K12TechPro – By K12 Tech Pros, for K12 Tech Pros? Yes, it’s true! This website is for the K12 Tech Dept community.
Mission Statement: At K12TechPro, our mission is to provide technology resources, support, and professional development opportunities to help school district technology departments stay up-to-date on the latest issues, trends, and best practices in educational technology.
Our platform, the K12TechPro Community, allows technology departments across the globe to collaborate and work together. With message boards, chat rooms, and other resources, K-12 technology professionals can share ideas, ask questions, and get support from their peers. We understand the importance of community; the K12TechPro Community is designed to foster connections among K-12 technology professionals. By leveraging the collective knowledge and experience of our community, technology departments can better support their schools and districts in implementing effective and impactful technology initiatives. Our goal is to create a community where K-12 technology professionals can collaborate, share best practices, and stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in K-12 technology.
Some backstory:
Before K12TechPro, there was MOTechTalk. In 2017, MOTechTalk was a highly technical two day conference event with School District Technology Departments in Missouri in mind. Every detail was planned by folks who work for School District Technology Departments in Missouri. NOT an instructional tech conference – A Tech Department conference. MOTechTalk grew and other states’ K12 Tech Depts started to show up. So, it became MidwestTechTalk in 2020. MidwestTechTalk is (still) a highly technical two day conference event with School District Technology Departments in the Midwest in mind (We get it; one word changed.) with over 300 in attendance. Then, it too grew. In 2022, we added the MidwestTechTalk Security Symposium into the mix. The Security Symposium is a one-day K-12 technology cybersecurity conference event with over 200 in attendance. MidwestTechTalk has annual attendee membership and sponsor membership now as well with 200 members.
In 2020, and in the midst of MidwestTechTalk’s success, Josh Bauman and Chris Warden of the MidwestTechTalk planning committee started the K12 Tech Talk podcast, comprised of weekly episodes concerning all things/issues/trends in K12 technology. Mark Racine from Massachusetts joined in later. The three have interviewed folks from around the nation. At over 100 episodes and 70k+ downloads, listenership continues to grow.
And then came K12TechPro. K12TechPro is the final piece for the podcast, the conferences, and the K12 Tech Dept community to be brought together. Josh, Mark, and Chris are there. Jay Roussin, Eric Martin, and Jason Rooks, also of the MidwestTechTalk planning committee, are there – whipping up articles and legit website stuff (https://k12techpro.com/). Content from the podcast is also posted. Content from the conferences is posted as well.
In 2023, the biggest part of K12TechPro was launched – the K12TechPro Community. We don’t let just anyone into the Community. Only K12 techs get over the wall. We use an application and downright detective work to verify members work in K12 tech. We are literally paying a person to help us with this process. This is important to us. The K12TechPro Community can trust that they are with K12 techs when they join. More info can be found at https://k12techpro.com/community-membership/
In 2023, we also began moderating and vetting the K12sysadmin subreddit on Reddit with over 41k users!
To answer the questions “What is K12TechPro?” and “What is the K12 Tech Talk podcast?” – We are a community of K12 techs. On the podcast Chris likes to say “We are K12 Tech Talk, and so are you.” Yes, YOU are here. We hope you’ll get plugged in and stay for awhile. Our community is what makes K12TechPro, MidwestTechTalk, and the K12 Tech Talk podcast so great! Technology Departments from around the Midwest and beyond step up to present sessions, give feedback, create content, and engage in other activities to keep improving and growing. We’re proud of the K12 Tech Dept community.
Disclaimer: The views and work done by Chris, Eric, Jason, and Jay are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of K12TechPro sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12TechPro itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Chris, Eric, Jason, and Jay. Chris, Eric, Jason, and Jay’s individual views and opinions are not representative of K12TechPro. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12TechPro should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.