The CoSN Podcast

Join us to delve into the pivotal interplay between artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. Join us as we unravel the ways AI is transforming threat detection, intrusion prevention, and incident response. We’ll explore real-world applications, benefits, challenges, and the ethical dimensions of AI in cybersecurity. Be part of the conversation to stay informed about the latest trends and essential insights for navigating this evolving landscape effectively.

Presenters:

Amy McLaughlin, MS, MA, CETL, CISM, CHPS, CDPSE, CISSP, CoSN Cybersecurity Project Director,
Executive Director, Technical and Solutions Architecture Oregon State University (OR)

Bryan Ruzenski, Director of External Technology Services, Chester County Intermediate Unit (PA)

Corey O’Connor, CETL, Director of Technology , Montgomery County Educational Service Center (OH)

Thomas Molina, PMP, CISSP, SSCP, CTO, Corpus Christi Independent School District (TX)

Jennifer Clouser, CETL,  Executive Director, Department of Technology, Auburn School District #408 (WA)

In our professional advancement webinars, education technology experts from across the country and worldwide present their specialties. During each interactive session, experts engage in dialogue to address the challenges and opportunities facing educators. Webinars are FREE for members and $59 for non-members. Partner webinars are free for all.

Student privacy is a growing concern across K12 education. Although many digital tools and edtech providers have invested in student data privacy, many stakeholders are calling for more training, awareness, and cybersecurity in the classroom. How can we guarantee that students get the best possible experience leveraging edtech tools and that their data is secure and privacy safeguarded? 

In this episode of the CoSN Podcast, we discuss student data privacy, increasing awareness, vetting procedures, and more. There is no doubt that schools have a responsibility to protect student data and maximize student data privacy. In order to do this, schools must implement proactive strategies and training to support staff and increase student safety. 

Today’s guest is Kerry Gallagher

We must invest in effective cybersecurity to mitigate these risks and increase the health of our K12 schools. 

In the third part of this three-part series on K-12 Education and Cybersecurity, our guests share backgrounds, standards, and strategies for cybersecurity success. Overall this conversation highlights the multitude of factors that add up to increase the health and security of K12 data systems and cybersecurity. There is no doubt that the work of our guests and IT professionals across the education sector is essential. 

Today’s guests are Mayank Agarwal and Scott Gilhousen.  

How do you balance technological accessibility and cybersecurity? This is a question many school districts have asked over the past several years. Particularly during remote learning, many districts challenged their preconceived notions on accessibility and cybersecurity, leading to many robust changes in districts nationwide. 

In this conversation, special guests Doug Thompson and Henry Martin discuss how schools can best implement transformative IT and ensure that sensitive data protection maintains its secure status through collaborative planning and execution. 

Doug Thompson is the Chief Education Architect at Tanium. He is a passionate storyteller, TEDx speaker, Go Tanium Tech Stories Podcast host and digital transformation warrior.  After a 20-year stint at Microsoft, he came to Tanium, where he acts as a Tanium Technical Solutions Engineer and  Education Strategist.  He has been involved in the Education arena for over a decade, working with some of the US's largest K-12 and Higher Education institutions. 

Henry Martin is the Chief Information Officer at Walton County School District in DeFuniak Springs, Florida, and is a member of the Florida Technology Council. Henry has streamlined and established career pathways and professional development for IT personnel across the district.

A key takeaway from this conversation is the power of collaboration in creating innovative systems and the importance of patching and communication for managing automated systems. 

Have “ILL gotten goods” ever shown up at your doorstep with individuals expecting them to be added to the network? Join us for another IT Leadership discussion about the Value of Investment (VOI) and the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for technology items. Four district IT leaders will talk about their new technology acquisition process when the funds come from unrestricted entities like parent organizations or Donors Choose. While this issue seems to be an age-old problem for IT leaders, our panelists will be able to shed some light on their district process solutions and how sustainability can be built into the planning process.

In our professional advancement webinars, education technology experts from across the country and around the world present their specialties. During each interactive session, experts engage in dialogue to address the challenges and opportunities facing educators. Webinars are FREE for members and $59 for non-members. Partner webinars are free for all.

As school digital ecosystems expand and rapidly become more at threat, there needs to be a transparent understanding of building and adapting functionally digitized systems.

In the second part of this three-part K-12 Education and Cybersecurity series, our guests discuss the expansion of more developed operational and learning management systems in schools and strategies for successful implementation and change management.

As both of this episode's guests can attest, school districts' use of digitization has expanded dramatically over the past decade, and there are a host of challenges technology and education practitioners need to be aware of.

Today’s guests are Shahryar Khazei and Vishal Salvi.

Shahryar Khazei is a seasoned IT executive with over 36 years of experience in the private and public education industry. He was the Chief Information Officer of the nation’s second-largest school district, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). After retiring from LAUSD, Khazei founded Macaw Consulting, which provides strategic and management consulting services to school districts, non-profit organizations, and for-profit companies in the education sector across the United States.  In 2021, he joined the Board of Directors at the Consortium of School Networking (CoSN)

Cybersecurity is not just a technology issue. It is part of everyone’s job.

What do students, parents, teachers, and staff need to know to protect themselves and their schools from cyber-attacks?

What are the best practices for teachers with their students? How does the school work with parents and staff on an ongoing basis?

The assumption is that the responsibility for all cybersecurity decisions and outcomes rests solely with the technology team. Some assume that managing cybersecurity risk is too technical for students, parents, teachers and staff involvement.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

In our professional advancement webinars, education technology experts from across the country and around the world present their specialties. During each interactive session, experts engage in dialogue to address the challenges and opportunities facing educators. Webinars are FREE for members and $59 for non-members. Partner webinars are free for all.

In an ever-growing connected world, cybersecurity is a growing issue that often gets overlooked. From financial risks to personal information risks, cybersecurity risks have changed the landscape of K12 and higher education. Despite the growing risks, we have yet to see a hyper-awareness of school and community leaders of the landscape of cybersecurity impact.

In the first part of this three-part K-12 Education and Cybersecurity series, our guests discuss why cybersecurity is so important, current risks, often overlooked struggles, the significance of collaboration, and more. This conversation aims to address the issues at hand and improve awareness of cybersecurity strategies.

Today’s guests are Mitrankur Majumdar and Lenny J. Schad.

Mitrankur Majumdar is a passionate, innovative, and strategic business leader with 23 years of experience specializing in executing business transformation through technology and process intervention. At Infosys, Mit is responsible for positioning the company as a global systems integrator across Information Services, Publishing, professional services, education, travel, hospitality, and EPC companies. Apart from helping his customers with their IT or BPO landscape.

Lenny Schad, Chief Information & Innovation Officer for District Administration, has worked in K-12 since 2003, successfully leading the implementations of BYOD and 1:1 in Katy ISD and Houston ISD, respectively, as the CIO.  Lenny has served as a board member for CoSN and is a published author.  His book “Bring Your Own Learning: Transform Instruction with any Device” has helped many organizations implement digital transformation initiatives.

CoSN K12 Leadership Pre-Survey Tips Webinar on January 5th, 2023.

In our professional advancement webinars, education technology experts from across the country and around the world present their specialties. During each interactive session, experts engage in dialogue to address the challenges and opportunities facing educators. Webinars are FREE for members and $59 for non-members. Partner webinars are free for all.

Today's panelists include:

• Reg Leichty, Founding Partner Foresight Law + Policy, Washington, District of Columbia
• Andrea Johnson, Policy and Research Assistant Foresight Law + Policy, Sheridan, WY Office

In our professional advancement webinars, education technology experts from across the country and around the world present their specialties. During each interactive session, experts engage in dialogue to address the challenges and opportunities facing educators. Webinars are FREE for members and $59 for non-members. Partner webinars are free for all.

What is it?

Why it's beneficial?

How to apply for recertification?

Today's panelists include:

• Chelsea Earhart, MBA, CAE, Director of Certification, CoSN CETL® Certified Program (KS)
• Robin Gunter, CETL®, CoSN Certification Governance Council, Chair, Executive Director Instructional Technology Richardson ISD (TX)
• Chantell Manahan,  CETL®, CoSN Certification Governance Council, Member Director of Technology MSD of Steuben County (IN)
  

In our professional advancement webinars, education technology experts from across the country and around the world present their specialties. During each interactive session, experts engage in dialogue to address the challenges and opportunities facing educators. Webinars are FREE for members and $59 for non-members. Partner webinars are free for all.

In order to reduce barriers, leaders must work to develop their Universal Design for Learning mindset, knowledge, and skills to ensure that all learners have equitable access to educational materials and resources. During this session, you will hear from two district leaders who are using a UDL mindset to lead.

In our professional advancement webinars, education technology experts from across the country and around the world present their specialties. During each interactive session, experts engage in dialogue to address the challenges and opportunities facing educators. Webinars are FREE for members and $59 for non-members. Partner webinars are free for all.

Capturing the Value of Investment for Technology Spending. 

Today's panelists include: 

• Frankie J. Jackson, CETL, Subject Matter Expert, CoSN
• William Pierce, Executive Administrator of Digital Innovation and Program Management, Jefferson County School District (KY)
• Diane W. Doersch, CETL, Technical Project Director, Digital Promise (DC)
• Rob Dickinson, Chief Information Officer, Wichita Public Schools USD 259 (KS)

In our professional advancement webinars, education technology experts from across the country and around the world present their specialties. During each interactive session, experts engage in dialogue to address the challenges and opportunities facing educators. Webinars are FREE for members and $59 for non-members. Partner webinars are free for all.

CoSN has conducted an annual survey of U.S. K-12 IT Leaders for the past nine years. The results from the 2022 survey were recently released. Come to this webinar to learn about the key findings and better understand today’s EdTech landscape around the state of cybersecurity risks, BYOD initiatives, demands for home access support, and more.

The survey and this webinar were made possible by the Ed-Fi Alliance and CDW-G, conducted in partnership with MCH Data, K12 Insite, and AASA.

In our professional advancement webinars, education technology experts from across the country and around the world present their specialties. During each interactive session, experts engage in dialogue to address the challenges and opportunities facing educators. Webinars are FREE for members and $59 for non-members. Partner webinars are free for all.

Over the past two years, we have seen technology use in the classroom skyrocket. From assessment tools to curriculum support, these technologies are essential to classrooms in districts across the country. Hand in hand with the bloom in learning technologies, inclusive technologies have become a major topic of discussion in the education world.

In a recent survey, CoSN members shared their experiences and how emergency funding has impacted purchasing decisions. This 30-minute webinar will highlight the key findings, and every attendee will receive a copy of the full survey report.

In our professional advancement webinars, education technology experts from across the country and around the world present their specialties. During each interactive session, experts engage in dialogue to address the challenges and opportunities facing educators. Webinars are FREE for members and $59 for non-members. Partner webinars are free for all.

The pandemic has shifted education as we know it and now is our chance to move forward into a world where innovation is central to catalyzing change needed more than ever before.

During CoSN’s two Driving K-12 Innovation Summit #2, we will explore the Tech Enablers that our Advisory Board has deemed the most influential for 2022. What are the biggest challenges and motivations for change, and what are the tools to help us get there? How has the COVID-19 pandemic played a role in the process?

In our professional advancement webinars, education technology experts from across the country and around the world present their specialties. During each interactive session, experts engage in dialogue to address the challenges and opportunities facing educators. Webinars are FREE for members and $59 for non-members. Partner webinars are free for all.

Building a data privacy governance program is a significant undertaking, requiring leadership support, knowledgeable technology leadership empowered to build and implement the program, and an institution-wide culture that is open to change. The “what” is understandable, but the “how” is often murky. How do you engage with leadership to make the case for building or improving your privacy program? How do you start building acceptance for the needed changes? Join us as we do a deep dive into the “how” with representatives from 2 districts that have each earned their Trusted Learning Environment (TLE) Seal. Listen in as they share how they moved from thinking about data privacy to action, and learn tips that you can apply to your student data privacy efforts.

In our professional advancement webinars, education technology experts from across the country and around the world present their specialties. During each interactive session, experts engage in dialogue to address the challenges and opportunities facing educators. Webinars are FREE for members and $59 for non-members. Partner webinars are free for all.

The pandemic has shifted education as we know it and now is our chance to move forward into a world where innovation is central to catalyzing change needed more than ever before.

During CoSN’s two Driving K-12 Innovation Summit #1, we will explore the Hurdles & Accelerators that our Advisory Board has deemed the most influential for 2022. What are the biggest challenges and motivations for change, and what are the tools to help us get there? How has the COVID-19 pandemic played a role in the process?

In our professional advancement webinars, education technology experts from across the country and around the world present their specialties. During each interactive session, experts engage in dialogue to address the challenges and opportunities facing educators. Webinars are FREE for members and $59 for non-members. Partner webinars are free for all.

Join us to share your story and hear from a panel of professionals, just like you, in various stages of their careers. Explore how leadership looks today. Discover the strategic drivers that should frame your approach to leadership each day. Explore the different stages of leadership and continue to grow in your role, and advance your career.

In our professional advancement webinars, education technology experts from across the country and around the world present on their specialties. During each interactive session, experts engage in dialogue to address the challenges and opportunities facing educators. Webinars are FREE for members and $59 for non-members. Partner webinars are free for all.

The Cybersecurity Insurance landscape is rapidly changing.  Premiums and deductibles are increasing and insurance companies are demanding that K12 organizations take a more active role in protecting their technology environments.  Insurance companies are also rolling out risk assessments and questionnaires to determine rates and eligibility.  

What do you need to do to prepare to respond to these risk assessments and maintain an insurable technology infrastructure?

In our professional advancement webinars, education technology experts from across the country and around the world present on their specialties. During each interactive session, experts engage in dialogue to address the challenges and opportunities facing educators. Webinars are FREE for members and $59 for non-members. Partner webinars are free for all.

Hear about the CoSN 2021 Member Survey and survey results, and get the latest perspective from school districts like your own.

In our professional advancement webinars, education technology experts from across the country and around the world present on their specialties. During each interactive session, experts engage in dialogue to address the challenges and opportunities facing educators. Webinars are FREE for members and $59 for non-members. Partner webinars are free for all.

Organizations often focus on gender diversity, and while this does improve school system's performance, ethnic diversity has an even larger impact on stakeholder outcomes.

Diversity is not just a "do good" thing - it supports your school system's bottom line.

Join us in this webinar to discuss:

• Why diversity matters
• How to attract talent from ethnically diverse groups
• How to make sure that the talent you attract wants to stay with you

Cybersecurity is an interesting and developing topic in the world of K12 education. Over the past several years, we have seen a massive investment in technology across schools and districts. This investment in educational tools has led to increased risk from student data to network soundness.

The education world is constantly changing and growing, and technology is consistently a factor in that change. In our new technology-forward education industry, cybersecurity is a major factor in protecting students, educators, and communities. In this episode of the CoSN podcast presented by Dell Technologies, we discuss current cybersecurity industry standards and the exciting CoSN “CyberSecurity Leadership Game” with Amy McLaughlin, Frankie Jackson, and Matt Dascoli.

Amy McLaughlin is the Executive Director, Technical and Solutions Architecture at Oregon State University and Cyber Security & Network Consultant & Project Lead at CoSN. Frankie Jackson is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Texas K-12 Chief Technology Officer Council and project director for the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools at CoSN. Matthew Dascoli is the Senior Manager of K12 Education Strategy at Dell Technologies. Amy, Frankie, and Matt serve the larger education community in their respective work on the “Cybersecurity Leadership Game.” In aspiring collaboration and evolving school leadership, Amy, Matt, and Frankie are all actively involved in revolutionizing the ever-changing cybersecurity landscape.

Building Cybersecurity Leadership Capacity, One Game at a Time!

Technology – when used thoughtfully – can have a tremendous impact in supporting districts’ goals around inclusive learning environments. What are the biggest challenges and what are some proven, practical strategies to make learning more inclusive? We’re tackling those questions today with a panel of expert practitioners:

• Karen Janowski - inclusive technology consultant and former adjunct professor at Simmons College in Boston
• Beth Poss - educational and technology consultant, accessibility and inclusion advocate, speech/language pathologist, and former assistant principal
• Chris Bugaj - inclusive technology facilitator, speech language pathologist, and founding member of the Assistive Technology Team for Loudoun County Public Schools in Virginia

In the third and final episode of this Large Districts Great Minds mini-series, we’re discussing strategies for balancing the technology landscape to ensure impact on student learning. A trio of leaders from the Wake County School System in North Carolina join the podcast to share practices that have worked for them, along with situations in which technology is – or is not – the answer to districts’ needs.

Marlo Gaddis, Chief Technology Officer; Allison Reid, Sr. Director of Digital Learning & Libraries; and Lisa Belsha, Director of Digital Resources to  their expertise and proven strategies. The guests speak about the questions they ask and procedures they follow when evaluating potential edtech solutions, how they find the balance between meeting all needs but maintaining a manageable number of tools for educators and students to master, how they use data to evaluate the benefits of various tools in use, some of their biggest successes, and more.

In CoSN’s Large District Great Minds Series, leaders from large school districts across the country are engaging in meaningful peer conversations and working alongside CoSN to incubate and drive innovative practices designed to solve districts’ unique challenges as we move into the new era of hybrid learning.

The Large Districts Great Minds Series is sponsored by Amazon Web Services, Classlink, Clever, ContentKeeper Technologies, ENA and CatchOn, FileWave, and Google.

Data is a key element that supports school districts in the journey from sight to vision. When used correctly, data increases our understanding of individual students’ strengths and needs, helps us create meaningfully personalized learning environments, and gives us the tools to put our goals within reach and make them achievable.

Dr. Mary Levinsohn-Klyap, Coordinator of Data Literacy & Coaching for Howard County Public Schools in Maryland, is this episode’s featured guest. Mary discusses the critical importance of making meaning of data and the role data coaches can play in that process. They also dive deep into the humanity behind the data; how to interpret information with intention, leading to better personalization for students; how to create a data culture that supports instruction and achievement; and best practices for districts beginning to implement a new approach to edtech data.

In our previous episode, we discussed the changes taking place within school districts in response to, and also to embrace, trends regarding remote and hybrid work environments. Today, we’re continuing to speak about the ways in which technology departments are evolving their goals, aligning staffing objectives to those overall goals, and developing new approaches to build modern teams. Specifically, we’re discussing the process of building and supporting diverse technology teams.

Our expert guests give their perspectives on the ways in which districts benefit from diverse technology teams, some of the recruitment blind spots they’ve uncovered and addressed, how competition from other industries has influenced and improved hiring and retention efforts, how they’ve evolved the way candidates’ experience is evaluated, and more.

Today’s guests are technology leaders from large school districts around the country: Kara Thorstenson, Director of Libraries and Instructional Technology for Chicago Public Schools; Lori Jones, Assistant Superintendent for Technology Services in the Northside Independent School District in San Antonio, Texas; and Lisa Spencer, Director of Instructional Technology & Support for Prince George's County Public Schools in Maryland. They chat about the elements of building and supporting a diverse technology team – the why and the how.

This is the second of three episodes aligned to CoSN’s Large District Great Minds Series, in which leaders from large school districts across the country are engaging in meaningful peer conversations, and working alongside CoSN to incubate and drive innovative practices designed to solve districts’ unique challenges as we move into the new era of hybrid learning.

The Large Districts Great Minds Series is sponsored by Amazon Web Services, Classlink, Clever, ContentKeeper Technologies, ENA and CatchOn, FileWave, and Google.

Remote and hybrid work environments have grown in popularity over a number of years, and this trend, like so many others, has been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. The trend is now impacting schools just as it is transforming other workplaces and industries.

In considering schools’ teaching and learning objectives, and the tools and technologies we use to best equip students with future-ready skills, predicting and understanding the “future of work” is an important factor. How can district leaders address their immediate needs while simultaneously redefining work environments and building the edtech leadership to support them?

Today’s guests are technology leaders from large school districts around the country: Steve Langford, Chief Information Officer of Beaverton School District in Oregon; Allen Miedema, Executive Director for Technology for Northshore School District in Washington; and Freddie Cox, Chief Technology Officer for Knox County Schools in Tennessee. They chat with edCircuit about the hybrid work environments they’ve developed in their districts, what a positive culture looks like in a remote environment, and more.

This is the first of three episodes aligned to CoSN’s Large District Great Minds Series, in which leaders from large school districts across the country are engaging in meaningful peer conversations and working alongside CoSN to incubate and drive innovative practices designed to solve districts’ unique challenges as we move into the new era of hybrid learning.

The Large Districts Great Minds Series is sponsored by Amazon Web Services, Classlink, Clever, ContentKeeper Technologies, ENA and CatchOn, FileWave, and Google.

In the past two episodes, we’ve discussed digital security and cybersecurity, and the fact that each stakeholder group within a school district plays a role in ensuring the cybersecurity plan is effective. Students are one of those key stakeholder groups, and they’re the focus of this episode. How do we help them develop digital citizenship skills and understand their role in ensuring digital safety?

Dan Farsaci, Director of Technology for Liverpool Central School District in New York, joins the podcast to share his expertise on this subject. Farsaci and MindRocket Media Group discuss how digital citizenship and cybersecurity fit together, how Farsaci’s team is fostering digital citizenship skills throughout their district, how both curriculum and technology departments are leaders in these efforts, and more.

What are some of the specific cybersecurity challenges school districts are facing and addressing? How have the past two years changed the cybersecurity landscape?

Gary Lambert, Director of 21st Century Learning for Beekmantown Central School District in New York, is the guest on this episode and shares his insights on these critical topics. Lambert and MindRocket Media Group discuss the reasons why concerns about cybersecurity are in the DNA of 21st century learning, how the pandemic has influenced cybersecurity trends, and some of the tools Lambert’s district is utilizing to mitigate cybersecurity challenges. They also discuss advice for district leaders, why all roles within a district need to be informed about cybersecurity, and more.

Digital safety and cybersecurity are among the most critical responsibilities of school districts. Technology leaders nationwide are constantly evaluating new tools and best practices to develop an effective, reliable security plan that all stakeholders can follow. We look at digital security tools in part one of this three-part series. How do districts determine their needs, find tools that align with their strategy, and succeed with the implementation of their plan?

edCircuit chats with technology leaders from Nebraska’s Norris School District: Noel Erskine, Technology Director, and Bryan Williams, Network Administrator. They discuss the key factors for evaluating a district’s digital security, how to find and implement effective tools, how to make use of grant funding for procurement, advice for other districts facing similar challenges, and more.

Billions of dollars are spent annually on promising education technology solutions, but how many deliver an ROI in improved student outcomes? Often, the way to determine the best tools is to ensure alignment with teaching best practices and research-based approaches. When we rely on the right data and involve all stakeholders in the process, we can implement high-impact, innovative ideas at scale.

Dr. Sonny Magana and Jon Corippo are this episode’s expert guests to talk through these topics. Sonny is an online learning pioneer who served as the founding principal of Washington State’s first CyberSchool. He is an Oxford Research Scholar, award-winning teacher, and best-selling author whose latest book is Disruptive Classroom Technologies. Jon is a former teacher, assistant superintendent, and IT director who has been recognized as a 20 to Watch Educator by the NSBA, a Top 100 Influencer in the 2019 EdTech Digest Awards, and a 2020 Edtech Digest Awards Trendsetter. He also served as Chief Learning Officer of CUE and co-authored the Eduprotocol Field Guide Books 1 and 2.

edCircuit chats with Jon and Sonny about the type of collaboration between technology leaders, school administrators, and teachers that leads to the best learning outcomes; how to implement high-impact ideas that simultaneously reduce teacher workload and avoid the risk of “initiative fatigue”; how to evaluate the research on given tools and approaches to see what data is worthwhile; and more. Both Jon and Sonny deliver ideas that can help districts involve all stakeholders, gain buy-in at each level, and implement innovative technology at scale.

“Innovative” may be an overused buzzword in some corners of the education technology marketplace, but that doesn’t contradict the reality that innovation is happening in schools across the U.S. However, to better understand the meaningful trends happening in K-12, we must connect innovative practices with their practical purpose, particularly the ways in which innovation improves equity, access, and outcomes. So, what does a truly innovative school look like, and what might we expect to see develop within the next 5-10 years?

Tom Davis is the guest on this episode, and he shares a thoughtful perspective developed as a result of decades of working closely with diverse groups of district leaders across the country. Tom is a former middle and high school bilingual science teacher, coach, administrator, grant writer, businessman, and life-long learner. He currently serves as Director of Business Development at the Center for Educational Innovation in New York. He previously served in the same capacity for the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA) and the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS).

Tom discusses the essential link between innovation and equity; how stakeholders from across the district, including tech directors, principals, and teachers, must collaborate to drive meaningful innovation; how current funding packages, including ESSER, present both an opportunity and urgency around long-term planning; and what tech leaders can learn from basketball players.

Marcia Kish, Chief Innovation Officer with DSD Professional Development, joins this episode of the podcast to discuss one of the pressing issues facing educators of all roles: closing knowledge gaps created or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. School leaders and classroom teachers clearly understand the challenges students have faced, the goals set for their learning, and the urgency of achieving a great start to the new academic year. The question now is: how can we ensure success?

Kish and edCircuit tackle this issue from a variety of angles, including a discussion of the challenges teachers have observed and how to communicate these insights to technology directors and other administrators, the best ways to assess students’ current knowledge levels to allow for meaningful, personalized instruction; how to increase student engagement (and avoid disengagement) to enable better learning; how technology leaders can support blended learning and other effective approaches; and more.

In this episode, Jeremy Wickham, Director of Technology for North Shore School District 112 in Highland Park, Illinois, joins us to discuss his experience with the Early Career K-12 CTO Academy. Jeremy was a graduate of the 2020-21 Academy cohort.

The Academy is designed to address the needs of education technology leaders with fewer than four years of experience. Participants learn skills such as creating a culture of innovation in their district, building diverse teams that include underrepresented populations in the edtech industry, supporting student-centered learning and technology budgeting, and more. The Academy is generously supported by CoSN’s Gold Partner, HP.

Wickham describes his experience in the program, including the benefits of being paired with a veteran mentor, the connection and collaboration among cohort members, his Capstone project, and why he’d recommend the program to others in his position.

In this episode, Dr. Tom Ryan, Chief Innovation & Strategy Officer for the Santa Fe Public Schools, joins the podcast to discuss findings from CoSN’s groundbreaking new Student Home Connectivity Study. Ryan was chair of the Educator Advisory Committee that worked on the report.

The survey drew on data from 13 school districts enrolling 750,000 total students, representing a significant data set to allow CoSN to provide evidence-based advice to districts and inform policymakers. Ryan and host MindRocket Media Group, discuss how the data informs nationwide goals around digital equity, connectivity, and tech-enabled learning.

Many important topics and findings are discussed, including 85% of network traffic has been used for video, but Wi-Fi speeds and device types aren’t always set up for this; 70% of households have multiple students learning from home, affecting bandwidth requirements and device needs; surprise findings on the mobility of students during the pandemic and how connectivity turns the school into a verb; and how a multi-pronged approach to connectivity may involve public-private partnerships and even inter-government agencies.

In the second part of our mini-series on education technology data, Mark Finstrom, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for Highline Public Schools, a district of 20,000 students in Washington state, joins the podcast to discuss data trends from the current year. What do the trends tell us, and how can we apply them? Finstrom discusses specific observations in Highline PS, as well as the ways in which these trends can be interpreted for broader understanding.

Among the important topics discussed are the ways in which prior edtech planning benefited the district, along with some of the major surprises from the past year (4:35); how to make sense of large amounts of data and determine which data is truly useful and actionable (10:10); and the changes Highline is making in response to data trends from 2020-21 (20:20).