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Discover the latest trends in programmable logic controllers (PLCs), robotics, and their integration strategies directly from Yamaha's Chief Robotics Manager, Chris Elston. This episode offers insights into automation trends, AI's role in PLC development, and practical advice for engineers. Chris shares insights into his journey from aspiring electrician to a leader in robotics and PLC integration. He discusses the evolution of PLCs, emphasizing their enduring relevance in manufacturing due to their real-time control capabilities. Chris highlighted Yamaha's efforts to simplify integration for controls engineers through function blocks and add-on instructions, which streamlines processes and enhances tech support. He also touches on the potential of AI in automation, noting its current limitations in generating ladder logic but expressing optimism about future advancements. Chris's passion for making robotics accessible and his advocacy for using existing skills resonated throughout the discussion, offering valuable perspectives on the future of automation. Mr. PLC Website - https://mrplc.com/ Chris Elston on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chriselston/ ### Listen for a special discount code to save money on your registration to the 2026 Robotics Summit and Expo: https://www.roboticssummit.com/ – SPONSORS – This episode is brought to you by Yamaha Robotics Group (YRG) — driving the future of smart automation. Yamaha's Linear Conveyor Modules and Advanced Operator Interfaces are helping engineers push efficiency and flexibility further than ever. And let's face it: the PLC isn't going anywhere — it's evolving. LEARN MORE AT: https://hs.yrginc.com/therobotreport This episode is brought to you by maxon USA. If you're designing robots beyond controlled factory cells, mobile manipulators, quadrupeds, or humanoids maxon is worth a stop at the Robotics Summit in Boston. At the show, maxon is exhibiting its High Efficiency Joint (HEJ) portfolio: fully integrated robotic joints that combine motor, gearing, electronics, and sensing in a compact unit. Built for cyclic loads, impacts, and continuous operation, HEJ joints are designed for real‑world robotics. See the HEJ90 demonstrator at Booth 419. LEARN MORE AT: https://www.maxongroup.com/en-us
A professor at San Diego's High Tech High Graduate School of Education and co-author of PLC+: Better Decisions and Greater Impact by Design, Nancy Frey has spent decades studying how teachers actually collaborate — and why most of it doesn't work. Her research-backed PLC+ framework is the difference between a Wednesday morning ritual and a genuine engine of collective efficacy. She teaches full-time at a high school that runs every student through a real-world internship program, so her frameworks aren't theoretical — they're road-tested. Find her work at hightechhigh.org. Professional learning communities were supposed to fix teacher isolation. Instead, most schools turned them into a weekly meeting where teachers explain why students failed. If your PLCs feel like compliance theater, this episode of the Ruckuscast is the reset you need — Nancy Frey breaks down the PLC+ model and the exact questions that shift a team from admiring problems to solving them.
Australian Manufacturing Week 2026 has landed in Brisbane for the first time ever — and we're recording live from the show floor. Part 1 of our AMW 2026 coverage brings you six exhibitor interviews covering robotics, autonomous material handling, ERP, 3D metrology, automation hardware, and the grant landscape for Australian manufacturers.Paul Mason and Shane Williams are joined by locals Phil Seboa from the Unplugged IIoT podcast, and Clare Treston to talk to leaders across the show about what's working, what's broken, and where the smart money is going in advanced manufacturing.In this episode you'll hear:- Manglesh Singh (Konica Minolta) on mobile cobots and AMRs that have clocked 16,000+ kilometres moving 500 pallets a day- Amanda (Freelance Robotics) on how cobot welding and the Blue Dragon framework are giving injured welders and boilermakers a way back into meaningful work- Mark and Trevor (Lily Works / PFM Works) on why nine out of ten manufacturers still run production on spreadsheets — and why replacing your ERP isn't the answer- Sara (RSM) on R&D tax incentives, CRC-P projects, and the Transforming Queensland Manufacturing grant programme offering $100K to $1.5M in matched funding- Danilo (Hi-Tech Metrology) on the Creaform HandySCAN Max — a handheld blue-laser 3D scanner doing three million points per second at 75-micron accuracy, with no surface prep needed on chrome or black parts- Michael (Mectec) on Delta automation, PLCs and vision systems helping Aussie SMEs automate repetitive packing operations- Gil Harkness (Queensland Government, Department of Natural Resources, Mines, Manufacturing, Regional & Rural Development) on Queensland's eight manufacturing hubs, the AI-and-jobs conversation, and procurement opportunities from the Brisbane 2032 OlympicsManufacturing Tech Australia is Australia's leading podcast covering manufacturing technology, automation, robotics, and Industry 4.0. We're the official media partner of Australian Manufacturing Week.More episodes and resources: https://www.manufacturingtech.auFollow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/manufacturingtechauPart 2 of our AMW 2026 coverage drops next fortnight.
In this episode of Unpacking Education, our hosts explore literacy, professional learning communities (PLCs), and school improvement with Paula Maeker, an educator and coauthor of Literacy in a PLC at Work®. Drawing from her experience teaching in under-resourced communities and collaborating with highly effective teams, Paula shares how educators can work collectively to ensure that every student reaches grade-level literacy expectations.Our conversation highlights the current state of literacy in the United States, the power of PLC collaboration, and the practical TEAMS framework for building strong instructional systems. Paula also challenges educators to embrace essentialism—doing less exceptionally well—by focusing on the most critical literacy skills in which students must gain proficiency. This episode with Paula offers actionable insights for educators committed to improving literacy outcomes for all students. Visit AVID Open Access to learn more.
In this episode of the Transformative Leadership Summit, Jethro sits down with Kyle Palmer, principal of Lewis and Clark Elementary, to explore how school leaders can develop teacher leaders and build a culture of trust and innovation. Kyle shares the story of how his school evolved from a single maker space initiative—sparked by library teacher Angela Rosheim's genius hour instruction—into a school-wide culture of student-centered learning, STEM integration through Project Lead The Way (PLTW), and maker spaces throughout the building. Central to the conversation is Kyle's philosophy of tight/loose leadership: being firm on learning outcomes and collaborative team expectations while giving teachers genuine autonomy in how they get there. He discusses the power of highly functioning PLCs, the importance of developing leaders (not just followers—a concept drawn from John Maxwell), and why trust, listening, and consistent feedback are the keys to empowering staff. Kyle leaves principals with a simple but powerful action step: go ask your best teachers what they think. Learn more about today's sponsors, Playworks, IXL, and Renaissance Learning:As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.We're proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.If you're a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation. We're also thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments
American manufacturing's next chapter is being written one region at a time, and Northeast Ohio is one of the places setting the standard. In a region like theirs, the institutions and programs are moving in sync, and that builds into something bigger than any plant could pull off alone. That's why we're hitting the road on the Rust Belt Renaissance tour to find more places where modern technology and industrial innovation are helping to revive the area. On the first stop, we're live from Collision Bend Brewing in Cleveland with seven leaders from across the Northeast Ohio manufacturing community, working out how a region of 7,700 manufacturers turns local action into national impact. We split the conversation into three short parts: Matt Duplin (Manager, TransDigm Advanced Manufacturing Center, Cleveland State University), Kyle Zeller (NSF Engine), and Adam Artman (Executive Director, Manufacturing Works) open with what regional action actually looks like on the ground, covering the role of public universities, federal programs like the $160 million NSF Engine award, and the peer-to-peer learning behind the Manu Future program. Greg Schumacher (Director of Manufacturing, NOVAGARD) and Mike Yost (Manufacturing Excellence Program, Manufacturing Works) turn the theory into a case study, walking through the CESMII Smart Manufacturing Roadmap that Greg's team finished in six weeks at zero cost. Jillian Kupchella (Director of Marketing, CESMII) and Jonathan Wise (Chief Technology Architect, CESMII) close the conversation with what comes next nationally, including the three technology needs that every digital project should think through. This episode is for any manufacturer wondering how to make the most of the resources closest to them. In this episode, find out: What ‘regional action' means in a manufacturing ecosystem and why local organisations like Manufacturing Works act as the connective tissue between manufacturers, universities, and workforce providers How a public university with an 80% local student body and a dedicated advanced manufacturing centre creates a homegrown engineering pipeline that stays in the region What an NSF Engine award is, what it takes for a region to compete for one, and how Northeast Ohio became one of fifteen teams in the running for $160 million in federal funding Why peer-to-peer learning through the Manu Future programme moves the needle on technology adoption far more than any vendor pitch The ‘secret ingredient' each panellist credits for Northeast Ohio's manufacturing density of 7,700 manufacturers, from collaboration to history to location How CESMII is exporting the same toolset and language to other regions including Western Pennsylvania, Maryland, Los Angeles, and upstate New York The three technology imperatives Jonathan Wise lays out for any manufacturer deploying new tech – modelling data, contextualising data, and making data interoperable through tools like CESMII's I3X Enjoying the show? Please leave us a review here. Even one sentence helps. It's feedback from Manufacturing All-Stars like you that keeps us going! Tweetable Quotes: "We're a public university, and so we should be servicing the public and the manufacturers in our region. The advanced manufacturing center is that space." — Matt Duplin "Something like this doesn't just get spun up overnight. It's the result of years and years of work together. It speaks to the confidence that our federal government has in our region to compete on a global scale." — Kyle Zeller "What's unique about Northeast Ohio, every time I meet with someone, is always the same. It's this willingness to share. It's the willingness for the sum to be greater than the parts." — Adam Artman "We have connected our PLCs, and that data — real time, in engineers' hands, in operations' hands — we have unleashed the data. We are making decisions faster, smarter, with the right information." — Greg Schumacher "We talk about smart manufacturing like a destination. It's really just a tool for the leaders to lead. The leaders are the ones that own it and drive it." — Mike Yost "I feel very fortunate to live in a region that is so put together. From a national scale, we're hoping to implement things like this across the nation." — Jillian Kupchella "Technology is an enabler. It's a means to an end. It is not the end. Just buying technology isn't gonna solve your problems." — Jonathan Wise Links & mentions: Manufacturing Works, the membership-based organisation that serves as the connective tissue across Northeast Ohio's manufacturing ecosystem CESMII, the Smart Manufacturing Institute and national authority on smart manufacturing, behind the roadmap toolset and the I3X interoperability framework NSF Engine, the federal place-based innovation programme behind the $160 million regional award Northeast Ohio is competing for ManuFuture, the peer-to-peer manufacturing learning programme developed in partnership with Purdue University TransDigm Advanced Manufacturing Center at Cleveland State University, the research-oriented, public-university partner serving the Northeast Ohio engineering pipeline MAGNET, the Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network supporting manufacturers across the region Tri-C (Cuyahoga Community College), source of the grant that fully funded NOVAGARD's Smart Manufacturing Roadmap NOVAGARD, silicone adhesives, sealants, and PVC foam manufacturer featured as the case study Fathom, sponsor of the Rust Belt Renaissance tour and a network of seven regional manufacturing companies Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.
Class-Act Coaching: A Podcast for Teachers and Instructional Coaches
Send us Fan MailBethany Wilson, principal of the #1 ranked middle school in Wilson County, Tennessee, joins the podcast to share the secrets behind five consecutive years of Level 5 TVAAS growth. From opening a new school just months before COVID to being named Tennessee's Principal of the Year, Wilson discusses the shift from doing to leading and how intentional culture-building turns data from a boogeyman into a life-changing tool for students. Key TakeawaysDemystifying TVAAS: Understanding student growth as a statistical model for progress rather than a stressor for teachers. The AP Grind vs. Principal Leadership: Why leading a school requires building capacity and an attitude of "We Work" rather than "I Work."Actionable Data: How to simplify complex statistical models into actionable, color-coded spreadsheets that teachers can actually use. Collective Teacher Efficacy: Why the best PLCs are based on trust, vulnerability and a shared drive of lesson designs. Normalizing Failure: Creating a culture where risk-taking is encouraged and growth mindsets are applied to both students and staff. The Power of Success Criteria: A three-year journey to move beyond simple learning objectives to authentic, student-centered criteria. The Southern Regional Education Board is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with states and schools to improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce. Follow Us on Social:FacebookInstagramX
Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we dive into control panels—the “brains” of septic systems—and explain what they do, how they work, and why choosing the right one matters. We break down the differences between alarm panels and control panels, including timers, relays, PLCs, and telemetry. We also share planning tips, common mistakes to avoid, a practical checklist to ensure the correct panel is specified, and troubleshooting insights—plus a few warnings, especially about panel placement. Details matter and getting them right protects the investment.If you have comments or questions about our podcast, you can reach us through this link. To discuss a project or talk to one of our engineers, call 800-348-9843.
This episode of Cyber AfterWork explores the evolving cybersecurity landscape through the strategic alliance between Zscaler and Cypher (Prosegur's cybersecurity unit), emphasizing that a company's security is only as strong as its "weakest link," a point illustrated by recent third-party breaches at Volvo. The discussion highlights significant market consolidation through multi-billion dollar acquisitions and the shift from viewing security as a simple "commodity" to a specialized, trust-based service. A key innovation featured is the Z-SIM technology, designed to secure IoT and industrial devices (PLCs) without voiding manufacturer warranties. To address the needs of SMEs, the experts detail how the XMDR platform provides premium protection by using technology to amplify the reach of scarce human talent. Finally, the guests advocate for a "glocal" approach—combining global technological scale with local expertise—and the defensive use of artificial intelligence to automate routine tasks and prepare for upcoming regulatory requirements like NIS 2. Twitter: @ciberafterwork Instagram: @ciberafterwork Panda Security: https://www.pandasecurity.com/es/ +info: https://psaneme.com/ https://bitlifemedia.com/ https://www.vapasec.com/ VAPASEC https://www.vapasec.com/ https://www.vapasec.com/webprotection/
Industrial AI is moving past the chatbot phase. From the Hannover Messe show floor to system integration workflows, here's what end users actually want now.Vlad just returned from his first Hannover Messe, the largest industrial automation and manufacturing trade show in Europe. The takeaway that defined the week was a shift in how end users open conversations. A year ago, every booth visit started with the question, do you have AI? This year every vendor has some flavor of AI, so the question has flipped back to the one that actually matters. How does your product solve a specific problem in my plant? Vlad and Dave unpack what that shift means for vendors, integrators, and the end users buying these tools.On the end user side, the reality is mixed. Most knowledge workers in manufacturing have access to Microsoft Copilot and use it for better emails and meeting notes. Everything else is still mostly experimentation. While auditing PLC and SCADA logic on a recent project, Vlad expected the customer to insist on a hardened on premise model with a Dell IPC and dedicated GPUs. Instead, they shrugged and said put it in ChatGPT, the boilerplate logic has no real IP. Data governance on the carpeted side of the business is mature. On the OT side, it barely exists, and that gap matters as more plant floor data flows toward AI tools.For systems integrators, AI is compressing timelines on slow, repetitive work. Tag validation, electrical drawing automation, screenshot to bill of materials extraction, and functional spec to PLC starting points are all in active development. The tradeoff is that some of these tools save four weeks of manual auditing but require a couple of weeks to set up correctly, and a probabilistic LLM still demands human signoff on safety and control logic. Senior engineers benefit most because they already know what good output looks like. The bigger industry question is what happens to the junior to senior pipeline if entry level work disappears.Hardware tells a different story. Moore's Law, first proposed in 1965, held for about 60 years before chip density at three nanometers and heat budgets broke the cost curve. GPUs on the consumer side have been roughly stagnant since the Nvidia 30 series. On the industrial side, demand for radical hardware change has been low. PLCs, switches, IO modules, and field protocols look much like they did twenty years ago. IO Link, the protocol that should be a baseline for any Industry 4.0 deployment, was founded in 2006. Image recognition has unlocked pick and place applications that used to be too expensive to engineer the traditional way.The workforce thread runs underneath all of this. UPS recently negotiated voluntary buyouts of roughly one hundred and fifty thousand dollars per driver to remove tens of thousands of positions, while large technology firms continue to lay off staff and reinvest in data centers.Timestamps0:00 Introduction1:50 Hannover Messe scale, halls, and country delegations7:20 Booth diversity from startups to hyperscalers and the German military12:20 Why end users have stopped asking, do you have AI19:00 The 1% on the bleeding edge versus the rest of industry25:50 End users sending boilerplate PLC code through ChatGPT29:20 Data governance on the OT side32:50 AI inside systems integration workflows39:50 Workforce shifts: UPS buyouts, FAANG layoffs, and reskilling47:20 Hardware innovation, Moore's Law, and the industrial side59:50 SCADA, MES, ERP, and AI generated dashboards1:03:30 Upcoming shows: Automate 2026, ICC, and moreReferencesHannover Messe: https://www.hannover-messe.deAutomate 2026: https://www.automateshow.comIgnition Community Conference: https://icc.inductiveautomation.comRockwell Automation Fair: https://www.rockwellautomation.com/automationfairAbout Your HostsVladimir Romanov is a co-host of The Manufacturing Hub Podcast and the founder of Joltek, an independent manufacturing and industrial automation consulting firm specializing in modernization strategy, digital transformation, and workforce development. Joltek works with manufacturers and investors to de-risk modernization and build the internal capability to sustain results.Connect with Vlad: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladimirromanov/Want to go deeper? Vlad and the team at Joltek have covered related topics here:Edge Computing, AI, and the Value of Manufacturing Data: https://www.joltek.com/blog/edge-computing-ai-value-manufacturing-dataSystems Integrators in Manufacturing: https://www.joltek.com/blog/system-integratorsDave Griffith is a co-host of The Manufacturing Hub Podcast and founder of Capelin Solutions, an industrial automation firm helping manufacturers adopt smart manufacturing technology. He brings 15 years of experience in industrial automation and digital transformation.Connect with Dave: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davegriffith23/
An airhacks.fm conversation with Christofer Dutz (@christofer-dutz) about: discussion about Apache PLC4X as the JDBC of industrial automation, the API and SPI architecture with Java service loader for driver discovery, Modbus protocol for HVAC systems and heating devices, PLC4X core API operations including discovery and browsing and reading and writing and subscribing and publishing, multi-language support with PLC4J for Java and PLC4Go for Go and PLC4Py for python and C#, code generation from protocol definitions using language-specific templates, XML-based cross-language unit tests, OPC UA as the Esperanto of industrial protocols versus PLC4X speaking native device protocols, OPC UA overhead causing PLC strain and network congestion, comparison of OPC UA to CORBA and grpc, CORBA IIOP protocol on devices, bidirectional communication for reading sensor data and writing control flags, subscription-based event-driven data collection to reduce PLC polling load, founding ToddySoft to provide commercially supported open source industrial products, the gap between open source libraries and industrial consumption, ToddySoft Connect as bubble-wrapped PLC4X drivers for platforms like Inductive Automation Ignition, eliminating edge gateway boxes on shop floors, native protocol communication reducing network load on 100 Mbit industrial networks, unified namespace concept as JMS for industrial automation, Apache IoTDB as time series database with push queries and callback features, Apache TsFile storage format for writing time series data directly on PLCs, shifting from polling to pushing in industrial data collection, ToddySoft File as C libraries compiled for PLCs, ToddySoft DB as embedded stripped-down IoTDB for edge devices, ToddySoft Edge as the combined platform resembling an application server for industrial automation, Industry 4.0 definition and evolution from manual labor through steam power through PLC automation to connected production, compressed air as a service business model, early failure detection in multi-step production lines, OSGi runtime driver loading, Eclipse Tycho build system difficulties, Kafka Connect PLC connectors, SPS fair in Nuremberg as one of the largest industrial automation fairs, signal theory and Nyquist sampling rate in PLC polling Christofer Dutz on twitter: @christofer-dutz
Teaser:We've all experienced it – BIG change. Not change as in the pandemic or a hurricane, or even NCLB. I mean BIG change initiatives that we do to ourselves. The programs or solutions we implement to great fanfare, that we pour money and time into, that almost inevitably fade out to be replaced by the next big thing. PBIS, Leader in Me, block scheduling, PLCs/teaming, standards-based assessment, and so much more. It's not the program or content that's the problem, it's the process – specifically the process of BIG change. Today, I'm going to make the argument for ditching BIG change initiatives in favor of much smaller more tightly focused Strategic Action Cycles. I'll identify the problems with BIG change, share the design philosophy behind Strategic Action Cycles (or SAC) and go through the SAC steps with an example.Fill out this short form to receive your free Strategic Action Cycle guide.Sponsor Spot 1:If you've been scrolling through social media this Spring, you've probably seen some of your colleagues from other schools on a trip with their students. They're at Disney, Or D.C., or maybe even across the pond – and if you're inspired to start planning a future trip for your students, I highly recommend working with Kaleidoscope Adventures. The KA team has been planning student travel for over 30 years, and they make the whole process very easy. Check out Kaleidoscope Adventures at mykatrip.com and start planning an educational adventure your students will remember forever.Show IntroWhen students practice math over the summer, students learn and math scores go up. Join the growing list of schools offering at-home summer math enrichment through Summer Pops. If you are curious about what a research-based summer-math program looks like. Check out Summer Pops for free. Get your FREE workbook samples today at Summer Pops Workbooks.com. The link is in the show notes.Celebrations:Key Points Part 1The inspiration for this episodeOriginal offering and first contractNext week's episodeThe inspiration for SACToo many failed change initiatives from my studentsAdmin program change project (BHAG) - PBISMy own failures and successes with BIG change Tech's rapid prototypingThe guide (that I will follow)The problems with BIG change (p. 29)The four principles of leverage (p. 28-33)Archimedes(seesaw analogy)Wrap up: p 34-36Fill out this short form to receive your free Strategic Action Cycle guide.Sponsor Spot 2:I want to thank IXL for sponsoring this podcast…Everyone talks about the power of data-driven instruction. But what does that actually look like? Look no further than IXL, the ultimate online learning and teaching platform for K to 12. IXL gives you meaningful insights that drive real progress, and research can prove it. Studies across 45 states show that schools who use IXL outperform other schools on state tests. Educators who use IXL love that they can easily see how their school is performing in real-time to make better instructional decisions. And IXL doesn't stop at just data. IXL also brings an entire ecosystem of resources for your teachers, with a complete curriculum, personalized learning plans, and so much more. It's no wonder that IXL is used in 95 of the top 100 school districts. Ready to join them? Visit http://ixl.com/assistant to get started.Special thanks to the amazing Ranford Almond for the great music on the show. Please support Ranford and the show by checking out his music!Ranford's homepage: https://ranfordalmond.comRanford's music on streaming services: https://streamlink.to/ranfordalmond-oldsoulInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ranfordalmond/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ranfordalmond/Sponsor Links:IXL: http://ixl.com/assistant Kaleidoscope Adventures: https://www.kaleidoscopeadventures.com/the-assistant-principal-podcast-kaleidoscope-adventures/Summer Pops Workbooks: https://summerpopsworkbooks.com/ CloseLeadership is a journey and thank you for choosing to walk some of this magical path with me.You can find links to all sorts of stuff in the show notes, including my website https://www.frederickbuskey.com/I love hearing from you. If you have comments or questions, or are interested in having me speak at your school or conference, email me at frederick@frederickbuskey.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.If you are tired of spending time putting out fires and would rather invest time supporting and growing teachers, consider reading my book, A School Leader's Guide to Reclaiming Purpose. The book is available on Amazon. You can find links to it, as well as free book study materials on my website at https://www.frederickbuskey.com/reclaiming-purpose.html Please remember to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast.Remember the secret to good leadership:Be intentional in choosing how you will show up for othersBe fully presentAsk reflective questionsAnd then just listenDon't overcomplicate it, the value is in the listening.Have a great rest of the week!Cheers!Fill out this short form to receive your free Strategic Action Cycle guide.Frederick's Links:Email: frederick@frederickbuskey.comWebsite: https://www.frederickbuskey.com/ LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/strategicleadershipconsulting Daily Email subscribe: https://adept-experimenter-3588.ck.page/fdf37cbf3a The Strategic Leader's Guide to Reclaiming Purpose: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWRS2F6...
Class-Act Coaching: A Podcast for Teachers and Instructional Coaches
Send us Fan MailHow does a school move from a low-performing list to the top 5% in the state for academic growth? Natasha Brown, principal of Westover Middle School and author of Underdog Leadership, joins Daniel Rock and Erin Anderson Williams to discuss the "Three S's" of school improvement: stance, systems and support. From data-driven PLCs to boisterous student restorative practices, Brown shares how she built a culture where students and teachers alike take pride in their progress.Key TakeawaysThe Underdog Mentality: Why being the school nobody expects to win can be your greatest competitive advantage.Tuesday/Thursday PLCs: A specific system for separating "Data Days" from "Content Planning Days" to ensure intentional instruction.The "Three S's" Framework: Implementing a consistent focus on stance, systems and support to shift a school's mindset.Distributed Leadership: Why empowering teacher leaders is the only way to avoid administrative burnout.The Writing Strategy: Using written statements as a tool for student voice and emotional regulation.Supporting the Whole Educator: Creative ways to treat staff like family, including an on-campus afterschool support system for teachers' children.Resource MentionedUnderdog Leadership: Driving Growth in High-Need Schools by Natasha Brown (Available on Amazon). The Southern Regional Education Board is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works with states and schools to improve education at every level, from early childhood through doctoral education and the workforce. Follow Us on Social:FacebookInstagramX
Cybersecurity Today Month-in-Review: RSAC AI Hype, Agentic Risks, Mythos Claims, and Real-World Resilience Jim Love hosts a delayed March month-in-review with panelists David Shipley and Laura Payne, starting with RSAC takeaways: agentic AI everywhere, heightened marketing spectacle, and industry tension as AI becomes the new "cool kid." They discuss the surge of autonomous agents, including OpenClaw-style experimentation leading to stolen tokens and the ease of social-engineering LLMs, plus legal and brand risks of chatbots after the Air Canada precedent. The panel debates Anthropic's source-code leak and "Mythos" messaging, while acknowledging AI tools are finding real zero-days amid massive technical debt and rising exploit speed, raising questions about liability and EU accountability. They highlight a positive case: Stryker Medical's rapid recovery after 80,000 devices were wiped via Intune settings, and note additional incidents targeting healthcare, critical infrastructure PLCs, supply-chain attacks, and longer-term impacts from major source-code thefts. Cybersecurity Today would like to thank Meter for their support in bringing you this podcast. Meter delivers a complete networking stack, wired, wireless and cellular in one integrated solution that's built for performance and scale. You can find them at Meter.com/cst 00:00 Show Intro Sponsor 00:22 Panel Welcome Setup 01:56 RSAC Vibes Agentic AI 03:19 Conference Hype Booths 06:32 AI Free Fridays Skills 08:12 Marketing Hype Filters 11:38 Agent Networks Gone Wild 16:00 Social Engineering LLMs 19:45 Chatbots Liability Law 23:13 Anthropic Leak Mythos 25:17 AI Code Quality Debate 29:28 Technical Debt Bug Mining 30:40 AI Hacking Era 32:09 Paying Down Tech Debt 32:54 Software Liability Shift 34:24 AI Pen Testing Scale 37:53 Token Costs and Proof 40:08 Canary Traps and Ethics 41:26 Blast Radius Resilience 44:17 Stryker Wipe Recovery 46:52 More Attacks Recap 50:07 Fast Cheap Code Debate 53:26 War Rules and Agents 56:32 Back to Basics Close 01:00:18 Final Thanks Sponsor
Podcast: Industrial Cybersecurity InsiderEpisode: OT Patching vs IT Patching: What's Commonly MisunderstoodPub date: 2026-04-14Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationMost cybersecurity teams treat patching like a universal fix. In manufacturing, that assumption can take down a production line, trigger a safety event, or void the warranty on a $2 million piece of equipment.In this episode, Dino Busalachi and Craig Duckworth break down why patching in operational technology environments is a fundamentally different problem than patching enterprise IT — and why closing that gap requires more than just pushing an update.The bottom line: A firewall is not a patching strategy. Neither is hoping your systems are isolated. Organizations that get this right use risk-based prioritization, lab testing, virtual patching, and real collaboration between IT and OT teams.If you are responsible for a plant floor — or for the people who are — this conversation is for you.
Cybersecurity is entering an “invisibility crisis,” where threats are no longer loud, external attacks but subtle abuses of normal system behavior. Techniques like SockStress exploit TCP assumptions to drain resources, residential proxy networks turn everyday users into unwitting infrastructure, and fake VPNs weaponize trust to exfiltrate data. Even ransomware response processes are being hijacked, transforming incident response into an attack surface. At the same time, transparency mechanisms are failing—Google, Meta, and Microsoft frequently ignore user opt-outs—highlighting a systemic breakdown in consent and accelerating calls for digital sovereignty.This shift feeds directly into geopolitics. Nations increasingly view reliance on foreign technology as a strategic risk, pushing “digital sovereignty” agendas. France, for example, is migrating government systems to domestic or open-source alternatives like Linux and Jitsi, and relocating sensitive health data infrastructure. Meanwhile, advanced AI proliferation introduces a paradox: companies restrict powerful models to prevent misuse, yet real-world breaches—such as the Tianjin Supercomputer incident, where attackers exfiltrated 10 petabytes via a compromised VPN—demonstrate how stealthy, persistent threats can evade detection at scale.Critical infrastructure remains especially vulnerable. Iran-linked actors have targeted industrial control systems (PLCs), showing how cyber intrusions can translate into physical manipulation. The message is clear: internet-connected industrial systems must adopt stronger controls, including multifactor authentication and continuous monitoring, particularly across energy and water sectors.Alongside these risks, the workforce itself is transforming. AI is shifting human roles from execution to oversight—people increasingly “direct” rather than “do.” However, this creates a paradox: while AI boosts productivity, it also increases complexity, oversight demands, and cognitive load. Managers now supervise fleets of AI agents, and professionals often refine AI outputs instead of producing original work. Despite widespread tech layoffs, judgment, accountability, and problem framing are becoming the most valuable—and scarce—skills.The broader theme is one of diminishing visibility and control. Whether in cybersecurity, geopolitics, or labor, systems are becoming more opaque, automated, and interdependent. Even efforts to uncover foundational truths—like identifying Satoshi Nakamoto—remain inconclusive despite advanced analysis. In this environment, the key differentiator is no longer technical capability alone, but human judgment: the ability to question assumptions, verify continuously, and navigate a world where the greatest risks are hidden in plain sight.
Got a question or comment? Message us here!Iranian-affiliated APT actors are actively targeting U.S. critical infrastructure, specifically PLCs powering essential operations across water, energy, and manufacturing.This #SOCBrief breaks down the latest CISA alert, how attackers are exploiting OT environments, and what security teams need to be watching for right now. From key indicators to practical defense strategies, this is your wake-up call to treat OT as a high-value target.Support the showWatch full episodes at youtube.com/@aliascybersecurity.Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere you get your podcasts.
Containerization is quietly reshaping how factories deploy and manage software, but most OT teams never asked for it. In this episode powered by PLCnext Technology, we explore why containers matter for manufacturing and how to adopt them without the complexity.Neil Cresswell, Founder and CEO of Portainer, joins Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes to discuss how his platform went from an IT tool to a factory floor essential, and why the technology behind it should be invisible to the people using it.Key topics in this episode:How Portainer evolved from an IT tool to an industrial platformWhy containers and Kubernetes are reshaping factory software deploymentThe global manufacturing competition driving modernizationReal-world use cases from John Deere, precision agriculture, and quality controlA bottom-up strategy for adopting new technology in your plantThis episode is proudly made possible by PLCnext TechnologyPLCnext Technology is the ecosystem for industrial automation consisting of open hardware, modular engineering software, a global community, and a digital software marketplace.Learn more at:https://www.plcnext-community.net/news/synergy-edge-cloud/---------------------------FlowFuse at Hannover Messe 2026Discover how FlowFuse empowers you to build, deploy, and scale industrial automation -- your way. Visit FlowFuse at Hall 014, Stand K26 during Hannover Messe (April 20-24, 2026) and experience live demonstrations of FlowFuse connecting the entire industrial stack -- from PLCs on the shop floor to MES, ERP, and cloud services -- enabling real-time industrial connectivity, data integration, and AI-powered operations.Let's transform industrial data together -- live, integrated, and in real time.Claim your free pass and learn more: https://flowfuse.com/events/hannover-messe-2026/---------------------------Connect with Neil on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ncresswell/Connect with Phil on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philseboa/Connect with Ed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edfuentes/Learn more about Portainer: https://www.portainer.ioEpisode Recap Article: https://unpluggediiot.com/episodes/ep-48-containers-without-complexity-it-tools-factory-floor
Podcast: ICS Arabia PodcastEpisode: PLC Scanning: Safe Practice or Security Risk?Pub date: 2026-04-12Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationOn the ICS Arabia Podcast with our guest, Raphael Arakelian, an OT engineer. We discuss his research and project: scanning PLCs from three different vendors (Allen-Bradey, Phoenix contact and Siemens) using various scanning tools to see the impact on them.The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from ICS ARABIA PODCAST, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.
Podcast: PrOTect It All (LS 27 · TOP 10% what is this?)Episode: 100 Episodes of Protect It All: Aaron Crow's Journey Through IT, OT & CybersecurityPub date: 2026-04-06Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationIn this special milestone episode of Protect It All, host Aaron Crow steps away from the usual format to share his personal journey - from early days working with PLCs at a kitchen table to building a platform that connects and educates cybersecurity professionals around the world. This episode is more than a reflection - it's a story of persistence, curiosity, and community. Aaron walks through the evolution of IT and OT cybersecurity, the lessons learned from decades in the field, and how conversations with experts across 100 episodes have shaped his perspective on what it truly means to “Protect It All.” You'll hear: How Aaron's career in IT and OT began - and what kept him going The biggest lessons learned across 30+ years in cybersecurity What building a podcast taught him about community and leadership How the industry has evolved - and what still hasn't changed Why relationships and shared knowledge matter more than ever What's next for the future of cybersecurity and the podcast Whether you've been listening since episode one or you're just discovering the show, this episode offers inspiration, perspective, and a deeper look behind the mic. Tune in to celebrate 100 episodes and the journey of protecting what matters most - only on Protect It All. Key Moments: 04:12 Early tech projects and hobbies 09:31 First tech job setting up classrooms 11:20 Getting certified in IT 16:49 Early career in power and cybersecurity 18:08 Building a versatile IT team 24:23 Starting the cybersecurity podcast journey 26:28 Feeling recognized in the podcast world 29:22 Getting started in cybersecurity Connect With Aaron Crow: Website: www.corvosec.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronccrow Learn more about PrOTect IT All: Email: info@protectitall.co Website: https://protectitall.co/ X: https://twitter.com/protectitall YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PrOTectITAll FaceBook: https://facebook.com/protectitallpodcast To be a guest or suggest a guest/episode, please email us at info@protectitall.co Please leave us a review on Apple/Spotify Podcasts: Apple - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/protect-it-all/id1727211124 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Vvi0euj3rE8xObK0yvYi4The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Aaron Crow, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.
Today's emergency brief takes you through the biggest safety and emergency updates making news right now. We start with a troubling cybersecurity alert involving Iranian-affiliated threat actors and growing concerns about attacks on critical infrastructure.From there, we check in on wildfire activity across the country and the efforts underway to contain dangerous blazes. We also discuss rising tensions in the Middle East, including a Shelter in Place advisory issued for U.S. citizens in Bahrain.We wrap up with the latest on Kilauea in Hawaii, severe weather building across the Southern Plains, and other urgent public safety developments, including water advisories. It's a clear, concise roundup of the risks, response efforts, and evolving situations you should know about.Takeaways:* CISA has issued a critical advisory regarding Iranian threat actors exploiting vulnerabilities in PLCs.* Organizations utilizing Rockwell Automation's technology must prioritize remediation of exploited vulnerabilities.* The recent Shelter in Place directive for Bahrain reflects heightened security concerns in the region.* Wildfire activity across the United States has reached significant levels, necessitating ongoing suppression efforts.* Heavy rainfall continues to pose a threat in Florida, with moderate flash flood risks identified.* A substantial severe weather threat is anticipated in the Southern Plains over the coming days.SourcesCISA / Cyber- CISA Advisory AA26-097A — Iranian-Affiliated Cyber Actors Exploit PLCs Across US Critical Infrastructure (April 7, 2026)- CISA ICS Advisory ICSA-26-097-01 (April 7, 2026)- CISA Adds One Known Exploited Vulnerability to Catalog — CVE-2026-35616 (April 6, 2026)- CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities CatalogNIFC / Wildland Fire- NIFC/NICC Incident Management Situation Report (April 7, 2026, PDF)- NIFC National Fire NewsUSGS / Volcanoes- USGS Kīlauea Volcano Updates- USGS Volcano Updates (all U.S. volcanoes)NWS / NOAA / Severe Weather- NWS Miami — Flood Watch for Southeast Florida (April 7, 2026)- Storm Prediction Center — Convective OutlooksU.S. Department of State- U.S. Embassy Manama — Security Alert: Bahrain Shelter-in-Place (April 6–7, 2026)- State Dept — Middle East Regional Travel AdvisoryFAA / Aviation- FAA Ground Stop at Miami International Airport (April 7, 2026) — CBS MiamiCalifornia- CAL FIRE — Springs Fire Incident PageFlorida- Flood Watch, Heavy Rain for South Florida (April 7, 2026)Hawai'i- Big Island Video News — Earthquakes Swarm Before Kīlauea Eruption Episode 44Illinois- City of Freeport — Boil Order April 6, 2026- WIFR — Boil Order Lifted in Freeport (April 7, 2026)Texas- TDEM — Governor Abbott Activates State Emergency Response Resources (March 31, 2026) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit emnetwork.substack.com/subscribe
Welcome to Episode 158 of the Think UDL podcast: Humans in the AI Loop with Eric Moore and Kevin Mallary. Dr. Eric Moore is the Director of Learning Design and Technology and Kevin Mallary is an Instructional Design Specialist at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Both Eric and Kevin are Assistant Professors by courtesy at the John Hopkins University School of Education. Eric and Kevin have been doing some great work at the intersection of UDL and AI and have some sage advice on creating safeguards and guardrails as you approach using AI in adult education. In this conversation, we discuss the need for always centering the human perspective and keeping the humans in the AI loop at multiple intervals, and how to do that through PLCs, or Professional Learning Communities. You'll find more information in the resource section just before the transcript on this episode's webpage at ThinkUDL.org.
Podcast: Industrial Cybersecurity InsiderEpisode: You Think Your Plant Is Secure. Your Data Says Otherwise.Pub date: 2026-03-30Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationCraig Duckworth sits down with CIO and Chief Enterprise Architect Shellie D'Angelo to address why so many OT and IT modernization efforts stall out at the foundation.Shellie explains why data governance must come before “another tool,” how inconsistent data quality quietly sabotages reporting and risk decisions, and why leadership transparency is the fastest path to maturity. Craig and Shellie also explore the reality of shadow IT on the plant floor, the growing impact of AI as both a defensive advantage and an attacker accelerator, and the practical steps teams can take to move from reactive chaos to measurable business outcomes.Chapters:(00:00:00) Why honest risk conversations are the starting line(00:01:00) Shellie's background: rebuilding enterprise tech foundations(00:02:00) OT/IT convergence: start with business drivers and data governance(00:05:00) “Tools first” vs business-first security decisions(00:08:00) Knowing what you have before buying more tools(00:11:00) How far along are most organizations, really?(00:15:00) AI as a double-edged sword: defense vs attacker acceleration(00:18:00) Where to start: inventory first vs governance structure(00:22:00) OT tech is often easier prey: PLCs, HMI/SCADA, cameras(00:25:00) Partnering vs going it alone: don't reinvent the wheel(00:26:00) Tech debt and why technology can't be an afterthought(00:29:00) Governance should increase speed, not slow it down(00:30:00) Final advice: “turn chaos into cash” and own your impactLinks And Resources:Shellie D'Angelo on LinkedInWant to Sponsor an episode or be a Guest? Reach out here.Industrial Cybersecurity Insider on LinkedInCybersecurity & Digital Safety on LinkedInBW Design Group CybersecurityDino Busalachi on LinkedInCraig Duckworth on LinkedInThanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to Industrial Cybersecurity Insider? Have some feedback you'd like to share? Connect with us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube to leave us a review!The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Industrial Cybersecurity Insider, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.
Carl Gould, CTO and co-founder of Inductive Automation, joins hosts Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes for an in-person conversation recorded in Australia ahead of the Ignition Everywhere event in Brisbane.Carl traces Ignition's journey from FactorySQL in 2003 to the 8.3 release, which introduces file-based configuration, Git and GitOps compatibility, Perspective offline mode, and a new architecture for managing distributed OT systems at scale. He breaks down the three design principles that have guided the platform from day one (cost, convenience, and capability), shares his evolving take on AI in industrial automation, and explains why he calls the IT/OT divide "a fictional line."In this episode, we discuss:The 8.3 release: file-based config, GitOps, deployment modes, and Perspective offlineScaling from thousands of tags to millions with distributed, decoupled architecturesWhy AI in industrial automation is a means to an end, not a product in itselfThe community and culture behind Ignition's worldwide growth---------------------------This episode is proudly made possible by PLCnext TechnologyPLCnext Technology is the ecosystem for industrial automation consisting of open hardware, modular engineering software, a global community, and a digital software marketplace.Learn more at:https://www.plcnext-community.net/news/synergy-edge-cloud/---------------------------FlowFuse at Hannover Messe 2026Discover how FlowFuse empowers you to build, deploy, and scale industrial automation -- your way. Visit FlowFuse at Hall 014, Stand K26 during Hannover Messe (April 20-24, 2026) and experience live demonstrations of FlowFuse connecting the entire industrial stack -- from PLCs on the shop floor to MES, ERP, and cloud services -- enabling real-time industrial connectivity, data integration, and AI-powered operations.Let's transform industrial data together -- live, integrated, and in real time.Claim your free pass and learn more: https://flowfuse.com/events/hannover-messe-2026/---------------------------Carl Gould is the CTO and co-founder of Inductive Automation. He has been building and guiding the Ignition platform since 2003. Under his leadership, Ignition has grown from a SQL connectivity tool into a comprehensive platform used across industries worldwide for SCADA, HMI, MES, and IIoT applications.Connect with Carl Gould on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-gouldLearn more about Inductive Automation: https://inductiveautomation.comConnect with Phil on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philseboa/Connect with Ed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edfuentes/
In today's episode of iGaming Daily, SBC Media Manager Fernando Noodt is joined by Ted Menmuir and Ted Orme-Claye to discuss Paddy Power's confirmed marketing redundancies and what they signal for the wider UK gambling industry.Following confirmation from Flutter Entertainment that restructuring is underway at Paddy Power, the team breaks down why marketing has become an early casualty, how exposed Flutter is to the incoming 40% remote gaming duty, and what this means for the future of major UK gambling brands. The discussion also explores whether these cost-cutting measures are just the beginning, how the UK market could be reshaped in 2026 and beyond, and why leadership across the major PLCs is now under more pressure than ever to prove ROI, protect margins and fight for market share. Tune in to hear: Why Paddy Power has started cutting roles in marketing Why marketing is often the first area hit during restructures How exposed Flutter is to the new 40% RGD era What this means for Sky Bet, Betfair, Tombola and the wider UK portfolio Why 2026 could completely reset staffing, sponsorship and media buying strategies in UK gambling How the battle for market share may reshape the industry in 2027 and beyond Host: Fernando Noodt Guests: Ted Menmuir & Ted Orme-Claye Producer: Luke MilesSubscribe for more daily insight into the global betting and gaming industry.Learn how Optimove's Positionless Marketing is changing how iGaming teams operate. Discover how operators are using Optimove's Positionless Marketing Platform to launch personalised CRM campaigns, dynamically change casino lobbies and bet slips, and create engaging gamified experiences. Learn more at optimove.com.Finally, remember to check out Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service.#iGaming #PaddyPower #FlutterEntertainment #GamblingIndustry
How does a staff's engagement in reflection generate increased staff learning that promotes ownership and accountability for student success? Highly experienced school leader, Dr. Matt Horvath, explores leaders work with coaching, PLCs, and professional learning for classified staff. The podcast provides insights and questions to promote your reflection. Email Matt: leadershipnexusconsulting@gmail.com Visit Matt's Leadership Nexus Consulting website here. Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!
In this episode I sit down with the SRI Education research team—Dr. Dan Reynolds, Dr. Anna Jennerjohn, and Dr. Sara Rutherford-Quach—to unpack their learning brief, Beyond the Surface. This episode explores the gap between using high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) and achieving deep, robust reading comprehension. Read the Brief Here: https://www.sri.com/publication/education-learning-pubs/beyond-the-surface-leveraging-high-quality-instructional-materials-for-robust-reading-comprehension/ Quick Summary: Actionable advice for coaches and school leaders to build systems that support genuine meaning-making in the classroom. The Study: Analyzed 111 comprehension lessons across districts with mature HQIM implementation and surveyed 500+ teachers. The Central Finding: While HQIM was consistently used, 64% of lessons focused only on surface-level objectives (completing tasks) rather than robust comprehension (building a mental model). Episode Highlights: Defining the crucial distinction between Surface and Robust comprehension. Introducing the 6 high-leverage instructional practices that move the needle toward deep understanding. Timestamps[0:00] – Teaser: Surface vs. Robust Comprehension [0:16] – Introduction & episode overview; Jake introduces the HQIM landscape [1:29] – Introducing the guests and their learning brief: Beyond the Surface [2:43] – What is HQIM and why has the term taken off so quickly? [4:46] – Background on the study: Schusterman Family Philanthropies partnership and why SRI undertook this observational research [7:14] – Why studying mature implementation matters — districts where HQIM had been in place for several years [9:34] – Defining surface-level comprehension vs. robust comprehension [20:58] – How the data was collected: 111 classroom observations, 500+ teacher surveys, 100+ interviews, 62 PLCs observed [25:10] – Finding #1: Teachers were using their HQIM consistently (72–89% daily or almost daily) [21:26] – Finding #2: High floor established — 98% of lessons had a comprehension purpose; but 64% of lessons set only surface-level goals [26:06] – The “voltage drop”: how robust lessons erode [29:57] – The six high-leverage practices for robust comprehension: [30:11] Practice 1: Engaging students in text-specific analysis[33:29] Practice 2: Activating and leveraging prior knowledge[36:10] Practice 3: Explaining and modeling meaning-making[38:48] Practice 4: Providing instructional feedback[40:36] Practice 5: Providing opportunities for text-based reasoning[41:59] Practice 6: Setting up peer learning opportunities[44:25] – What surface-level instruction looks like in practice [47:37] – It’s not a checklist: how the six practices can serve surface OR robust ends [48:56] – Three action steps for coaches and school leaders:[56:07] – Walkthrough tools and their limitations: why you can’t see robust comprehension in a 5-minute walkthrough [1:00:28] – Jake’s curveball: How do standards interact with comprehension instruction? (The PLC/Norse mythology example) [1:06:05] – Student engagement in robust vs. surface lessons — the House on Mango Street discussion example [1:04:12] – What’s next: upcoming SRI briefs on foundational skills, multilingual learners, and knowledge-building [1:10:17] – Optimism for the future of literacy: teachers hungry for the “how,” and a push toward more honest comprehension assessment [1:14:25] – Jake’s Take: Reflections on HQIM as an “instructional floor,” why all three gears must turn (content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, curriculum knowledge), and a simple habit for keeping comprehension instruction tethered to meaning-making [1:30:30] – Closing
In this episode, Barb talks with Kurtis Hewson about what makes collaborative teams truly effective and how principals can build a culture where teachers solve problems together. Kurtis shares simple meeting structures that increase psychological safety and shared ownership, like clear norms, roles, and a predictable agenda. He breaks down the “Collaborative Team Meeting” format that helps teams focus on key issues, swap strategies, and leave with one clear action to try. You'll also learn how this approach connects PLCs and MTSS and reduces reactive meetings over time.Connect with Kurtis at Jigsaw LearningDownload the Free Toolkit for Collaborative TeamsCheck out Barb's resource for Navigating Challenging Team Dynamics Learn more about today's sponsors, Playworks and IXL:We're proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.If you're a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation. We're also thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments
Send a textIn this episode of Empowered Educator, you'll rethink traditional “sit-and-get” PD and learn how to design professional learning that actually changes classroom practice. You'll walk away with a simple, 7-question leader checklist you can use before you approve or plan your next PD session, so you stop running events and start building a learning culture for your staff.For the full written article, including all seven questions and key ideas, grab the companion post here: Stop Wasting PD: Professional Learning That StickIn This Episode, You'll Learn How To:Focus PD on clear student outcomes and specific instructional moves.Treat teachers as adult learners with voice, choice, and real relevance.Make learning job-embedded through PLCs, coaching, and team time.Shift from “sit-and-get” to active, practice-based learning.Use microlearning and short “PD sprints” instead of marathons.Build in coaching and feedback so new strategies actually stick.Plan PD as a series over time, not a one-off event.One Simple Action StepBefore your next PD, run it through the 7-question PD Check from this episode (and the article linked above). If you can't answer at least five questions clearly and specifically, revise the plan before you put it on the calendar.Support the showDownload Upside and use my code MELINDA35278 to get 15¢ per gallon extra cash back on your first gas fill-up and 10% extra cash on your first food purchase! Download Fetch app using this link, submit a receipt and we'll both score bonus points. Calling All Educators! I started a community with resources, courses, articles, networking, and more. I am looking for members to help me build it with the most valuable resources. I would really appreciate your input as a teacher, leader, administrator, or consultant. Join here: Empowered Educator Community Book: Educator to Entrepreneur: IGNITE Your Path to Freelance SuccessGrab a complimentary POWER SessionWith Rubi.ai, you'll experience cutting-edge technology, research-driven insights, and efficient content delivery.email: melinda@empowere...
In this episode of Manufacturing Hub, Vlad and Dave sit down with Travis Cox and Kevin McCluskey from Inductive Automation to unpack what was actually proven at ProveIt and why it matters for teams trying to modernize plants without building a fragile mess of point to point integrations. If you have ever looked at a shiny demo and wondered what the real architecture looks like, how it scales beyond a single line, and what it takes to roll out across multiple sites without turning every change into a high risk event, this conversation is for you.Travis and Kevin walk through their ProveIt Enterprise B build and the thinking behind it. The core idea is simple but powerful: treat the factory like a system that needs a shared digital infrastructure, built on open standards, where data is contextualized and reusable. They break down how they used Ignition Edge close to PLCs for resiliency, local HMIs, and disciplined data modeling, then moved data through MQTT into a Unified Namespace so multiple applications can consume the same trusted signals and context. This is the difference between “we can connect to anything” and “we can scale without rewriting everything every time the business changes.” Open standards show up repeatedly in the conversation because ProveIt is specifically designed to force interoperability and practical implementation tradeoffs. Inductive Automation has also written about ProveIt as a place where MQTT, OPC UA, and SQL show up as real foundations rather than slogans.From there, the episode gets into the part that should make both OT and IT teams pay attention: modern deployment practices applied to industrial applications. Kevin outlines a clear maturity path from a single designer workflow to version control, then to containerized deployments, and finally to full GitOps style promotion across dev, staging, and production using tools like Argo CD, Helm, Kubernetes, and release promotion concepts that look like what the software world has used for years. Argo CD is explicitly built around Git repositories as the source of truth for desired state, which is exactly why it fits this style of deployment. The live portion of the conversation demonstrates how fast this can get when the infrastructure is treated as code: they spin up a brand new “site four” by submitting a form, generating a pull request, merging it, and letting the pipeline do the rest.Timestamps00:00 Welcome back and why this ProveIt recap matters01:35 Meet Travis Cox and Kevin McCluskey from Inductive Automation03:10 What ProveIt is and the key vendor questions it forces05:20 Enterprise B architecture overview from PLC to Edge to site to enterprise07:30 HMI walkthrough across liquid processing, filling, packaging, palletizing09:05 Why deploy Ignition Edge instead of only a centralized site gateway12:05 Design once, reuse everywhere and what that means for scaling quickly14:35 On prem realities versus cloud infrastructure in the ProveIt environment17:10 MCP, n8n workflows, and bringing live operational context into AI20:40 i3X style API access to models, history, and alarms for interoperability23:15 GitHub, Docker Compose, Helm, Kubernetes, Argo CD, Cargo and GitOps promotion36:55 Spinning up a new site live and what it changes for multi site rolloutsAbout the hostsVlad Romanov is an electrical engineer and MBA who has spent over a decade building and modernizing manufacturing systems across industrial automation, controls, and plant operations. Through Joltek, Vlad works with manufacturers to assess current state OT foundations, reduce modernization risk, improve reliability, and build internal capability through practical training and standards that stick.Dave Griffith co hosts Manufacturing Hub and brings a practitioner lens focused on what works on the plant floor, how architectures survive real constraints, and how industrial teams can modernize without breaking production.About the guestsTravis Cox is Chief Technology Evangelist at Inductive Automation and has spent over two decades helping customers and partners design scalable architectures, apply best practices, and deliver real solutions with Ignition.Kevin McCluskey is Chief Technology Architect at Inductive Automation and works with organizations on architecture decisions, platform direction, and enabling the next generation of industrial applications.Learn more about Joltekhttps://www.joltek.com/serviceshttps://www.joltek.com/book-a-modernization-consultation
Industrial operations have spent decades optimizing for safety, reliability, and uptime. Control systems, sensors, and field equipment were designed to be stable and predictable, often isolated from the outside world. Cybersecurity, by contrast, evolved largely in IT environments, on a separate track, with different tools, assumptions, and incentives. That separation is no longer holding. Operational technology is becoming more connected, more digital, and more automated. Sensors stream data to the cloud, vendors require remote access, and AI-driven tools increasingly influence operational decisions. At the same time, cyber threats are moving faster, targeting physical systems with the potential for real-world safety and production impacts. One response is data meshing: combining traditional cyber telemetry with operational data such as vibration, maintenance history, and asset performance to create a richer, more reliable picture of what is really happening inside industrial environments. When these signals are viewed together, anomalies surface faster, false positives drop, and attacks become harder to hide. In this episode, I'm speaking with Ian Bramson, VP of Global Industrial Cybersecurity at Black & Veatch, and Keon McEwen, Head of Solutions Development for Industrial Cybersecurity. We discuss why the old idea of the air gap is fading, how safety and cybersecurity are converging, what data meshing really means in practice, and why points of operational change are the right moment to rethink cyber risk.
This edWeb podcast is sponsored by Wayground (formerly Quizizz).The edLeader Panel recording can be accessed here.Professional learning communities are most powerful when they are grounded in real classroom practice and designed to meet the needs of every learner, but many schools struggle to move PLCs beyond informal collaboration and into consistent systems that improve instruction.In this edWeb podcast, educators from Falling Creek Middle School share how they built a practical, sustainable PLC model in a large, diverse, Title I setting. Led by instructional designer Ursula Rockefeller and math coach Lisa Persinger, the session explores how their teams use a two-meeting structure, continuous assessment cycles, and shared planning processes to turn data into action.Listeners learn how Falling Creek organizes PLC time, analyzes student evidence, supports diverse learners, and distributes instructional leadership across teams. The session introduces practical tools, including a PLC Pathway framework and meeting template, that help guide conversations and document impact.Learning objectives include:Understand how to structure PLC cycles for analysis and planningLearn how to use formative and summative data to guide instructionExplore systems for collaborative lesson design and interventionApply practical tools to improve PLC consistency and effectivenessListeners leave with concrete strategies and ready-to-use resources to strengthen collaboration, support equity, and make PLC time truly matter. This edWeb podcast is of interest to elementary through high school teachers, school leaders, district leaders, and education technology leaders.Wayground (formerly Quizizz)Bridge classroom realities and curriculum expectations with an AI-supported, teacher-first platform.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Learn more about viewing live edWeb presentations and on-demand recordings, earning CE certificates, and using accessibility features.
Outline and Show NotesGuest:Links and promo stuff?Preferred name/title?Relax and laughWill be video recording and may use small or big piecesSmall things won't be editedIf there is a gaff – long pauseIntro-interview-outroQuestions for me?FB hit recordShow Title: When there are “I's” in TEAM with Dr. Chad DumasPower Quote:Teaser:I'm really excited about today's episode. I had so much fun recording it and I think that lightness and positivity come out in the interview. It's a great combination of high-level stuff and some really fundamental truths about teams and leaderships. This might be one of those episodes that you want to listen to twice and take notes. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I did recording it.Sponsor Spot 1:Friends/School leaders, When students practice math over the summer, math scores go up. So, what's your summer math plan this year? Whether you have no summer math program, or are curious about what a research-based program looks like. Check out Summer Pops for free. Get your FREE workbook samples today at Summer Pops Workbooks.com. The link is in the show notes.Show IntroGuest Bio:Dr. Chad Dumas is a Solution Tree PLC at Work, Assessment, and Priority Schools associate and international consultant, presenter, and award-winning researcher. His primary focus is collaborating to develop capacity for continuous improvement. With a quarter century of successful leadership experience, Chad has led significant improvements for both students and staff. He shares his research and knowledge in his three books on PLCs, and his most recent book, the Teacher Team Leader Handbook. Chad's consulting and training includes research, stories, hands-on tools, useful knowledge, and practical skills. He most recently was the executive director of elementary education in the Ames Community School District, a preschool thru grade 12 district of 5,000 students in central Iowa. Before this he was the director of learning for Hastings Public Schools in south-central Nebraska for nine years. Chad is one of the few three-time guests as he appeared back in episodes 202 and 246.Warmup questions:We always like to start with a celebration. What are you celebrating today?Is there a story that will help listeners understand why you are doing what you do?Questions/Topics/PromptsThe driving question will be: I have a 7th grade team who doesn't get along. Each wants to do their own thing. Our 6th grade team collaborates and integrates ELA into multiple subjects and student achievement data is much higher there. Our 7th grade has a daily PLC time, but they do not use it well. Help!Let's begin with common teams dysfunctions:People?Processes?Purpose?Sponsor Spot 2:I want to thank IXL for sponsoring this podcast…Everyone talks about the power of data-driven instruction. But what does that actually look like? Look no further than IXL, the ultimate online learning and teaching platform for K to 12. IXL gives you meaningful insights that drive real progress, and research can prove it. Studies across 45 states show that schools who use IXL outperform other schools on state tests. Educators who use IXL love that they can easily see how their school is performing in real-time to make better instructional decisions. And IXL doesn't stop at just data. IXL also brings an entire ecosystem of resources for your teachers, with a complete curriculum, personalized learning plans, and so much more. It's no wonder that IXL is used in 95 of the top 100 school districts. Ready to join them? Visit ixl.com/assistant to get started.Closing questions:What part of your own leadership are you still trying to get better at?If listeners could take just one thing away from today's podcast, what would it be?Before we go, is there anything else that you'd like to share with our listeners?Where can people learn more about you and your work…- If you love travel, but your student trips are starting to feel a little… copy-and-paste, it might be time to level up.That's why I recommend Kaleidoscope Adventures.They've been planning educational travel for more than 30 years. And the best part? No cookie-cutter itineraries. Every trip is built around your program, your budget, and your goals.Whether you're dreaming of a trip to Universal's EPIC Universe, a history-filled journey to Washington, D.C., or even an international adventure, Kaleidoscope Adventures can help you plan a trip your students will never forget.Get inspired today at mykatrip.com. Kaleidoscope Adventures - Travel Beyond ExpectationsSummary/wrap up“Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.”Four root problems: Why? (purpose)What and how (processes)Lack of trustIllogical resistorsAll => M=v/eCleaning snow off the wrong car - Collaboration has to be meaningfulStep 1: learn; Step 2: create more alignmentSpecial thanks to the amazing Ranford Almond for the great music on the show. Please support Ranford and the show by checking out his music!Ranford's homepage: https://ranfordalmond.comRanford's music on streaming services: https://streamlink.to/ranfordalmond-oldsoulInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ranfordalmond/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ranfordalmond/Sponsor Links:IXL: http://ixl.com/assistant Kaleidoscope Adventures: https://www.kaleidoscopeadventures.com/the-assistant-principal-podcast-kaleidoscope-adventures/Summer Pops: Summer Pops Workbooks.com CloseLeadership is a journey and thank you for choosing to walk some of this magical path with me.You can find links to all sorts of stuff in the show notes, including my website https://www.frederickbuskey.com/I love hearing from you. If you have comments or questions, or are interested in having me speak at your school or conference, email me at frederick@frederickbuskey.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.If yo...
What happens when a controls engineer with 16 years of mining and manufacturing experience decides to build an AI-powered SoftPLC from scratch? In this episode, we find out.Alex Sharikov, Founder of Jasper-X and creator of JasperNode, joins Phil Seboa and Ed Fuentes to share how he's enabling small manufacturers to program and troubleshoot their control systems using plain English, no PLC software required.Key topics in this episode:Why 80% of Australian manufacturers struggle with automation supportHow JasperNode's "atomic and unambiguous logic" keeps AI reliableThe shift from prompt engineering to context engineering in control systemsBuilding a SoftPLC from scratch instead of patching AI onto existing platformsWhy human-in-the-loop safety is non-negotiable for production environmentsThis episode is proudly made possible by PLCnext TechnologyPLCnext Technology is the ecosystem for industrial automation consisting of open hardware, modular engineering software, a global community, and a digital software marketplace.Learn more at:https://www.plcnext-community.net/news/synergy-edge-cloud/-----Connect with Alex on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-sharikov/Connect with Phil on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-seboa/Connect with Ed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-fuentes-2046121a/Learn more about Jasper-X: https://jasperx.com.au-----About Industry Sage Media:Industry Sage Media is the content creation company behind Unplugged: An IIoT Podcast. We help automation brands grow their reach, influence, and pipeline through expert-driven content.Learn more at: http://www.industrysagemedia.com
In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Tobey Strauch and originally aired in March 2025, editor in chief Mike Bacidore discusses the similarities and differences between PLCs and PACs.
Podcast: Exploited: The Cyber Truth Episode: The OT Mistakes Attackers Count On—And How to Fix Them Before They DoPub date: 2026-02-12Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationIn this episode of Exploited: The Cyber Truth, host Paul Ducklin is joined by RunSafe Security CEO Joseph M. Saunders and OT/ICS security expert Mike Holcomb, founder of UTILSEC, for a candid discussion about the weaknesses attackers exploit inside industrial environments. Mike shares what he repeatedly finds during assessments of large OT and ICS networks: no effective firewall between IT and OT, flat networks with little segmentation, stale Windows domains, shared engineering credentials, exposed HMIs, and OT protocols that will accept commands from any reachable host. He explains how attackers move from IT into OT using familiar enterprise techniques before pivoting into PLCs, RTUs, safety systems, and historians. Joe outlines why secure-by-design practices, higher software quality, and “secure by demand” procurement are critical to long-term resilience—especially as cloud connectivity and AI accelerate modernization in industrial environments. Together, they explore: Why a missing or misconfigured IT/OT firewall remains the most common and dangerous gapHow micro-segmentation and unidirectional architectures reduce blast radiusThe risks of web-enabled HMIs and long-lived legacy systemsWhy monitoring PLC programming traffic and historian queries mattersHow the Cyber Resilience Act is reshaping accountability for OT vendors If you're responsible for industrial operations, plant uptime, or product security, this episode shows how attackers actually move through OT environments—and how to eliminate the mistakes they depend on.The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from RunSafe Security, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.
How can educators gather meaningful data that actually reflects student thinking—without over-relying on benchmarks or labels? In this episode of the Time for Teachership podcast, Lindsay is joined by Dr. Jana Lee to explore how teachers, coaches, and instructional leaders can collect and analyze data that shows what students truly understand, how they're thinking, and where learning breaks down. Together, they unpack mindset shifts around assessment, flexible grouping, and skill-based instruction—and why these approaches are essential for inclusive, equitable classrooms. Dr. Jana Lee shares practical strategies for using student work artifacts, observation, and in-the-moment checks for understanding to guide instruction, support coaching cycles, and measure real impact on student learning. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why measuring student thinking matters more than measuring "levels" The shift from leveled grouping to skill-based, flexible grouping How to collect data during instruction—not just at benchmark time What kinds of student artifacts best reveal thinking and misconceptions How instructional leaders can create systems (PLCs, coaching, look-fors) that support meaningful data use Why giving students 60–90 seconds of independent struggle is critical How consistency across classrooms increases student achievement Practical ways to assess thinking in both secondary and elementary settings The role of transparency, shared goals, and co-created success criteria in school improvement Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome & introduction to Dr. Jana Lee 01:00 – Why measuring student learning and coaching impact matters 01:45 – Big dreams for education & inclusive outcomes for all students 03:10 – Mindset shifts around assessment and grouping students 04:50 – Moving from leveled groups to skill-based, flexible grouping 06:00 – How in-the-moment data reduces stigma and supports equity 08:28 – Collecting classroom data that reflects real student learning 09:37 – Connecting benchmark data with daily instructional evidence 10:51 – Why consistency across classrooms increases achievement 12:58 – Structures instructional leaders can use (PLCs, coaching, goals) 14:38 – Co-creating look-fors and success criteria 16:55 – Using patterns and themes in data to guide support 19:03 – Student artifacts as powerful evidence of thinking 20:12 – Diagnosing errors in thinking vs. right/wrong answers 21:38 – Gathering meaningful data in elementary classrooms 23:34 – Creative ways to assess thinking beyond writing 25:33 – Why skill-based strategies must be content-agnostic 26:24 – Biggest challenge teachers face with data collection 26:50 – Letting students struggle independently (60–90 seconds) 27:46 – One action listeners can take tomorrow 28:05 – What Dr. Lee is learning now: adolescent reading comprehension 28:59 – Where to connect with Dr. Jana Lee 29:30 – Closing reflections Key Takeaways Student achievement data should be paired with classroom evidence of how students think Written, oral, behavioral, and tactile artifacts can all reveal learning Effective remediation starts with diagnosing where thinking breaks down Inclusive instruction happens when decisions are responsive, not based on preconceived beliefs Skill-based instruction across content areas creates coherence for students Get Your Episode Freebie & More Resources On My Website: https://www.lindsaybethlyons.com/blog/244 Connect With Guest Dr. Jana Lee: Instagram: @jana.c.lee Website: www.janaleeconsulting.com
Have you ever left a math PD session thinking, “This all sounds great… but what does it actually mean for my class tomorrow?”Teachers are hungry for professional learning that respects their time and improves student learning—but too often, math PD stays stuck in big ideas, vague theory, and system messaging. When there's no clear connection to curriculum, classrooms, or follow‑up support, trust erodes and implementation stalls.In this episode, we dig into why even well‑intentioned math PD misses the mark—and how leaders can redesign professional learning to actually move instruction forward.Listeners Will Learn:Why one‑off, theory‑heavy PD leads to low classroom impactHow “coverage” and system messaging crowd out meaningful math learningWhat research says about effective professional development in mathWhy ongoing support matters more than a single great sessionHow to connect PD to curriculum, PLCs, and coaching cyclesWays math leaders can rebuild trust by making PD immediately usableHow modeling how teachers learn should mirror how students learnIf you're designing math PD—or sitting through it—this episode offers concrete guidance to turn professional learning into sustained instructional change.Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/ Math coordinators and leaders – Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Learn how to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem-based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units Show Notes PageLove the show? Text us your big takeaway!Are you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans that leave students so engaged they don't want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings? In their podcast, Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr—founders of MakeMathMoments.com—share over 19 years of experience inspiring K-12 math students, teachers, and district leaders with effective math activities, engaging resources, and innovative math leadership strategies. Through a 6-step framework, they guide K-12 classroom teachers and district math coordinators on building a strong, balanced math program that grows student and teacher impact. Each week, gain fresh ideas, feedback, and practical strategies to feel more confident and motivate students to see the beauty in math. Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: "Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180.
In this episode of Manufacturing Hub, Vlad Romanov and Dave Griffith sit down with David for a practical, operator grounded conversation about industrial data, modernization, and what it actually takes to turn plant floor signals into business decisions. David has spent more than two decades in manufacturing across automotive, solar, and electric vehicles, and his story is a familiar one for a lot of us. He walked into a plant thinking he was there for a project, discovered PLCs in real time, and never left the factory world. From early days wiring up a SQL Server to pull line data instead of sending people out with stopwatches, to leading data and analytics and shaping MES and reporting strategy, this conversation stays focused on the messy middle where most factories live.A big theme here is that collecting data is not the same thing as creating information. As tooling has improved, connectivity, historians, SCADA, cloud storage, MQTT, and the modern ecosystem have made it easier to get signals out of machines. The hard part is deciding what matters, aligning stakeholders, and creating context that survives across teams and projects. David breaks down how real progress often starts with simple visibility, what is ruining your day, what is the biggest safety risk, what is the recurring quality miss, what is the downtime story you do not trust, then builds from there using workshops and iterative delivery instead of giant multi year “boil the ocean” programs.We also get into Unified Namespace, why it resonates with people who have been burned by tightly coupled ISA style integrations, and why change management is the hidden cost. If you are exploring UNS, this episode highlights the difference between drawing the box on a whiteboard and getting a whole organization to actually adopt consistent naming, context, and ownership. Then we finish with a grounded take on industrial AI. No hype, no doom. Just a realistic view of where AI helps today, where it breaks, and why context windows, documentation quality, and domain expertise still decide whether results are useful or dangerous.Timestamps00:00:00 Welcome and the month theme on technology modernization00:02:10 David's background from automotive and the Tesla Fremont NUMMI era to data leadership00:05:10 The moment data became “real” and why proactive visibility drives safety and outcomes00:07:10 How Kaizen and Toyota Production System style problem solving creates demand for data00:11:50 Why modern tooling makes collection easier and why budget and commitment still decide success00:16:10 Starting points that work in the real world and the simplest visibility model that scales00:18:20 Unified Namespace explained through decoupling, context, and why the first attempt often fails00:23:50 Who really uses the data, operators, quality, engineering, and the “next factory” teams00:29:10 Defining KPIs when nobody has answers and using workshops to force prioritization00:34:20 What rollouts actually take, machine states, data structures, controls changes, and iteration00:40:10 Industrial AI reality check, where it helps today and why it is not running your factory00:51:10 Predicting the next few years, consolidation, pricing, and better integration with agentsAbout the hostsVlad Romanov is an industrial automation and manufacturing leader with over a decade of plant floor experience across major manufacturers. He is the founder of Joltek, where he helps teams modernize operations through IT and OT architecture, integration, reliability focused execution, and practical upskilling that actually sticks. Joltek works with manufacturers who need real outcomes, not buzzwords, and the work spans controls, data, networking, and operational performance.Dave Griffith is the co host of Manufacturing Hub and works at the intersection of manufacturing operations, technology modernization, and practical delivery. He focuses on helping teams bridge the gap between “we want data” and “we can run this plant better next quarter.”About the guestDavid has 25 plus years of manufacturing experience spanning automotive, solar manufacturing, and EVs. He started in plant floor automation and conveyance projects, then moved deeper into industrial data, MES, and analytics leadership. His recent work includes leading data and analytics, defining KPI strategy, and building the layers required to turn raw plant signals into usable business information.Links from Joltekhttps://www.joltek.com/blog/mastering-unified-namespace-uns-a-guide-to-data-driven-manufacturing-transformationhttps://www.joltek.com/blog/ultimate-guide-mqtt-manufacturingSubscribe for more conversations on manufacturing modernization, industrial data architecture, MES realities, and what works on the plant floor when the budget, people, and legacy systems are all real.
Cyber risk stops being abstract the moment a control panel becomes a bridge between the plant floor and the outside world. We pull back the door on modern industrial control panels and show how they've evolved into the central hub for switches, firewalls, remote access, and data pathways that keep production moving—or bring it to a halt. Using a smart home as a simple frame, we unpack why a physical lock isn't enough and how layered defenses protect uptime, quality, and safety.We walk through the real risks leaders face: unauthorized access by outsiders or insiders operating beyond their role, subtle shifts to setpoints and logic that quietly degrade OEE, and incidents where cyber failures trigger physical consequences. Then we get practical. Secure design starts inside the panel with segmentation between control networks and enterprise IT, industrial firewalls, managed switches, and well-defined remote access. Governance matters as much as gear, so we outline clear authority boundaries, human override rules, and audit trails that build trust and accountability on the floor.Security doesn't end at commissioning. We emphasize lifecycle patching, documentation, and future-proofing so updates aren't scary and “temporary” workarounds don't become permanent backdoors. Because people make or break any control, we share tactics to reduce friction: role-based access that's fast, labeled interfaces, simple credentials, and training that explains the why behind every safeguard. Finally, we invite you to pressure-test these ideas in our hands-on labs, where you can validate architectures with real PLCs and HMIs before deploying to live lines.Keep Asking Why...Read our latest article on Industrial Manufacturing herehttps://eecoonline.com/inspire/panels_202Online Account Registration:Video Explanation of Registering for an AccountRegister for an AccountOther Resources to help with your journey:Installed Asset Analysis SupportSystem Planning SupportSchedule your Visit to a Lab in North or South CarolinaSchedule your Visit to a Lab in VirginiaSubmit your questions and feedback to: podcast@eecoaskwhy.comFollow EECO on LinkedInHost: Chris Grainger
#234When did you last speak with a colleague about what really worked in your lesson? Or reflected on what helped students communicate, not just what they covered? In this episode we look at how small, intentional habits, such as weekly reflection or purposeful collaboration, can build a shared culture of growth. You'll walk away with actionable ideas to implement tomorrow, whether you're working solo or surrounded by a full team.Topics in this Episode:“We don't rise to the level of our goals. We fall to the level of our systems.” -James Clear, Atomic HabitsGrowth happens when teachers pause to reflect. Not once a year during an evaluation, but in small, consistent moments.Take 10 minutes once a week to reflect on your teaching: 1.) “What helped students communicate today?” 2. )“What would I repeat? What might I tweak?” 3.) “What was challenging? Was it student specific?”Collaboration doesn't have to mean full-blown PLCs. One conversation, one shared lesson, or one observation can shift practice.We grow the most when the PD we choose is relevant to our classroom realities, not trends.Reflection fuels improvement; Collaboration builds confidence; PD is most powerful when it's chosen, not just assigned.A Few Ways We Can Work Together:Ready For Tomorrow Quick Win PD for Individual TeachersOn-Site or Virtual Workshops for Language DepartmentsSelf-Paced Program for For Language DepartmentsConnect With Me & The World Language Classroom Community:Website: wlclassrom.comInstagram: @wlclassroomFacebook Group: World Language ClassroomFacebook: /wlclassroomLinkedIn: Joshua CabralBluesky: /wlclassroom.bsky.sociaX (Twitter): @wlclassroomThreads: @wlclassroomSend me a text and let me know your thoughts on this episode or the podcast.
» Produced by Hack You Media: pioneering a new category of content at the intersection of health performance, entrepreneurship & cognitive optimisation.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hackyoumedia/Website: https://hackyou.media/Rory Sutherland is Vice Chairman of Ogilvy, and this conversation reveals why personal branding works, how luxury brands are destroying themselves by chasing scale over exclusivity, and why companies optimise completely wrong metrics that customers don't actually care about.Learn why we substitute easy questions for hard ones when making decisions, how status currencies constantly shift from cars to experiences to education, and why expensive signalling through costly marketing actually works better than cheap digital messages.Timestamps00:00 Introduction02:14 Why personal branding matters more in an AI-driven world04:38 Family-owned businesses outperform PLCs in brand building08:43 Why likeability often beats performance in service brands13:45 The hidden value of charm and human interaction16:36 Making travel better through experience, not speed19:30 Obsessively specialising to build premium perception26:21 Why status travel beats local cultural appreciation34:06 Should we admire bold bling or quiet confidence?36:53 Why digital culture shifts how we signal status39:33 How luxury brands are losing cachet through ubiquity49:03 Big screens, little phones and backwards tech habits52:22 Influencer marketing revives old-school trust in digital57:13 The danger of one-size-fits-all outrage in advertising01:10:11 Expensive media still signals credibility and confidenceLinks» Escape the 9-5 & build your dream life – https://www.digitalplaybook.net/» Transform your physique – https://www.thrstapp.com/» My clothing brand, THRST – https://thrstofficial.com» Custom Bioniq supplements – https://www.bioniq.com/mikethurston• 40% off your first month of Bioniq GO• 20% off your first month of Bioniq PRO» Join our newsletter for actionable insights from every episode: https://thrst-letter.beehiiv.com/» Join Whoop and get your first month for free – join.whoop.com/FirstThingsThrstFollow RorySubstack: https://rorysutherland.substack.com/X: https://x.com/rorysutherland?lang=en
Is your math team using the same words—but interpreting them in totally different ways?In schools and districts across the country, math leaders are working hard—but progress still feels fragile. Despite shared goals and common language, initiatives stall, teachers burn out, and PD efforts don't translate into classrooms. Why? Because shared language doesn't mean shared understanding. And without clarity, systems crumble under the weight of well-intentioned effort.That's where the Math Coherence Compass comes in—a shared decision-making framework that gives every stakeholder the same lens for math improvement.Listeners Will Learn:Why alignment in language doesn't equal alignment in practiceWhat the Math Coherence Compass is—and why it changes everythingHow to use the compass to evaluate PD, PLCs, curriculum, and classroom movesThe 4 compass points: long-term objective, student vision, beliefs about learning, and support capacityHow to co-create the compass with your leadership teamWhen and how to use it with coaches, principals, and teacher leadersWhat to do when your flywheel keeps restarting year after yearWhy 49 hours of support is the tipping point for sustainable instructional changeWhether you're a district coordinator, math coach, or school leader, this episode gives you the clarity and tools to stop throwing spaghetti at the wall—and start building a math system that gains momentum year after year. Download your blank Math Coherence Compass template and start using it today.Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/ Math coordinators and leaders – Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Learn how to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem-based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units Show Notes PageLove the show? Text us your big takeaway!Are you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans that leave students so engaged they don't want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings? In their podcast, Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr—founders of MakeMathMoments.com—share over 19 years of experience inspiring K-12 math students, teachers, and district leaders with effective math activities, engaging resources, and innovative math leadership strategies. Through a 6-step framework, they guide K-12 classroom teachers and district math coordinators on building a strong, balanced math program that grows student and teacher impact. Each week, gain fresh ideas, feedback, and practical strategies to feel more confident and motivate students to see the beauty in math. Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: "Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180.
In this episode of Manufacturing Hub, Vlad Romanov and Dave Griffith sit down with Benson Hougland from Opto 22 to get brutally practical about what is actually running on shop floors today, and what it takes to move from legacy automation to modern, data ready operations without breaking what already works. If you have ever walked into a plant and seen a mix of decades old controllers, manual processes, islands of automation, and a few shiny modern pockets of connectivity, this conversation will feel very familiar. Benson has spent roughly three decades at Opto 22 and he has seen the full spectrum, from brownfield realities where nothing can go down, to greenfield expansions where teams can finally design with data, security, and integration in mind.A major thread in this discussion is the gap between “the machine runs” and “the business can learn from the machine.” Benson lays out why so many facilities still operate in a world of siloed equipment with minimal visibility, and why digital transformation stalls when the goal is vague or driven by trend chasing. The most actionable insight is simple: start with a real problem, win small, build trust in the data, and only then scale. That approach is how you avoid proof of concept purgatory, and it is also how you get leadership buy in without overpromising. If you are looking at industrial AI, it becomes even more critical, because manufacturing cannot tolerate hallucinated answers. Benson explains why industrial AI starts with sanctity of data, meaning clean, contextualized, trustworthy signals that an organization can actually act on.You will also hear a grounded take on why hardware still matters in 2026. Not because everyone wants to rip and replace working PLCs, but because modern plants need layered edge strategies that can extract the right data, protect legacy assets, and integrate upward using open methods.About the guestBenson Hougland is a long time leader at Opto 22, a US based manufacturer of industrial controllers, edge devices, and IO. He focuses on customer and integrator feedback, product strategy, and the practical challenges teams face when modernizing systems while keeping operations running. Opto 22 is known for building and manufacturing in the United States and for leaning into open connectivity approaches that help reduce lock in and simplify integration.About the hostsVlad Romanov is an electrical engineer with an MBA from McGill University and over a decade of experience delivering automation and modernization work across high performing manufacturing environments. Through Joltek, Vlad supports manufacturers with plant floor assessments, controls and OT architecture, system modernization planning, integration execution, and technical upskilling so teams can own their systems long term. Vlad's work consistently sits at the intersection of reliability, operational execution, and the realities of IT and OT convergence, with a focus on what is feasible in real facilities, not just what looks good in a slide deck.Dave Griffith is a long time manufacturing and automation practitioner focused on bridging the gap between modern technology conversations and what is practical on the plant floor. Dave brings a systems mindset to modernization, with a strong emphasis on outcomes, maintainability, and the human factors that decide whether projects scale or stall.If this episode resonates and you are navigating modernization decisions, especially around OT networking, data infrastructure, platform selection, or plant floor security, Joltek can help you evaluate your current state, define a realistic target architecture, and build a roadmap that your team can execute.Joltek linkshttps://www.joltek.com/serviceshttps://www.joltek.com/education/ot-networking-fundamentalsTimestamps00:00:00 Welcome back and the hardware focused modernization theme00:01:40 Benson Hougland background, entrepreneur to controls to Opto 2200:04:10 A garage manufacturing story and the lessons of building real product00:09:00 The gap between cutting edge plants and manual, siloed operations00:11:10 What actually blocks modernization, capital, planning, and alignment00:13:10 Start small, solve a real problem, and build trust in outcomes00:14:40 Proof of concept purgatory and why leadership buy in changes everything00:17:50 Industrial AI needs data, and data integrity becomes the non negotiable00:22:30 Obsolescence, cybersecurity, and simplifying the industrial tech stack00:28:20 Cybersecurity is a process, not a product, and why defaults are deadly00:37:10 Linux at the edge, containers, and why modern controllers are like smartphones00:53:10 ProveIt and the virtual factories approach, real data, real integration paths
Are your Tier 3 supports disconnected from Tier 1 math instruction?You're not alone. Many schools implement math intervention with the best intentions—yet students continue to miss critical Tier 1 instruction, feel left behind, and fail to make meaningful gains.The root issue? Most systems treat Tier 3 like a separate math program instead of a coordinated extension of Tier 1. When intervention is disconnected from core instruction, students don't just struggle—they get further behind.This episode digs into the real reasons why tiered support often fails in math classrooms—and what leaders, coaches, and teachers can do to change that. It's not just about pulling the right small group. It's about building a system where all students get access to high-quality instruction, every day.Listeners Will Learn:Why Tier 3 often functions in isolation—and why that fails studentsWhat makes math intervention effective (and what doesn't)Why a shared vision for math is non-negotiable across all tiersHow to ensure coherence in models, language, and instructionThe importance of building teacher math content knowledge at all levelsWhat math leaders can do to align PLCs, pacing, and professional learningWhy strong MTSS math systems need more than logistics—they need leadershipIf your school or district is struggling to serve students who are far behind in math, this episode is packed with real talk, research-backed recommendations, and hard-won lessons from the field.Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/ Math coordinators and leaders – Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Learn how to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem-based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units Show Notes PageLove the show? Text us your big takeaway!Are you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans that leave students so engaged they don't want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings? In their podcast, Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr—founders of MakeMathMoments.com—share over 19 years of experience inspiring K-12 math students, teachers, and district leaders with effective math activities, engaging resources, and innovative math leadership strategies. Through a 6-step framework, they guide K-12 classroom teachers and district math coordinators on building a strong, balanced math program that grows student and teacher impact. Each week, gain fresh ideas, feedback, and practical strategies to feel more confident and motivate students to see the beauty in math. Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: "Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180.
In this episode of Unpacking Education, we sit down with renowned educator and practitioner Mike Mattos to explore the powerful intersection of Response to Intervention (RTI) and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). With 38 years of experience as a teacher and principal, Mike shares how shifting from individual responsibility to collective action can transform outcomes for all students. Mike offers practical, research-informed strategies to build collaboration, embed intervention into the school day, and create a culture of shared responsibility. Visit AVID Open Access to learn more.
Guest: Chris Sistrunk, Technical Leader, OT Consulting, Mandiant Topics: When we hear "attacks on Operational Technology (OT)" some think of Stuxnet targeting PLCs or even backdoored pipeline control software plot in the 1980s. Is this space always so spectacular or are there less "kaboom" style attacks we are more concerned about in practice? Given the old "air-gapped" mindset of many OT environments, what are the most common security gaps or blind spots you see when organizations start to integrate cloud services for things like data analytics or remote monitoring? How is the shift to cloud connectivity - for things like data analytics, centralized management, and remote access - changing the security posture of these systems? What's a real-world example of a positive security outcome you've seen as a direct result of this cloud adoption? How do the Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK for ICS framework change or evolve when attackers can leverage cloud-based reconnaissance and command-and-control infrastructure to target OT networks? Can you provide an example? OT environments are generating vast amounts of operational data. What is interesting for OT Detection and Response (D&R)? Resources: Video version Cybersecurity Forecast 2026 report by Google Complex, hybrid manufacturing needs strong security. Here's how CISOs can get it done blog "Security Guidance for Cloud-Enabled Hybrid Operational Technology Networks" paper by Google Cloud Office of the CISO DEF CON 23 - Chris Sistrunk - NSM 101 for ICS MITRE ATT&CK for ICS
Feeling behind? Tired? Wondering if your math improvement efforts are making a difference?In this episode released on Christmas Day, Jon Orr shares a message just for you—educators, coaches, and leaders doing the slow, often invisible work of math improvement. No training, no strategies—just honest reflection and a reminder that you are not alone.You'll hear a different lens on what progress looks like—one that recognizes the quiet wins:A teacher asking better math questions than last yearA PLC focusing on student thinking, not just pacingA shift from “What resource should we buy?” to “What understanding are we trying to build?”More clarity, less overwhelmRest without guilt, community without performanceTake a moment to pause and reflect. Then, share your own win from 2025—big or small—by sending a voice note to: admin@makemathmoments.com. Your story might be just what another educator needs to hear.Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/ Math coordinators and leaders – Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Learn how to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units Show Notes PageLove the show? Text us your big takeaway!Are you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans that leave students so engaged they don't want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings? In their podcast, Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr—founders of MakeMathMoments.com—share over 19 years of experience inspiring K-12 math students, teachers, and district leaders with effective math activities, engaging resources, and innovative math leadership strategies. Through a 6-step framework, they guide K-12 classroom teachers and district math coordinators on building a strong, balanced math program that grows student and teacher impact. Each week, gain fresh ideas, feedback, and practical strategies to feel more confident and motivate students to see the beauty in math. Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: "Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180.
Why are so many districts pouring resources into math PD but seeing so little classroom change?It's not because teachers aren't trying. It's not about motivation or willingness. The real reason is this: most systems aren't built to support true instructional transformation. In this episode, we unpack the disconnect between a district's vision for math learning and the day-to-day realities of classroom practice—and we make the case for math coaching as the essential lever most districts are missing.Drawing from research, real-world examples, and the common challenges we hear from district teams, Jon challenges leaders to rethink how professional learning is structured—especially when funding is limited, time is tight, and expectations are high.Listeners Will:Understand the research behind why math PD alone doesn't shift math instructionLearn how math instructional coaching dramatically increases classroom implementationExplore what it takes to design a system that supports consistent, lasting changeReflect on the “greatest good dilemma” and why starting small may be your best betGet inspired to build the next round of math leaders—one teacher at a timeIf your district is serious about improving math instruction, press play and discover the one investment that creates real, sustainable impact.Not sure what matters most when designing math improvement plans? Take this assessment and get a free customized report: https://makemathmoments.com/grow/ Math coordinators and leaders – Ready to design your math improvement plan with guidance, support and using structure? Learn how to follow our 4 stage process. https://growyourmathprogram.com Looking to supplement your curriculum with problem based lessons and units? Make Math Moments Problem Based Lessons & Units Show Notes PageLove the show? Text us your big takeaway!Are you wondering how to create K-12 math lesson plans that leave students so engaged they don't want to stop exploring your math curriculum when the bell rings? In their podcast, Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr—founders of MakeMathMoments.com—share over 19 years of experience inspiring K-12 math students, teachers, and district leaders with effective math activities, engaging resources, and innovative math leadership strategies. Through a 6-step framework, they guide K-12 classroom teachers and district math coordinators on building a strong, balanced math program that grows student and teacher impact. Each week, gain fresh ideas, feedback, and practical strategies to feel more confident and motivate students to see the beauty in math. Start making math moments today by listening to Episode #139: "Making Math Moments From Day 1 to 180.