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by COSN - The Podcast
The CoSN Podcast provides current and aspiring K-12 edtech leaders with timely insights and strategies to succeed in the ever-evolving world of school system technology. Hear from Certified Education Technology Leaders (CETL), visionary district changemakers, and instructional experts, who will discuss essential topics such as digital equity, innovation, IT leadership, cybersecurity, and more.
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- 1 weeks ago10 min
Closing the Digital Safety Gap: E-Rate and the Evolution of School Filtering
School filtering is more than a technical setting—it is part of the infrastructure that helps districts provide safe, reliable access to digital learning.In this episode, we explore CoSN CIRCUITS’ brief, Closing the Digital Safety Gap: E-Rate and the Evolution of School Filtering. The discussion looks at the filtering requirements connected to E-Rate, why school-managed devices offer stronger protections than personal devices and cellular networks, and the role local policy plays in determining what a district blocks.We also examine how modern filtering tools are evolving, why no filter is perfect, and why digital safety requires more than technology alone.What You’ll Learn in This EpisodeE-Rate and CIPA: Why districts receiving E-Rate funding must maintain internet-safety policies and content-filtering protections.Local decision-making: How school boards, district leaders, and community values shape filtering policies.Managed devices vs. personal devices: Why school-issued devices can be safer than personal laptops and phones using cellular data.The limits of filtering: Why bypass attempts require both technical monitoring and an appropriate behavioral response.Modern filtering tools: How machine learning and AI help identify harmful content and emerging risks more quickly.A layered approach to digital safety: Why filtering must be supported by clear expectations, digital citizenship, staff oversight, and family communication.Resources MentionedCoSN CIRCUITS Committee — resources supporting reliable, secure, and adaptable K–12 technology infrastructure.Closing the Digital Safety Gap: E-Rate and the Evolution of School Filtering — download the full CoSN CIRCUITS brief.CoSN E-Rate Resources — resources and updates on the E-Rate program.Initial comments are due October 13, 2026. Reply comments are due November 12, 2026.Take ActionVisit the Save Our E-Rate campaignContact elected officials through CoSN’s Action CenterSubmit comments through the FCCProduced in partnership with edCircuit.CoSN is vendor-neutral and does not endorse products or services. Any mention of a specific solution is for contextual purposes.This episode was generated in part using AI tools. All content was reviewed and approved by CoSN and the edCircuit editorial team before publication.
- 1 weeks ago12 min
Purposeful Technology in Practice: Meriden’s Sixteen-Year Story
What does purposeful technology look like when a school district sustains a clear vision for more than a decade?In this episode of the Consortium for School Networking Podcast, we explore Dr. Stacy Hawthorne’s recent CoSN article, “Recognized: Sixteen Years of Purposeful Technology in Meriden Public Schools.”Meriden’s story demonstrates that meaningful technology integration is not defined by devices or screen time. It is shaped by access, instructional purpose, professional learning, and a long-term commitment to students.Over sixteen years, Meriden Public Schools has developed an equitable one-to-one program, introduced weekly Genius Labs for elementary students, expanded multilingual literacy support, and invested in educators through its six-stage “I’m Charged” professional learning framework.The episode also highlights Dr. Hawthorne’s forthcoming book, “Purposeful Technology, Powerful Learning: You Can’t Ban Possibility.” Featuring documented stories from thirteen school districts, the book examines how schools are using technology intentionally to address real educational challenges and create opportunities that otherwise may not be possible.Dr. Stacy Hawthorne, Ed.D., CETL, serves as Chair of the CoSN Board of Directors and Executive Director of the EdTech Leaders Alliance.IN THIS EPISODE:Why equitable access must remain at the center of district technology planningHow Meriden moved beyond devices to create meaningful learning experiencesThe role of professional learning and shared leadershipWhy purposeful technology cannot be measured by screen time aloneHow Dr. Hawthorne’s forthcoming book expands the conversation through stories from thirteen school districtsLEARN MORE:Read the CoSN article:https://www.cosn.org/recognized-sixteen-years-of-purposeful-technology-in-meriden-public-schools/Explore “Purposeful Technology, Powerful Learning: You Can’t Ban Possibility”:https://stacyhaw.github.io/Purposeful-Technology-Powerful-Learning/Visit CoSN:https://www.cosn.org/Produced in partnership with edCircuit.CoSN is vendor-neutral and does not endorse products or services. Any mention of a specific solution is for contextual purposes.This episode was generated in part using AI tools. All content was reviewed and approved by CoSN and the edCircuit editorial team before publication.
- 3 weeks ago12 min
Why E-Rate Still Matters: The Case for Action
For nearly three decades, E-Rate has helped schools and libraries afford the broadband and internal networks that support teaching, learning, communication, cybersecurity, and daily operations.Now, the Federal Communications Commission is reviewing whether the program should be narrowed, restructured, or potentially ended. This episode examines CoSN’s position, why being connected is not the same as having affordable and reliable connectivity, and how changes to E-Rate could affect school communities.The episode also explains why decisions about instructional technology and screen time should remain local—and how education leaders and community members can make their voices heard.Initial comments are due October 13, 2026. Reply comments are due November 12, 2026.Take ActionVisit the Save Our E-Rate campaignContact elected officials through CoSN’s Action CenterSubmit comments through the FCCProduced in partnership with edCircuit.CoSN is vendor-neutral and does not endorse products or services. Any mention of a specific solution is for contextual purposes.This episode was generated in part using AI tools. All content was reviewed and approved by CoSN and the edCircuit editorial team before publication.
- 4 weeks ago20 min
Ten Smart Moves for a Stronger School Year
As districts begin the 2026–27 school year, education technology leaders face a demanding mix of responsibilities—from cybersecurity and artificial intelligence to screen-time concerns, procurement, professional learning, and federal funding.In this episode of The CoSN Podcast, we examine ten practical CoSN resources designed to help K–12 leaders address immediate needs while building a stronger technology strategy for the year ahead.The discussion explores how districts can:Promote purposeful and responsible technology useEvaluate cybersecurity and AI readinessStrengthen vendor selection and technology procurementAdvocate for E-Rate and digital accessDevelop technology leaders and their teamsConnect with CoSN chapters, courses, publications, and peer networksDistricts do not need to take on all ten areas at once. The goal is to select the resources that address their most pressing priorities, bring the right people into the conversation, and turn available guidance into meaningful action.Read the full article: 10 Key CoSN Back-to-School Resources for Ed Tech Leaders 2026Explore additional tools and guidance through the CoSN Resource Library.Produced in partnership with edCircuit.CoSN is vendor-neutral and does not endorse products or services. Any mention of a specific solution is for contextual purposes.This episode was generated in part using AI tools. All content was reviewed and approved by CoSN and the edCircuit editorial team before publication.
- Aug 18, 202623 min
From Screen Time Mandates to Purposeful Technology Policies and Guidance
District leaders are being asked to respond to growing concerns about screen time while protecting the technology students rely on for learning, accessibility, assessment, intervention, and future readiness.This episode of the CoSN Podcast explores CoSN’s new resource, From Screen Time Mandates to Purposeful Technology Policies and Guidance: A CoSN Guide for District Leaders—Extended Executive Summary, and its guidance for moving beyond screen-time mandates toward purposeful, locally informed technology policies.The episode examines why screen-time policies cannot rely on minutes alone. A student scrolling social media, a student using text-to-speech, a student completing a required assessment, and a student collaborating on a multimedia project may all be using screens, but the purpose, supervision, educational value, and consequences of removing that access are very different.CoSN’s position is clear: purpose should come before minutes. Districts should reduce excessive, passive, distracting, or poorly designed use while protecting technology that meaningfully advances learning.The discussion also explores the three commitments CoSN recommends as anchors for local policy: learning goals should come before tool selection, students should be protected within district-managed technology environments, and decisions should reflect local priorities and student needs.Listeners will learn:Why instructional screen time should be considered separately from personal smartphones and social mediaWhat minutes can and cannot tell a district about the quality of technology useHow the same amount of screen time can represent very different student experiencesWhy policies need clear definitions for active, passive, instructional, personal, protected, and low-value useHow grade-band guidance can protect analog and relational learning while building digital fluencyWhy many districts cannot accurately report per-student instructional screen minutes across every platformWhat parent oversight and opt-down provisions may require from vendors, staff, procurement, and help-desk teamsWhy policies must explicitly protect accessibility tools, assessments, interventions, and legally required servicesHow blanket restrictions can increase privacy risks, widen access gaps, and encourage unapproved technology workaroundsWhy screen-time expectations must align with existing privacy, cybersecurity, cell-phone, artificial-intelligence, assessment, and accessibility policiesThe guide encourages district leaders to connect policy goals with operational reality. Before adopting a policy, districts should determine what they can measure, whether promised controls can be supported, which uses must be protected, and how expectations will be communicated to educators and families.The goal is neither more screen time nor less screen time. It is better learning, safer systems, healthier habits, and purposeful technology use that reflects the needs of each local community.This document is publicly available through CoSN as part of a larger publication reserved for CoSN Members. Log in at www.cosn.org to access the full Member-Only content.AssetsFrom Screen Time Mandates to Purposeful Technology Policies and GuidanceCoSN Releases New Guidance for Developing Purposeful Education Technology Policies in K–12 SchoolsThe full CoSN Guide for District Leaders is a member-only resource. If you are logged in to your member profile, access the full CoSN Guide here.Learn MoreTo explore more CoSN resources, professional learning opportunities, and leadership conversations in K–12 education technology, visit CoSN.Produced in partnership with edCirc
- Aug 11, 202619 min
Preparing Students and Teachers for What Comes Next (Part 3)
Schools are preparing students for a future they cannot fully predict—and asking educators to lead that work with technologies that can change almost as quickly as they arrive.In the third and final episode of the CoSN Podcast’s series exploring Cooper Sved’s work, the focus shifts from today’s devices to the skills, judgment, and professional support needed for what comes next.Drawing from Cooper’s articles “Preparation and Progress” and “EdTech Professional Development,” the episode examines how schools can prepare students for a changing world while giving teachers the trust, training, and time required to use technology effectively.Students may be comfortable with digital devices, but familiarity is not the same as digital literacy. Future readiness requires adaptability, critical thinking, source evaluation, responsible AI use, and the ability to decide when technology is—or is not—the right tool.That same principle applies to educators. A login and a product demonstration are not enough to create meaningful classroom use. Teachers need professional learning connected to instructional goals, realistic practice, ongoing coaching, and opportunities to help shape implementation.Listeners will learn:Why adaptability is more valuable than mastering one platformHow schools can prepare students for jobs and technologies that do not yet existWhy digital literacy must include privacy, credibility, attention, and responsible AI useHow technology can develop durable skills such as reasoning, collaboration, creativity, and problem-solvingWhy teacher hesitation can provide valuable information about an initiativeHow teacher voice, pilots, and feedback can improve EdTech decisionsWhy professional development should begin before a product is purchasedHow coaching, collaboration, planning time, and ongoing support strengthen implementationWhy platform usage alone does not prove that learning has improvedAcross all three episodes, Cooper offers a consistent message: the central question is not whether screens are good or bad. It is whether technology is being used with enough purpose, balance, precision, and human judgment to support students.This final episode brings the series together by showing that successful technology leadership depends less on predicting the next tool and more on preparing students and educators to approach change thoughtfully, critically, and confidently.Assets 2025 Blaschke Report & ToolkitBlaschke Report Preview and Blog Series from Cooper SvedWhat Does ‘Screen Time’ Mean, Anyway?Children, Screens, and Parent PerspectivesCell Phones, Schools, and SolutionsPerformance Without PaperPreparation and ProgressEdTech Professional DevelopmentLearn More: To explore more CoSN resources, professional learning opportunities, and leadership conversations in K–12 education technology, visit CoSN.Produced in partnership with edCircuit. CoSN is vendor-neutral and does not endorse products or services. Any mention of a specific solution is for contextual purposes. This episode was generated in part using AI tools. All content was reviewed and approved by CoSN and the edCircuit editorial team before publication.
- Aug 4, 202618 min
Phones, Platforms, and Purpose in the Classroom (Part 2)
Cell phones are being removed from classrooms across the country, yet school-issued laptops, tablets, and other digital tools remain central to teaching and learning. Is that a contradiction—or an important distinction schools need to make?In Part 2 of the CoSN Podcast’s three-part series exploring Cooper Sved’s work, we examine the difference between limiting personal-device distractions and using educational technology with purpose.Drawing from Cooper’s articles “Cell Phones, Schools, and Solutions” and “Performance Without Paper,” the episode explores how schools can protect student attention while continuing to use technology to expand access, creativity, collaboration, and learning.As more states and districts restrict student cell phone use, Cooper encourages school leaders to look beyond the policy itself. Successful implementation requires clear expectations, consistent enforcement, family communication, student input, appropriate exceptions, and a plan for determining whether the policy improves learning and school culture.The episode also explains why restricting personal phones does not conflict with using educational technology. Personal devices and social platforms are often designed to capture attention. District-selected EdTech should serve a defined instructional, accessibility, or creative purpose.Listeners will learn:Why cell phone restrictions are not a complete solution by themselvesWhat schools should consider when implementing and evaluating phone policiesWhy student experiences and school climate matter alongside academic dataHow digital citizenship develops responsible technology habitsWhy one-to-one device access does not guarantee meaningful learningHow EdTech can support accessibility, creativity, collaboration, career preparation, and equityWhy turning a paper worksheet into a digital worksheet does not necessarily improve instructionHow teacher training and professional judgment shape successful technology useSchools do not have to choose between banning technology and embracing it without limits. They can establish boundaries around personal devices while using educational technology thoughtfully to strengthen teaching and expand learning opportunities.Subscribe to the Consortium for School Networking Podcast so you do not miss Part 3, when we explore Cooper’s articles “Preparation and Progress” and “EdTech Professional Development.”Assets 2025 Blaschke Report & ToolkitBlaschke Report Preview and Blog Series from Cooper SvedWhat Does ‘Screen Time’ Mean, Anyway?Children, Screens, and Parent PerspectivesCell Phones, Schools, and SolutionsPerformance Without PaperLearn More: To explore more CoSN resources, professional learning opportunities, and leadership conversations in K–12 education technology, visit CoSN.Produced in partnership with edCircuit. CoSN is vendor-neutral and does not endorse products or services. Any mention of a specific solution is for contextual purposes. This episode was generated in part using AI tools. All content was reviewed and approved by CoSN and the edCircuit editorial team before publication.
- Jul 28, 202618 min
Beyond the Clock: What “Screen Time” Really Means
Welcome to the first episode of a new three-part Consortium for School Networking Podcast series exploring the work of Cooper Sved, CoSN’s 2025 Blaschke Fellow.As both a practicing public school teacher and an education researcher and analyst, Cooper brings research, policy, family perspectives, and classroom experience into one of education’s most complicated conversations: screen time.This series moves beyond the question of whether screens are simply good or bad. Instead, it examines how schools can make more thoughtful decisions about personal devices, educational technology, student learning, family concerns, and teacher preparation.In Part One, we explore Cooper’s articles “What Does ‘Screen Time’ Mean, Anyway?” and “Children, Screens, and Parent Perspectives.”The episode examines why screen time should not be treated as one single activity. Time spent scrolling through social media is different from time spent using assistive technology, collaborating on a class project, receiving feedback, or creating something new. Although the same type of device may be involved, the purpose and experience can be very different.The discussion also considers the complicated relationship families have with technology. Parents may recognize the educational value of digital tools while still worrying about attention, development, online safety, and the amount of time children spend on devices.Listeners will learn:Why counting minutes provides an incomplete picture of screen useHow personal phones and social media differ from school-selected educational technologyWhy families may support technology while still asking for clearer boundariesHow schools can explain the purpose and value of digital tools more effectivelyWhy technology should support strong teaching rather than replace itHow digital and nondigital learning can work together in a balanced classroomAcross this three-part series, we will also examine school cell phone policies, purposeful educational technology, digital literacy, student preparation, teacher trust, and the professional development required for successful EdTech implementation.Subscribe to the CoSN Podcast so you do not miss Part Two, when we explore Cooper’s articles “Cell Phones, Schools, and Solutions” and “Performance Without Paper.”Assets 2025 Blaschke Report & ToolkitBlaschke Report Preview and Blog Series from Cooper SvedWhat Does ‘Screen Time’ Mean, Anyway?Children, Screens, and Parent PerspectivesLearn More: To explore more CoSN resources, professional learning opportunities, and leadership conversations in K–12 education technology, visit CoSN.Produced in partnership with edCircuit. CoSN is vendor-neutral and does not endorse products or services. Any mention of a specific solution is for contextual purposes. This episode was generated in part using AI tools. All content was reviewed and approved by CoSN and the edCircuit editorial team before publication.
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About The CoSN Podcast
The CoSN Podcast provides current and aspiring K-12 edtech leaders with timely insights and strategies to succeed in the ever-evolving world of school system technology. Hear from Certified Education Technology Leaders (CETL), visionary district changemakers, and instructional experts, who will discuss essential topics such as digital equity, innovation, IT leadership, cybersecurity, and more.
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