Name: Arizona CIO/CTO Forum 2024
Start: 2024-11-01T08:00
Location: Hyatt Regency Phoenix

Overview

This can't-miss event is designed to specifically address the unique interests and needs of Arizona's educational IT community. In addition to networking and professional development, this NO COST event is perfect for CIOs, CTOs and their teams from all around the state.

Comments from 2023 attendees:

“Very well executed event!”

“Always the best conference!”

“A very meaningful conference!”

A message from our Keynote Speaker

Speakers

Sharon Gai

Keynote Speaker and Author

Sharon Gai is an international female keynote speaker for corporations, associations and the public sector. Using her unique background from the east and west, she works with leaders worldwide to understand how to adopt AI into their workflows to increase productivity and efficiency. In her tenure at Alibaba, she advised brands and heads of state in crafting their digital strategy with programmatic marketing and AI. She has been the keynote speaker at TEDx, Singularity University, UBS, Deloitte, LVMH, Nestle, Ecomworld, and Etail. She is in the AAE list of Top Keynote Speakers in 2023. She is also one of 2024’s RETHINK Retail’s Top Retail Expert and a LinkedIn Top Voice in Public Speaking 2023. She has appeared on Bloomberg, ABC, CBC, CCTV, Techcrunch, Retail Asia, Wired, and The Next Web. She is the author of the book, Ecommerce Reimagined. Sharon has an Honors Bachelor’s degree in International Development from McGill and a Masters in Information and Knowledge Strategy from Columbia University.

Friday, November 1
8:00 am Pacific	Registration / Morning Refreshments / Exhibit Area Open Regency Ballroom Foyer and Regency Ballroom CD
9:00 am Pacific	Opening Remarks Regency Ballroom AB Laura Boone, President, Arizona Technology in Education Association
9:15 am Pacific	Keynote – The AI Revolution: Redefining the Future of Education Regency Ballroom AB In a world where technology is evolving at an unprecedented pace, the traditional education system is being redefined by artificial intelligence. AI-powered platforms can analyze student data, such as interaction with educational materials, test results and overall performance, to create personalized learning pathways. In this session, Sharon Gai will put educators in the driver’s seat, empowering them to take a proactive role in shaping how AI can be used and regulated in classrooms. She will provide examples, such as Khanmigo, the chatbot tool built by Khan Academy and OpenAI, Squirrel and ChatGPT and how they will shape the way our kids learn in the future. As our labor market changes due to the impact of AI, the skills we endow to our students will echo its changes. What are the new skills that we should focus on and equip our students? The session will investigate how these technologies can also help prepare students to hone in on skills ready for the future. Sharon Gai, Keynote Speaker and Author
10:15 am Pacific	Networking Break Regency Ballroom CD
10:45 am Pacific	Concurrent Sessions 1 AI in Action: Transforming Learning for High School Students in Special Education Hanson Room Join us as we delve into the transformative power of AI in education with a focus on special education and other underserved populations. Discover how a project in the Vail School District worked with high school students in special education to navigate AI technology, modifying their work and gaining invaluable real-life skills. This session offers practical insights and actionable strategies aimed at revolutionizing learning and preparing students for the future. Emily Marshall, Assistant Director of Education Technology, Vail School District From Breach to Triumph: A Cyber Recovery Tale Curtis Room Dive into a riveting session with our Executive Director of Technology and Network Operations Manager, sharing a firsthand account of overcoming a cyberattack. Discover how quick thinking, a robust Cyber Incident Response Plan (CIRP) and a partnership with security experts turned a potential disaster into a story of resilience and recovery. Learn from our journey, the crucial role of preparedness and how we restored our network within 24 hours. Lauren Owens, Executive Director of Technology, Agua Fria Union High School District Brandon Gabel, Network Operations Manager, Agua Fria Union High School District Thomas Innovation and Empowerment Academy Russell Room Thomas Elementary is a Title I community school in the heart of Eastside Flagstaff. The school community is presently making a transition to meet the evolving expectations of our technologically advancing world. Be inspired by the process of rebranding as we make the shift to Thomas Innovation and Empowerment Academy. Come hear about our implementation of Empower Hour, use of site-based coaching, utilization of Apple Teacher Certifications and integration of the new Arizona Technology Standards. Katrina Collins-Hernandez, Principal, Flagstaff Unified School District Cris Bowen, Learning, Technology and Innovation Specialist, Flagstaff Unified School District Preparing Students with Future Skills Remington Room How are you empowering all learners today and preparing them for tomorrow? As technology changes, the skills that employers are looking for are changing — away from passive, knowledge-based skills toward skills like creative problem-solving, analytical thinking, design and collaboration. Join us to discuss how to equip students with these skills and how we can enable them to do real-world work with real-world tools. Apple Education Building a Cyber-Secure Future: Tools, Partnerships and Opportunities for Schools Borein Room Discover how powerful initiatives can empower your school community, enhance cybersecurity measures and prepare students for a future where digital safety is paramount. Attending CIOs and tech directors will gain insight and resources to enhance cybersecurity awareness for Arizona schools. Learn about cyber threat mitigation tools – comprehensive and interactive training solutions help students and staff understand and mitigate cyber threats and are available now. Additionally, Arizona schools are already benefitting from a collaboration partnership offering cutting-edge cybersecurity resources and curricula. Finally, the FCC Cyber Pilot Funding program provides schools with vital funding to improve cybersecurity infrastructure and training programs. Jason Graun, Senior Solutions Architect, Fortinet
11:45 am Pacific	Lunch Regency Ballroom AB
12:30 pm Pacific	Lunch and Learn General Session Regency Ballroom AB Learning, Technology and Innovation: Uniting PD, BizOps, IT and EdTech Discover how embedding system administrators within a unified department encompassing IT, professional development and educational technology can level up district operations. By fostering cross-functional collaboration and contextual understanding, the classic school district IT department has been reimagined to empower system administrators to create agile processes that align with district strategic goals. Cris Bowen, Technology, and Innovation Specialist, Flagstaff Unified School District Renda Fisk, Coordinator of Learning, Technology and Innovation, Flagstaff Unified School District Troy Harris, Director of Technology, Flagstaff Unified School District Matthew Kovacs, Systems Administrator, Flagstaff Unified School District Paul Presutto, Digital Learning Systems Administrator, Flagstaff Unified School District Heather Zeigler, Assistant Director of Learning, Technology and Innovation, Flagstaff Unified School District
1:15 pm Pacific	Short Break
1:25 pm Pacific	Concurrent Sessions 2 Building a Stronger School System: Women in Educational Leadership Remington Room This session isn’t just about women leaders – it’s about building a stronger school system for everyone. Women make up the backbone of our schools, but we are underrepresented in leadership roles. This session is designed for both women aspiring to leadership and men who want to champion their advancement. We’ll explore the unique strengths women bring to educational leadership and identify the barriers they often face. Laura Boone, President, Arizona Technology in Education Association Diana Hawari, Chief Information Officer, Dysart Schools Emily Marshall, Assistant Director of Education Technology, Vail School District The ABCs of UDL and AI Curtis Room Universal Design for Learning provides the framework for personalizing instruction, but technology supercharges teachers’ ability to implement it! Learn how technology (and, specifically, generative AI) can bring UDL to life in modern classrooms, meeting the needs of each and every learner. Devices are recommended for hands-on activities. Shaun Creighton, Director of Instructional Technology, Chandler Unified School District Melissa Lundquist, Instructional Technology Specialist, Chandler Unified School District It's Your Play – Cybersecurity Support Strategies and Playbook Creation Russell Room Cyberattacks are a serious threat to schools. In this session, you will learn how to build support inside and outside of your district and discuss considerations for prioritizing your layered protections. You will learn about the need for incident response playbooks and will also begin to build your own playbook to run when an event happens. You will leave the session with the tools to be better supported and prepared for what is to come. Whether you are an administrator or IT professional, this session will help you on your cybersecurity journey. Taylor Biedermann, Security Solution Executive, CDW Education Bryan Krause, Education Strategist, CDW Education Alhambra ESD Case Study – Improving Access and Decisions Through Analytics Borein Room This session will review a case study related to access, management and utilization. Through presentation and facilitated discussion, attendees will explore automation of account creation and management, how access to digital resources can impact the full teaching and learning lifecycle and how using analytics can inform strategic level decisions, from investment priorities to professional development design. We will also review the cybersecurity rubric developed by the CyberSecurity Coalition for Education, a unique framework informed by NIST and other relevant cybersecurity and privacy standards, taking into account the specific needs of education. It is a groundbreaking approach to self-assessing and improving cybersecurity in schools. Ruben Montoya, Director of Technology, Litchfield Elementary School District (formerly at Alhambra Elementary School District) Lee Williams, Director of Instructional Technology, ClassLink Birds of a Feather Roundtable Tech Talks Hanson Room Journey to Certificate-Based Wireless Authentication A session for the super techs! Yuma Union High School District has been on a 10+ years journey to secure Wi-Fi infrastructure. This session will highlight the different steps we took along the way to get to certificate-based user and device authentication (802.1x EAP-TLS). We will share how we use our MDM tools and SecureW2 to authenticate users and devices and assign network access based on Active Directory user lookups. Dean Farer, Chief Information Officer, Yuma Unified High School District Brandan Krizay, Director of Technology, Yuma Unified High School District Ron Pendleton, Systems & Network Engineer, Yuma Unified High School District Change Management via AI Implementation Join our tech leadership team as we delve into our groundbreaking AI Playbook, a study in Change Management for K-12 education. We’ll share how our district integrated AI technology throughout our system, fostering a unique partnership between technology and curriculum. Learn from our journey, the challenges we’ve navigated and the successes we’ve celebrated. Come to exchange insights and strategies on bridging tech and academic departments, setting the stage for a future-ready learning environment. Lauren Owens, Executive Director of Technology, Agua Fria Union High School District Luke Allpress, Director of Innovative Solutions, Agua Fria Union High School District Drew Olsson, Ed Tech Coordinator, Agua Fria Union High School District
2:25 pm Pacific	Networking Break Regency Ballroom CD
2:55 pm Pacific	Concurrent Sessions 3 Setting AI Culture for Educators Curtis Room We can’t ignore AI and its use in education. Even if your district hasn’t shared guidance, there’s a good chance you have staff who are already using it. We will show you how to start creating your organization’s AI culture by sharing common language, addressing misconceptions, and providing expectations around staff and student AI usage. If your district is not ready to allow student AI use, we will share how we’ve trained our educators. Rae Mask, Technology Mentor, Balsz Elementary School District Lindsey McCaleb, Board Member, Arizona Technology in Education Association How We Accidentally Formed a Statewide Technology in Education Network Russell Room Join our interactive conversation as we share how we “accidentally’ formed a network of technology professionals bringing their best to Arizona education and technology. We will talk about how these happenstance connections evolved into a network that is expanding our reach across the state. Just a few examples include our CIO/CTO Chats (a monthly gathering of education and IT leaders commiserating, collaborating and connecting); AzTEA/ADE Town Halls (a mobile gathering, hosted by distinctive settings, offering learning and networking opportunities to all Arizona education IT professionals); afternoons with AzTEA (a monthly webinar on topics of interest including eRate, cybersecurity and technology mentoring); and our CETL Study Cohort – 28 professionals currently working together to prepare for the exam! Laura Boone, President, Arizona Technology in Education Association Diana Hawari, Chief Information Officer, Dysart Schools Emily Marshall, Assistant Director of Education Technology, Vail School District Microsoft and AI for School and District Leaders Remington Room Join us for this workshop where we will explore the strategic implementation of AI in your school or district, focusing on tools within the Microsoft environment. We'll discover how Microsoft Copilot is helping to simplify workflows and reimagine education and uncover the AI-powered features built into the M365 tools such as Word, PowerPoint and Teams, demonstrating how they can enhance student engagement, efficiency and productivity. We will also discuss best practices for establishing a clear roadmap for AI integration that aligns with your district's mission and curriculum goals. Dominic P. Tremblay, Education Consultant K-12 Birds of a Feather Roundtable Tech Talks Hanson Room Journey to Certificate-Based Wireless Authentication A session for the super techs! Yuma Union High School District has been on a 10+ years journey to secure Wi-Fi infrastructure. This session will highlight the different steps we took along the way to get to certificate-based user and device authentication (802.1x EAP-TLS). We will share how we use our MDM tools and SecureW2 to authenticate users and devices and assign network access based on Active Directory user lookups. Dean Farer, Chief Information Officer, Yuma Unified High School District Brandan Krizay, Director of Technology, Yuma Unified High School District Ron Pendleton, Systems and Network Engineer, Yuma Unified High School District Change Management via AI Implementation Join our tech leadership team as we delve into our groundbreaking AI Playbook, a study in Change Management for K-12 education. We’ll share how our district integrated AI technology throughout our system, fostering a unique partnership between technology and curriculum. Learn from our journey, the challenges we’ve navigated and the successes we’ve celebrated. Come to exchange insights and strategies on bridging tech and academic departments, setting the stage for a future-ready learning environment. Lauren Owens, Executive Director of Technology, Agua Fria Union High School District Luke Allpress, Director of Innovative Solutions, Agua Fria Union High School District Drew Olsson, Ed Tech Coordinator, Agua Fria Union High School District
3:55 pm Pacific	Adjourn Conference times, agenda and speakers are subject to change.