K12 Tech Talk

By k12techtalkTechnology Education

K12 Tech Talk episodes

October 10, 2025 Episode 235 - Middle Schoolers are the Best!
In this episode, Josh and Chris discuss the impact of personal device bans, noting increased Google Docs traffic and the creative ways students attempt to access unblocked games. Chris shares insights into managing content filtering and the ongoing battle with unwanted websites. Finally, Chris interviews Brian Edwards, Director of Educational Streaming, with Swank Motion Pictures to discuss copyright, performance licensing, and streaming in K12.

For more information on the topics discussed in this episode with Brian Edwards, Director of Educational Streaming, with Swank Motion Pictures:
Learn more about Swank K-12 Streaming here
Learn more about copyright and licensing here

Our new Swag Store is OPEN - Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!!
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NTP
Managed Methods
VIZOR
ChromebookParts.com
Fortinet
--------------------
Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals)
Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Email us at [email protected]
OR our "professional" email addy is [email protected]
Call us at 314-329-0363
X @k12techtalkpod
Facebook
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Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.
51 min
October 03, 2025Episode 234 - What happens when a student account is compromised?
This episode covers significant developments including the confirmed merger of Chrome and Android, the FCC's proposed changes to the E-rate program affecting school bus Wi-Fi and hotspots, and a critical discussion on controlling student account spamming and its associated risks like internal spam, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation.

Referenced Links:
https://chromeunboxed.com/its-official-google-says-the-android-and-chromeos-merger-is-coming-next-year/
https://www.k12dive.com/news/fcc-erate-hotspot-school-bus-wifi-carr/759432/
https://statescoop.com/cisa-confirms-its-ending-ms-isac-support/
https://k12six.org/compromise
00:00:00-Intro
00:03:52-ChromeOS & Android Update
00:05:11-Federal Funding Shifts
00:14:49-Compromised Student Accounts

Our new Swag Store is OPEN - Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!!
--------------------
Lightspeed - Chris' Signal Review
Arista
Fortinet
--------------------
Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals)
Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Email us at [email protected]
OR our "professional" email addy is [email protected]
Call us at 314-329-0363
X @k12techtalkpod
Facebook
Visit our LinkedIn
Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.
41 min
September 26, 2025 Episode 233 - Teenagers Using AI Companions?
Episode 233 discusses the newest tensions between AI and schools: teenagers using AI companions and alarming incidents tied to platforms like Character.ai that have drawn federal attention.
Josh talks about his student MFA pilot using Clever, how onboarding works (and how MFA can be network-aware to reduce classroom friction), and using student-led help desks to test the rollout. The guys discuss a post from Jay on K12TechPro asking about IT leadership background (educators and non‑educators in K12 tech dept roles).
The episode’s guest is Peter Kaplan from Fortinet, an E‑Rate expert. He breaks down why E‑Rate matters, outlines the FCC’s cybersecurity pilot (challenges with procurement, reporting, and evaluating success), and discusses gaps left by potential MS‑ISAC funding changes. He also highlights CISA's K12 resources and Fortinet’s no‑cost cybersecurity awareness materials for schools.
Our new Swag Store is OPEN - Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!!
--------------------
NTP
Managed Methods
Arista
VIZOR
Fortinet
--------------------
Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals)
Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Email us at [email protected]
OR our "professional" email addy is [email protected]
Call us at 314-329-0363
X @k12techtalkpod
Facebook
Visit our LinkedIn
Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.
1 hr 8 min
September 19, 2025 Episode 232 - Killer Drones, Google Outages & AI Whack‑A‑Mole
On Episode 222, we unpack a busy week in school tech: a nationwide Google outage that disrupted Chromebook logins, new Sophos data showing improving ransomware recovery and falling ransom payments, and CETA’s annual report putting AI at the top of state priorities.
The conversation dives into the controversial campus drone pilot approved in Florida (non‑lethal pepper‑ball drones and on‑demand airborne security) and the AI Whack‑A‑Mole challenge as AI features appear inside search engines and become hard to block.
We also discuss promising advances in live, voice‑to‑voice translation for K12 meetings and classrooms.
Our new Swag Store is OPEN - Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!!
00:00:00-Intro
00:09:46-Swag Store Update
00:12:59-Cybersecurity Trends
00:20:30-Killer Drones in Schools
00:30:53-AI Search
00:41:10-Real-Time Language Interpretation
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Arista
Lightspeed Systems
Fortinet
--------------------
Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals)
Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Email us at [email protected]
OR our "professional" email addy is [email protected]
Call us at 314-329-0363
X @k12techtalkpod
Facebook
Visit our LinkedIn
Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.
49 min
September 12, 2025 Episode 231 - Our Top 5 Trending Back-to-School Topics
On this episode, Josh, Chris, and Mark unpack their top five back-to-school trends shaping K-12 technology in 2025. Topics include shifting budgets and funding pressures, rising costs for materials and software, widespread school cell phone policies and bell-to-bell enforcement, the rapid expansion of AI tools in classrooms (including Notebook LM and Gemini), and growing school safety technology demands.
The episode also highlights practical use cases for Notebook LM (flashcards, handbook summarization) and discusses vendor and licensing concerns.
Our new Swag Store is OPEN - Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Josh talking about schools banning phones - The New York Times
Notebook LM Flash Cards

00:00:00-Intro
00:01:41-School Year Kickoff
00:02:18-New Notebook LM Features
00:05:03-AI’s Role in Education
00:12:47-Top 5 Trending Topics in Education
--------------------
NTP
Managed Methods
Arista
VIZOR
Fortinet
--------------------
Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals)
Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Email us at [email protected]
OR our "professional" email addy is [email protected]
Call us at 314-329-0363
X @k12techtalkpod
Facebook
Visit our LinkedIn
Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.
57 min
September 05, 2025 Episode 230 - Office 365 or Google Workspace or BOTH?
On this episode, the guys are back together with Mark sharing a story about a tech emergency during his recent Alaskan cruise vacation. This episode covers current events, including a potential cut in federal Title 1 funding and the elimination of all Title 2, 3, and 4 funding in a proposed House of Representatives budget. Chris, Josh, and Mark celebrate the news that Google will not be forced to sell off Chrome, as a judge ruled against this measure in a recent antitrust case. They delve into the challenges of managing both Office 365 and Google Workspace within the same school district. Finally, Chris interviews Greg Purcell, a customer of Prey.

00:00:00-Intro
00:06:24-Federal Funding Cuts (Again)
00:11:02-Google's Antitrust Conclusion
00:19:30-Managing Google & Office365

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Lightspeed
Arista
Fortinet
Chromebookparts.com
--------------------
Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals)
Buy some swag (shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Email us at [email protected]
OR our "professional" email addy is [email protected]
Call us at 314-329-0363
X @k12techtalkpod
Facebook
Visit our LinkedIn
Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.
45 min
August 29, 2025 Episode 229 - MagicSchool, Esports, and Update Issues
Josh and Chris recap the hectic second week of school, covering Chromebook rollouts, Clever headaches, cell‑phone bans, and a recent ChromeOS update rollback. They also ask the question "Is Esports a sport?"
The episode highlight? A candid interview with Adeel Khan, founder and CEO of MagicSchool. Adeel shares MagicSchool's origin story, how MagicSchool uses AI models with human‑in‑the‑loop evaluations, its focus on K12 privacy, and its plans for customizable district tools and an AI operating system for schools.
--------------------
NTP
Managed Methods
Arista
Fortinet
--------------------
Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals)
Buy some swag (shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Email us at [email protected]
OR our "professional" email addy is [email protected]
Call us at 314-329-0363
X @k12techtalkpod
Facebook
Visit our LinkedIn
Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.
1 hr
August 22, 2025 Episode 228 - The First Week Back
Josh and Chris talk about the first week back to school - Smartboard repairs, missing classroom printers, tech tickets, moving equipment, and more. They also share anecdotes about Mark’s Alaska trip (send pics for prizes).
They also discuss vendor DPAs, the fallout from bell‑to‑bell cell phone bans, and creative MFA options.
--------------------
Lightspeed
Extreme Networks
CTL
VIZOR
Fortinet
--------------------
Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals)
Buy some swag (shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Email us at [email protected]
OR our "professional" email addy is [email protected]
Call us at 314-329-0363
X @k12techtalkpod
Facebook
Visit our LinkedIn
Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.
48 min
August 15, 2025Episode 227 - State‑Mandated AI, Back‑to‑School Mayhem & the Birth of "Grumpy Josh"
Josh, Chris and Mark dive into the chaos of the back‑to‑school rush and the latest K‑12 tech headlines. Topics include Ohio’s new requirement that districts adopt AI policies, the pros and cons of writing evergreen AI regulations, and how that mandate could interact with existing tech agreements.
The trio also covers recent news like ChatGPT‑5’s launch and integrations, a Fortinet vulnerability alert, and San Francisco Unified’s payroll/ERP struggles. Between updates they share candid stories from the frontline: ticket surges as staff return, construction and classroom rollouts, recovering deleted Google accounts, and practical coping strategies for IT teams (from daily planning tricks to quick wellness tips).
Expect first‑hand anecdotes, real‑world advice for managing summer‑to‑school transitions and a light‑hearted finale — the improvised children’s story “Grumpy Josh and the Magical Gummies.” Tune in for an episode that blends policy debate, troubleshooting war stories, and a little comic relief.

Referenced Links:
https://marketbrief.edweek.org/regulation-policy/ohio-is-requiring-ai-policies-for-all-k-12-schools-will-other-states-follow/2025/08
https://www.govtech.com/education/k-12/sfusd-payroll-software-prompts-teachers-union-labor-complaint
Grumpy Josh Storybook: https://g.co/gemini/share/477028792b1c
00:00:00-Intro
00:12:44-AI Policies in Education
00:17:00-Summer Woes
00:42:55-Grumpy Josh
--------------------
NTP
Managed Methods
CTL
VIZOR
Fortinet
--------------------
Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals)
Buy some swag (shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Email us at [email protected]
OR our "professional" email addy is [email protected]
Call us at 314-329-0363
X @k12techtalkpod
Facebook
Visit our LinkedIn
Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.
47 min
August 08, 2025Episode 226 - Back to School with Gemini... or Not?
In this episode, we talk about AI (and other things)! We discuss the growing concerns surrounding school surveillance tools, examining case studies where innocent student jokes have led to harsh outcomes due to automated threat detection. Shifting gears, we look at the availability of AI tools like Gemini Pro and ChatGPT for college students, including student discount programs. Also, we analyze a recent Common Sense Media report on AI teacher assistants, discussing their moderate risk rating, potential for invisible influence, concerns about novice teachers taking content as fact, and the risks associated with using AI for high-stakes circumstances like IEP creation or grading.

Much of the episode is spent unpacking Jay's K12TechPro survey regarding Gemini and NotebookLM in classrooms, revealing current district policies on AI use for staff and students, and the presence (or absence) of board policies.

Referenced URLs:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/08/07/ai-school-surveillance-gaggle-goguardian-bark/473cb556-737e-11f0-84e0-485bb531abeb_story.html
https://apnews.com/article/ai-school-surveillance-gaggle-goguardian-bark-8c531cde8f9aee0b1ef06cfce109724a
https://gemini.google/students/
https://help.openai.com/en/articles/10986084-student-discounts-for-chatgpt-terms-of-service
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/featured-content/files/csm-ai-risk-assessment-ai-teacher-assistants-final.pdf
00:00:00-Intro
00:14:21-Gemini & ChatGPT Student Promo
00:16:00-Surveilling Students
00:19:15-Common Sense Media - Bias in AI
00:25:43-Are you enabling AI for students?
--------------------
PowerGistics
Lightspeed (Check out Signal!)
Fortinet
--------------------
Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals)
Buy some swag (shirts, hoodies...)!!!
Email us at [email protected]
OR our "professional" email addy is [email protected]
Call us at 314-329-0363
X @k12techtalkpod
Facebook
Visit our LinkedIn
Music by Colt Ball
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.
48 min

About K12 Tech Talk

From the publisher's feed

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