“Cybersecurity” and “mass shooters” were probably not on your syllabus as an education major in college were they? Unfortunately, those subjects have become priority number one for educators, administrators, and parents everywhere. This month, contributing writer Tara Smith takes a deep dive into the insights and resources available for securing, or at least attempting to secure, students both virtually and physically.
Another harsh reality—there are no simple solutions. When it comes to cybersecurity, she writes: “Unlike other industries, which have the means to invest in sophisticated programs to protect against cyber threats, the budget constraints most districts face mean that there are fewer resources for IT security.” And when it comes to experimenting with new technologies like facial recognition, in an attempt to better monitor school entrances and hallways, more general concerns are being raised. What’s worse—the rare chance that students would be victims to a maniac or the good chance that they will be constantly surveilled in some sort of Orwellian police state? We won’t try and answer that question! What we will do is point to some starting points on establishing policy and developing a culture in your school where security is ingrained in daily life but not a distraction from learning and well being. Per usual, we track these issues daily on techlearning.com’s Edtech Ticker. And I’m hoping to address these questions with our growing group of advisors at our Tech & Learning Leadership Summit next March in California. Reach out if want to be part of the conversation.
— Kevin Hogan
Managing Director, Content
kevin.hogan@futurenet.com
