October 2025- Tech Newsletter
Regional Tech Meetings
THIRD THURSDAYS
October 16th
Northern Indiana Tech Directors & Coaches
Plymouth Community School Corporation
Click Here to RSVP
Northwest Tech Directors & Tech Coach Collab
Duneland Schools
Click here to RSVP
Northeast Indiana Tech Study Council (NEISSC)
East Noble School Corporation
- Mishawaka, IN Details & Registration
- Hobart, IN Details & Registration
October Learning Opportunity
Put Your Plan to the Test: Tabletop Exercise
October 8, 2025 | 10:00AM ET
After crafting your Incident Response Plan (IRP), it's time to apply what you’ve learned. This live tabletop exercise will challenge you to respond to a simulated cybersecurity incident in real time. You’ll think critically, uncover weaknesses, and walk away with a clearer understanding of how your IRP performs under pressure.
Registration is now open!
The 2025 HECC Conference is coming to Indianapolis on November 5–7, 2025! We’re excited to welcome educators, technology leaders, and innovators from across the state and beyond for three incredible days of learning, networking, and inspiration. This year, every attendee who registers and attends 2–3 days of the conference will receive a free Skylight Calendar—a smart digital display that keeps you and your team organized. Secure your spot today: Register Here
Indiana Student Data Privacy Alliance:
Privacy in Partnership
Don't forget to come hang out with Jenna Cooper and Darlene Kennedy for an informative 1-hour session at HECC on Thursday, November 6th at 11 am in Pennsylvania A/B (located on the Crowne Plaza side). They'll be sharing all about the new resources your district can access through the Indiana Student Data Privacy Alliance!
Your Backstage Pass:
Rock Your Way to the Tech Director's Chair
Are you ready to go from the opening act to the headliner of your own career? This high-energy session is your all-access pass to becoming a Director of Technology, no matter where you are on your current tour. We'll smash the myth that you need a specific background to take center stage in edtech leadership. Join Jeremy Miller & Darlene Kennedy as we help you map out your world tour to success, showing you how anyone with the right passion and drive can lead the show. We will be rockin' out Wednesday, November 5th at 10am in the Pennsylvania A/B Room (located on the Crowne Plaza side)
HECC Awards Now Open for Nominations
Each year, the Hoosier Educational Computer Coordinators (HECC) organization recognizes one individual in K-12 education who demonstrates a strong commitment to technology leadership and enhancing learning for students and staff. We encourage you to nominate your school's or district's technology leader for the HECC 2025 Technology Coordinator of the Year award. Nominations will be accepted until 5:00 PM on October 10, 2025. Please note that nominations must be submitted by a co-worker or supervisor of the technology leader within the district. Nominate Here!
In honor of Kerri Rombach, a long-time member of the HECC community, the #KerriOn Award recognizes those in school IT who have provided excellent service, support, and selfless contribution to their peers. Nominees should exemplify those same characteristics that were so consistently demonstrated by Kerri. If chosen, your nominee will be recognized at the annual HECC conference in November and given a certificate along with a special award. Nominations will be accepted until 5:00 PM EST on October 10, 2025. Nominate Here!
Partnerships
Being a member of NIESC or NWIESC provides you with access to premiere vendors that offer great pricing to our ESC Members. Below are some of the partnerships and contracts that members can take advantage of:
- Cooperative Contracts
- ESCI Partnerships
- TIPS
- NIESC/NWIESC Partnerships
You are invited to an exclusive webinar hosted by ClassLink and Hapara, where we’ll explore how to create a seamless, secure, and efficient digital learning environment for your district. You'll discover how these two powerful platforms work together to:
- Simplify access and identity management
- Improve student engagement with personalized learning
- Streamline rostering for IT efficiency
- Monitor student progress
Featured Speaker:
Mike Miller, Tech Specialist @ Goshen Community Schools
Date: Tuesday, October 14th
Time: 10:00 - 10:30am EST
RSVP HERE
October - Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Your best protection against external threats are the humans within your walls. This month, provide learning opportunities for students of all grade levels and staff in various roles with these quick resources:
- Elementary Students can learn from their peers by using posters created during the "Kids Safe Online" poster contest. Visit CISA's website to download and distribute!
- Middle School Students can interact with Common Sense Digital Media Courses that focus on privacy, safety, digital footprint, and identity.
- High School Students tend to have more digital access through personal devices and increased access to the internet. The Center for Development of Security Excellence (CDSE) has posters by content area that lean towards high grade levels.
- Common Sense Media Teacher's Guide to Cybersecurity provides tips, talking points, lessons to launch your teachers into cybersecurity discussions in the classroom.
Every staff member can learn through KnowBe4's Phishing Training Campaigns that you can setup on your own or have the IDOE manage monthly trainings on your behalf. If you haven't started yet with your free licenses, connect with Brad Hagg: bhagg@idoe.in.gov to learn how to get started. Within KnowBe4, there are "Scam of the Week" emails that are easy and intriguing reads that keep all staff informed on the latest types of threats.
- CISA's Cybersecurity Awareness Month Toolkit has all the information you need to build a successful campaign. Regardless if you go big or small, there are tools for every EdTech Leader to help protect their district from harm. (be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of the website to see the list of downloads available)
From the IDOE
All items listed below have been provided in a recent publication of
Dr. Jenner's Weekly Update
See a full list of newsletters on the IDOE website
Support for Accurate October Data Certification: The October Certification Dashboard is now available to all schools to show trends in year to year data. School users can access this report in EdData. It is critical for school leaders and data teams to review these reports since they help detect anomalies which can only be evaluated at the local level. Data trends are available for Pupil Enrollment, Graduation (fall graduates for 2024-2025), Membership, Multilingual Learners, Course Outcomes (summer 2025) Staff Employment, and school calendars. This approach is part of the overall effort to review data prior to certification and avoid post-certification corrections. Contact help.doe.in.gov with any questions.
2025 Legislative Guidance: Following the close of each legislative session, IDOE immediately begins working to implement newly-enacted legislation impacting K-12 education, which includes compiling guidance for schools and educators. This guidance is a product of robust cross-agency collaboration and partnership with countless stakeholders. This is an iterative document that will continue to be updated and improved in collaboration with educators. (note section on Prioritizing School Safety on page 16)
Indiana Learning Lab Learning & Assessment Hub Updates: The Assessment Hub on the Indiana Learning Lab has been updated to the Learning & Assessment Hub. Resources and collections found in the Learning & Assessment Hub have been updated and new supports will be added once they are available. Contact the Office of Student Assessment with any questions.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Platforms in Indiana Schools Series - On Demand: Eight sessions highlighting AI Platforms being used in Indiana schools are now available on demand in the Indiana Learning Lab. Each featured platform was selected by at least one corporation during recent grant opportunities and met IDOE’s vendor requirements. Contact IDOE’s Digital Learning Team with any questions.
2025-2026 STEM School Certification Guidelines Now Available: IDOE’s Office of Curriculum and Instruction has released new guidance and rubrics for the 2025-2026 STEM School Certification Process. On Tuesday, September 30, IDOE’s STEM Certification team hosted an informational webinar in the Indiana Learning Lab which can be viewed using this link. Contact stemcertification@doe.in.gov with any questions.
Free Recruitment & Hiring Resources Through IDOE/Nimble Partnership: IDOE is excited to continue our partnership with Nimble to provide Indiana schools with free access to Nimble's applicant tracking system and access to post on the statewide job board, used by more than 100,000 job seekers annually. We have also expanded the engagement to further support schools in their teacher recruitment efforts. New in 2026, all schools will have access to a premium recruiting service that delivers high-quality candidates looking for teaching positions in your area. To learn more , register for an informational webinar on Tuesday, October 28 at 3 p.m. ET. You can also schedule a call with our partners at Nimble or contact the Office of Educator Talent with any questions.
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Now is a great time to begin preparing for Cybersecurity Awareness Month, which occurs each October. Here is a resource with links to free toolkits you can use to plan activities to improve the cybersecurity awareness and posture of your staff members. Remember that schools are eligible for a no-cost cybersecurity assessment from a joint team from Purdue and Indiana University. Schools will receive an actionable report that can be shared with school leaders and school board members. MS-ISAC also opens the no-cost Nationwide Cybersecurity Review (NCSR) . This confidential cybersecurity self assessment allows schools to monitor growth each year and provides nationally-aggregated statistics to inform future investment in cybersecurity.
The Candice Dodson EdTech Trailblazer Award Open for Nominations: The Indiana CTO Council is honored to partner with IAPSS to present the Candice Dodson EdTech Trailblazer Award, sponsored by CDW. We’re inviting you to nominate a Superintendent or Assistant Superintendent who has championed innovation and empowered others through technology. Nominations are open until November 10, 2025, and the award will be presented at the IAPSS Annual Meeting in December. Nominate Here!
Darlene Kennedy, CETL
Director of Tech Integration
dkennedy@niesc.k12.in.us
56535 Magnetic Drive
Mishawaka, IN 46545
Phone: (574) 254-0111
Northern Indiana Educational Services Center
Northwest Indiana Educational Service Center
See our Website for All Professional Learning Opportunities