December 11, 2016 — Public libraries have become hubs for digital literacy training, but did you know that we also teach more advanced computer skills? The Queens Library Job & Business Academy has implemented a WordPress course aimed at turning library patrons with basic computer skills into WordPress power users. We cover everything from how a server stack works to setting up plugins, security, and content strategies. I’ll talk about what worked, what flopped and lessons for teaching public audiences about building websites.

December 11, 2016 — In this talk, I will deliver a detailed case study on how WordPress can be used to deliver online education courses and build highly engaged communities of students.

Most online courses achieve student completion rates of around 2% – 10% according to this MOOCS research study.

We have achieved 65% completion rates of our online courses by building incredibly engaging courses and a world class learning environment built on WordPress. The best part of this talk is that the online courses and community we have built are all for WordPress developers and freelancers so this is truly a WordPress showcase piece.

The online education market is worth over US$100BN and WordPress provides a great platform for all online educators to improve the quality of their courses and deliver better student outcomes.

The core technology covered will include WordPress, BuddyPress, bbPress, BadgeOS and the LearnDash Learning Management System. I will also talk about the psychology and strategy of delivering an online course to maximize student engagement and completion rates.’

December 11, 2016 — When opportunity knocks, it doesn’t always take the form you would expect. In August of 2016, I left a decade-long career as a professional chef to become the COO and part-owner of a digital agency. This talk is for would-be entrepreneurs, career changers, and just about anyone else that is thinking about taking a leap. It’s about preparing for the worst, expecting the best and trying to break free of the future we write for ourselves.

This talk is more than just a personal story. It’s a step-by-step guide through the transition of “employed,” to “self-employed,” and finally to “employer.” I’m not leaving anything out.

December 11, 2016 — At Montreal’s first WordCamp, only four women spoke throughout the two-day, two-track event. People noticed. It didn’t feel right. Something had to change. By 2016, we’d had two straight WordCamps with at least 50% women speakers. How did we get from there to here? I’ll look at some of the strategies we used to #changetheratio.

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December 11, 2016 — China is the largest community of Internet users in the world. However, a complex network of bureaucrats, paid trolls, and digital blockades known as the Great Firewall of China has made it difficult for those on the outside to reach the Middle Kingdom. With knowledge and stories from his experiences working with WordPress for many years in Shanghai, John will explain how WordPress gets censored in China and the considerations required for your site to reach the world’s second largest economy.

December 11, 2016 — How does a WordPress get made?
Here’s the short version.

In a quickly-paced session, attendees will learn the way a release works from beginning to end.

December 11, 2016 — When companies are in search of new developers, they look for people who fall into one of three categories: Front-End, Back-End, and Full-Stack. I feel that these categories can be limiting, and tend to be geared toward proficiency in specific programming languages. If we take a moment to consider how we think about how we use the labels we use in hiring , we may not only end up hiring more qualified people, I put forward that we might create teams more well-suited to build a wide variety of websites and applications. In this talk, I introduce a new way of thinking of the stack, and how we hire the people who build it.’

December 11, 2016 — We’re all trying to find that idea or spark that will turn a good project into a great project. Creativity plays a huge role in the outcome of our work. Harnessing the power of collaboration and open source, we can make great strides towards excellence. Not just for designers, this talk can be applicable to many different roles – even development. In this talk, Seasoned Creative Director Sara Cannon is going to share some secrets about creative methodology, collaboration, and the strong role that open source can play in our work.

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December 11, 2016 — The products we build as designers often have to reach a variety of audiences. Some of best collaborations have benefited from diverse perspectives and a unified effort. How do we create teams that value open participation by employees with different perspectives and personalities?

This talk will at empathy, intersectionality and other concepts as the relate to building and maintaining strong teams.

December 11, 2016 — Sometimes it seems like the world is full of experiences designed for robots not the humans that use them. Experiences that leave us frustrated, lost and disconnected. That are almost designed to bring out the worst human traits. Shouldn’t we really be focused on creating experiences that connect with users?

Experiences that move, that enable, that allow us to be the best humans we can be. In this talk I’ll look at the problem of design that isn’t created for humans and offer some insight into how we can begin to design for humans not robots.

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