator and Gemini Certified student

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Take a look back at 2025 with Martin and Sallie as they share highlights, memories, and favorites from year 18 of the WELSTech Podcast.

Events

• WELSTech AI Summit
• AI Focus

Ministry resources

• Grace Ungemach’s weekly newsletter on digital marketing – learn.lutheran.marketing
  • Check out this week’s 2026 Brand Direction message
• WELS National Conference on Lutheran Leadership
• 2025 Ministry Resources

Interviews

• Lori Ehlke – 748 – Lori Ehlke Art
• Dr. Kristi Meyer – 761 – Comms and Cardigans
• 2025 Interviews

Picks of the year

• Notebook LM – Sallie’s WELSTech 2025 infographic example
• Christ Begins by Prof. Luke Thompson, in Christian Worship, hymn 385 – Lyric video
• The updated WELS Call Report
• Pitaka Phone Cases
• Wispr Flow
• Plaud
• The real number 1 – co-hosts Dr. Rachel Renno and Jason Schmidt
• 2025 Picks of the Week

Next time

Year 19 of WELSTech is ahead of us. What will it hold for tech-in-ministry?

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Merry Christmas from WELSTech! We’re continuing our holiday tradition of sharing a special Christmas interview with our listeners. This year, we’re excited to welcome Melanie Giddings from the Lutheran Schools Office to talk about the important work underway to develop a new religion curriculum.

The interview

A new curriculum in development – Melanie Giddings, Curriculum Coordinator from WELS Lutheran Schools, joins Martin and Sallie to share an inside look at the work being shared by many hands on a new Pre-K to 12 religion curriculum being developed to succeed Christ Light.

Christmas Coloring Book Collab

There’s still time to submit your AI-generated Christmas coloring page for inclusion in a WELSTech crowd-sourced coloring book. Send your entries to [email protected], and we’ll choose a random contributor to receive some sweet WELS swag!

Try this prompt:

A black and white coloring page for kids of [YOUR TOPIC], thick lines, white background, no shading, no grey scale, simple vector style.

• Microsoft Designer
• Adobe Express Coloring Page Generator
• ColorBliss.art
• Crayola Color Camera

Next time

Join us in January for our look back at WELSTech 2025!

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‘Tis the WELSTech Christmas season! Join us for a giveaway announcement that involves the good news of Christmas, coloring books, and AI. You could win a fun WELS item while you exercise your AI skills. Christmas concerts, anniversary offerings, travel apps, managing your smart home, and free EDU GPT round out this episode. Let’s goooo!

The discussion

Celebrating in color – Martin and Sallie are collocated, Christmas-color coordinated, and collaborating on a coloring project. Everyone is invited to participate in an AI experiment, creating Christmas-related coloring pages which we’ll compile into a sharable book. Send your entries to [email protected], and we’ll choose a random contributor to receive some sweet WELS swag!

Try this prompt:

A black and white coloring page for kids of [YOUR TOPIC], thick lines, white background, no shading, no grey scale, simple vector style.

• Microsoft Designer
• Adobe Express Coloring Page Generator
• ColorBliss.art
• Crayola Color Camera

Ministry resource

• WELS Christmas Concert details – wels.net/events
• WELS 175th Anniversary – Special Offering

Picks of the week

• iExit
• Hubitat

Community feedback

Chat GPT is free for teachers until June 2027

• Learn more from Tom’s Guide

Next time

Melanie Giddings, Curriculum Coordinator from the Lutheran Schools office, shares details on this important work.

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This week on WELSTech we take a deep dive into Google’s NotebookLM. Discover how this AI tool uses only your uploaded documents to create everything from video and audio overviews, flashcards, and summary documents, plus learn about other innovative AI tools like Hume Voice AI and the Plaud audio recorder that are changing the way we work and communicate.

The discussion

I wonder …. – Martin and Sallie are joined by Dr. Rachel Renno, Director of Academic Computing for Martin Luther College, and Jason Schmidt, Director of Technology for Oshkosh (WI) Area School District to discuss Google’s NotebookLM and how it leverages AI only on the documents you upload. Use NotebookLM to generate video and audio overviews of your content as well as summary documents, flashcards, and quizzes. Plus, it integrates easily into Google Classroom!

• Sample NotebookLM – WELSTech SAMR Season Overview
  • Video overview
  • Audio overview

Ministry resource

• 10 Ways A Pastor Can Use Google NotebookLM for Work, Ministry and Beyond

Picks of the week

• Hume – Voice AI
• Plaud – AI audio recorder
• Auctria online auctions – Sample auction by Risen Savior Lutheran School, Mankato, MN
• Nomadic Travel Pack

Community feedback

• iCloud and Google Drive are NOT Backups from Kim Komando
• HubSpot Specialist needed in WELS Technology
• From WELS Intersections on Facebook
  • Thanksgiving Social Media post ideas
  • Church Technology in 2025 and beyond from Tithe.ly
    • Nextdoor – local community communication
    • Reach app – group email and text
    • Apple Business Connect – control your church or school display on Apple Maps and more

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On this episode of WELSTech, we take a closer look at one of the standout offerings from the upcoming WELS National Conference on Lutheran Leadership. We also revisit the WELS Strategic Plan, with a special focus on the Calling pillar. Plus, we’ve got our usual lineup of helpful Picks of the week and the latest Community Feedback. Ready to dive in? Simply press Play!

The interview and discussion

Church Planning – Martin chats with John Rathje, Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at Kent State University, about his upcoming breakout session at the WELS National Conference on Lutheran Leadership titled Planning That Works.

• January 19-21, 2026 at the Chicago Hilton
• 4 Keynotes & 69 Breakouts
• Register now for early bird pricing – $299
• Reserve your hotel room

Ministry resource

WELS Strategic Plan – Christ Through Us

• Calling pillar
• Conect

Picks of the week

• Daily cyber security tips from Total Defense via their Facebook page
• WhatsApp

Community feedback

From the WELSTech Google Group

• A call for and Information Security Committee Member
• Looking for a Chromebook policy

Next time

Jason and Rachel return for some educational technology goodness!

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This episode of WELSTech opens with an overview of the recent WELS Artificial Intelligence (AI) survey. The AI theme continues throughout the show, featuring details on the new Hour of AI initiative, a powerful prompt designed to help organize scattered thoughts, a WELS-centric GPT tool, and the latest edition of the TAAFT (There’s an AI for That) newsletter. And yes—watch out for AI llamas!

The discussion

The survey says – Martin shares preliminary insights from the recent AI survey distributed to WELS called and lay workers. While analysis is ongoing, the results will guide and prioritize the efforts of the AI Task Force. Notably, information on ethical considerations and ministry-specific use cases of AI emerged as top desired resources.

Ministry Resource

Updated Google Calendar lectionaries for

• Christian Worship 2021
• Christian Worship 1993

Picks of the week

• Hour of AI
• The Prompt that Organizes Your Chaos – featured in Jeff Su’s Workplace Essentials newsletter (Subscribe)

Community feedback & events

• WELS GPT by Mark Salzwedel from Christ Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie, MN – Shared in the WELSTech Google Group
• TAAFT (There’s an AI for That) newsletter – Sample | Subscribe

Next time

John Rathje shares a bit about his Lutheran Leadership Conference session on planning that works. Register early to secure your spot and take advantage of discounted pricing.

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