CNCF-hosted Co-located Events North America 2024

Much of academia is new to cloud-native computing and tooling, and many professors of cloud-native computing are building curriculum from scratch. Additionally, our diverse students have greatly varying levels of technological and academic experiences. In this talk, we’ll explore how educators can create curricula that serve diverse student cohorts while building the deep, technical skill sets required to thrive in a cloud-native world. You’ll hear from an instructor who revamped a graduate-level course on cloud computing at UArizona. We’ll discuss how the class is structured, how we've advocated in industry to make this course financially feasible, and how cloud-native computing coursework can be a differentiator for students, Universities, and the larger community. Talk attendees will leave with sample course assignments, suggestions for supplemental learning materials, and ideas for supporting students from many backgrounds while they engage in the vast world of cloud computing.

In an era where Cloud Native skills are in high demand, traditional learning methods often fall short. This session explores the transformative power of AI-assisted hands-on learning in revolutionizing Cloud Native education. We'll delve into how interactive labs have enabled us at KodeKloud to effectively teach millions of students, equipping them with practical skills in Kubernetes, Docker, Ansible, and more. Discover how AI-driven interactive platforms are shaping the future of education by providing personalized, immersive, and scalable learning experiences. Join us to uncover best practices and innovative techniques that can elevate your approach to Cloud Native training, ensuring your learners are prepared for tomorrow's challenges.

They say the best way to learn is by teaching. Back in college, I was the go-to guy for my friends, breaking down complex concepts that helped them ace their exams. Little did I know that those late-night dorm sessions were preparing me for a future course author. Fast-forward to 2024, I co-authored the Mastering Kubernetes Security with Kyverno course for The Linux Foundation. It was my first time creating a cloud native course for students and professionals. In this talk, I’ll share my experience of grappling with my knowledge gaps and shed light on the process of building a course. I’ll also focus on things that I missed and learned along the way—spending countless hours building real-world hands-on examples and refining the text so that everyone can understand it. Join me in this talk to learn how to build a course, strategies for content creation, how to manage imposter syndrome, and how to deliver a great learning experience from a first-time course creator.

Everywhere we go, we hear layoffs, layoffs, and layoffs! Companies are looking to hire, but many students and professionals are struggling to find new jobs. So, where is the gap? The problem lies in a lack of industrial-demanded skills in the industry. We have been actively involved in the CNCF ecosystem for some years now, and it has helped us get connected worldwide and build a strong network. Sharing our knowledge with study groups, cloud-native, and AI community groups, we have also conducted webinars and online meetups to help people develop their skills. Join us in discovering the strategies for integrating CNCF projects into academic curricula, providing students with real-world experience and bridging the gap between academia and industry with us. This talk will explore the significant potential of engaging university students in open-source projects within the CNCF, offering fresh perspectives on collaboration and skill development outside of traditional Internship programs.

Training is increasingly important to tech workers (as shown in the 2023 State of Tech Talent Report). Still, many employees, especially those starting, struggle due to a lack of necessary resources and difficulty finding a mentor. In addition to the time dedicated to their continued education, tech workers need community. They can find immense value in looking outside of their organization and joining a professional learning community. We aim to provide that evidence in this talk and stories from the community. In this talk, we will identify the top five elements of success for those who have joined a professional learning community and provide anecdotal evidence of successful outcomes. These topics include support and mentorship, interactivity of learning resources, learning relative to the job market, focusing on real-world projects and current industry challenges rather than outdated skills, and validating through certification.

One of the keys to a healthy open source project is a thriving contributor base. Many students are interested in contributing and are motivated to learn about cloud technologies. However, the initial learning curve can be steep, especially for individuals with limited work experience. So how can we help students become long-term, high impact contributors? In this panel, educators and mentors from Valencia College, OCAD University, University of Toronto and Red Hat will share their student engagement strategies. These include: having open source contributions built-in to course projects, pairing students with mentors, creating an open source student club and holding weekly beginner-friendly meetings where students can work on tasks. Through sharing our experiences, we hope to inspire more mutually beneficial partnerships between CNCF projects looking to grow their contributor base and learning institutions looking to provide more hands-on training opportunities for students!