ATLE Convergence 2025: Full Schedule

Convergence wouldn’t happen without the support of volunteers!
We need 1 person in each breakout session to volunteer to be the moderator for the session.

Duties would include:

Arriving 5 minutes early to the session to greet the speaker and ensure tech needs are met. Contacting the Convergence team if any issues need to be resolved.
Introducing the speaker and session. (Biographies will be printed and provided.)
Moving portable microphone(s) between attendees for Q&A.
Recording an approximate number of attendees for the session and reporting to registration desk.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP NOW

8:45am MDT

Backdoors and Breaches: Incident Response with a Card Game Twist

Thursday July 24, 2025 8:45am - 9:30am MDT

Paskapoo 1

Dive into the world of incident response with "Backdoors and Breaches," an engaging card game designed to teach and enhance your cybersecurity skills. This session will explore real-world attack scenarios and response strategies through interactive gameplay. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro, join us to learn effective tactics for identifying and mitigating security threats while having fun. Plus, attend for a chance to win your own set of "Backdoors and Breaches" cards, courtesy of Black Hills Information Security. Audience participation is highly encouraged!

Speakers

Shawn Logan

Assistant Manager Information Services, St. Albert Public School Division

I have been in IT for 25 years, with the majority of my experience in Public Education. Over the past 23 years, I have dedicated myself to Public Education and spent 2 years in the private industry. Currently, I serve as the Assistant Manager for Information Services at St. Albert... Read More →

Dave Webster

Manager, Information Services, St. Albert Public Schools

Dave has been providing IT support in education for 33 years. As the Manager of Information Services at St. Albert Public Schools, he is responsible for the overall planning, organizing, and execution of all IT functions within the division.

Thursday July 24, 2025 8:45am - 9:30am MDT
Paskapoo 1

IT / Infrastructure

8:45am MDT

SIS Unconference

Thursday July 24, 2025 8:45am - 9:45am MDT

Legacy B

Do you work in SIS? Is there something you would love to discuss with others? This unconference style session will have you, the attendees, in control of the discussion topics. We look forward to generating some engaging discussion and sharing our best tips and tricks with each other.

Resources discussed are available here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dszDWp5dYSuPhCf4XHzop1I2O7Gh5aJc?usp=sharing

Speakers

Brian Wynder

Elk Island Catholic Separate Regional Division No. 41, Elk Island Catholic Separate Regional Division No. 41

Brian Wynder has been with Elk Island Catholic Schools as the data coordinator for over 12 years. He brings wide experience using PowerSchool, PASIPrep and other tools to manage student data and to build business processes using that data within school environments.

Thursday July 24, 2025 8:45am - 9:45am MDT
Legacy B

IT / Infrastructure, SIS

9:45am MDT

The four key steps to getting your cybersecurity program off the ground

Thursday July 24, 2025 9:45am - 10:30am MDT

Paskapoo 1

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, the challenges in cybersecurity are becoming increasingly complex and daunting. As threats grow more sophisticated, the need for robust security governance and leadership has never been more critical. Prepare yourself for an unparalleled security leadership session! Curtis Blais, the Shared CISO for Cybera, Alberta’s not-for-profit Research & Education Network facilitator, will draw from his extensive 35+ years of experience in IT and IT security to highlight the four essential areas you must focus on to make your cybersecurity program effective. Drawing insights from his upcoming book, Curtis will offer a practical, no-nonsense approach to formalizing your security program. No AI gimmicks, no flashy distractions, and no jargon — just straightforward, proven, real-world advice.

Speakers

Curtis Blais

CISO, Cybera

Curtis is a multi-discipline certified IT professional, cleared to Secret with over 30 years of experience in the IT industry. His career spans numerous disciplines in IT including application development; design, build and operations of inter-networking environments; design, construction/maintenance... Read More →

Thursday July 24, 2025 9:45am - 10:30am MDT
Paskapoo 1

IT / Infrastructure, Cybersecurity

11:15am MDT

Assignable Time Calculator

Thursday July 24, 2025 11:15am - 12:00pm MDT

Paskapoo 1

ATC - New plugin that allows you to create an Assignable Time Calculator for your teachers. This is created within Powerschool - SIS and would be done by your principals and managed through your HR. In the past, if you have used the excel spreadsheets, this will replace those spreadsheets.

Speakers

David Lorenson

Red Deer Public School District, Red Deer Public School District

David Lorenson - Red Deer Public School District - System Analyst

Thursday July 24, 2025 11:15am - 12:00pm MDT
Paskapoo 1

IT / Infrastructure, SIS

11:15am MDT

Teaching Computer Science with Virtual Machines

Thursday July 24, 2025 11:15am - 12:00pm MDT

Legacy C

Teaching computer science amidst stringent network security protocols can be quite stressful and challenging. However, the integration of Virtual Machines (VMs) has brought about a positive change, leading to contented computer science educators who can conduct practical labs without compromising our network’s security. In this session, we will explore both the challenges encountered and the solutions implemented.

Speakers

David Harmon

Senior Security Analyst, Lethbridge School division

I am an Senior Network Security Analysis with a broad range of expertise across several key areas, including Site and Corporate Network Security, Cloud Deployment, Database Administration, Software Development, Device Deployment (PC, Chromebook, Mobile), Server and System Administration... Read More →

Jesse Sadlowski

Director of Technology, Lethbridge School Division

As the Director of Technology Learning and Innovation, Mr. Sadlowski is responsible for the overall planning, organizing, and execution of all IT functions within the district. This includes overseeing all IT operations that help meet educational requirements as well as support and... Read More →

Thursday July 24, 2025 11:15am - 12:00pm MDT
Legacy C

IT / Infrastructure

12:40pm MDT

Powerschool - Student Header Modification (new UI)

Thursday July 24, 2025 12:40pm - 1:00pm MDT

Paskapoo 1

Powerschools new UI has a basic header within the student pages. We have created a new look. We would go over the new look and if you want the change, we can help add to your SIS

Speakers

David Lorenson

Red Deer Public School District, Red Deer Public School District

David Lorenson - Red Deer Public School District - System Analyst

Thursday July 24, 2025 12:40pm - 1:00pm MDT
Paskapoo 1

IT / Infrastructure, SIS

2:15pm MDT

Elasticsearch : turning data into stories

Thursday July 24, 2025 2:15pm - 3:00pm MDT

Paskapoo 1

Elasticsearch is the distributed search and analytics engine at the heart of the Elastic stack. Learn how Edmonton Public Schools has set up an elasticsearch cluster to index, search, create dashboards and alert on a variety of data types. We will show how to use the free features in elasticsearch in order to centralize logging and add insight into your network data.

Speakers

Kurt Isaacson

Edmonton Public Schools

Greg Salomons

Edmonton Public Schools

I work with the Networking and Cyber Security teams at Edmonton Public School to monitor and troubleshoot a wide variety of technical issues. As part of my role in EPSB, this includes building and maintaining the Division’s elasticsearch cluster. I have experience with a wide range... Read More →

Thursday July 24, 2025 2:15pm - 3:00pm MDT
Paskapoo 1

IT / Infrastructure

2:15pm MDT

Survive the next cyber attack: Resilience for cyber leaders.

Thursday July 24, 2025 2:15pm - 3:00pm MDT

Legacy A

Agenda:
Cyberattack Preparedness as the path to cyber-resilience
Case study of a ransomware attack
⁠Modus operandi of Threat Actors
Introduction to Breach Response
⁠How to prepare for a Breach
⁠Importance of playbooks
Q&A

Speakers

Arani Adhikari

Arani Adhikari is a seasoned cybersecurity and consulting professional with over a decade of experience in the banking and financial services industry globally. Arani has a proven track record of helping clients navigate complex cybersecurity challenges, including technical threat... Read More →

David Chernitzky

As CEO and co-founder of Armour Cybersecurity, David Chernitzky brings more than 25 years of experience and expertise in cybersecurity, complemented by his proficiency in cultivating high-performance teams.His career was notably shaped by his time as an officer in the Elite Technology... Read More →

Thursday July 24, 2025 2:15pm - 3:00pm MDT
Legacy A

IT / Infrastructure, Cybersecurity

3:15pm MDT

Syncing macOS Accounts with XCreds

Thursday July 24, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm MDT

Legacy B

We are interested in sharing some user login challenges on macOS devices that we have encountered with FileVault. We want to discuss our implementation of XCreds as a solution to synchronize FileVault with our On-Premises Active Directory effectively.

Speakers

Ryan Ziebart

School Support Analyst, Calgary Board of Education

Thursday July 24, 2025 3:15pm - 4:00pm MDT
Legacy B

IT / Infrastructure

8:45am MDT

Keep Dollars for the Classroom, Not Ransomware: Cybersecurity AI for K-12

Friday July 25, 2025 8:45am - 9:30am MDT

Paskapoo 4

Join us for a session on how Darktrace AI can protect K-12 schools from rising cyber threats while ensuring your budget stays focused on the classroom. With ransomware and cyber attacks on the rise, schools face increasing pressure to defend their digital environments. Darktrace’s AI-powered solutions provide real-time detection and response across your network, email, and endpoints, stopping attacks before they lead to costly disruptions.

Speakers

Mitch Bonaccorso

Enterprise Account Executive, Darktrace

Mitch Bonaccorso, an Enterprise Account Executive at Darktrace and an Ethical Hacker, leverages his experience in digital transformation with the Government of Canada and international governments to enhance cybersecurity for school boards, private companies, and public institutions... Read More →

Friday July 25, 2025 8:45am - 9:30am MDT
Paskapoo 4

IT / Infrastructure

8:45am MDT

SDWan the bandwidth solution?

Friday July 25, 2025 8:45am - 9:30am MDT

Paskapoo 1

Explore Black Gold School Division's journey in SDWAN as an alternative to supernet bandwidth increases. What is it? What advantages does it provide? What are some of the challenges? Does it work?

Speakers

Barry Sheelar

IT Manager, Blackgold School Division

IT Manager with Black Gold School Division, 29 years of experience in an Educational Technology environment.

Friday July 25, 2025 8:45am - 9:30am MDT
Paskapoo 1

IT / Infrastructure

9:45am MDT

Disrupting Sophisticated Cyber Attacks at Machine Speed

Friday July 25, 2025 9:45am - 10:30am MDT

Legacy C

In this presentation we will do a deep dive into Microsoft's security strategy and the technology needed to automate at machine speed. From malicious OAuth apps, to Adversary in the Middle, Business Email Compromise, Human Operated Ransomware, and more, come learn how to disrupt attacks at scale automatically. After this session you will have a better understanding of how to use Microsoft's security tools to better protect your organization.

Speakers

David Kozera

Friday July 25, 2025 9:45am - 10:30am MDT
Legacy C

IT / Infrastructure, Cybersecurity

9:45am MDT

Seamless Integration: PowerSchool and Alberta Provincial Reporting

Friday July 25, 2025 9:45am - 10:30am MDT

Paskapoo 1

Come learn about seamless integration between PowerSchool and Alberta Provincial Reporting.

Speakers

Jessica Wojnas

PowerSchool

Friday July 25, 2025 9:45am - 10:30am MDT
Paskapoo 1

IT / Infrastructure, SIS

9:45am MDT

IT Unconference

Friday July 25, 2025 9:45am - 12:00pm MDT

Legacy A

Are you involved in IT? Is there something you would love to discuss with others? This unconference style session will have you, the attendees, in control of the discussion topics. We look forward to generating some engaging discussion and sharing our best tips and tricks with each other.

Please note that this is a 2 hour session with a break at 10:30 AM.

Speakers

Bob Barrett

Board President, Alberta Technology Leaders in Education Association

Kylie Kissel

Director, Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools

Kylie is the current Director of Education Technology at Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools. Growing up in a family of educators, he never imagined that he would end up in the Alberta K-12 education system, but by good fortune, he accidentally became a teacher in 2009. Since then... Read More →

Friday July 25, 2025 9:45am - 12:00pm MDT
Legacy A

IT / Infrastructure

10:45am MDT

Accelerating Copilot deployments to empower your organization with AI

Friday July 25, 2025 10:45am - 11:30am MDT

Legacy C

This presentation will delve into the transformative potential of AI-driven Copilot deployments and how they can revolutionize your organizations day-to-day operations, impact classrooms scenarios, and more. In this session you will discover practical strategies for seamless integration, best practices for maximizing efficiency, and real-world examples of successful Copilot implementations.

Speakers

David Kozera

Friday July 25, 2025 10:45am - 11:30am MDT
Legacy C

IT / Infrastructure