As LEA started I knew there would be people I would know and I ran into some of them.  I was able to listen to Dr. Bull’s presentation on Media Literacies and then that night got to sit next to Dr. Bull and another college friend Jeremy Pekari a pastor.  The Skit Guys are always funny!

Later that night I decided and was urged to go to the Rock Bottom Brewery for the tweetup.  This was a bunch of Lutheran Educators who are on twitter (and a few others).  It was great to meet some of the individuals that I have converse with for the first time in person.  @kevcreutz @gilmorekendra @karacornejo @alhelmy are all great people and I am glad to get to know them better in person.  As always it is great to see @dawblack.

Friday was actually a nervous day for me, as I was going to be presenting also.  I really enjoyed sitting in the two sessions before mine and hear some twitter friends talk and even learn a thing or two.  Then came my presentation on Podcasts, I am always self-conscious about stuff I do, but I guess I did an ok job for some, I had some said they enjoyed it afterwards.    Here is a link to my presentation – http://prezi.com/_xptfwzaiay0/broadcast-your-podcast/

Both night the food was good, the speakers and other stuff was great.  The key to this conference though was the background conversations going on in the twitterverse world.  Which comes to the bad part of the conference, the lack of WiFi.  Connecting and conversing during and after the conference is KEY to a successful conference.  Even now, a week later we have new Lutheran educators on Twitter and we are still sharing thoughts and ideas.

This is just my thoughts, I liked LEA, and can’t wait for the next one in 2014!

Also, we here at the Lutheran Educators’ Guild have begun talking about creating a Lutheran Education-focused podcast.  We’d like to know how many of you listen to podcasts on a regular basis as well as how many of you might be interested in listening to one focused on Lutheran education.  What would you like such a podcast to “look” like and what topics would you want to have discussed?  Please, let us know in comments, on the forum, or via email.

Click the Link. This is an article I wrote as a guest blogger for Our Church . Com

The new iPod Nano is priced at $149 for 8 GB (twice the capacity of the Flip) and $179 for 16 GB.  The highest capacity Flip comes in at 8 GB for $199.  The iPod Nano doesn’t film in high-definition, but its resolution is the same as the standard definition Flips (640 x 480).

Video can be edited using iPhoto on the Mac (no mention of iMovie) or using photo software on the PC.

The iPod Nano is also smaller than the Flip and has a bigger screen.

So, why could the new iPod Nano be a game changer for the classroom?  Many classrooms and schools have purchased Flip video cameras to use in digital storytelling or other projects, which is great.  However, the Flip is only a video camera.  The iPod Nano offers the same features as the Flip (with double the capacity) for the same price and it can also play other digital media files.  Using iTunes, the iPod Nano can be loaded with a wealth of content from iTunes U or with podcasts from around the world.  So when the class isn’t using the iPod to shoot video, they can use it to access free content from MIT, Standford, Concordia Seminary, or access podcasts to help them with foreign language skills, history, or literature.

The new iPod Nano is a great way to bring the power of video and free, on-demand multimedia content into your classroom.