The K-12 Tech Experience
ManagedMethods
Subscribe
Welcome to the K-12 Tech Experience, the show that explores the latest trends in K-12 cybersecurity and talks with the IT leaders helping make schools safer. In this bi-weekly podcast, each episode will discuss topics related to technology, cybersecurity, and cyber safety in K-12 schools. With the goal of sharing advice, tips, stories, and wisdom for K-12 IT leaders and those who are on a mission to protect students, teachers, and staff in schools. Hosted by Jake Kasowski, communications manager at ManagedMethods.
Available episodes
Newest first
Oldest first
Feb 28, 2022
The State of Data Privacy in K-12 Schools
Resources mentioned in this episode:
* Future of Privacy Forum
* LearnPlatform 2021 EdTech Top 40 Report
* New York Education Law Section 2-D
* Illinois Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA)
* California Consumer Privacy Act (CPPA)
* Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act
* Colorado Privacy Act
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski is joined by Jim Siegl, Senior Technologist at The Future of Privacy Forum, to discuss the current state of data privacy in K-12 schools. Data Privacy Month just wrapped up in January, but that doesn't mean we should stop discussing it.
Jim shares his thoughts as to why 2021 was a more challenging year for K-12 education than 2020, what the Future of Privacy Forum is focused on looking ahead, and Jim gives a few predictions on where privacy in schools is heading.
Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @managedmethods @jakasowski or on LinkedIn.
Learn more about ManagedMethods.
(03:13) - Jim's key takeaways from 2021 surrounding data privacy in K-12 schools
(09:56) - Jim's thoughts on the applications used in schools and the potential privacy risks
(14:23) - Looking ahead into 2022 and Jim's predictions on where data privacy is headed
(19:28) - What K-12 district administrators need to be mindful of as more edtech apps are used in schools
(23:46) - How Jim's thinking around data privacy and security in schools has changed
(27:32) - Jim's advice to administrators when it comes to storing sensitive data and securing it
(31:11) - What is ahead from The Future of Privacy Forum
playlist_add
Jan 31, 2022
Managing Google Workspace for Education Storage Limits
Resources mentioned in this episode:
* Google Workspace for Education storage policy changes
* Google Workspace for Education storage utilization tool
* ManagedMethods demo: Managing Google Drive Files
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski is joined by ManagedMethods Product Specialist, Charles Mogen, to discuss Google's new policy changes for Workspace for Education customers. The policy changes go into effect for existing customers on July 1, 2022, and are already in effect for new Google for Education customers starting January 1, 2022.
Take a listen to hear tips on how you and your school district can better manage your Google Workspace for Education storage. You will also hear how ManagedMethods helps school districts manage files and storage in Google Workspace in Education.
Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @managedmethods @jakasowski or on LinkedIn.
Learn more about ManagedMethods.
(03:15) - Charles discusses the nuances of the storage limits for each edition of Google Workspace for Education (Fundamentals, Standard, Teaching and Learning Upgrade, Education Plus)
(06:28) - Do suspended users count toward your storage limit?
(08:33) - The file types within Google Workspace contribute toward the storage limit.
(10:09) - What happens if school districts do exceed their storage limits?
(12:08) - The license of Google Workspace for Education that K-12 school districts are using most.
(13:08) - Other options K-12 school districts have if they need more storage but want to stay at the Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals edition.
(14:10) - How K-12 school districts can see how much storage they are currently using.
(15:16) - The file types Charles sees K-12 school districts store that should be removed from their Google Drive / Shared Drives storage?
(17:38) - How the ManagedMethods platform helps K-12 school districts augment what can be done in Google Admin Console.
(20:19) - Charles's demo of the ManagedMethods platform.
playlist_add
Jan 5, 2022
An Inside Look at a K-12 Ransomware Incident (Part 2)
Resources shared by our guests this episode:
* ACPEnw Conference | Darknet Diaries | Slashdot | Microsoft Security Alerts | SANS Institute
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski is joined by Northshore School District's Senior Systems Engineer, Jon Biggerstaff, and Lead Unix Server Support, Ski Kacoroski. This episode is a follow-up to an earlier episode with Northshore School District's Network Operations Manager, Jon Wiederspan, discussing the district's October 2019 ransomware incident. Jon Biggerstaff and Ski join to share their experience dealing with ransomware and what each had to do technically to help the district recover.
Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @managedmethods @jakasowski or on LinkedIn.
Learn more about ManagedMethods.
(04:21) - Jon and Ski share what it was like when the team first discovered the ransomware, what was happening, and what they wish they would've done in hindsight.
(08:30) - The first steps Northshore's tech team did in response to the ransomware.
(10:52) - Rebuilding Active Directory and using LDAP mapping to help recover.
(15:17) - Prioritizing which systems get brought back online first.
(19:51) - How the rest of the district administrative staff outside of technology felt the impact of ransomware.
(22:08) - The unexpected challenges Jon and Ski had to overcome during recovery.
(26:29) - The changes Northshore's team has made as a result of the district's ransomware incident.
(32:27) - The indicators for school districts to watch for before (and during) an attack and what districts can do proactively to improve their security posture.
(39:16) - How Jon and Ski's outlook on cybersecurity has changed in the past 2 years since the ransomware incident.
(40:32) - Resources Jon and Ski use to stay up-to-date on news and trends.
playlist_add
Dec 8, 2021
ManagedMethods Survey Identifies Gaps in K-12 Cloud Security
Resources shared in this episode:
* ManagedMethods & EdWeek Research Center report: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You
* ManagedMethods Infographic: What You Don't Know Can Hurt You
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski is joined by ManagedMethods colleagues David Waugh, ManagedMethods chief revenue officer, and Senior Account Executive, Michael Summer. The three discuss the latest report from ManagedMethods, What You Don't Know Can Hurt You, based on a survey of district-level administrators by EdWeek Research Center, and the findings that came from it.
Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @managedmethods @jakasowski or on LinkedIn.
Learn more about ManagedMethods.
(02:51) - Michael and David share their reactions to the results of the survey.
(07:40) - Michael talks about the state of cybersecurity and data privacy in K-12 schools.
(09:44) - David discusses why district IT administrators have not been keen to cloud security.
(16:31) - Michael shares why district IT administrators are confident in the security of their data, despite not having cloud security platforms implemented.
(19:58) - David talks about the lack of concern by district IT admins of data breaches and leaks in K-12.
(23:54) - Michael and David discuss the growing attention cyber safety is receiving, but the lack of concern among administrators overall.
(28:59) - David and Michael talk about the lack of resources and budget school districts allocate to cybersecurity.
(34:35) - David and Michael share what district administrators need to know about their Google and Microsoft cloud environments to be protected moving forward.
(39:31) - Michael shares his thoughts on how his thinking on cybersecurity, safety, and privacy has changed—being a former technology director.
playlist_add
Nov 24, 2021
A Conversation on Mental Health in K-12 IT
Resources shared in this episode:
* National Alliance on Mental Illness
* Overcoming Information Overload
* Video: Habit Loops w/ Judson Brewer, MD, PhD
* Calm
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski is joined again by David Mendez, the Information Security Lead and Technical Project Manager at Region 10 Education Service Center. Jake and David have a conversation about mental health in K-12 IT and David shares some of his own personal experiences when it comes to maintaining a good state of mental health.
Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @managedmethods @jakasowski and on LinkedIn.
Learn more about ManagedMethods.
(03:33) - David speaks to the topic of mental health and why it needs to be discussed more often, especially in the IT sector.
(08:05) - How the information age has created anxiety, mental health issues, depression, etc. in today's society.
(14:12) - How social media impacts mental health.
(21:42) - How the past two years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic exposed mental health issues.
(28:35) - David shares a personal experience of his in regards to mental health and the expectations he put on himself that impacted him.
(36:50) - David and Jake discuss imposter syndrome, social media, and disconnecting.
(52:54) - David and Jake offer up some good habits to help improve mental health.
*Disclaimer: This episode features anecdotal experiences and conversations on mental health. This is not professional medical advice.
playlist_add
Nov 10, 2021
Securing Family Devices with SANS Institute
Resources shared in this episode:
* SANS Institute
* SANS Institute's #SecureTheFamily Campaign
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski is joined by Domenica Lee Crognale, a Certified Instructor and Author at SANS Institute. Jake and Domenica discuss SANS Institute's #SecuretheFamily campaign and how families can be better protected online.
Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @managedmethods @jakasowski and on LinkedIn.
Learn more about ManagedMethods.
(03:20) - Domenica shares more about the classes offered at SANS Institute.
(04:09) - Domenica discusses the SANS Institute #SecuretheFamily campaign and its mission.
(05:16) - The key issues that the #SecuretheFamily campaign aims to address and help educate families on.
(05:59) - The importance of separating work and school from the personal items of parents and kids.
(09:08) - What school districts and organizations need to be aware of as employees and students bring personal devices into their networks.
(12:04) - The reasons hackers are after data and what to be mindful of as different types of devices are used in organizations and schools.
(14:02) - The risks that families and school districts need to be mindful of.
(16:58) - How to balance privacy and safety when protecting devices.
(20:45) - What IT staff can do to help educate parents and students who log into school accounts on personal devices.
(24:47) - How families can help better protect school-issued devices at home.
(27:13) - The school online safety risks that parents should be mindful of and look out for.
(29:46) - What can families do to make sure their home networks are secured.
(31:45) - How the past 18 months has changed Domenica's thinking on cybersecurity, safety, and data privacy.
playlist_add
Oct 27, 2021
Cybersecurity Maturity in K-12 Schools
Resources discussed in this episode:
* SANS Institute
* MS-ISAC
* Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
* Flipboard
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski is joined by Chris Johnson, the Director of Technology at Mount Pleasant Community School District in Iowa. Jake and Chris discuss how cybersecurity across K-12 has changed and how mature school district cybersecurity is when it comes to the ability to protect against emerging threats.
Listen to Chris Johnson's podcast MSP 1337 and his episode on K-12 vulnerabilities.
Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @managedmethods @jakasowski and on LinkedIn.
Learn more about ManagedMethods.
(06:54) - Chris shares how his role has changed as a technology director in a school district
(10:11) - Chris' lessons learned from the past year that he has continued to implement at Mount Pleasant CSD.
(12:20) - What cybersecurity maturity means and how it applies to K-12 schools.
(18:00) - How the increased cyberattacks toward K-12 has impacted cybersecurity maturity.
(20:19) - Why smaller school districts need to assume they are as big of a target as larger districts and organizations.
(23:38) - The types of cyber threats school districts face, especially from the students and staff internally.
(25:49) - The direction that government and K-12 education are moving when it comes to cybersecurity.
(28:12) - The vulnerabilities school district technology directors need to be mindful of.
(31:16) - How Chris' outlook on cybersecurity, online safety, and privacy has changed during the past year.
(36:53) - How technology departments can balance cybersecurity and accessibility to learning resources in school classrooms.
playlist_add
Oct 13, 2021
Embedding Cybersecurity Into K-12 Culture
Resources shared during this episode:
* The Slack channel 'Building Security People'
* Reddit's r/sysadmin subreddit
* Black Hills Information Security
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski is joined by David Mendez, an Information Security Lead at Region 10 Education Service Center in Texas. Jake and David discuss how K-12 school districts can better embed cybersecurity into their culture to improve their cybersecurity posture.
Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @managedmethods @jakasowski and on LinkedIn.
Learn more about ManagedMethods.
(05:38) - David discusses how his role has changed as an Information Security Lead and a Technical Project Manager at Region 10.
(09:00) - The importance of culture when it comes to cybersecurity in schools and why cybersecurity isn't talked about as much in K-12.
(12:37) - How the reoccurring cybersecurity incidents over the past two years have impacted cybersecurity culture in school districts.
(18:59) - David's advice on how a district technology director can embed cybersecurity into their culture.
(23:53) - What school districts as a whole can be doing to improve cybersecurity practices in their schools.
(31:14) - David's thoughts on staffing for cybersecurity to make sure it's as effective as can be.
(36:53) - How the 2020 school year changed David's thinking on cybersecurity, student safety, and data privacy.
playlist_add
Sep 29, 2021
What's Missing in K-12 Risk Management?
Resources discussed in this episode:
* The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC)
* K-12 Security Information Exchange (K12 SIX)
* SANS Internet Storm Center
* InfraGard
* CISA
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski is joined by Dr. Travis Paakki, the former Senior Director of Technology at Portland Public Schools. Jake and Travis discuss risk management and what is missing in K-12 cybersecurity.
Share your thoughts on Twitter @managedmethods @jakasowski and on LinkedIn.
Learn more about ManagedMethods.
(06:20) - Travis discusses how his role as Senior Director of Technology changed over the course of the 2020-21 school year.
(09:03) - Travis' findings of his doctoral research into K-12 risk management.
(11:57) - The research findings that surprised Travis most in regards to risk management in K-12.
(21:10) - The risk management practices Travis recommends to get started on today.
(23:39) - How school district IT teams can get more buy-in from the rest of their district administration.
(26:04) - The updates Travis and his team made for the 2021-22 school year.
(28:20) - How the number of technology students have access to has impacted risk management practices for his team.
(33:34) - How the past year has changed Travis' thinking on cybersecurity, online safety, and data privacy in K-12 schools.
playlist_add
Sep 15, 2021
New K-12 Cybersecurity Learning Standards for Schools
Resources discussed in this episode:
* CYBER.ORG's K-12 Cybersecurity Learning Standards
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski is joined by Kevin Nolten, the Director of Academic Outreach at CYBER.ORG, for another episode. Jake and Kevin discuss CYBER.ORG's newly launched K-12 Cybersecurity Learning Standards and how teachers, school districts, state departments of education, and more can better incorporate cybersecurity education into their curriculum.
Share your thoughts with us on Twitter @managedmethods @jakasowski and on LinkedIn.
Learn more about CYBER.ORG
Learn more about ManagedMethods
(02:58) - Kevin talks about the importance of having cybersecurity learning standards in place for K-12 education.
(06:54) - Who CYBER.ORG partnered with to develop the K-12 cybersecurity learning standards.
(10:17) - When educators and organizations can start to implement these learning standards and what that process looks like.
(14:55) - The core concepts of CYBER.ORG's K-12 Cybersecurity Learning Standards.
(19:40) - How the core concepts can be implemented into the classroom and school courses.
(22:50) - How the changing cybersecurity trends will shape the development of the learning standards moving forward.
(24:16) - How these standards can be used by teachers, school districts, state departments of education, and more.
(27:49) - What's next from CYBER.ORG.
playlist_add
Sep 1, 2021
An Inside Look at a K-12 Ransomware Incident
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski interviews Jon Wiederspan, a Network Operations Manager at Northshore School District in Washington state. Jon gives an inside look at the ransomware attack against Northshore School District back in October 2019, and shares more about the recovery process and what the early warning signs are that district IT teams need to be aware of. Jon discusses how his role has changed since March 2020 and the start of the 2020 school year (04:16); the lessons Jon and his team learned during the 2020 school year (05:53); the ransomware incident that Northshore School District experienced in October 2019 (08:15); the unexpected issues experienced during the incident (12:27); how Jon and his team went about informing district leadership at the start (15:13); the list of priorities that needed to come up first during the recovery process (16:49); the experience working with cyber insurance and government agencies (18:55); key changes Northsho…
playlist_add
Aug 18, 2021
Exploring Ransomware Trends Across K-12 & School Cybersecurity Needs
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski interviews Adam Feind, a Customer Solutions Architect at Red River—a ManagedMethods partner. Jake and Adam discuss the challenges K-12 school districts face when dealing with ransomware and explore the cybersecurity needs of schools heading into the 2021-22 school year. Adam shares more about the challenges and successes for Red River this past year (04:47); how Adam's role changed (07:53); the biggest needs of school districts looking ahead to the 2021 school year (09:10); the biggest challenges Adam anticipates for school districts in hybrid environments (11:45); the struggles school districts face when addressing ransomware (14:53); what school districts can be doing to be better protected against ransomware (19:19); how Adam's thoughts on cybersecurity, student safety, and data privacy have changed in the past 18 months (21:53); what Adam is hearing around the growing cloud layer in school districts (24:36). Learn more ab…
playlist_add
Aug 4, 2021
GAMEIS 2021 & Summer Cybersecurity Initiatives
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski is joined again by Greg Hogan, the Network & Data Security Coordinator at Bibb County School District in Georgia. Jake and Greg discuss the recent GAMEIS 2021 conference, organized by the Georgia Association of Managers of Educational Information Systems. Greg discusses the cybersecurity initiatives he and his team are working on this summer to get ready for the 2021 school year. Greg shares about how the 2020 school year ended for Bibb County (00:56); device cleanup over the summer (02:07); summer initiatives taken on based on lessons learned during the 2020 school year (03:28); the GAMEIS conference and what it entails for Georgia K-12 IT leaders (04:30); the themes of GAMEIS 2021 (06:28); the on-premises and cloud-based cybersecurity initiatives at Bibb County (07:24); notable presentation sessions at GAMEIS (08:57); major cybersecurity trends on Greg's radar for the 2021 school year (10:48); what K-12 IT teams can be doing…
playlist_add
Jul 21, 2021
Social and Emotional Learning in K-12 Schools
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski interviews Eileen Belastock, the Director of Technology and Information at Nauset Public Schools in Massachusetts. Jake and Eileen discuss what social and emotional learning (SEL) entails, how district IT teams can better implement it into classroom curriculum, and what Eileen is expecting during the first couple months of the 2021 school year. Eileen shares more about the past year of remote and blended learning for Nauset Public Schools (02:14); the biggest changes Eileen had to make (04:45); how the technology director role has been impacted (10:52); the changes that will stay through the 2021 school year and beyond (13:48); what social and emotional learning is and why it's so important in schools today (15:41); how tech plays into the development of SEL (18:57); what tech directors do to bring SEL into the classroom (24:01); what SEL for teachers looks like (26:03); how the past year has changed Eileen's thinking on cybers…
playlist_add
Jul 7, 2021
AETC 2021 Recap & Alabama's K-12 EdTech Landscape
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski interviews Michael Townsend, the Director of Technology at Tuscaloosa County School Systems in Alabama. Jake and Michael discuss the recent Alabama Educational Technology Conference (AETC) and Michael shares what he's focused on, in regards to the future of K-12 cybersecurity in Alabama schools. Michael shares what the 2020-21 school year was like for Tuscaloosa County School System (05:14); how Michael saw online activity change during remote and blended learning (09:17); how Michael's role has changed and how he expects it to continue changing (10:54); Michael provides an overview of AETC and recaps the 2021 event (13:58); Michael shares about the Alabama Leaders in Educational Technology (ALET) conference (19:28); Michael discusses the need for a growing cloud focus by technology departments in Alabama school districts (20:23); how the past year has changed Michael's thinking toward cybersecurity in school districts (22:05).…
playlist_add
Jun 23, 2021
What Lies Ahead for K-12 Cybersecurity?
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski interviews Kevin Hogan, Editor-at-Large at eSchool News and Host of EdTech Today. Jake and Kevin discuss the changing technology environment in schools, the topics the education media should be paying attention to, and what's next for K-12 cybersecurity. Kevin shares how he's seen the technology landscape in education change over the past year (03:12); how cloud-based platforms has impacted the classroom and technology departments (07:08); what the biggest challenges are for districts in 1:1 learning environments (10:42); the topics for education media to be covering moving forward (13:20); if K-12 cybersecurity will revert back to more of the pre-pandemic practices (19:07) or continue to adapt a data-centric approach (21:36); the student well-being focus from technology departments in schools and how it's changed (24:09); how the past year has changed Kevin's thinking on technology and cybersecurity in schools (26:35). Find Ke…
playlist_add
Jun 9, 2021
Data Protection in the K-12 Cloud
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski interviews Vince Humes, the Director of Innovative Technology Solutions at Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit 5 in Pennsylvania. Jake and Vince discuss how K-12 IT leaders can protect school district data within the rapidly growing cloud layer in schools. Vince talks about how the past year has been for Northwest Tri-County IU5 (02:20); the challenges in transitioning into remote learning (03:23); how the service requests school districts Northwest Tri-County IU5 serves has changed (05:37); the solutions that Vince is keeping his eye on for edtech moving forward (09:23); how all the cybersecurity layers work together to protect school districts and education service agencies (11:31); how the cloud layer in K-12 cybersecurity has changed and how it impacts Northwest Tri-County IU5 (13:34); the major concerns Vince hears from school districts regarding the cloud (15:28); the activities that may signal a potential risk in the…
playlist_add
May 26, 2021
Managing Cloud Storage Limits in K-12 Schools
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski interviews Jim Frye, the District Technology Coordinator at Upper Sandusky Exempted Village Schools in Ohio. Jake and Jim discuss the recently announced storage policy for Google Workspace for Education and how to better manage cloud storage limits in schools. Jim shares how the shift between in-person and remote learning has been this school year (02:02); how his team's responsibilities have changed (05:43); the areas of cybersecurity his team is looking at most (09:35); the upcoming storage limit changes from Google for Education (11:46); the types of files that technology teams need to watch for in their cloud storage (18:42); how to find and purge the unnecessary files in cloud storage (21:18); how remote and hybrid learning has changed Jim's thinking on cybersecurity (23:33). Resources Jim uses to stay up-to-date on the latest news and trends: The Google for Education Technical Collaborative by Amplified IT. Share us your…
playlist_add
May 12, 2021
Creating Policies & Automating Enforcement for Data Loss Prevention
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski interviews Andy Lombardo, the Director of Technology at Maryville City Schools in Tennessee. Jake and Andy discuss creating policies and automating enforcement to help quarantine cyber threats, and help prevent the loss of data in school districts. Andy talks about Maryville City's shift into remote learning (02:56); how his role has changed compared to previous years (04:42); what policies are and how Andy uses them for data loss prevention (08:36); how policies help in detecting well-constructed hacking campaigns (11:17); the way policies can be used to help in cybersecurity awareness training (14:46); school activity Andy looks for with his policies (19:33); policies Andy recommends district IT leaders to implement (24:26); how automated enforcement helps Andy and his team (26:27). Resources Andy uses to stay up-to-date on the latest news and trends: Twitter, Black Hills Infosec, Darknet Diaries podcast, CISSP training books…
playlist_add
Apr 28, 2021
The Multi-Layered K-12 Cybersecurity Tech Stack
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski interviews Justin Feltus, a System Specialist at Bremerton School District in Washington. Jake and Justin take a closer look at the technology stack in districts and how Justin helped configure Bremerton's to build a cost-effective cybersecurity and safety tech stack. Justin shares more about Bremerton's shift into remote learning (02:20); how his day-to-day responsibilities as a System Specialist changed (04:24); the areas Justin and his team emphasize more during remote learning (05:53); how the technology stack at Bremerton has evolved (07:08); why the cloud is gaining momentum in K-12 (10:17); how remote learning has impacted malware, phishing, and data loss prevention (12:08); how cybersecurity training has changed among school districts (14:07); monitoring applications connecting to a cloud application environment (15:20); how remote and hybrid learning has changed Justin's thinking on cybersecurity moving forward (17:39)…
playlist_add
Apr 14, 2021
How IT Teams Help Manage Classrooms During Remote Learning
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski interviews Cody Walker, the Director of Technology at West Rusk CCISD in Texas. Jake and Cody discuss how IT teams have helped teachers manage classrooms remotely since the start of the pandemic, and how to better monitor cybersecurity and student safety risks in a blended classroom. Cody talks about West Rusk's transition into remote learning (02:51); how Cody's day-to-day responsibilities have changed (05:44); the challenges in Google Classroom that have emerged at the start of remote learning (06:37); challenges with attendance and making sure students are enrolled in the correct Google Classroom (10:06); the cybersecurity and student safety risks found in virtual classroom settings (11:35); advice for other district IT teams as they set up Google Classroom and other collaboration apps (15:05); how remote and hybrid learning has changed Cody's thinking on cybersecurity (17:17). Resources Cody uses to stay up-to-date on the l…
playlist_add
Mar 31, 2021
The Convergence of Cybersecurity & Student Safety in K-12 Schools
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski interviews Neal Richardson, the Director of Technology at Hillsboro-Deering School District in New Hampshire. Jake and Neal talk about cybersecurity and student safety in K-12 schools, and how the two areas have increasingly converged in the past year. Neal shares more about Hillsboro-Deering School District's transition into remote learning last year (02:46); Neal discusses how his role has changed since the start of the pandemic (05:39); the convergence of cybersecurity and student safety in schools (06:27); the places Neal typically sees student safety risks (09:07); the common cloud applications containing safety risks (12:17); the role of K-12 IT teams in student safety monitoring (19:18); the impact of video conferencing and cloud-based learning management systems (20:16); the data privacy aspect of student safety monitoring (23:58); educating teachers and administrators on cybersecurity and safety (27:13); how remote and…
playlist_add
Mar 17, 2021
Why Cloud Application Security in K-12 Schools?
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski interviews Rory Peacock, the Deputy Executive Director of Technology at Education Service Center Region 11 in Texas. Jake and Rory discuss what the transition into remote learning was like at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, for ESC Region 11 and the school districts the organization supports (03:00); the changing cybersecurity landscape in K-12 (09:27); the increasing focus in data privacy at ESC Region 11 (13:29); the importance of monitoring the data created, shared, and stored in the cloud (14:54); how cloud application security compliments content filtering & campus safety management in K-12 schools (18:00); how Rory's perspective on cybersecurity in schools changed (21:00). Resources Rory uses to stay up-to-date on the latest trends in K-12: CoSN (Consortium of School Networking), Twitter, his professional network, and industry conferences. Learn more about ESC Region 11 https://www.esc11.net/. Share us your though…
playlist_add
Mar 3, 2021
The State of K-12 Cybersecurity Education
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski interviews Kevin Nolten, the Director of Academic Outreach at CYBER.ORG, a cybersecurity workforce development organization that targets K-12 students with cyber career awareness, curricular resources, and teacher professional development. Jake and Kevin discuss CYBER.ORG's previous survey on the state of K-12 cybersecurity education (02:00); the inequality of cybersecurity education access among school districts (05:06); how to increase the adoption of cybersecurity curriculum nationwide (10:15); the importance of teaching cyber skills to students, as early as kindergarten (13:24); how remote and hybrid learning has changed how cybersecurity is taught to students (16:21); educating students on cyber safety (18:27); what's ahead in 2021 from CYBER.ORG (19:30). Learn more about CYBER.ORG https://cyber.org/. Share us your thoughts on Twitter @managedmethods @jakasowski and on LinkedIn. Learn more about ManagedMethods https://mana…
playlist_add
Feb 17, 2021
Looking Beyond the Content Filter to Secure K-12 Remote Learning
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski interviews Tim Miles, the Director of Technology at Steamboat Springs School District, and a ManagedMethods customer. Jake and Tim discuss looking beyond content filters for cybersecurity and safety in schools, and explore how these tools play an important role in securing remote learning environments and how cloud security works with both to ensure districts are better protected. Tim shares a bit about content filters and cloud security tools working together in remote learning environments (10:48); laptop shortages and how that impacts school districts using both managed and unmanaged devices (13:00); the role content filters play in remote learning environments, when most activity is outside of school (14:25); what IT teams need to be aware of when it comes to third-party applications (19:05); how remote and hybrid learning changed Tim's thinking about cybersecurity (21:10). Resources Tim uses to stay up-to-date on the lates…
playlist_add
Feb 3, 2021
The Role of K-12 IT in Complying with Laws & Regulations
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski interviews Russell Lindenschmidt, a ManagedMethods customer. Russell is the Director of Technology at Burlington School District in Colorado. Jake and Russell discuss how important the K-12 IT department's role is in ensuring a district remains compliant with laws and regulations at the local, state, and federal level. Russell also shares more about the "holy trinity" of data privacy laws in K-12 education: FERPA, COPPA, and CIPA. Russell gives us a look at Burlington School District's move into remote & hybrid learning (01:59); how his day-to-day role has changed this year (06:29); the three main data privacy laws in K-12 education (08:03); other laws school districts need to be mindful of (10:27); monitoring for incidents that put the safety of students and staff at risk (18:22); how remote & hybrid learning has changed his thinking on cybersecurity in K-12 schools (19:56). Resources Russell uses to stay up-to-date on the lat…
playlist_add
Jan 20, 2021
Safety Risks Inside the K-12 Cloud
In this episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski interviews Diana Gill. Diana is the Director of Technology at East Porter County School Corporation in Indiana, and a ManagedMethods customer. Jake and Diana discuss the safety risks inside the K-12 cloud, talk about student data privacy as IT teams monitor for these risks, and how IT leaders can balance the two to better protect students and staff in remote learning environments. Diana shares more on East Porter County School Corporation's shift into remote & hybrid learning in the spring of 2020 (02:26); how her role has changed as a result (04:34); cybersecurity priorities in remote learning (06:05); the risky behavior students & staff may be conducting inside the cloud apps used in schools (07:43); how remote learning has impacted student safety in schools (11:44); how video conferencing platforms create new pain points (13:12); the bridge between IT departments and school counselors (14:28); how her perspective on cybersec…
playlist_add
Jan 6, 2021
Reflecting on 2020 & Looking Ahead to 2021
On the first episode of The K-12 Tech Experience, Jake Kasowski interviews Greg Hogan. Greg is the Network and Data Security Coordinator at Bibb County Schools in Georgia, and a ManagedMethods customer. The conversation takes a look back at the year 2020, how cybersecurity has changed in K12 schools, and speculates a bit on what lies ahead for K12 cybersecurity in the year 2021. Greg shares more on Bibb County's shift into remote & hybrid learning (02:34); how his role specifically has changed since the shift to remote & hybrid learning (04:23); the increase in safety monitoring online (07:49); how the K12 IT sector has responded to the events of 2020 (09:04); new pain points in K12 IT (11:06); the type of publicly-disclosed incidents in 2020 and how they've changed (12:44); what new strategies his team has implemented that other districts should consider (14:39); how Greg sees IT becoming more integrated in student safety (17:59); what 2021 holds in terms of the types of incidents K12…
playlist_add