Keynotes at DevLearn 2015

DevLearn 2015 features four exciting keynote speakers exploring the intersecting worlds of learning, technology, and innovation. Each of our keynote speakers will be providing their own unique perspective on this intersection, with their combined narrative providing ideas, strategies, and inspiration to bring innovation into your organization.

Curiosity, Discovery, and Learning

Adam Savage

Host, MythBusters & Industrial Design/Special Effects Fabricator

Thursday, October 1, 8:30a

MythBusters’ Adam Savage is a passionate learner who is constantly finding new ways to examine both the known and the unknown. In this thought-provoking keynote, Mr. Savage will explore the need to ask questions in order to discover and find meaning, as well as the important roles questions, storytelling, and curiosity play in learning. He will offer thrilling examples of how simple curiosity can change not just how we look at learning, but also the way we think about the world.

Learning Without Boundaries

Natalie Panek

Mission Systems Engineer, MDA Robotics and Automation

Friday, October 2, 11:15a

Learning is an opportunity to demand the most of yourself: To commit to a goal and develop intellectual fortitude. Natalie Panek is passionate about lifelong learning through experiences removed from your comfort zones. As learning professionals, we have the challenge of igniting this passion in others. In this inspiring session, Ms. Panek explores how the ongoing pursuit of knowledge should take place throughout life and across an array of experiences. You will leave this session able to encourage yourself and others to be drawn to the rewards of challenge and learning, because the incentive is the fulfilment of our dreams, and our dreams are what will transform the world.

Learning Disrupted: The Unrecognizable New World of Tech and Culture

David Pogue

Founder & Columnist, Yahoo! Tech and Host, NOVA ScienceNow

Wednesday, September 30, 8:30a

Wearable tech, the cloud, drones, the quantified self, the Internet of Things, self-driving cars, augmented reality: The tech of our world is changing faster and faster. But the fascinating part is the effect it’s having on the society and culture we once knew. What will life be like when printed newspapers and printed books are niche relics? And how will all of these changes affect the way we learn? In this funny, fast-paced snapshot of the new world, Yahoo Tech columnist David Pogue will bring you up to date—and help you consider what we’ll gain, what we’ll lose, and how learning will shift into something we’ve never seen before.

Digital Badges and the Future of Learning

Connie Yowell

Director of Education, MacArthur Foundation

Wednesday, September 30, 4:15p

Education and training have traditionally been measured in limited ways; course completions and test scores are routinely used as the context through which we describe learning as having taken place. Digital badges provide a more in-depth method for students and workers to demonstrate their knowledge and skills and give employers a new way to assess critical skills such as creativity, communication, teamwork, and adaptability. In this thought-provoking session, Connie Yowell will examine the current state of badges in education and training, exploring what’s working and what opportunities still need to be explored. You will leave this session inspired to reexamine the ways your organization measures and credentializes learning and competency.