Podcasts about plcs

On this week's show Patrick Gray and James Wilson are joined by guest co-host Ollie Whitehouse, the CTO of the UK's NCSC, to talk through the week's news, including: Iranian hackers take down a small-scale power generator in the UK Siemens PLCs in critical US sectors are also being targeted… We're stumped on who could be behind that one, too. Microsoft fixed a CVSS 10 deserialisation bug in Entra before someone else found it and owned the planet Prompt injection isn't going away LLMs are deceiving us meat sacks and it's a worry Much, much more… This week's show is brought to you by Okta. VP of Threat Intel Brett Winterford joins the show in this week's sponsor interview to talk James through how the company is turning its plethora of accumulated data into free alerting for its customers. They also chat about Okta's new threat intelligence product line. This episode is also available on YouTube Show notes Iran-linked hackers blamed for cyber-attack that shut down UK power plant | theguardian.com Hackers using AI to target Siemens PLCs in critical US sectors | securityweek.com Defending Against an Active Threat to Siemens S7 Series PLCs | IC3.gov Industry Alerts US charges Iranians for sprawling hacking campaign on government agencies, universities | therecord.media T-Mobile ‘chopped a cable' to expel Chinese hackers from its network | techcrunch.com The long tail of Clop's PTC hack is just beginning to emerge | cyberscoop.com CISA: Medusa ransomware hit over 500 critical infrastructure orgs | BleepingComputer Ransomware disproportionately targets medium-sized firms, straining customer relationships | Cybersecurity Dive Microsoft warns of max severity Entra ID flaw exploited in attacks | BleepingComputer Critical RCE flaw in Windows IKE Extension now actively exploited | BleepingComputer Rust supply chain attack linked to North Korean hackers | securityweek.com Grok exfiltrates user data when malicious instructions are encrypted | arstechnica.com New phishing toolkit uses passkeys to maintain access after password resets | securityweek.com Password spraying attacks surge 155x as hackers exploit MFA gaps | BleepingComputer Hackers compromise 14,500 Dahua web cameras in 35-day campaign | BleepingComputer Hackers infect Android car head units with proxy botnet malware | BleepingComputer ToxicPanda Android malware uses VPN permissions to block Google Play | BleepingComputer New Manic Android malware can exfiltrate data through nearby devices | BleepingComputer Citrix urges admins to patch new NetScaler flaws as soon as possible | BleepingComputer AliExpress caught fingerprinting visitors after sending inaudible sounds to browsers | arstechnica.com EXCLUSIVE: How a Texas student blew the whistle on a rogue AI hacking attempt | reuters.com Detections and customer notifications | Okta Threat Intelligence

Take a Network Break! It’s a Red Alert double feature for Oracle’s Internet Directory LDAP server and Cisco’s Secure Workload Software. In tech news, US law enforcement and intelligence agencies release a joint advisory warning of active threats against Siemens PLCs, Marvell wins a deal to make chips for Google that could bring billions in... Read more »

Take a Network Break! It’s a Red Alert double feature for Oracle’s Internet Directory LDAP server and Cisco’s Secure Workload Software. In tech news, US law enforcement and intelligence agencies release a joint advisory warning of active threats against Siemens PLCs, Marvell wins a deal to make chips for Google that could bring billions in... Read more »

Take a Network Break! It’s a Red Alert double feature for Oracle’s Internet Directory LDAP server and Cisco’s Secure Workload Software. In tech news, US law enforcement and intelligence agencies release a joint advisory warning of active threats against Siemens PLCs, Marvell wins a deal to make chips for Google that could bring billions in... Read more »

Siemens says a small manufacturer can start production optimization for $2,000 a year. Martin Valkysers and Flemming Kongsberg explain what that buys you.Most digital transformation advice assumes a budget and an engineering bench most plants do not have. Flemming Kongsberg, who runs the SMB focus inside the Siemens CTO organization, discards the usual revenue and headcount definitions: an SMB is any manufacturer without the skills to absorb a complex digital change, and that includes some very large companies. He describes one customer running 900 devices across 17 locations where 90 percent of the machines are 30 years or older with zero connectivity. Siemens research also found 40 percent of SMB customers have no IT department.Martin Valkysers frames Siemens Xcelerator as the open digital business platform tying hardware, software, data, and services together, with more than 600 partners today. The SMB starter package is where that becomes concrete. Instead of asking a plant with no IT staff to assemble something from hundreds of apps, Siemens curated roughly 10 to 12 into one bundle covering device connectivity, Performance Insight dashboards for OEE and quality, and a slice of Mendix. A partner installed it in a lab in 24 minutes on an ordinary Windows machine, against the roughly 60 hours a traditional Industrial Edge deployment takes. It is $2,000 per year for three machines with the first three months free, and PROFINET, Ethernet/IP, and the standard protocols are supported, so competitor PLCs connect too.The most useful argument here has nothing to do with buying anything. Flemming makes the case that reaching for AI before you own your data is a losing move, because a model built on information everyone else can reach produces no strategic advantage. You also do not need AI to build a Pareto chart of where your quality losses sit. Martin adds the discipline that gets skipped most: be clear about the problem before you pick the tool.About the GuestsMartin Valkysers is Head of US Market Launch and Growth for Siemens Xcelerator, Siemens' open digital business platform spanning industrial, building, grid, and manufacturing sectors. He has been with Siemens roughly 12 years, previously leading a US operations consulting team focused on lean manufacturing.Flemming Kongsberg leads Global Technology Partners at Siemens Digital Industries Software and runs the company's SMB focus in the US. Before Siemens he spent nearly eight years at Amazon Web Services building partner infrastructure and strategic ISV alliances.Timestamps0:00 Introduction2:20 Martin Valkysers on his path to Xcelerator4:20 Flemming Kongsberg from AWS to Siemens SMB7:10 Four challenges facing manufacturers13:40 Why data comes before AI18:00 What Siemens Xcelerator actually is22:30 Partner ecosystem: build, service, sell31:40 Inside the SMB starter package35:50 What the package costs38:20 A 24 minute install and non Siemens PLCs45:50 Redefining what counts as an SMB53:50 The future of industrial marketplacesReferencesGetting Started with Production Optimization: https://www.siemens.com/en-us/products/industrial-edge/production-optimization-get-started/Operational Efficiency Pack for Small Manufacturers: https://news.siemens.com/en-us/siemens-small-manufacturers-operational-efficiency-pack/This episode is sponsored bySiemens is a global technology company operating across industrial automation, digital software, smart infrastructure, and mobility. Siemens Xcelerator is its open digital business platform and marketplace.https://www.siemens.comAbout 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/vladromanov/Want to go deeper? Vlad and the team at Joltek have covered related topics here:Digital Transformation in Manufacturing: https://www.joltek.com/blog/digital-transformation-in-manufacturingEdge Computing and the AI Value of Manufacturing Data: https://www.joltek.com/blog/edge-computing-ai-value-manufacturing-dataDave 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/Subscribe to Manufacturing Hub: https://www.manufacturinghub.liveLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/manufacturing-hub-networkYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ManufacturingHub

A Quick Note to Listeners: Before this week’s interview, Will Parker and Jen Schwanke take some time to answer a listener question. This week’s question is: I'm wanting to intentionally develop leaders on my team. Ideas or suggestions? Listen in to hear their repsonse! Meet Dr. Darin Thompson: Darin A. Thompson, PhD, is a veteran K–12 leader from Fairfax, Virginia, with nearly 20 years of experience and the founder of Pivotal Leaders Group. A two-time Outstanding Principal of the Year semi-finalist within his region, Dr. Thompson has led transformative school improvement efforts across multiple school divisions, resulting in double-digit gains in student outcomes and significant reductions in achievement gaps for historically underserved populations. A regular presenter at conferences such as NAESP/NASSP's United Conference, Making Schools Work, and the Virginia Alliance of Black School Educators, Dr. Thompson has contributed to Education Week, the Journal of Urban Learning, Teaching, and Research, and other publications. He is the author of The Four Cornerstones of Effective Schools, published by Solution Tree, and a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Effective Schools & the Four Cornerstones: Dr. Thompson's framework centers on the belief that effective schools are built through intentional systems, not isolated initiatives. In The Four Cornerstones of Effective Schools, he outlines how culture, collaboration, and aligned structures work together to support improvement. Rather than chasing new programs, leaders are encouraged to focus on building systems that consistently reinforce high-quality teaching and learning. Dr. Thompson's Educational Journey: Dr. Thompson shares that his path into education was anything but traditional. Initially interested in careers in law and financial planning, he discovered his passion for teaching and was later encouraged by a principal to step into leadership. That encouragement set him on a path that would eventually lead to the principalship and beyond, shaping his belief that leadership development often begins with someone recognizing potential in others. The Pivotal Leader Mindset: A key takeaway from the conversation is the importance of developing a “pivotal leader mindset.” Dr. Thompson explains that school improvement begins with how leaders think. Growth-oriented beliefs, combined with a willingness to examine one's own assumptions, allow leaders to better navigate complex challenges. Without this mindset, even the best strategies can fall short. Limiting Beliefs in Leadership: As the discussion continues, Dr. Thompson highlights how limiting beliefs can quietly undermine progress. Under pressure, leaders may begin to question their own effectiveness or doubt the capabilities of their staff. He emphasizes the importance of confronting these beliefs with evidence and shifting the focus toward building skills and capacity. When leaders change how they think, they change how they lead. School Culture & Staff Support: The conversation reinforces that strong culture is foundational to any improvement effort. Dr. Thompson describes common barriers such as complacency, isolation, and command-and-control leadership, all of which can limit progress. He stresses that support must come before accountability—teachers need clarity, resources, and encouragement before they can be expected to perform at high levels. Diagnosing the Cultural Landscape: Before implementing change, Dr. Thompson encourages leaders to pause and assess their current environment. He introduces three essential elements for a culture of support: clarity, trust, and readiness. Clarity ensures everyone understands the vision, trust builds confidence in leadership, and readiness equips staff with the skills needed to succeed. Skipping this diagnostic step often leads to frustration and failed initiatives. Building Instructional Capacity: Improving instruction requires more than one-time professional development. Dr. Thompson shares strategies for building capacity over time, including job-embedded learning, teacher-led sessions, and consistent feedback. He describes practical approaches like teacher-led “egg camps,” where educators share effective practices based on real classroom data, creating relevance and ownership in the learning process. PLCs & Collaboration: Professional Learning Communities play a critical role in sustaining improvement. Dr. Thompson explains that effective PLCs go beyond logistics and focus on meaningful collaboration around instruction and student outcomes. While resistance is common at first, establishing clear expectations and purpose helps shift teams toward deeper engagement and shared responsibility. Systems for Sustainable Improvement: Throughout the conversation, Dr. Thompson returns to the importance of systems. Strong systems act as guardrails, helping leaders stay focused on priorities and avoid reactive decision-making. By aligning systems with the school's vision, leaders create consistency and momentum, allowing improvement efforts to take root and grow over time. Leadership & Well-Being: The episode concludes with an encouraging message for leaders. Dr. Thompson reminds listeners that meaningful school improvement is possible without burnout. By focusing on systems, maintaining clarity, and prioritizing the right work, leaders can create lasting impact while also sustaining their own well-being. His message is both practical and hopeful—offering a clear path forward for those committed to leading effective schools. Staying Connected: You can stay connected with Dr. Thompson’s work via the following channels: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdarinthompson/ Solution Tree contact: https://www.solutiontree.com/darin-a-thompson.html Visit Darin’s website, www.DrDarinThompson.com Follow Darin on Youtube @drdarinthompson Follow Darin on Instagram @drdarinthompson The post Cornerstones of Effective Schools with Dr. Darin Thompson – PMP513 appeared first on Principal Matters.

SummaryIn this episode of the Blue Security Podcast, hosts Andy Jaw and Adam Brewer discuss the recent cyberattacks on water systems in Minnesota, attributed to Iran-linked hackers. They explore the vulnerabilities of programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and the broader implications for operational technology (OT) security. The conversation delves into the differences between Iranian and Chinese cyber threats, the limitations of traditional security measures, and the cultural challenges faced by cybersecurity professionals in securing OT environments. The episode concludes with key takeaways and recommendations for improving security in municipal utilities. The conversation delves into recent AI security incidents involving OpenAI and Anthropic, highlighting the implications of these breaches and the need for better operational discipline and regulatory frameworks. The speakers discuss the maturity of AI companies, the human errors leading to security lapses, and the potential risks associated with AI models. They emphasize the importance of treating AI testing environments with the same seriousness as production environments and call for standardized incident reporting in the AI sector.----------------------------------------------------YouTube Video Link: ⁠⁠⁠----------------------------------------------------Documentation: https://cybernews.com/security/minnesota-water-systems-cyberattack-iranian-hackers/https://thehackernews.com/2026/08/over-4400-rockwell-plcs-exposed-online.htmlhttps://www.techspot.com/news/113281-openai-rogue-ai-agent-did-more-than-hack.htmlhttps://thehackernews.com/2026/08/claude-mythos-5-tried-to-backdoor-real.htmlhttps://www.anthropic.com/news/investigating-incidents-cybersecurity-evalshttps://www.aisi.gov.uk/blog/incident-report-unsanctioned-agent-behaviour-during-cyber-testing----------------------------------------------------Contact Us:Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bluesecuritypod.comBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bluesecuritypod.comLinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/bluesecpodYouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/c/BlueSecurityPodcast-----------------------------------------------------------Andy JawBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ajawzero.comLinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyjaw/Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠andy@bluesecuritypod.com⁠----------------------------------------------------Adam BrewerTwitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ajbrewerLinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjbrewer/Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠adam@bluesecuritypod.com

Grab the Secondary Teacher Systems Toolkit here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/systemstoolkit/?ref=pod Too many preps and not enough time? Let's make your planning period actually work for you. Reserve your spot in the Unit Planning Lab here: https://khristenmassic.thrivecart.com/unit/?ref=podcastPlanning for the next school year? If your day is organized by class period, your planning calendar should be too. Grab my Editable Class Period Calendar here: https://khristenmassic.com/secondarycalendarpodGet the Planning Period Reset Toolkit—a free set of quick-start tools to help you protect your time, focus faster, and finally finish something… even during chaotic school days. https://khristenmassic.com/resetShop my Teachers Pay Teachers store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Khristen-Massic-Cte-Teacher-CoachEver find yourself drowning in bell work ideas, Pinterest boards, and well-meaning Facebook threads about “how do I build a classroom and a teaching system when I don't have one yet?” This episode of The Secondary Teacher Podcast rips the Band-Aid off what's really keeping secondary teachers — especially those with multiple preps or handed a new course to build — up at night.Host Khristen Massic sees you hunting for the next “perfect first day activity” or “engaging bell work” hoping one more idea will finally click and unlock a smooth year. But here's the rub: stockpiling activities isn't the same as running a course with intention. It might feel productive piling up lesson after lesson, but when you wake up in August with nothing but a heap of resources and no roadmap? That's overwhelm disguised as progress.The episode spotlights the real questions teachers are asking in August, not just “What should my bell work be?” or “What do I do if I don't have a curriculum?” but how to legitimately build a teaching system from the ground up. Khristen gets real about her own experiences being dropped into classes with nothing but a few forgotten Google Classroom assignments to start from scratch.Instead of grabbing more activities, Khristen challenges teachers to start with purpose. For example, if you're thinking about bell work, ask yourself — is it there to settle students, recap yesterday, preview today, or boost classroom community? This shift to “why” makes it much easier to choose activities that pull their weight instead of becoming another entry in a never-ending idea graveyard.For teachers walking into a room without a curriculum, she lays down a clear path: pause. Before running off to download someone else's unit, ask yourself, “What should students be able to do by the end of this?” Have your end goal, plan backward, and build pathways that move students from Day One to where they need to be. The curriculum isn't the pile of leftovers from the last teacher. It's the journey you're building for your students.And here's one for anyone wringing their hands over the “perfect” first day lesson: stop worrying about being the most entertaining act. The first day is your shot to let students experience how learning in your class really feels — maybe with a structured discussion, maybe letting them experience your routines, maybe something simple enough a sub could run it. What matters is that day one starts as you mean to go on.There's even a gut-check for those CTE, elective, or multi-course PLCs where everyone teaches something different. Most department meetings nosedive into trading one-off worksheets or projects that don't fit anyone else's subject. But when the table turns to sharing systems — like building discussion habits, troubleshooting tough tasks, or fostering independence — suddenly, every teacher can take away something useful. Activities are only as helpful as the system you drop them into. That's what actually makes classroom routines stick and stops you from reinventing your process every single day.This is a call out and a call up for secondary teachers who want to stop hunting for silver-bullet strategies and start building systems that actually support work life balance. If you're tired of planning from scratch, of ideas with nowhere to live, or of feeling like every choice is a new mountain to climb, this episode is for you.Bottom line: the biggest difference between scrambling and smooth sailing isn't finding more resources. It's nailing down that lesson structure, that repeatable routine, that classroom system. Build it once, let your activities plug in, and planning will never feel as heavy again.Ditch the busywork. Start building what lasts. Let your classroom run itself — and go get your evenings back.

Auch in der Ferienzeit sind wir für euch da, wenn auch mit eher dünner Newslage. Max meldet sich aus dem italienischen Hinterland mit entsprechend italienischer Internetqualität, ich glühe bei 35 Grad in Deutschland. Zu Beginn gibt es ein kurzern Rant über die Marketing-Eskalation der Frontier Labs, bei der gerade jeder das gefährlichste Modell haben muss.Erstes und durchaus ernstes Thema: Seit Ende Juli gab es wohl koordinierte Angriffe auf über 30 kommunale Wassersysteme in Minnesota, mittlerweile sind daneben mindestens zwölf andere Bundesstaaten betroffen. Einfallstor waren dabei wohl unter anderem internet-exponierte PLCs, teils mit Werkspasswörtern. Die Trinkwasserversorgung war nach Aussagen der offiziellen Stellen nicht gefährdet, mehrere Kommunen sind schlicht auf manuellen Betrieb umgestellt. US-Ermittler halten Iran-nahe Akteure für wahrscheinlich verantwortlich, eine formale Attribution gibt es nicht. Trump hat stattdessen medial Governor Tim Walz verantwortlich gemacht, der wiederum auf die ausgedünnte CISA verweist. Beides greift zu kurz: Wenn PLCs offen im Internet stehen, kann man auch mal die Betreiber an der Nase fassen. Der eigentliche Lichtblick war, dass die manuellen Notfallprozesse scheinbar funktioniert haben.Zweites Thema, dabei deutlich unterhaltsamer: Ein Mann aus Melbourne bat seinen OpenClaw-Agenten mit Claude, ihn in einen beliebten Fitnesskurs einzubuchen. Der Agent fand eine Schwachstelle im Buchungssystem, buchte Kurse Monate im Voraus, und als er nach einer besseren Warteliste-Position gefragt wurde, stornierte er die Reservierung der Person auf Platz eins. Die API hatte keinerlei Autorisierungsprüfung für fremde Buchungen. Niemand hatte dem Agenten gesagt, dass er das nicht tun soll, und Subtext versteht so ein System nicht.Zwölf Bundesstaaten melden Angriffe auf Wassersysteme (CBS News) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/more-states-water-systems-cyberattacks-iran-backed-hackers/CISA Advisory: Iranische Akteure und PLCs https://www.tenable.com/blog/coordinated-cyberattack-on-minnesota-water-utilities-what-you-need-to-knowKI-Agent hackt Fitnessstudio-Buchungssystem (ABC News) https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-10/ai-agent-hacks-gym-booking-system/106051234

In this episode, Jacob Chastain sits down with Jennifer Serravallo to discuss Whole Book Comprehension and why knowledge building, sustained reading, and deep comprehension deserve a renewed place in today's classrooms. Together, they explore how literacy instruction has shifted over the past decade, why whole-book reading has become less common, and whether today's emphasis on knowledge-rich instruction is something new—or a return to what we've always known works. Jennifer also shares practical strategies for making whole-book teaching fit into real classrooms, how it connects with shorter texts and excerpts, and ways teachers and PLCs can begin strengthening comprehension instruction this school year. Whether you're a classroom teacher, coach, or school leader, this conversation will challenge the way you think about reading—and give you practical ideas you can use right away. **Announced in this episode is the new podcast from Jacob Chastain, The Golden Table. Click here to listen now.  Jennifer Serravallo is the author ofThe New York Times' bestselling The Reading Strategies Book 2.0 and The Writing Strategies Book. These and some of her other titles have been translated into Spanish, French, Italian, and Chinese. Her popular books and resources help teachers make goal-directed, responsive, explicit strategy instruction doable in every classroom. Her newest titles are The Reading Strategies Book 2.0; Teaching Writing in Small Groups; A Teacher's Guide to Reading Conferences, and the assessment and teaching resource Complete Comprehension for Fiction and Nonfiction.

The Prism of America's Education with Host Karen Schoen – In late July 2026, cyberattacks targeted water and wastewater systems across at least seven U.S. states, with the FBI confirming incidents that in some cases degraded operations. Attackers hacked internet programmable logic controllers (PLCs), causing temporary disruptions such as loss of remote monitoring and control...

In this episode of Control Intelligence, editor in chief Mike Bacidore spoke to Jagannathan Raghunathan, director of cyberphysical security services at Bureau Veritas, about the recent CISA alert. Raghunathan is also co-chair of the PLC Security Top 20 List. In this interview, he outlines how the PLC Security Top 20 List addresses programmable logic controller (PLC) vulnerabilities by offering practical, engineering-focused guidance across the hardware lifecycle.

The Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an alert on July 30 regarding a significant increase in cyber threat actors targeting programmable logic controllers (PLCs) in the water/wastewater sector. In this episode of Control Intelligence, Control Design's longest standing columnist, automation industry veteran Jeremy Pollard, spoke with Mike Bacidore about the vulnerabilities of PLCs; the evolution of their connectivity to the Internet; the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) and gateways; and what machine builders can learn from this to keep industrial equipment secure.

Industrial Talk is talking to Zohar Kantor, Co-Founder at PLCs.ai about "Converting PLC code into plain-language operational intelligence". The conversation highlights the importance of the Barcelona Cybersecurity Congress from November 3-5, 2023, and the need for cybersecurity professionals to attend. Scott Mackenzie emphasizes the significance of industrial professionals telling their stories and leveraging AI to enhance their operations. Zohar Kantor from PLCs AI discusses their platform, which simplifies PLC programming and diagnostics, reducing downtime and improving efficiency. Kantor stresses the importance of trust in AI solutions and the need to empower employees rather than replace them. The platform offers code optimization and documentation, aiming to support manufacturers in maintaining and optimizing their automation systems. Outline Barcelona Cybersecurity Congress Announcement Scott introduces the Barcelona Cybersecurity Congress, emphasizing its importance for cybersecurity professionals.The event is scheduled for November 3-5 in Barcelona, with networking opportunities and expert discussions.Scott mentions their own participation and encourages listeners to mark their calendars.The event aims to provide valuable insights and connections within the cybersecurity industry. Introduction to Industrial Talk Podcast Scott praises industrial professionals for their boldness, bravery, and problem-solving skills.The conversation shifts to Zohar Kantor and his company, PLCs AI, which simplifies PLC programming and provides greater insights.Scott shares their experience teaching PLCs at a technical college and expresses support for Zohar's solution. Importance of Telling Your Story Scott emphasizes the need for companies to tell their stories through AI platforms.They discuss the critical role of storytelling in business success and social presence.Scott shares their experience of countless conversations with industry professionals and the importance of amplifying messages.The conversation highlights the challenges of finding, retaining, and inspiring people in the industry. Challenges in the Industry and the Role of AI Scott identifies people-related challenges as the real impact on the industry, including finding, retaining, and inspiring talent.They discuss the importance of creating a resilient business culture and the role of leaders in inspiring their teams.Scott introduces the concept of a "high beer factor," emphasizing the need for authenticity and relatability in communication.The conversation touches on the importance of persistence and the role of media companies like Industrial Talk in supporting industrial professionals. Zohar Kantor's Background and PLCs AI Zohar Kantor, introduces himself and his company, PLCs AI, which focuses on simplifying PLC programming and providing greater insights.Zohar shares his experience joining a startup in 2017 that brought defect inspection based on AI to industrial manufacturing.He discusses the challenges of integrating AI with legacy PLC technology and the need to simplify the process for engineers.Zohar explains the concept of PLCs AI and its mission to open up the "black box" of PLCs, allowing engineers to understand and diagnose issues more effectively. PLCs AI's Solutions and Use Cases Zohar describes how PLCs AI helps maintenance engineers diagnose and resolve issues by guiding them through the process.The platform allows engineers to query and diagnose issues from the HMI in plain language, reducing downtime and costs.Zohar explains the concept of "explain" and "generate" use cases, where the platform helps engineers understand and resolve issues quickly.The platform also provides recommendations for code optimization and ensures compliance with industry standards. PLCs AI's Impact on New Lines and Commissioning Zohar discusses the role of PLCs AI in the commissioning process, helping manufacturers document and optimize new lines.The platform ensures that documentation is generated throughout the code on a line basis, making it easier for maintenance and operation teams to manage the line over its lifespan.Zohar highlights the importance of documentation in the life cycle of a line, where 85-90% of the costs are incurred in maintenance and retrofitting.The platform aims to support manufacturers in maintaining their brownfield with legacy PLCs, ensuring smooth operations and reducing downtime. Challenges and Opportunities in the Market Zohar identifies the need to gain trust from engineers and experts in the conservative manufacturing industry.He emphasizes the importance of trust in human-to-platform connections and the role of PLCs AI in empowering employees.The conversation touches on the broader impact of AI on the workforce, with a focus on efficiency and productivity rather than job replacement.Zohar shares insights from top-notch manufacturers who approach PLCs AI for solutions to their automation challenges. Conclusion and Contact Information Scott wraps up the conversation, expressing admiration for Zohar's passion and the potential of PLCs AI.Zohar provides contact information for PLCs AI, encouraging listeners to reach out and try the platform.Scott reiterates the importance of telling one's story and the role of Industrial Talk in supporting industrial professionals.The conversation ends with a reminder of the upcoming Barcelona Cybersecurity Congress and the importance of staying connected and informed. If interested in being on the Industrial Talk show, simply contact us and let's have a quick conversation. Finally, get your exclusive free access to the Industrial Academy and a series on “Why You Need To Podcast” for Greater Success in 2026. All links designed for keeping you current in this rapidly changing Industrial Market. Learn! Grow! Enjoy! ZOHAR KANTOR'S CONTACT INFORMATION: Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zohar-kantor/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plcs-ai/ Company Website: https://www.plcs.ai/ PODCAST VIDEO: https://youtu.be/L7_rht_jTOc THE STRATEGIC REASON "WHY YOU NEED TO PODCAST": OTHER GREAT INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES: NEOM: https://www.neom.com/en-us Hexagon: https://hexagon.com/ Arduino: https://www.arduino.cc/ Fictiv: https://www.fictiv.com/ Hitachi Vantara: https://www.hitachivantara.com/en-us/home.html Industrial Marketing Solutions:  https://industrialtalk.com/industrial-marketing/ Industrial Academy: https://industrialtalk.com/industrial-academy/ Industrial Dojo: https://industrialtalk.com/industrial_dojo/ We the 15: https://www.wethe15.org/ YOUR INDUSTRIAL DIGITAL TOOLBOX: LifterLMS: Get One Month Free for $1 – https://lifterlms.com/ Active Campaign: Active Campaign Link Social Jukebox: https://www.socialjukebox.com/ Business Beatitude the Book Do you desire a more joy-filled, deeply-enduring sense of accomplishment and success? Live your business the way you want to live with the BUSINESS BEATITUDES...The Bridge connecting sacrifice to success. YOU NEED THE BUSINESS BEATITUDES! TAP INTO YOUR INDUSTRIAL SOUL, RESERVE YOUR COPY NOW! BE BOLD. BE BRAVE. DARE GREATLY AND CHANGE THE WORLD. GET THE BUSINESS BEATITUDES!

In this episode, Jacob Chastain sits down with Jennifer Serravallo to discuss Whole Book Comprehension and why knowledge building, sustained reading, and deep comprehension deserve a renewed place in today's classrooms. Together, they explore how literacy instruction has shifted over the past decade, why whole-book reading has become less common, and whether today's emphasis on knowledge-rich instruction is something new—or a return to what we've always known works. Jennifer also shares practical strategies for making whole-book teaching fit into real classrooms, how it connects with shorter texts and excerpts, and ways teachers and PLCs can begin strengthening comprehension instruction this school year. Whether you're a classroom teacher, coach, or school leader, this conversation will challenge the way you think about reading—and give you practical ideas you can use right away. Jennifer Serravallo is the author ofThe New York Times' bestselling The Reading Strategies Book 2.0 and The Writing Strategies Book. These and some of her other titles have been translated into Spanish, French, Italian, and Chinese. Her popular books and resources help teachers make goal-directed, responsive, explicit strategy instruction doable in every classroom. Her newest titles are The Reading Strategies Book 2.0; Teaching Writing in Small Groups; A Teacher's Guide to Reading Conferences, and the assessment and teaching resource Complete Comprehension for Fiction and Nonfiction.

UK's state investments agency suffers data breach CISA tells utilities to remove internet-exposed PLCs following Minnesota attacks Anthropic says its AI hacked real-world companies in three incidents Get the show notes here: https://cisoseries.com/cybersecurity-news-cybersecurity-news-uk-investments-agency-breach-cisa-water-warning-anthropic-threesome/ Huge thanks to our episode sponsor, ThreatLocker AI is helping attackers research targets, create malicious code, and adapt faster. But the fundamentals have not changed. Code still needs to execute, applications still need access, and attackers still need privileges. Today's tip: control those actions instead of trying to predict every threat. Learn more from ThreatLocker at threatlocker.com/ciso.  

Deep Fakes, Molten Salt, PLCS, Checkpoint, Hugging Face, CENTOS, Josh Marpet, and More on the Security Weekly News. Visit https://www.securityweekly.com/swn for all the latest episodes! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/swn-602

Deep Fakes, Molten Salt, PLCS, Checkpoint, Hugging Face, CENTOS, Josh Marpet, and More on the Security Weekly News. Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/swn-602

Deep Fakes, Molten Salt, PLCS, Checkpoint, Hugging Face, CENTOS, Josh Marpet, and More on the Security Weekly News. Visit https://www.securityweekly.com/swn for all the latest episodes! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/swn-602

Deep Fakes, Molten Salt, PLCS, Checkpoint, Hugging Face, CENTOS, Josh Marpet, and More on the Security Weekly News. Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/swn-602

Send us Fan MailMark Mills started buying and selling at school — literally, with bags of broken biscuits from the biscuit factory where his aunt worked. Three decades and five businesses later, after a £20,000 debt from the failed pay phone venture that took years to clear, and a publishing business he sold for £1, he built Cardpoint into a £100M-a-year cash machine business turning over £2M a week. He now takes other founders through the 40-step process he ended up writing after selling his own company disastrously badly on the first attempt.In this episode:The broken-biscuits business at school that started it all, and why he thinks the best entrepreneurs are always capable salespeopleThe pay phones business in the early '90s that made money on hardware but nothing on calls, and the recession that wiped it outThe £20,000 debt he decided to pay off personally rather than take anyone down with himThe mobile phone moment: sitting around a table laughing at the idea that "someone would want one for his wife" — and the revolution they completely missedThe publishing business that got so broad it had no audience, and the £1 exit that followedThe 1999 trip to New York with his brother "because all the good ideas come from the States"The five business model rules it took him three failed ventures to figure out: recurring income, location-independent, scalable, necessary rather than fashion, and of its timeCardpoint: 36,000 free ATMs already in the market, and the counter-intuitive decision to put paid ones in more convenient locations — corner shops, petrol stations, tourist spotsThe maths behind £1.50 charges adding up to £100M in revenue, and why the business ended up needing a lot of accountantsWhy he ran Cardpoint with an exit in mind from day one, and how that discipline shaped every small day-to-day decisionThe disastrous first attempt to sell it — running buyer meetings while trying to do his day job — and the Christmas Day conversation with his wife that reset everythingThe six-month "I'm not for sale" period he used to prepare properly, and why saying no created more interest not lessThe 40-step exit process he now takes founders through, from tidying up leases and share structures to sharpening the sales pipelineThe four kinds of buyer he thinks about: PLCs, PE-backed roll-ups, private equity taking a hybrid stake, and pure trade sales — and the Minicam deal that used two of themWhy buyer due diligence matters as much as the other way round, and the founders who took less money because they preferred one buyer's team to another'sThe anticlimactic feeling after selling — the founder who ate beans on toast and cried the night the deal closed, and Mark's advice to do nothing for 12 months afterwardsMarking the occasion: daft cars, one burnt orange McLaren, and a pair of cufflinks Mark still wears years laterThe five "disinheritance events" his kids can recite, and why they occasionally try to talk each other into breaking the rulesHis definition of true wealth: not the money, but the choices — and why he'd rather be rich than famousA conversation about ruthlessly interrogating your own business model, the discipline of running every day as if the exit is coming, and why the moment after the wire transfer clears is often quieter than anyone expects.Mark's Website: https://www.mark.co.ukBook “Making Your Mark” - https://amzn.eu/d/04iC0CF7This podcast is produced by TribunistaSponsored by Capital Partners

Send us Fan MailWhat if the pushback you're getting from teachers isn't about the initiative at all, but about a hidden cultural mismatch in how your school defines belonging?In this episode of Coaching the Whole Educator, Becca Silver sits down with Dr. Sheldon Eakins, author of Meaningful Classroom Management, What Are You Bringing to the Potluck?, and Leading Equity, to explore a dimension of belonging that rarely gets airtime in school leadership conversations: individualism versus collectivism.Dr. Eakins explains why American schools are built around individualist norms (GPAs, valedictorians, teacher of the month, "stay in your classroom") while many students and staff come from collectivist backgrounds where success is defined by "we," not "me." When leaders don't recognize this mismatch, the result looks like resistance, disengagement, and retention problems.In this episode, you'll learn:How individualism vs. collectivism shows up in staff meetings, PLCs, and professional development, and why "sit and get" works for some educators and alienates othersDr. Eakins' LENS framework for leaders: Look for biases, Examine communication, Notice group dynamics, Shift perspectiveHow to separate facts from interpretations when you catch yourself labeling a colleague "rude" or "disengaged"Why introversion and extroversion are NOT the same as individualism and collectivismPractical ways to design staff culture that balances individual recognition with collective connectionThis conversation is essential listening for instructional coaches, principals, and district leaders working on teacher retention, staff culture, psychological safety, and buy-in for change initiatives.Grab your copy of

After several weeks away from the podcast, Dave Griffith and Vladimir Romanov return to Manufacturing Hub to unpack their experiences at Automate 2026 and discuss what the event revealed about the current state of industrial automation.Automate showcased an enormous range of robotics, industrial AI, machine vision, software, cloud connectivity, and emerging automation technology. However, some of the most revealing conversations were not about futuristic factories. They were about PLC 5 migrations, aging SLC systems, obsolete PanelView terminals, industrial networks, basic data collection, and how platforms such as Ignition actually connect to plant floor equipment.Vlad shares what he learned from demonstrating a complete packaging line environment built around a CompactLogix PLC, an industrial computer, Ignition, and production performance data. The demonstration was designed to show how manufacturers can use OEE, downtime information, and machine states to identify production bottlenecks and determine where capital investment could deliver the greatest return. Instead, many attendees wanted to understand the underlying architecture, where Ignition runs, how it connects to PLCs, what protocols are required, and whether it can replace traditional HMI and SCADA platforms.Dave discusses his experience inside the Ignition ecosystem booth, the FactoryStack cloud demonstration, the advantages of MQTT in a difficult trade show network environment, and his Automate panel on software defined automation and the factory of the future. He also introduces Elephant, an industrial log analysis and contextualization tool being developed to help users identify meaningful patterns across Ignition gateways, reduce system noise, compare facilities, and diagnose intermittent problems.The conversation then moves across the industrial automation stack. Dave and Vlad examine virtual PLCs from Siemens, Phoenix Contact, and other vendors, including where software based control may provide value and where it may add unnecessary organizational complexity. They discuss AI generated PLC code, the limitations of translating functional specifications into reliable control applications, and why tools that produce 80 or 90 percent of an automation solution still require experienced engineers to validate the final result.They also explore AI assisted HMI and SCADA development, Ignition 8.3, MCP servers, high performance HMI design, and the risks of providing AI agents with uncontrolled access to production systems. At the MES layer, they question whether manufacturers should build custom applications through vibe coding or focus instead on creating clean, contextualized, well governed data that can support many future applications.The central conclusion is that AI tools, virtual controllers, cloud platforms, and dynamically generated applications will continue to improve. However, manufacturers still need reliable controls, secure networks, maintainable architectures, experienced people, and ownership of their operational data. The companies that establish those foundations today will have the greatest freedom to adopt whatever technologies emerge next.Dave and Vlad also preview the 2026 Ignition Community Conference in Sacramento, upcoming Manufacturing Hub conversations, new demonstrations, and several projects the community will see throughout the remainder of the year.Join us for a detailed and candid discussion about Automate 2026, Ignition, industrial AI, virtual PLCs, HMI and SCADA development, MES, MQTT, data architecture, and what manufacturers should prioritize next.

“Manufacturing is still the place where you can start out sweeping the floor and end up running the company” is a bold claim, so we brought on someone who has lived the full arc. I'm joined by Matt Kirkner from the Tech Ed Podcast to unpack how advanced manufacturing, industrial automation, and technical education can still deliver real upward mobility and why the American dream is less about nostalgia and more about building better opportunities for the next generation. We get practical about what has to change inside manufacturing companies to make that promise believable: clean and modern plants, serious attention to safety, and a culture that treats people as long-term investments rather than quarterly expenses. Matt shares why layoffs for convenience poison trust, how “destination employer” thinking improves workforce retention, and the non-obvious reasons employees stay: they like their coworkers, feel respected and heard, have freedom from micromanagement, and believe in a mission that goes beyond profit. On the education and workforce development side, we dig into the real gap between what industry needs and what students learn, including why exposure must start early, especially for girls who often self-select out of STEM by middle school. We also talk Industry 4.0 and digital transformation in plain terms, from smart sensors at the edge to PLCs and HMIs, OT cybersecurity, and how applied AI is showing up in robotics, drones, and modern manufacturing systems. If you care about building a stronger manufacturing workforce or you're carving out your own path in automation, listen, share this with a friend in the field, and leave a review so more people can find the show.__________________________________________________________________

If you've ever wondered what to actually do during small group time in math, this episode will give you a clear and practical way to support students without lowering expectations.We built a simple Math Coherence Compass to help district and school leaders make aligned decisions around math—without adding another initiative. Get your free copy and training here https://makemathmoments.com/coherence-compass/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 Yvette's Summer Task List.Many school systems want better mathematics outcomes, but few struggle because of a lack of effort. More often, the challenge is figuring out how to create meaningful change at scale—without overwhelming teachers, coaches, and leaders along the way.After a year of working alongside a large multi-level school system, several important lessons emerged. Sustainable improvement requires more than strong professional development sessions or clear messaging. It requires intentional systems for support, clear priorities, strategic use of coaching resources, and a realistic understanding of how change spreads through an organization. The work isn't about reaching everyone with the same level of support. It's about creating coherence through Tier 1 structures while strategically investing Tier 2 support where it can create the greatest long-term impact. Perhaps most importantly, it means designing for the reality that people constantly move through the system—what works today must continue working even as staff, leaders, and teams change over time. In this episode, you'll explore:Why professional learning should be designed through Tier 1 and Tier 2 support structuresHow to identify high-leverage groups for intensive coaching and supportThe importance of "facilitating the facilitators" in large systemsWhy clarity around the "why" matters more than who sets the goalHow coaching, PLCs, and instructional leadership can create scalable changeThe role of bright spots, leverage points, and compounding growthWhy every improvement plan must account for the "Ferris wheel" reality of staff movementIf you're responsible for leading mathematics improvement in a school, district, or system, this episode will help you think more strategically about where to focus your energy, how to scale your impact, and how to build change that lasts beyond any one individual or initiative.Show Notes PageLove the show? Text us your big takeaway!Get a Customized Math Improvement Plan For Your District.Are you district leader for mathematics? Take the 12 minute assessment and you'll get a free, customized improvement plan to shape and grow the 6 parts of any strong mathematics program.Take the assessmentAre 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.

Hardware independence is what PC-based control promised back in the 1990s. You can run any software on any hardware you choose. In this episode of Control Intelligence, written by contributing editor Jeremy Pollard, editor in chief Mike Bacidore compares the uses of PLCs and industrial PCs.

Industrial Talk is onsite at Xcelerate 2026 and talking to Nisarg Shah, Maintenance/Planner Engineer at Martinrea International about "eMaint platform deployment". Overview Nisarg Shah, a maintenance planner at Martinrea, discussed his experiences with Fluke's eMaint software at the Xcelerate 2026 event. Initially, the challenge was getting employees to use tablets for data entry. Nisarg overcame this by daily encouragement and teaching. The next challenge was integrating eMaint with the existing email system to automate data collection. They now focus on pulling data directly from PLCs, including temperature readings and cycle counts. Nisarg highlighted the benefits of meter-based PM, which significantly reduced breakdowns. He also mentioned using acoustic imaging for leak detection, saving money on maintenance. Outline Fluke's Xcelerate Event Overview Scott introduces the Industrial Talk podcast, sponsored by Fluke, highlighting the Xcelerate event in Austin, Texas.The event featured high-energy keynotes, hands-on predictive maintenance tools, and breakthrough AI diagnostics.Xcelerate proved to be a launch pad for smarter, faster, and more reliable operations.Listeners are encouraged to visit fluke.com for more information. Introduction to Nisarg Shah and His Role Scott welcomes Nisarg Shah, a maintenance planner at Martinrea, a tier-one supplier to the automotive industry.Nisarg started with Martinrea as a student at the University of Windsor, where he worked on deploying eMaint at the facility.Nisarg has been with the company for four years, and the company has been in operation for about 30 years.The company specializes in stamping and welding, and Nisarg is responsible for implementing and managing eMaint. Challenges and Implementation of eMaint Nisarg faced challenges in getting employees to use tablets for data entry, as they were not tech-savvy.The initial challenge was convincing employees to enter data accurately, which was previously done via email.Nisarg addressed the issue by continuously teaching and pushing employees to enter data correctly.The company needed a better way to manage assets and prevent breakdowns, leading to the implementation of eMaint. Integration and Data Collection Nisarg discusses the next challenge of integrating eMaint with the existing email system to collect better data.The goal is to get direct data from the PLCs instead of manual data entry.The company is currently working on integrating temperature readings, cycle counts, and PM calendars.Plans include installing vibration sensors and thermocouples on a new 3000-ton press to collect more comprehensive data. Impact of AI and Advanced Technologies Nisarg is impressed by the AI version of eMaint , which can build on existing data to provide more accurate predictions.AI can help in quickly accessing manuals and specific pages, reducing the need to scour through lengthy documents.The company is also using acoustic imaging to detect leaks, saving money on maintenance.Nisarg highlights the benefits of using AI and advanced technologies to improve operational efficiency and reduce downtime. Benefits of Meter-Based PM Nisarg emphasizes the effectiveness of meter-based PM, which helps in predicting and preventing breakdowns.Meter-based PM allows for better data collection and analysis, leading to improved asset management.The company has seen significant improvements in reliability and reduced downtime by using meter-based PM.Nisarg recommends integrating all assets with eMaint to achieve even better results. Conclusion and Contact Information Nisarg shares his contact information, inviting listeners to connect with him on LinkedIn.Scott thanks Nisarg for sharing his experiences and insights on the podcast.The podcast wraps up with a reminder to visit fluke.com for more information on Fluke's solutions and services.Speaker 1 encourages listeners to tell their industrial stories and stay engaged with the Industrial Talk podcast. If interested in being on the Industrial Talk show, simply contact us and let's have a quick conversation. Finally, get your exclusive free access to the Industrial Academy and a series on “Why You Need To Podcast” for Greater Success in 2026. All links designed for keeping you current in this rapidly changing Industrial Market. Learn! Grow! Enjoy! NISARG SHAH'S CONTACT INFORMATION: Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nisarg-shah-475395128/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/martinreainternational/ Company Website: https://www.martinrea.com/ PODCAST VIDEO: https://youtu.be/pP6IU-m4eaA THE STRATEGIC REASON "WHY YOU NEED TO PODCAST": OTHER GREAT INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES: NEOM: https://www.neom.com/en-us Hexagon: https://hexagon.com/ Arduino: https://www.arduino.cc/ Fictiv: https://www.fictiv.com/ Hitachi Vantara: https://www.hitachivantara.com/en-us/home.html Industrial Marketing Solutions:  https://industrialtalk.com/industrial-marketing/ Industrial Academy: https://industrialtalk.com/industrial-academy/ Industrial Dojo: https://industrialtalk.com/industrial_dojo/ We the 15: https://www.wethe15.org/ YOUR INDUSTRIAL DIGITAL TOOLBOX: LifterLMS: Get One Month Free for $1 – https://lifterlms.com/ Active Campaign: Active Campaign Link Social Jukebox: https://www.socialjukebox.com/ Industrial Academy (One Month Free Access And One Free License For Future Industrial Leader): Business Beatitude the Book Do you desire a more joy-filled, deeply-enduring sense of accomplishment and success? Live your business the way you want to live with the BUSINESS BEATITUDES...The Bridge connecting sacrifice to success. YOU NEED THE BUSINESS BEATITUDES! TAP INTO YOUR INDUSTRIAL SOUL, RESERVE YOUR COPY NOW! BE BOLD. BE BRAVE. DARE GREATLY AND CHANGE THE WORLD. GET THE BUSINESS BEATITUDES! Reserve My Copy and My 25% Discount

Podcast: PrOTect It All (LS 27 · TOP 10% what is this?)Episode: OT Cybersecurity That Works: Defense in Depth, AI Risks & Protecting Critical InfrastructurePub date: 2026-06-29Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationWhen it comes to OT cybersecurity, the fundamentals still matter - even in the age of AI. In this episode of Protect It All, host Aaron Crow sits down with Caleb Davis for a practical discussion on securing industrial environments where uptime, safety, and resilience are non-negotiable. From legacy control systems and tight budgets to AI-powered threats and open-source security tools, Aaron and Caleb explore the real challenges organizations face every day - and the strategies that deliver meaningful protection without requiring massive investments. A major focus of the conversation is defense in depth: building multiple layers of protection, fostering trust between IT and OT teams, and strengthening foundational cybersecurity practices before chasing the latest technology. You'll learn: Why defense in depth remains the cornerstone of OT cybersecurity How to improve security in legacy industrial environments Practical ways to strengthen OT security - even with limited budgets Why asset inventory, segmentation, and basic cyber hygiene still matter most How AI is changing both offensive and defensive cybersecurity The importance of trust and collaboration between IT, engineering, and operations Whether you're responsible for manufacturing, utilities, water treatment, energy, or any critical infrastructure environment, this episode delivers practical strategies you can apply immediately. Tune in to learn how layered defenses, strong relationships, and proven fundamentals create resilient OT security programs - only on Protect It All. Key Moments:  05:41 PLCs and network security challenges 07:24 Challenges in Updating OT Systems 11:33 Impact of Downtime on Security 16:03 Using affordable cybersecurity tools 19:14 Building Trust in Business Deals 23:01 Security challenges in medical devices 25:49 Trust and IT implementation risks 28:35 Using AI for safer software updates 31:05 Cybersecurity best practices for plants 33:40 Balancing Security Costs and Business Needs 37:50 Nurturing OT like raising kids 41:20 AI and cybersecurity concerns About the guest : Caleb Davis is a founding member of SolaSec, a cybersecurity consulting firm specializing in advanced penetration testing for embedded and connected systems. Based in Dallas/Fort Worth, he holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Tyler and is a patent-holding expert with vast experience in hardware and firmware security. Caleb leads deep technical assessments across a range of high-impact industries, including medical devices, automotive, industrial control systems, ATMs and financial terminals, aerospace components, and consumer electronics. His work focuses on secure design, trusted boot processes, cryptographic implementations, and threat modeling, helping organizations integrate security throughout the development lifecycle and align with industry and regulatory standards. How to connect Celeb : SolaSec: https://solasec.io  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caleb-davis-400439100/  OTPCAP (OT PCAP analysis tool): https://github.com/SolaSec/otpcap Learn more about PrOTect IT All: Email: info@protectitall.co  Website: https://protectitallpod.com/ep112 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 | Operational Technology & Cybersecurity Host, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.

If you've ever wondered what to actually do during small group time in math, this episode will give you a clear and practical way to support students without lowering expectations.We built a simple Math Coherence Compass to help district and school leaders make aligned decisions around math—without adding another initiative. Get your free copy and training here https://makemathmoments.com/coherence-compass/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 Many schools want to improve math instruction, but few have a clear process for deciding what to focus on, how to measure progress, and how to align professional learning around a shared vision. Without that clarity, improvement efforts can quickly become fragmented and difficult to sustain.What does it actually look like to bring an entire math team together and build a plan for improvement from the ground up? In this episode, we unpack a real three-day process used with a middle and high school math department to co-create a vision for mathematics, identify priority areas for growth, define success criteria, and establish structures for ongoing professional learning. Rather than starting with programs or initiatives, the work began with a shared understanding of the student experience they wanted to create—and the specific shifts needed to move toward that vision. In this episode, you'll explore:What a Math Coherence Compass is and why it mattersHow to co-create a vision for ambitious mathematics teaching and learningWhy engaging in mathematics together is a critical part of professional learningHow to identify high-leverage instructional priorities for improvementWhat effective classroom look-fors can reveal about progressHow PLCs and collaborative structures can be redesigned to support instructional changeWhy coherence and shared language are essential for sustainable improvementIf you're planning for next school year and wondering how to align professional learning, coaching, PLCs, and classroom practice around a common goal, this episode offers a practical roadmap for building clarity, coherence, and momentum across your math team.Show Notes PageLove the show? Text us your big takeaway!Empower Your Students (and Teachers) Using A Professional Learning PlanThat Sparks Engagement, Fuels Deep Learning, and Ignites Action! Book a time to chat with our team to see how we can help you achieve your math goals! https://makemathmoments.com/plan/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.

AI can finally write back to the plant floor, but only if you can trust it. Chris Stevens and Annemarie Breu of Siemens explain how orchestration makes that safe.Industrial AI has reached a turning point. Manufacturers can already collect data, contextualize it, and surface insights, but the hardest step has always been turning insight into action on real control equipment. Chris Stevens and Annemarie Breu of Siemens explain how an orchestration layer finally closes that loop. Annemarie frames the tension clearly. Automation depends on determinism, while large language models are probabilistic by design, so the goal is to bring that discipline into AI and validate any suggestion before it changes a set point.Most executive conversations start with return on investment, and two forces are making the case easier to prove. The workforce shortage has stretched the expected payback window from 18 months toward 36 months, and when a line cannot run for lack of people every idle minute costs thousands of dollars. The other driver is overall equipment effectiveness, since most plants run near 70 percent OEE and even a fraction of a percent of gain can justify a project. Energy is a standout case too. A BorgWarner sustainability effort used a digital twin to flatten demand peaks and reportedly paid for itself in under six months, even as data center growth pushes electricity demand higher through 2040.On trust and safety, Annemarie borrows a principle from industrial safety. Just as fail safe IO modules rely on two channel evaluation, every AI suggestion is validated against a state machine, a workflow, or a physics based digital twin before the orchestration layer passes it to a controller. With virtual commissioning and soft PLCs a change can be tested virtually, approved by a human in the loop, and only then written to control, an approach PepsiCo and NVIDIA echoed at CES when they called the digital twin a must have. Making AI real, the pair argue, comes down to discipline, clear scope, acceptance criteria, and focused 90 day challenges, plus the change management and user experience that drive adoption. Their favorite quick win is preventive maintenance driven by machine data, which both BorgWarner and Maersk tied to millions in savings.About Chris StevensChris Stevens is President of US Automation at Siemens, where he leads a roughly one billion dollar business spanning software, services, and hardware. He brings more than 25 years across Siemens Digital Industries, starting in the field selling assembly and test equipment, moving into the software and digital twin world, and returning to automation to bring the hardware and software sides of the business together.About Annemarie BreuAnnemarie Breu is a senior technology leader at Siemens Digital Industries focused on automation software deployment and customer technology partnerships in the US. She began at Siemens about a decade ago as a systems engineer in the San Francisco Bay Area, working with consumer electronics manufacturers on virtual commissioning and digital twins. Her work today centers on bringing the determinism and reliability of automation into industrial AI.Timestamps0:00 Introduction and Automate 2026 preview2:50 Meet Chris Stevens and Annemarie Breu9:30 The first AI question is always ROI14:00 Workforce gaps and OEE drive the business case19:30 Energy management and the data center demand surge23:20 Data, sensors, and contextualization requirements28:00 Guardrails, hallucinations, and two channel validation32:40 The digital twin and the human in the loop37:40 How partners and integrators move up the stack45:30 What it takes to make AI real on the floor55:50 Preventive maintenance as a quick win59:40 Predictions, career advice, and book picksAbout 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/vladromanov/Want to go deeper? Vlad and the team at Joltek have covered related topics here:Edge Computing and the Value of AI in Manufacturing Data: https://www.joltek.com/blog/edge-computing-ai-value-manufacturing-dataIT and OT Architecture Integration: https://www.joltek.com/services/service-details-it-ot-architecture-integrationDave 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/Subscribe to Manufacturing Hub: https://www.manufacturinghub.liveLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/manufacturing-hub-networkYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ManufacturingHub

Keith Young, a co-author of, "The Teaching Strategy Handbook: 200+ Solutions for Common Classroom Challenges," explores the strategies from the book's Chapter 8, "Teacher Burnout and Stress." Keith shares the practices individual teachers can implement as well as the roles that teacher leaders, instructional coaches and administrators can play in support of teachers. The impact that effective PLCs can play is highlighted. Coaches can support teachers in exploring “circles of influence” as a way of focusing energy investment. Having options addressed throughout "The Teaching Strategy Handbook" support teacher wellbeing. Listen to Keith's earlier podcast, "Observing and Coaching Classroom Management" here.  Visit Keith's website and get in touch here.  Subscribe to the Steve Barkley Ponders Out Loud podcast on iTunes or visit BarkleyPD.com to find new episodes!

Podcast: Industrial Cybersecurity InsiderEpisode: Is Your IIoT Strategy Creating More Security Risks?Pub date: 2026-06-09Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationCraig and Dino address one of the most overlooked problems in OT security: the IIoT devices your security tools don't automatically detect.Most OT intrusion detection platforms do a reasonable job of identifying core control-layer assets such as PLCs, drives, and motor control centers. The problem is everything else. Laptops plugged into the network, third-party devices brought in by contractors, and a growing range of connected IIoT equipment often go completely undetected. Those are the gaps where risk accumulates.Craig and Dino explain why the belief that machines are air-gapped is a dangerous myth, how PLCs acting as gateways prevent intrusion detection platforms from seeing the devices behind them, and why an asset inventory is not the same as knowing your real risk and CVE exposure in multi-vendor environments.They reframe OT cybersecurity as a process-integrity problem and show how unmanaged network activity, third-party remote access, and even routine IT security scans can quietly degrade OEE and trigger unplanned downtime that costs millions.Using predictive-maintenance analogies such as thermal, harmonics, and vibration sensing, they make the case for treating digital anomalies the same way mature plants already treat mechanical ones.They close by examining why so many OT detection tools become shelfware, how to escape alert fatigue, and the two practical paths to real IT/OT convergence: building the right relationships with OEMs, system integrators, and AEC partners, and designing security-ready facilities from the ground up.It's a practical listen for CISOs, plant and engineering leaders, and OT/IT teams responsible for securing manufacturing and critical infrastructure.Chapters:(00:00:00) - Why No Industrial Asset Is Truly Air-Gapped(00:01:08) - IoT vs. IIoT: How OT Assets Get Classified(00:03:15) - The Control-Layer Blind Spot: Drives, Robots, and Motor Controls(00:05:25) - How PLC Gateways Hide Assets From Intrusion Detection(00:07:30) - Asset Inventory Isn't Risk: The CVE Gap in Multi-Vendor Plants(00:08:55) - When Cyber Blind Spots Become Costly Downtime(00:10:05) - Process Integrity: How Security Scans Disrupt Production(00:11:35) - Predictive Maintenance Meets Digital Anomaly Detection(00:17:45) - Avoiding OT Shelfware and Alert Fatigue(00:19:45) - IT/OT Convergence: Choosing a Partner and Building Secure-by-DesignLinks And Resources:Want 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.

Industrial network protocols decide whether a machine talks or stays silent. Chuck from Horner Automation breaks down how they win, fade, and converge.Chuck has spent 36 years at Horner Automation and lived through what the industry once called the fieldbus wars. Before Horner became known for its all in one controllers, it spent a decade building specialty IO modules for GE Fanuc during the era of DeviceNet, SDS, InterBus S, PROFIBUS, and CANopen. His core argument is that most of those early protocols were technically fine. The ones that became standards won on the commercial weight of the companies backing them, not on superior specifications, with EtherCAT a rare exception that succeeded largely on technical merit.Trust is the recurring theme. Industry adopts slowly, and for years Ethernet was dismissed as too unreliable and not deterministic enough for control until Ethernet/IP, PROFINET, and Modbus TCP proved themselves. Today the market has settled around a big four set of protocols, and Chuck does not expect it to narrow further. For high speed motion he points to EtherCAT and PROFINET IRT as the implementations he most respects, since both step away from standard Ethernet at the device level to reach submillisecond timing.The episode is also a reality check on building your own hardware. Chuck and Dave describe how custom development routinely costs teams hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, and how the real trap is obsolescence and maintenance rather than the first build. On the product side, the standout is FPD-Link, a serialization technology borrowed from automotive that carries video, touch, and power over one coaxial cable. Working with Safe Fleet, a maker of ambulances and fire trucks, Horner now mounts rugged displays up to seven meters from the PLC while still programming everything as one device.Looking ahead, Chuck argues that every PLC should now be treated as a data device first, because digitizing the process is the prerequisite for doing anything useful with AI. He also flags cybersecurity as the next burden for application engineers, with new mandates forcing both manufacturers and integrators to implement protections that were once optional. At Automate, Horner is showing HMI Connect and a 300 dollar CPU 151 that packs 18 IO points, wireless connectivity, and edge capability into a micro PLC.About Chuck and Horner AutomationChuck is a technical brand ambassador at Horner Automation, where he has spent 36 years across applications, product management, and education. An electrical engineer who started in the automotive industry, he now produces in depth tutorials on industrial protocols for the Horner APG YouTube channel. Horner Automation is a privately held controls manufacturer best known for its all in one PLC and HMI controllers, edge ready PLCs, and rugged hardware for industrial and mobile applications.Timestamps0:00 Introduction2:20 Chuck's Background and 36 Years at Horner Automation9:20 End User Engineer vs OEM Manufacturer Perspective13:20 New at Automate: HMI Connect and the CPU 151 Edge PLC21:30 The Fieldbus Wars and the History of Industrial Protocols24:20 What It Takes to Implement a Protocol Stack29:30 Why Protocols Win: Commercial Force vs Technical Merit32:40 Will Industrial Protocols Ever Converge?40:30 High Speed Motion: EtherCAT, PROFINET IRT, and Ethernet/IP44:40 FPD-Link: Rugged Remote HMI for Ambulances and Fire Trucks55:00 PLCs as Data Devices and the Push Toward AI1:02:40 Cybersecurity Mandates Coming for Application EngineersReferencesHorner Automation: https://www.hornerautomation.comAbout 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/vladromanov/Want to go deeper? Vlad and the team at Joltek have covered related topics here:Understanding Plant Networks: https://www.joltek.com/blog/understanding-plant-networks-how-industrial-connectivity-evolvedIndustrial Ethernet Reliability: https://www.joltek.com/blog/industrial-ethernet-reliabilityDave 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/Subscribe to Manufacturing Hub: https://www.manufacturinghub.liveLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/manufacturing-hub-networkYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ManufacturingHub

Everyone's talking about AI, humanoids, and the “factory of the future” but plenty of plants are still held together with undocumented panels, obsolete PLCs, and the same hard production constraints they've had for decades. Nikki sits down with Rylan Paishack from Cleveland Automation Systems to sort out what actually works when you're responsible for keeping equipment running and delivering automation projects that survive real life.We get into Rylan's path through manufacturing, Rockwell co-ops, OEM work, and system integration, then the leap into building his own automation business. Along the way we talk about why the integrator role forces nonstop learning, how good vendor relationships and honest communication save projects, and why a site assessment and full line walk can reveal the “missing truth” that never shows up in a scope document. If you've ever inherited a machine built in the 1950s, you'll recognize the problems instantly.Then we dig into the tension between shiny new tech and the basics: modern connectivity, new HMIs that still talk to PLC5 and SLC systems, and what has to happen before advanced tools can deliver value. We also talk about CodeSys adoption, subscription fatigue across industrial software, and where AI can genuinely help controls engineers with debugging and repeatable work without pretending it can replace human judgment on a production line.If this conversation helps you think more clearly about modernizing legacy equipment, choosing technology that will be supportable long-term, or building a healthier automation career path, subscribe to Automation Ladies, share the episode with a teammate, and leave a review so more people can find the show.Support the show__________________________________________________________________

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.

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.

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

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/

This week Shawn Tierney meets up with Chuck Ridgeway of Horner Automation to learn about their new Modular PLCs in this episode of #TheAutomationPodcast. For any links related to this episode, check out the “Show Notes” located below the video. Watch The Automation Podcast from The Automation Blog: Listen to The Automation Podcast from The Automation Blog: The Automation Podcast, Episode 269 Show Notes: Special thanks to Chuck Ridgeway of Horner Automation for coming on the show, and to Horner Automation for sponsoring this episode. To learn more about these products, please see the below links: Horner Automation’s YouTube Channel Horner Automation’s LinkedIn Horner Automation’s Modular Controllers Horner Automation’s OCS360 Cloud Service Horner Automation’s Academic Program Until next time, Peace ✌️ If you enjoyed this content, please give it a Like, and consider Sharing a link to it as that is the best way for us to grow our audience, which in turn allows us to produce more content

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...

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

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.

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

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