How ITS responds to Emergencies

Guests
- Patrick Hume Dawson, IT Operations Managers
- Brian Andasol, ITST Supervisor
- Guiler, Nikolas, Director IT Infrastructure Projects
- David Kooper, Senior Director IT Customer Support

Host
- Youssef Elias, School Systems Manager, LA Unified

Welcome to the ITS4ED podcast.  Today, we will share
stories of resilience, community action, and positive change. 
We’re discussing something that’s touched the lives of
many people - we’re talking about the devastating wildfires
that have impacted our communities, especially local schools.
These wildfires have not only destroyed homes and
landscapes, but they've also disrupted the lives of students,
employees, and families.

But amidst this crisis, there have been incredible efforts
to support and rebuild. Today, we’re joined by members
of our ITS team who have been at the forefront of efforts
to help schools during this challenging time.

Women in IT Mentorship Program

Guests
- Rose Marchione, IT Solutions Tech, Los Angeles Unified
- Katherine Palmeri, IT Solutions Tech, Los Angeles Unified
- Yenny Warren, IT Solutions Tech, Los Angeles Unified
- Daniela Ojeda-Gomez, ITST1, Los Angeles Unified
- Carla Barrera-Ortiz, Director, Los Angeles Unified
- Mary Lu Camacho, Sr Admin, ITCS, Los Angeles Unified

Host
- Youssef Elias, School Systems Manager, LA Unified

Welcome to another episode of iTS4ED podcast. Today,
we're excited to explore a topic that's close to our hearts:
fostering a future where women thrive in IT leadership roles.
We'll discuss how we can create inclusive work environments
and empower women to reach their full potential through
a unique mentoring program. We'll delve into strategies
for lifelong learning, the power of strong networks, and
the importance of equal representation in leadership
positions.

Join us as we inspire the next generation of female
IT leaders and celebrate the incredible strides women
have made in Los Angeles Unified.

LAUSD's Virtual Academies

Guests
- LaTasha Buck, Virtual Academy Executive Director
- Jesus Angulo, Virtual Academy Administrator of Operations
- Marco Tolj, Business and Entrepreneurship Virtual Academy Principal
- Janet Lee-Ortiz, International Studies and World Languages Virtual Academy Teacher and 2024 LAUSD Teacher of the Year

Host
- Youssef Elias, School Systems Manager, LA Unified

Welcome to iTS4ED podcast.  Today we are diving into
the latest trends and innovations in online education.
Did you know that LAUSD has it's own virtual academies?
Have you ever wondered what it's like to learn from home?
Well, join us as we delve into the benefits, challenges,
and future of virtual education.

LMS - Your Digital Classroom

Guests
- School Systems Manager, Robert Rodriguez
- Information Systems Coordinator, John Kwan
- Principal, Sandra Proano-Montañez

Host
- Youssef Elias, School Systems Manager, LA Unified

Welcome to iTS4ED podcast. Today, we are "LMSing".
What's an LMS? It is the Learning Management System
(LMS), a digital platform, that serves as a centralized
workspace for teachers and students. It functions like
a virtual classroom, allowing teachers to post lessons,
assignments, and quizzes. The great thing about this
is that students can access materials, submit work,
and participate in discussions. The LMS has become
an essential tool for education in Los Angeles Unified,
providing a flexible, accessible, and engaging learning
experience for all users. Join us and learn about
"LMSing" in Los Angeles Unified.

Get Your Head In The Cloud

Guests
- Robert Pelayo, Senior Director, Applications
- Rich Meraz, Interim CISO
- Eddard Romero, Senior Administrator, Infrastructure

Host
- Youssef Elias, School Systems Manager, LA Unified

Welcome to the iTS4ED podcast. Today, we're diving deep
into the world of cloud computing. We'll define what cloud
computing is, explore the latest trends, discuss real-world
use cases, and interview ITS experts to uncover the potential
and challenges of this technology. So, grab your wireless
Bluetooth headphones, or crank up the volume on your car
radio and join us as we unravel the mysteries of the "cloud".

Esports Champions

Guests
- Gavin Ma, Franklin HS, Esports Coach
- Edwin Guama, Hamilton HS, Esports Coach
- Bryant Cooper, Chatsworth Charter HS, Esports Coach

Host
- Youssef Elias, School Systems Manager, LA Unified

Co-Host
- James Hicks, ITS Esports Lead, Los Angeles Unified

Welcome to iTS4ED podcast, in this session we will speak
with 3 amazing coaches representing LAUSD Esports
Programs around the district. We will learn about what
eSports is and how they got started with their programs.
These esports coaches will share their highlights and
challenges with student participation, competitions and
potential careers and college scholarships.

”Principals” of Technology

Guests
- Heather Karuza, Ph.D., Principal, Narbonne HS
- Sarah Gilman, Principal, Garvanza ES

Host
- Youssef Elias, School Systems Manager, LA Unified

Welcome to ITS4ED podcast, today's podcast is titled,
"Principals" of Technology: A Podcast for Innovative
Educators; How school leaders can inspire and implement
technology-driven change in their schools. This podcast
features interviews with principals who are bold leaders
of technology and on the forefront of introducing new
technologies with their staff. We aim to share the stories,
challenges, and best practices of these visionary educators
who are transforming their schools with technology. Listen
as they provide practical tips and resources for principals
who want to learn from their peers and become more
effective and confident in leading technology initiatives.

Adult School and ITS Collaboration

Guests
- Matthew Oberlander, Director, Equity and Instruction, Division of Adult and Career Education (DACE)
- Farzana Cassim, Instructional Technology Teacher Advisor, Evans Adult School, DACE
- Richard Meraz, Deputy Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Los Angeles Unified
- Stephen Mercado, Deputy Director, IT Infrastructure Project Manager, Communications Systems Installation Branch (CSIB)

Host
- Youssef Elias, School Systems Manager, LA Unified

Welcome to ITS4ED podcast. Today we will explore
the landscape of Adult learning in Los Angeles Unified.
Technology is transforming the way adults learn, offering
new tools, resources, and opportunities that were
unimaginable just a decade ago. We'll explore Adult
Education and find out about the programs that are offered.
We’ll focus in on Evans Adult School where innovative
technology is offered to adult learners. Lastly, we’ll talk
to members of the Information Technology Services team
who will share information about a new, collaborative,
teaching and learning program with Adult Education that
will lead to potential technology jobs in Los Angeles Unified.

Women Leaders in IT (Part 2)

Guests
- Jaqueline Sanderlin, Leadership Executive Manager, Apple
- Homaira Kaufman, National Account Manager for SLED and the President of Belkin’s Women’s Network Group
- Mary Lu Camacho, Senior Administrator, IT Customer Service, Los Angeles Unified

Host
- Youssef Elias, School Systems Manager, LA Unified

Welcome to ITS4ED podcast, today we return to
record session 2 on celebrating women leaders in IT.
In this session we will continue with our conversations
with Dr. Jacqueline Sanderlin, Homaira Kaufman, 
and Mary Lu Camacho. These are three amazing
Women Leaders in IT who will share more of their
journeys, challenges, and triumphs in the tech world.
Join us as we embark on these empowering conversations.

Women Leaders in IT (Part 1)

Guests
- Jaqueline Sanderlin, Leadership Executive Manager, Apple
- Homaira Kaufman, National Account Manager for SLED and the President of Belkin’s Women’s Network Group
- Mary Lu Camacho, Senior Administrator, IT Customer Service, Los Angeles Unified

Host
- Youssef Elias, School Systems Manager, LA Unified

Welcome to ITS4ED podcast, today we celebrate
women leaders in IT and explore their journeys,
challenges, and triumphs in the tech world. As you
all know LA Unified's IT department is a massive
enterprise with over 800 employees and we have our
own software development shop, maintain our own
data center, and have a device repair shop. Even with
all of this, we still rely on valuable partners to deliver
software and tools that our schools and stakeholders
depend on. Today we will be interviewing a couple of
our women partners who are making a real impact in
the tech world as well as our very own first women
Senior Administrator in IT.

Things You Didn’t Know About ITS

Guest Speakers
- Tom Castillo, IT Infra Project/Program Manager, ITS-Infrastructure
- Gary Mossman, Network Systems Engineer, ITS-Infrastructure

Narrator
- Youssef Elias, School Systems Manager, LA Unified

Welcome to the ITS4Ed Podcast! This session is titled
"Things You Didn't Know About ITS". Usually when we
think of IT we think of computers, software and maybe
things like Wi-Fi. But did you know that ITS is responsible
for many other technology related things? Today we'll be
interviewing various members of our ITS team who work
on projects for IP phones, radios, public announcement
systems, and network operations. Did you know that
when inclement weather strikes, a whole team of
IT professionals spring into action to ensure that all
our systems are up and running? Join us in this session
to find out more.

A Day in the Life of an IT Support Technician

Guest Speakers
- Brian Andasol, IT Support Technician Supervisor
- Bryan Joe, IT Support Technician
- Katherine Palmeri, IT Support Technician
- Jose Lucrecio Rivera, IT Support Technician

Narrator
- Youssef Elias, School Systems Manager, LA Unified

Welcome to this session of the ITS4Ed Podcast. Our host,
Youssef Elias, will be interviewing our ITS technicians,
from ITST to ITST Supervisor. Learn about what they do
day in and day out. Listen to each of their unique experiences
in ITS and understand what makes them focused and
dedicated to supporting students and staff in LA Unified.

Student Devices and the Device Renewal Program in LA Unified

Guest Speakers
- Jose Somoano, Senior IT Operations Manager, LA Unified
- Manny Montenegro, Senior IT Operations Manager, LA Unified
- Hugo Perez Garcia, IT Support Technician Supervisor, LA Unified

Narrator
- Youssef Elias, School Systems Manager, LA Unified

Welcome to this session of the ITS4Ed Podcast. Today,
we'll be discussing student devices in LAUSD and the
pilot Device Renewal Program. We have come a long
way in the district in terms of technology. Pre-pandemic
we had a handful of schools where every student had
a device, during the pandemic it was a necessity. To
ensure the continuity of teaching and learning, devices
in the hands of students were a must. In addition,
funding was provided for this effort which relieved schools
from purchasing them on their own. Now post pandemic,
we have seen the positive impacts that technology has
made for our teachers, students, and staff. We still have
a need to issue devices to students but not necessarily
the funding to do so. You will hear from our IT Customer
Support staff that have been working on managing the
student devices and working on a creative way to remedy
the funding gap through the Device Renewal Program.

Celebrating the ITS Employees of the Quarter

Guest Speakers
- Tony Nguyen, Technical Specialist
- Rosamaria Marchione, IT Support Technician

Narrator
- Youssef Elias, School Systems Manager, LA Unified

Welcome to ITS4Ed. In this podcast, we celebrate the
Information Technology Services (ITS) Employees of
the Quarter. The ITS Employee of the Quarter Recognition
Program provides an opportunity for all ITS employees
to be recognized for their outstanding contributions and
service to the students and employees of the Los Angeles
Unified School District. ITS is committed to recognizing
employee excellence and helping to build an encouraging
and positive work environment. Our first two ITS Employees
of the Quarter are Rose and Tony. You’ll hear from Tony,
a Technical Specialist, who shares his passion for his work
and Rose, an IT Support Technician, who shares her
“words to live by” when it comes to customer service.

Cybersecurity Awareness

Guest Speakers
- Joel Simangan – CISO, LA Unified
- Eddard Romero - Interim Senior Administrator, Infrastructure, LA Unified

Narrator
- Youssef Elias, School Systems Manager, LA Unified

Welcome to this session of the ITS4Ed Podcast on Cybersecurity
Awareness. October is Cybersecurity Awareness month. Since
2004, the President of the United States and Congress have
declared the month of October to be Cybersecurity Awareness
Month, a dedicated month for the public and private sectors to
work together to raise awareness about the importance of
cybersecurity. In 2023, the theme for Cyber Security Awareness
Month is “Step up your Cyber fitness.” This theme is all about
learning “the ability to identify, react and respond to online threats
by taking small and easy steps.”

This session is focused on things you can do to secure your
world from cyber threats and hacks. Learn the difference between
“phishing”, “vishing” and “smishing (SMS phishing)”. Additionally,
you will hear about careers in Cybersecurity from our very own
LA Unified experts, Joel Simangan, LAUSD’s first Chief Information
Security Officer and Eddard Romero, Interim Senior Administrator,
Infrastructure.

AI in the District (Part 2)

Guest Speaker
- Sophia Mendoza, Director, Instructional Technology Initiative

Narrator
- Youssef Elias, School Systems Manager, LA Unified

Welcome to the second session of the ITS4Ed Podcast on
Artificial Intelligence aka AI. Since AI is continuing to expand
and is having a major impact on education, we decided to
dig a little deeper into AI in LAUSD. We will continue our
conversation with Ms. Sophia Mendoza, Director of the
Information Technology Initiative (ITI). We will learn about
ITI's approach to developing thoughtful and appropriate
AI guidelines for the school community. In this session
we will share resources from the ITI website: lausd.org/iti.
This includes professional learning opportunities for educators,
computer science education, cybersecurity, digital citizenship
education, and more. Be ready to learn about the latest
updates on AI in LAUSD.

AI in the District

Guest Speaker
- Sophia Mendoza, Director, Instructional Technology Initiative

Narrator
- Youssef Elias, School Systems Manager, LA Unified

Welcome to this session of the ITS4Ed Podcast on Artificial
Intelligence aka AI. It's the hot topic in the news today and
it impacts many people. In fact, the current writers and actors
strike has "AI" as a score issue. AI is having a major impact
on education. Whether you are excited or concerned about AI,
we in the education industry have the responsibility to ensure
AI is approached thoughtfully and appropriately in our school
community. As a district, we need to understand the vision for
teaching and learning. So, whether you're a teacher, a student,
a parent, or simply someone curious about AI and the future
of education, this session is your gateway to the world where
AI meets academia.

eSports on the rise at LAUSD and beyond

Speakers
- COSA - Dr. Chiae Kitayama
- Principal - Anthony Yom - Berendo MS
- IT Liaison - James Hicks
- UC Irvine eSports Director - Mark Deppe

Narrator
- Youssef Elias, School Systems Manager, LA Unified

Welcome to this session of the ITS4Ed Podcast. Joining this session
are educators and pioneers who are revolutionizing classrooms,
campuses, and beyond with the incredible potential of eSports.

We'll explore how competitive gaming can foster critical thinking,
teamwork, problem-solving, and communication skills. From the
strategic decision-making in esports titles to the application of
STEM concepts in game development, we'll uncover the
educational opportunities that lie within this digital playground.
We'll also hear about how LAUSD schools are getting involved
in this movement.

So, whether you're a teacher, a student, a parent, or simply
someone curious about the future of education, this session
is your gateway to the world where esports meets academia.
Prepare to be inspired and amazed as we delve into the realm
where passion meets achievement.

How an idea becomes an app

Speakers
- Lieutenant Nina Buranasombati, LASPD
- Dr. Alfonso Webb, Senior Director of School Operations
- Ken Hong, Computer Applications Administrator

Narrator
- Youssef Elias, School Systems Manager, LA Unified

In this session, we will discuss “how an idea becomes an app”.

Los Angeles Unified uses a multitude of software applications,
some of which have been developed by our internal teams in
Information Technology Services and others have been
contracted out.

Today we will chat with guests who worked on creating and
coming up with ideas for a couple of safety apps such as
LASAR and Emergency Alert.

ITCS Technical Support
Pre and Post Pandemic

Speakers
- Jose Somoano, Senior IT Operations Manager
- Phillip Lucero, IT Business Efficiency Analyst
- James Hicks, IT Business Efficiency Analyst
- Steve Evans, IT West Supervisor

Narrator
- Youssef Elias, School Systems Manager

In this podcast, you will hear different perspectives from various
members of the IT Customer Support (ITCS) Unit.

IT Customer Support provides high-quality, professional, and
expeditious support and services to enable District schools and
offices to meet the District's goals, increasing student achievement
and operational efficiency.

IT Customer Support provides support for end users using technology
and devices connected to the technology infrastructure. They provide
on-site, day-to-day, proactive, and reactive local support to schools
and offices. This branch performs the following functions:

• Chat
• IT Helpdesk
• IT Remote Services
• Onsite technology support for schools
• Day-to-day maintenance of school site technology

Celebrating
LA Unified Women in IT

Speakers
- Linda Perez, Senior Technical Project Manager
- Le Shun Coleman, IT Support Technician II
- Amanda Young, School System Manager
- Diana Gutierrez, IT Project Manager

In honor of Women’s History Month annually celebrated in March, 
we are proud to present this podcast highlighting the LA Unified
Women in Information Technology.  You will hear stories about
how these four women are making an impact in IT fields. You will
learn how they started in the IT field and overcame challenges.
They will share advice and resources for young girls and other
women who may be interested in pursuing a career in IT.

Episode 3

This podcast takes an in-depth look at LA Unified’s
(the 2nd largest School District) CIO. Discussion topics include:

• How Soheil Katal got started in IT
• How the CIO successfully navigated the COVID pandemic
  while supporting instruction
• Challenges and successes during his career
• The current state of IT
• The future state of IT
• Advice to others interested in pursuing a career in information technology

Episode 2

This podcast focuses on what our school communities can do to
protect themselves from a cyber security attack. It covers topics such as:

• What can the public do to protect themselves
• Tips to help protect our information when using public Wi-Fi
• The 5 cyber security pitfalls to watch out for
• What LAUSD is doing to improve the instructional program as it
  relates to enhancing cyber security

Episode 1

The Cyber Security attack on LAUSD occurred over the Labor Day weekend in 2022 and caused some disruption to business systems, but schools were able to open on Tuesday following the Labor Day holiday as scheduled. This podcast explains:

• How the District was able to minimize disruption to the instructional environment
• The difference between a cyber breach, cyberattack, and ransomware
• What organizations are most vulnerable and what can organizations
  do to mitigate cyberattacks
• What is involved in a recovery operation