K12 Tech Talk
A K12TechPro Podcast. This podcast is about trending K12 technology topics and issues. Josh, Chris, and Mark have real conversations, real arguments, and real banter on IT issues and trends in K12 Schools. Current and Past Sponsors: Absolute, Arista, HPE Aruba Networking, Blocksi, Chromebookparts.com, ClassLink, CTL, Eaton, Extreme Networks, Fortinet, Howard Technology Solutions, iDoc, IncidentIQ, Infoblox, INVZBL, Jupiter Education, Lightspeed Systems, Luma Technologies, Managed Methods, Meter, NTP, Papercut, Provision Data Solutions, Pondurance, PowerGistics, Prey, Rise Vision, Ruckus/Commscope, SaferWatch, Scale Computing, SHI, StatusGator, SomethingCool.com, Tripp Lite, Verkada, VIZOR ™ K12 Tech Talk
Episodes
In this episode (Rerun), K12 Tech Talk shares an in‑depth interview with an anonymous school IT leader who goes by "Denzel" about a ransomware attack on his district. The conversation covers the full timeline - from first signs and containment to recovery, forensics, and the long tail of remediation.
The episode features Josh, Chris, CORY and a guest identified as... Denzel. Denzel represents a mid‑sized district of roughly 3,000 s...
In episode 287, Josh, Chris, and Mark discuss OpenAI’s upcoming text watermarking feature (and how easy it can be to bypass) and the limits of AI-detection tools.
The news concerning hacked refrigerators in France is unpacked!
The guys also talk about Amazon’s recent acquisition of the wearable AI company "Bee" and the launch of inexpensive always-on recording devices (wrist-worn and phone-back forms). They debate how d...
Episode 286 dives into Josh and Chris' Google Education Leaders Series meeting in Atlanta, a Brookings study tracking student reactions to school cell phone bans across a full school year, and Common Sense Media’s evaluation of ChatGPT for Teens.
The Google coverage centers on Gemini and the new Canvas feature. The guys describe creating polished Google Sheets dashboards and accessible tools in minutes and show how quick, whi...
Episode 285 dives into a fast‑moving week of K12 tech news. The guys discuss Hazel Health (a telehealth provider reportedly targeted by the Direwolf ransomware group) and a confirmed Frontline breach.
Josh, Chris, and Mark break down Google's latest moves - an early consumer rollout of Googlebook, the timeline for education management controls, and Google’s decision to retire Gemini Gems and migrate functionality into cross‑p...
In this episode, Chris, Mark, and AI Josh discuss research studies about classroom technology, AI tutors, student-device use, and the alarming state of U.S. school facilities.
The main segment examines the GAO’s nationally representative survey of over 400 districts that found 1 in 5 schools closed at least one day last year due to a facility emergency, with an estimated 3.5 million lost student days and major impacts on tele...
On this episode, Josh, Mark, and Chris break down Florida’s new law requiring districts to notify parents in plain language when AI tools are used in classrooms and to offer opt‑outs - a policy the hosts unpack for feasibility, operational impact, and how it might force edtech vendors to add more granular control or risk being blocked.
The guys also cover OpenAI’s $5 million grant program to study how generative AI affe...
In episode 282, Josh, Chris, and Mark cover the controversy over the White House’s new arcade site, the major cyberattack that shut down Springfield (MA) Public Schools, and Josh's takeaways from Google’s AI Educator event in Austin.
The main segment dives deep into agentic AI - autonomous AI agents that can act on systems instead of only returning chat responses. The trio walks through scenarios that K–12 tech le...
Josh, Chris, and Mark discuss the PaperCut vulnerability, Anthropic’s Claude for Teachers, and then... AI and screen-time.
Policy and pedagogy take center stage with two of the country’s largest districts making opposite moves - New York City’s one-year pause on student-facing generative AI in K-8 and recommended screen-time limits, and LAUSD’s district-wide ban and filter-based blocking of generative AI.
Th...
In this special Dell‑sponsored episode of K12 Tech Talk, Chris sits down with Marlo Gaddis, a former educator and current K‑12 Education Strategist at Dell. Marlo shares explains Dell’s reinvestment in K‑12 (focused on support over sales), and frames the major challenges and opportunities facing school technology leaders today.
The conversation explores what has remained constant in K‑12 tech and highlights the importance of ...
Josh, Chris and Mark talk back-to-school anecdotes - Chromebook rollouts, teacher tickets, and custodial tech onboarding, then dig into the news headlines of the week.
First, Meta’s landmark $18 billion settlement with dozens of states over youth mental health concerns tied to Facebook and Instagram. The guys talk settlement terms, default safety measures for 13–17 year-olds (two-hour daily limits, night/school modes, r...
In this episode, Josh and Chris kick off the school-year season with news, stories, and a CyberNut interview. They dive into federal guidance from the U.S. Department of Education on screen time and edtech procurement - recreational vs. instructional tech, evaluating products by outcomes and instructional value (not just screen minutes), and asking vendors for evidence of effectiveness and implementation support.
They also talk E-R...
Episode 277 examines the mounting policy fight over student safety online and the practical tech issues districts are facing as a new school year begins. Josh and Chris open with personal stories about moving kids to college and summer realities.
We break down two competing federal proposals: the Senate’s KOSA approach that leans on a "duty of care" - potentially holding platforms liable for harms - and the House’s KIDS...
Josh, Chris, and Mark talk about a New Mexico state-mandated AI reading tool stirring privacy concerns, Google rolling out a student-facing Gemini tab in Classroom by default, new survey findings about post-RFP vendor behavior, and the growing trend of "vibe coding" inside districts. Oh, and how to handle teacher/classroom movements and changes.
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Sponsored by:
Meter VIZOR Fortinet Howard ManagedMethods...On episode 275, Josh, Chris, and Mark jump into a back‑to‑school conversation covering AI policy, screen time, cybersecurity, and tech in the classroom. They start by sharing how 98 high school students from all 50 states convened at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute to run a mock Congress and produced a comprehensive AI model bill (and it's good stuff!).
The guys discuss the Enhancing K‑12 Cybersecurity Act, Tennessee’s new sc...
Chris and Mark break down some headline stories and dig into a longer conversation about vibe coding in K12. They discuss Common Sense Media’s poor safety rating of Google Search’s AI mode, continued reporting from databreaches.net about the unresolved Navigate360 anonymous tip database breach, and ClassLink data analyzing device screen time across 5.5 million students.
The main conversation is vibe coding - using large...
Josh, Chris, and Mark unpack Anthropic’s surprise launch of "Claude for Teachers," a free‑until‑2027 offering that immediately drew criticism from district leaders for its bottom‑up signup model, suggested student data uploads, and potentially misleading FERPA claims.
The guys cover the ripple effects of the Canvas security incident, including Instructure’s paused notifications when a third‑party vendor (Progress Softwa...
Recorded live from the GAMEIS Conference in Savannah, Georgia, this episode brings you interviews and conversations with district leaders and state education technologists. Josh, Chris and Mark hang out with attendees, presenters, sponsors, and some very special guests. Highlights are community-focused sessions, family events, and record attendance.
Special Guests:
* Daniel Pollack, Checkpoint
* Allison Kensey
* Jason Malick and Vi...
On Episode 271, Josh and Mark sit down with Nicole Sanchez and Matt Winters from the Utah State Board of Education’s Data Privacy Team to explain how Utah became a national model for student data protection. The conversation covers the state’s legal framework, long-running infrastructure efforts, and the practical systems Utah uses. Learn more at schools.utah.gov/studentdataprivacy/index
And don't forget to check out U...
On this week’s episode of the K‑12 Tech Talk podcast Josh and Mark dig into a packed news round-up and sit down with Joey Wender, Executive Director of the Schools, Health, and Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition, to discuss a wide‑ranging FCC notice that could fundamentally change, or even threaten, the E‑Rate program.
Joey walks us through the FCC’s proposed rulemaking, explains why the item raises existential questi...
The guys discuss tornado watches, tacos, and the World Cup‑driven Scots in Boston.
The news includes New York City Public Schools’ AI guidelines and growing push back, an insider cyberattack in Iowa, and breaking cybersecurity news is also addressed - the newly reported FortiBleed leak that exposed credentials for tens of thousands of Fortinet/FortiGate devices. They also review federal education news - a proposed reorganizat...
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