This page was lovingly (begrudgingly?) created using HTML & CSS. The page is hosted as a static website hosted in an AWS S3 bucket. This page also uses AWS Route 53 for DNS hosting, and taps into AWS Cloudfront for distribution using Amazon's CDN. This allows us to add HTTPS encryption to the site with a free TLS certificate managed by AWS, all for about $1 a month. To DIY, check out these instructions.
Wesley L.
I love to create and fix things
East Tennessee
andy@edtechirl.com
Skills
Writing & Communication
Content Creation
Insatiable Curiosity
Documentation
Systems Administration
Curriculum Design and Training
Troubleshooting
Virtualization
Network Security
Project Management
Team Management
Work Experience
Director of Technology / ****** Schools
March 2017 - Current
IT Department management in a 1:1 school district with approximately 6,500 users, 10,000 endpoints, and 9,000 support tickets/year. Responsible for end-user support, budget and purchasing, policy development and implementation, training, professional development, Learning Management System, project management, new product implementation, asset management, and Computer Science curriculum development. Shared responsibility for systems administration and management of Office365, Single Sign On, VoIP, student information system, MDM for iPad and Windows devices, content filter, help desk ticket system, disaster recovery, and incident response. Experience creating and managing VMs.
Advisory Board, Cybernut.com
March 2024 - Current
Creating digital content for customer education, product design feedback and beta testing, and general product evangelist.
Technology Coordinator / ***** School
May 2014 - March 2017
Designing/leading professional development; maintaining approx. 950 laptops and 50-100 desktops, as well as peripherals (IWBs, projectors, etc.); evaluating and purchasing hardware and software to support teaching and learning; designing computer science curriculum for student-staffed help desk.
Teacher / ***** Schools
August 2004 - May 2015
Sharing a love of reading, writing, and life-long learning with students in grades 6-9
Degrees / Certifications
(ISC)2 Certifications
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP), Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)
CompTIA Certifications
Cloud+, CASP+, CySA+, Security+, Network+, Server+, Project+, A+
EC Council Certifications
Certified Incident Handler, Certified Encryption Specialist
Misc. Certifications
Microsoft SC-900, ITIL Foundation, CIW Web Security Specialist, Microsoft MTA (Database, Security, Mobility, Windows, Cloud), Fortinet NSE 1 & 2, Freshdesk Product Expert
M.S. Cybersecurity & Information Assurance
2024
B.S., Information Technology
2019
M.Ed., Curriculum and Instruction
2011
B.A., English
2004
Honors and Awards
ALCOA Foundation TeachEarth Costa Rica Fellowship Recipient
May 2021
Toyota International Teacher Program - Galapagos Fellowship Recipient
November 2008
***** School Teacher of the Year
2008-2009
Tennessee Lottery Educator of the Week
November 2008
Edwin R. Hunter Award for Excellence in Literature - Senior Thesis (Maryville College)
April 2004
Presentations
EdTechIRL.com
May 2022- Current
On-going blog and newsletter focused on K12 cybersecurity and infrastructure
Zero Breach Zone Podcast sponsored by Cybernut.com
Oct. 2024- Current
Bi-monthly podcast dedicated to K12 cybersecurity
Malicious Links, Student Hackers, and a Handful of Solutions: Real K-12 Cyber Attacks (Presenter)
Feb. 2025
National K-12 Cybersecurity Leadership Conference – Feb. 2025
Defend Your District from Cyber Threats: Lessons Learned from Phishing 30,000 Students and Staff (Co-Presenter)
Jan. 2025
TSecurED Schools: K-12 Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Conference
PowerSchool Got Hacked. Now What? (Panelist)
Jan. 2025
K12Six Webinar
Using Maester to Evaluate M365 Security Posture (Presenter)
Nov. 2024
TETA Lunch and Learn
Phishing & Cybersecurity Training for Faculty, Staff, and Students (Co-Presenter)
Oct. 2024
ctl: What’s New with Chromebook Cybersecurity webinar
Defend Your District from Cyber Threats: Lessons Learned from Phishing 30,000 Students and Staff (Co-Presenter)
Oct. 2024
RTM Fall CIO Conference
Modernizing and Strengthening K-12 Technology Infrastructure (Roundtable Chair)
Oct. 2024
RTM Fall CIO Congress
Safeguarding Our Schools: Addressing Cybersecurity Threats in K-12 (Co-Presenter)
Aug. 2024
Texas Education Association Cybersecurity Coordinator Forum
The Kids Are (Not) Alright: First-Hand Experience with K12 Cyber Attacks (Presenter)
April 2024
(ISC)2 Southern Connecticut Chapter Monthly Meeting
Tech Tool Blitz: 20+/- Tools to Help Manage Your Technical Infrastructure (Co-Presenter)
Sept. 2023, July 2024
Tennessee Education Technology Association (TETA) Summer Institute Greeneville Tech Blitz
Building and Maintaining an Effective Network Infrastructure System (Roundtable Chair)
June 2023
RTM K12 Leadership Symposium
Tech & Main Presents
Oct. 2022
The Teacher Turned Tech Protector vol. 2 (Guest)
Tech & Main Presents
April 2022
The Teacher Turned Tech Protector (Guest)
EdTech Magazine
February 2022
The Checklist: 5 Steps to Secure Student Data (Quote Attribution)
ManagedMethods Survey Finds Gaps in K-12 Cloud Security (Quote Attribution)
Security Magazine
January 2022
7 Ways K-12 Cybersecurity Leaders Can Secure School Data (Quote Attribution)
ManagedMethods Webinar
January 2022
Beyond the Content Filter: How to Identify & Close Your District's Cybersecurity and Safety Gaps in 2022 (Panelist)
The K-12 Tech Experience Podcast (Episode 10)
May 2021
Creating Policies and Automating Enforcement for Data Loss Prevention (Guest)
Tennessee Educational Technology Association Summer Institute
July 2021
Windows Speed Run: Taking a Win10 Computer from Empty Drive to Domain Joined in 11 minutes or Less (Presenter)
Responding to Cyber Incidents: A Handful of Tools (Presenter)
Securing the K-12 Cloud with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 Activity Monitoring (Presenter)
eSchool News Virtual Leadership event
October 2020
How to Protect District Data from Phishing, Malware, Ransomware, and More (Panelist)
Classlink SSO Webinar
May 2020
Remote Learning: One Portal Access and Strategies for Success (Panelist)
Tennessee Educational Technology Association Administrator's Academy
February 2020
Best Practices for Securing Your Personal and Professional Digital Life (Presenter)
Consortium for School Network (CoSN) Teaming for Transformation Focus Session
September 2016
Logistics of a Digital Conversion: Infrastructure, Software & Tools, Financial Planning & Purchasing (Co-Presenter)
Blackboard Innovative Teaching Series
June 2015
iReach: Incorporating Bb as a Cornerstone for Digital Conversion (Co-Presenter)
CoSN Teaming for Transformation Webinar
May 2020
*****'s Next Steps (Panelist)
Tennessee Educational Technology Conference
2016: 10 Low-Cost K12 STEM Activities You Can Start Tomorrow (Co-Presenter)
2015: Unifying Your Web Experience with Google Chrome (Presenter)
2014: Using Technology Tools & Performance-Based Assessments to Close Skill Gaps for CCR (Presenter)
2010: Self-Publishing for the Classroom (Presenter)
2010: Book Talks 101: An Introduction to Video Book Reports (Presenter)
2009: Using the Cloud to Combat Student Apathy (Presenter)
National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Conference
Nov. 2009
The Paradox of Paradise: Fostering Environmental Awareness in the English Classroom (Co-Presenter)
All-Taxa Biodiversity Inventory Conference
December 2007
Poster Presentation