K12 Tech Talk

In the latest episode of K12 Tech Talk, Josh, Chris, and Mark discuss Infinite Campus woes, FBI security audits, and Mark's reflections.   Special "Back to School" Virtual K12TechPro Meetup is August 7th Richmond, VA K12TechPro Southeast Region Meetup is September 20th MidwestTechTalk is July 22nd and 23rd (Our friends VIZOR, KCAV, Extreme, Fortinet, and more will be there!) NTP ClassLink Fortinet...

In the latest episode of K12 Tech Talk, Josh, Chris, and Mark dive into the latest news in the education technology world. They discuss Instructure's annual "EdTech Top 40" report, LAUSD's "Ed" initiative making headlines, and the US Department of Education releasing guidance for AI developers in education. They also address listener emails regarding FOIA requests for staff email addresses. The ma...

Josh, Chris, and Mark discuss a variety of topics including cell phone bans and prepping for the FCC pilot. They also address listener feedback on the garage door conversation from a few weeks back. The main topic of the episode focuses on why one of the hosts is leaving their district - but you're going to have to listen to the episode to find out who's leaving and why!    VIZOR -  Do a demo  and...

WARNING - This episode does have some "spicy" humor and language. Be aware if listening around children and/or small animals. Chris is gone, so Mark and Josh do their best to hold down the fort. They take a listener email from James about prepping for extreme heat and keeping datacenters cool. Mark and Josh play a version of Family Feud about the top uses for communication apps. They also talk abo...

The studio is still under construction, but we do have a new logo and music! The news room will return soon (and Mark too). And we're still making adjustments. Josh and Chris discuss Android versus Apple, third party patching options, garage doors and sprinkler systems on the school's wifi, and the FCC's cybersecurity pilot announcement (that the podcast and K12TechPro were cited in!) . ----------...

The studio is under construction! Josh and Chris talk about student cell phone usage and give a shout out to Jason at K12TechPro, they discuss the FCC's approval of the cybersecurity pilot, Microsoft ditching Flip, and Chris' Infinite Campus woes. NTP is helping K12TechPro with the Meetups .  Join us Virtually on August 7th and at Richmond, VA on September 20th. ClassLink - Check out classlink.com...

In the latest episode of the K12 Tech Talk Podcast, hosts Josh and Mark discuss the recent Klein ISD DDOS attack that disrupted STARR testing, leading to an 18-year-old student facing felony charges. They also delve into a Google Blog post about phishing tests and the adoption of a “fire drill” approach. The main topic of the episode focuses on Google, ChatGPT, and Microsoft Copilot at the enterpr...

In the latest episode of the K12 Tech Talk Podcast, hosts Josh, Chris, and Mark discuss the new CISA reporting requirements, the details of the E-Rate cybersecurity pilot, and the rumored PowerSchool buyout by Bain Capital. They also address listener questions about Manifest V3 and summer school preparation. CISA reporting requirements (CIRCIA) Consortium for School Networking PowerSchool buyout b...

This is a re-release episode! We sit down with Scott Elder, the Superintendent of Albuquerque Public Schools. We talk about the ransomware attack they experienced in January 2021.  This discussion is from the perspective of the Superintendent during the attack.  Scott is wildly candid and honest about the experience. iDoc ManagedMethods Extreme Networks Fortinet Oh, and... Email us at  k12techtalk...

In the latest episode of the K12 Tech Talk Podcast, hosts Josh and Mark delve into the latest tech news, including the malicious hacker behind the Kaseya ransomware attack being jailed and the introduction of the Protecting Kids on Social Media Act and the Eyes on the Board Act. They also address listener emails about the proper disposal of old computer hard drives and the use of Google Takeout. T...

Chris and Mark attend the PESC-A4L Summit . They learn about A4L 's mission to support lifelong learning through interoperability, privacy, and security across PK20W+ - breaking down the silos and ensuring the data seamlessly follows the learners from PK though K12 into Post-secondary, into the workforce, and into retirement. Interviews: Steve Smith, Executive Director of A4L... The Godfather Stev...

In the latest episode of the K12 Tech Talk Podcast, Chris and Mark discuss a variety of news stories, including the COPS SVPP grant focusing on security measures in schools such as notification systems and security cameras. They also address concerns around Primavera's investment in  Tutor.com and the rise of AI-generated plagiarism in student papers. Listener emails reveal discussions on firewall...

In this insightful episode of K12 Tech Talk, Josh and Mark delve into recent events and hot topics within the sphere of school technology. Triggered by a recent cyber-attack on the Clark County, the hosts debate whether schools should be held accountable for such breaches and discuss the potential nation-wide implications of legal cases in this regard. The guys discuss the importance of robust cyb...

This is Part 2 of K12 Tech Talk's engaging journey through the trending topics from CoSN in Miami! Highlights are discussions about AI readiness and CoSN's AI maturity matrix, Secure by Design, enhancing data security in schools, and the dynamic evolution of technology within educational institutions. Interviews include: Josh Olstad - Technology Director, SAU #5, New Hampshire Shahryar Khazei - re...

Part 1 of 2 In this exciting episode of K12 Tech Talk, Chris, Josh, and Mark deliver a front-row experience of the CoSN Conference in Miami. Interviews include: Susan Enfield - CoSN Keynote Richard Culatta - CEO ISTE/ASCD Don Ringelestein - CoSN Board, DEI subcommittee Megan Gretzinger - Friend of K12TechPro and K12 Tech Talk Will Brackett - "After Action Reports" session - - - - - https://www.you...

Josh, Chris, and Mark discuss several listener emails and K12TechPro posts. They talk about POTS lines with elevators, fire alarms, and fax machines. They talk about password managers. They talk about how to obtain technical knowledge and skills when you have a position that isn't necessarily specializing in a certain area. They talk about LMS options and the tech dept's support role. And then the...

This is a special episode. Josh and Chris interview Mohit Gupta, Director of Product at Clever. We discuss student MFA, the teacher Clever Library, student data privacy, the history of Clever, and more. ----more---- https://www.youtube.com/@k12techtalk Join the K12TechPro.com Community. Buy our merch!!! * NTP * Howard * Email Seth Shockley - sshockley@howard.com * Extreme - email dmayer@extremenet...

Josh, Chris, and Mark discuss the recent cyberattack where hackers compromised two critical systems of CISA using vulnerabilities in Ivanti products. Josh derails the conversation after receiving some "hate" mail recently, though. They also touch on the future of VR in education, reflecting on past experiences with Google Expeditions and the shift towards AI in K12. The episode features an intervi...

In this episode, the guys discuss a security bulletin from Papercut, the launch of the digital SAT, and the release of an artificial intelligence framework for district leaders by ILO Group. They also address listener emails, including a question about parental access to web filters. The main topic focuses on tips for preparing for online testing season and large-scale assessments, prompted by a l...

Josh and Mark discuss the decline in edtech investments after the pandemic and the impact it may have on the industry. They also touch on the renewal costs for VMware customers and the opportunity it presents for competitor Nutanix. The episode explores the importance of team growth in a school district, highlighting the benefits of knowledge sharing, proactive vs. reactive work, and shared respon...

Hosts Josh, Chris, and Mark discuss a range of tech news stories, including articles on AT&T cell phone service outages, teachers avoiding AI tools, and the use of panic buttons for school safety. They also address a listener email about handling personal documents in district collaboration tools. The main topic focuses on holding a tabletop cybersecurity exercise with district leadership, wit...

Josh takes a few minutes to remind everyone to patch your systems, firewalls, servers, Veeam, VPNs, etc. He also talks about the importance of looking at your logs, especially those public facing devices. Finally, he brags that he submitted four 471s to E-Rate and all four of them went to "Wave Ready" status in less than six hours after upload. The majority of this episode is spent talking with Er...

In this episode, the guys discuss various news stories including a CISA alert about a former employee account compromise and Greenwich CT's request for $600k to fix poor cell service at a high school. They also address listener emails regarding their dislike of Teams and feedback on the Principal's Episode. The main topic of the episode centers around preparing for a virtual snow day, prompted by...

In this episode, we dive into the latest news in the K-12 technology world. We discuss who hacked into Fulton County, Georgia schools' computer systems, we touch on the FCC's Affordable Connectivity Program, and we trade thoughts on a Maine school that will begin biometric scanning for student attendance. We debrief the Clever MFA roadmap and how a student-friendly MFA could work. The main topic o...

This is a special episode where we talk to principals and share our advice, or the advice we received from the K12 tech community, for how principals can better understand and work with their IT staff. Our tips and tricks were compiled based on feedback from /r/K12sysadmin and K12TechPro along with a few emails from listeners. We all recognize the importance of our school principals and we hope th...