July EduTech Monthly Updates & Training Overview

Technology Updates

  • Ongoing mission: reduce day-to-day technology effort for K-12 IT leaders, district staff, educators and students so everyone can focus on teaching/learning, not troubleshooting.

Licensing (Microsoft EES)

  • Annual Education Enrollment Solution (EES) renewals were due in June.

    • July is the grace/transition window for most districts.

  • If you bought through SoftChoice or your own reseller:

    • Forward purchase invoices to the Help Desk.

    • Ensures correct licence assignment and prevents staff from being left without needed tools.

    • Prevents compliance/audit issues and unexpected feature loss at school-year start.

Account De-provisioning

  • Graduation‐triggered removals started at year-end.

    • A temporary hold grants former students 60 days60\ \text{days} post-PowerSchool removal before K-12 account access ends.

    • Majority of those sunsets will strike in July.

  • If a graduate still needs data:

    • Open a Help Ticket to request a one-off reactivation.

    • Minimises friction for students entering workforce or post-secondary.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Pilot

  • Volunteers (whole districts or small cohorts) still needed.

    • Can start with tech staff, administrators, or even a single department (e.g.
      Social Studies).

  • Scope:

    • Adult users only; students are excluded.

  • Observed results so far:

    • Sharp decline in compromised accounts among MFA-enabled users, even though total compromises are up statewide.

    • Reduces load on NDIT cybersecurity team and strengthens the statewide network perimeter.

  • To participate: contact EduTech; rollout is fully supported.

EduTech Newsletter

  • Monthly; QR code or direct link available on slide deck.

  • Content: highest-impact news, professional-learning events, SIS updates, security alerts, training opportunities.

  • Share freely with teachers, admin assistants, principals, etc.

Professional Learning & Training Opportunities

District Technology Administrator Training

  • Category: Tech Literacy on EduTech website.

  • Content highlights:

    • MyAdmin portal navigation

    • Password resets & user management

    • Deeper dives into core K-12 tools

  • Flexible start dates (not bound to 1st of month).

    • Email Katie Larson for immediate enrollment—useful for new hires arriving mid-summer.

EduTech Webinar Series (New)

  • Monthly video drops featuring EduTech trainers and national speakers.

  • Focus: classroom-ready tools, innovative pedagogy, tech integration.

  • Teasers and schedule will appear in the Newsletter.

Asynchronous Course Library

  • Many existing courses for PD hours, licence renewal, or lane change.

  • New content pipeline:

    • Cybersecurity curriculum overview using RING resources (available now).

    • Code.org asynchronous modules landing in August.

NDSU GenCyber Camp (Grades 9-12)

  • Dates: August ?? (exact dates on QR-linked site).

  • Cost: FREE — meals included.

  • Formats:

    • Day camp for Fargo-area students.

    • Residential option (dorms) for non-local attendees.

  • Curriculum blend: coding, CS fundamentals, cybersecurity.

  • EduTech trainers will assist; QR code links to registration.

Roadshow Concepts for 2024-25

  1. Digital Citizenship (revival of popular tour)

    • 1-hour student presentations (grades 5-12; best fit 5-7).

    • Signup form collects interest; no commitment yet.

  2. Artificial Intelligence

    • Options: student assemblies, teacher PD (1-8 hr), community evening events.

    • Goal: demystify AI tools, ethics, classroom integration.

  3. Computer Science & Cybersecurity Standards Unpacking

    • New ND standards approved this summer; go live next academic year.

    • Workshops: walk-through, exemplar activities (esp. K-2 where rigour increased).

    • Partnering with grading/assessment experts for progress-tracking guidance.

Cisco “Skills for All” Program

  • Open to all North Dakotans—teachers, students, community members.

  • 100 % online, free, self-paced.

  • Upcoming additions (July/August):

    • C++ programming

    • More digital-citizenship modules

  • Teachers can convert course completions to EduTech PD hours—email Jason.

Security Updates (Steve Palmer)

  • MFA reiterated as a critical extra layer; strongly encouraged for all adults.

  • State-provided security stack (Palo Alto Cortex XDR, Temppo, etc.)

    • Free to schools; coupled with Cyber Maturity Assessment (CMA) discount.

    • Provides statewide visibility; third-party MSP tools often block that insight.

    • Schools urged to keep Cortex active even if an MSP proposes its own platform.

  • Disaster Recovery / Incident Response (DRC) Roadshow

    • Hands-on scenario workshops.

    • First session: July 17 in Bismarck.

    • Future dates: September 4 (Williston), September 16 (Grand Forks).

  • Cyber Maturity Assessment (CMA)

    • Reach out to Steve or Kyle if your district hasn’t completed one.

    • Baselines current posture, informs tool selection and insurance discussions.

Data, Standards, and SIS Management (Gordon)

Standards Training Expansion

  • Not limited to full-district rollouts; can support small groups or individual teachers.

  • Services include:

    • Selecting, writing, editing, scoring standards.

    • Book studies and targeted classes.

  • Email Rob to customise.

Career-Ready Practices (CRP) Updates

  • CTE updating all PowerSchool sites with the new CRP set this week.

  • EduTech (Robert & Jeremy) coordinating; visible end-of-week.

CTE “Instructional Delivery Method” & “Distance Learning Content Provider” Fields

  • Last major push was 1–2 years ago; spot checks show lingering gaps.

  • Accurate tagging (e.g.
    Cheyenne Valley CTC, delivery = face-to-face/online) is now a priority; expect outreach from EduTech.

Address & Contact Cleanup

  • Bulk standardisation pass complete; you must verify edge cases manually (e.g.
    "174 South Ave W" vs. "174 South Ave").

  • Accurate contacts essential for upcoming Infinite Campus transition.

  • Roxanne offers 1-on-1 refreshers for contact maintenance.

Enrollment Best Practices (Registration Season Reminder)

  • Many ND schools open registration late July / early August.

  • Key tips:

    • Use the first instructional day as enrollment start date, not the day the form is processed.

    • Ensure ethnicity/race and all required demographic fields are completed.

    • Enroll students in classes with correct dates inside the academic calendar.

  • Benefits: immediate state-student numbers, automatic K-12 emails, clean data flow.

Fall Training Catalog

  • Posted on EduTech site months ago.

  • Highlights:

    • New Administrator in-person courses — essential for face-to-face rapport and tailored course-path planning (scheduling, ADA/ADM, attendance, etc.).

SIS Summer Update

  • PowerSchool update windows scheduled this week (1.5–2 hrs each).

    • Large districts handled individually; others per published schedule.

    • Details in Newsletter.

Important Dates & Deadlines (Quick Glance)

  • June: EES renewal due (licensing invoices → Help Desk).

  • July

    • Former‐student account access ends after 6060-day grace.

    • July 17 – Bismarck DRC Roadshow.

    • Newsletter (early month) – new webinar, course, security info.

  • August

    • NDSU GenCyber Camp (grades 9-12).

    • New asynchronous courses (Code.org, additional cybersecurity).

  • September

    • Sep 4 – Williston DRC Roadshow.

    • Sep 16 – Grand Forks DRC Roadshow.

  • Throughout 2024-25

    • MFA pilot sign-ups, Digital Citizenship & AI roadshows, standards unpacking workshops.

Ethical & Practical Implications Discussed

  • MFA adoption directly tied to protecting student PII and statewide infrastructure.

  • Clean, standardised data facilitates smoother migration to future SIS (Infinite Campus) and ensures accurate state/federal reporting.

  • Free, open courses and camps democratise access to CS & cybersecurity education, helping close rural/urban opportunity gaps.

  • Roadshows and community AI events aim to foster digital literacy, responsible tech use, and transparency with stakeholders.

Connections & Context

  • All initiatives align with ND’s goal of becoming a national leader in K-12 cybersecurity readiness and CS education.

  • Licensing, MFA, and security-tool guidance integrate with earlier discussions in monthly meetings—consistent reminder cycle.

  • New CS/Cyber standards echo previous summer’s science and math standards rollouts; schools familiar with that process can repurpose workflows.

  • Address/contact cleanup mirrors historic focus (6 yrs) but grows in urgency given Infinite Campus transition.

Action Checklist for District Leaders

  • [ ] Email EES invoices to Help Desk.

  • [ ] Review July list of students losing account access; notify graduating seniors.

  • [ ] Decide MFA pilot scope; contact EduTech.

  • [ ] Subscribe (and forward) EduTech Newsletter.

  • [ ] Enroll new tech staff in District Technology Administrator course (email Katie Larson).

  • [ ] Share GenCyber Camp QR with HS counselors.

  • [ ] Fill interest forms for Digital Citizenship, AI, and CS/Cyber standards roadshows.

  • [ ] Schedule Cortex XDR + CMA discussion; verify MSP tool overlap.

  • [ ] Double-check CTE delivery method/provider fields.

  • [ ] Audit addresses & contacts; schedule cleanup session if needed.

  • [ ] Align registration dates & required fields for new enrollments.

  • [ ] Register new admins for fall training sessions.

Proactive summer prep saves hours of triage once the first bell rings.