Presented by Vicki Robinson, Counselor and Social Worker, Oquirrh Elementary School (UT); and McKinley Withers, Ed.D., Health and Wellness Specialist, Jordan School District (UT)
Moderated by Jessica Altounian, Director of Marketing, Move This World
Presented by Lenny Schad, Chief Information & Innovation Officer, District Administration; Keith Weisman, Senior Director and Engineer, SentinelOne; Rob Eidson, Security Product Manager, ENA; John Butler, Director, Cyber/E&O Industry Leader, CNA Finance; and Paul Caiazzo, Chief Information Security Officer and Senior Vice President, Avertium
Moderated by Dr. Tom Ryan, Co-Founder, K-12 Strategic Technology Advisory Group (K12STAG)
Even before the pandemic, schools increasingly depended on technology for instruction and building operations. With that came an increased threat to cybersecurity.
The effects of the pandemic are continuing to impact students’ school attendance and academic progress, complicating long-standing challenges and creating new ones, but school district officials are continuing to respond with innovative approaches that can help students overcome current difficulties and resume their academic progress.
Social-emotional learning (SEL) and technology might not seem like natural partners. But, according to the presenters in the edWebinar, “Social-Emotional Learning: Leveraging Technology to Care for All,” sponsored by ClassLink and co-hosted by CoSN and AASA, technology is an essential part of their programs. During the presentation, the speakers explained the role technology plays in supporting SEL initiatives.
The growing concerns about security among families, school systems, and legislature increased teacher and student reliance on internet accessibility. As a result, school cybersecurity is subject to more scrutiny than ever. Yet, alarmingly, many school systems are not sufficiently aggressive in getting ahead of cybersecurity. In a recent edWebinar, sponsored by ClassLink and co-hosted by CoSN and AASA, three district superintendents discussed the impact a district cyberattack has on school communities and strategies to mitigate future attacks.
Cyberattacks in schools across the nation are growing, from Zoombombing to ransomware that takes down entire districts. As a result, K-12 learning environments need more robust policies and practices to stem intrusions and build cyber resilience.
Many school districts are now going through a process of determining which pandemic-related practices should be kept, improved, or discarded, and the use of remote and blended learning technologies is frequently being raised during these types of discussions.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted school districts, students, staff, and families in unprecedented ways. In response to the learning loss, reduced instruction time, and low student engagement, the federal and state governmental agencies allocated ESSER I, II, and III funds to districts to utilize over the next two to three years.