Plugged In: ACPE Amplified

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(recorded September 24, 2025)

Episode Sponsor: Motorola Solutions

Join Marc and Rachel for our tenth episode, with guests:

Josh Kesecker, Technology Coordinator at Wallowa County ESD

and 

Dr. Joe Morelock, Superintendent at Willamette ESD

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We chat this episode about amateur (ham) radio with our two favorite ham radio aficionados and fellow ACPE board members. Joe and Josh tell stories, teach us the basics, and talk about the importance of ham radio in emergency preparedness. We also chat about the growing fox hunt tradition at ACPE!

*Oh, and the gray/grey line is the magical, liminal transition between darkness and light, dusk and dawn—the twilight zone—and used to describe distinct the related conditions.

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(recorded September 11, 2025)

Episode Sponsor: Comcast Business, 

Join Marc and Rachel for our ninth episode, with guests:

Chris Bailey, Director Of Technology at Edmonds School District

and 

Kevin Meckler, Partner, Cipriani & Werner Attorneys at Law

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We chat this episode about navigating cyber incidents. Chris provides a first-person K-12 perspective and Kevin shares his decade plus observations as an incident response attorney. And a big catch-up on pop culture, especially that Tony #1 is the very worst of the Hulu Four Weddings and a Funeral series. (That's for my kids! xoxo —rwc)

*Oh, and it's Florida versus all, y'all. Despite the episode title, which was Rachel's best accidental trash talking in years....

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(recorded July 7, 2025)

Episode Sponsor: Gaggle

Join Marc and Rachel for our eighth episode, with guests:

Dr. Susan Enfield, Executive Director at the Center for Educational Leadership (CEL) at the University of Washington

and 

Dr. Patrick Murphy, Superintendent of the Olympia School District

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We chat this episode about the serious domains of student safety, health, and privacy as they continue to intersect via emerging tools and approaches in this connected generation.

*Oh, and we all agree. Kids are smart. 

Like we were, as the the video-game playing MTV generation of know-nothings. ;)

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Alt title: Keep The Blast Radius Small (recorded June 26, 2025)

Join Marc and Rachel for our seventh episode, with guest April Mardock, our security role model and an ACPE cyber whisperer.

We chat about video games, sci-fi, what Marc is watching, what April is reading, and Rachel's love for Parker Posey (enough to overcome White Lotus).

And then we get serious about K-12 cybersecurity, tools, threats, lessons learned, people processes, and the importance of incident response planning. 

*Oh, and some cheese, Swiss cheese, cheeziness (sorry Chris Rowbotham!), string cheese as high motivation for April's dog, and a visit from Marc's dog Guppy Nine Toes, who likes cheese and approves of this episode.

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Join Marc and Rachel for our sixth episode, the halfway point of our pilot season.

We are navel-gazing in this week's short episode, reflecting on our first couple months of learning how to podcast. The people, conversations, the tech, the spirit of Plugged In, cold opens, how to choose a title, and a clumsy sign-off that may or may not stick.

We also do a high-level review of this year's CoSN State of EdTech Leadership Report, including conversation on the shifting demographics in this year's survey respondents. 

*Oh, and the dogs in both houses playing cameo roles.

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Join Marc and Rachel for our fifth episode and a very special guest, recently retired ACPE Board Member, Allen Miedema.

We chat about music, Allen's long tenure and the meaningful changes in edtech during it, leadership, what snuck up on us in tech, what's coming next, differentiated learning, streaming media, server shower stalls, and Tacoma's renaissance. 

*Oh, and some future-casting that started with MOOCs.

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Join Marc and Rachel for our fourth episode that recaps this year's IncludeIT conference and also chatter about music tech and edtech.

We chat with guests (ACPE DJ) Joe Yamada and (ACPE Board Member) Steve Langford about music, Wordle, love shoves (h/t Amy Poehler on Smartless podcast), mobile computing in K-12, device refresh cycles, and women in tech via Sylvia Acevedo's powerful closing keynote at this year's conference.

*Oh, and a serious talk about Joe Yamada's beautiful music, including Rachel's favorite A Silent Tear.

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In this first B-Sides track from Plugged In S1 E1, Marc and Rachel chat with Shelby and Derek about student cell phone policies and approaches in their school districts, and the larger national debate.

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Join Marc and Rachel for our third episode that focuses on the lodge, schedule, and activities of this year's IncludeIT conference.

Guest Cory Horton, ACPE Conference Coordinator, joins to chat about movies, music, Marc's jackets, and all the things to know about ACPE's Annual Conference.

*Oh, and several weird, plus lovely, intersections with Newberg, Oregon.

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Join Marc and Rachel for our second episode that focuses on IncludeIT, this year's conference theme.

Guest Jennifer Clouser, current ACPE Board President, joins to chat about inclusion in the work we do as technicians and leaders, and the development of the theme for this year's conference.

*Oh, and several hungry dogs.