QUICK LINKS

• 🔥 | Microsoft Ignite 2020 - free registration
• 💬 | Table Talk: Is it the end of traditional learning as you know it?
• 💬 | Table Talk: Why we're excited to be a developer right now
• 🌟 | Learning Zone: Cloud Skill Challenge to Certification
• 🎓 | MSIgnite Cloud Skills Challenge 2020: Free Certification Exam

Microsoft Ignite is this week!

If the header didn't already give it away, I am super excited because Microsoft Ignite 2020 kicks off this week!! It's a completely online, multi-day, multi-track virtual event - and it's free to attend. Just register here and then browse the session catalog and sign up for the sessions you want to attend!

With 800+ sessions, picking the ones you want to attend live is not easy. But they do have a backpack where you can save sessions and then get back later to find the recordings, slides and refreshed session resources.

So what do I recommend you do? I have three suggestions for you (and yes, I am absolutely playing favorites here!)

1: Watch The Keynotes

Look for the sessions labeled "Key Segment" - these are keynotes from product team and company leaders. Most of them will have replay options friendly to different time zones (Americas, EMEA, Asia) - and you can always save them to your backpack!

Here are the sessions I saved to mine:

• Building Digital Resilience - Satya Nadella Keynote
• Microsoft Power Platform: Fill the App Gap and Supercharge Organizational Agility - on no-code, low-code development
• Are we there yet? App Development in Azure with Scott Hanselman and Friends - all things Azure!
• Panos and Brad Unplugged—A Conversation About New Hybrid Workstyles with Windows and Microsoft 365 - all things Surface!

2: Join the Table Talks

The keynotes give you the big picture and let you figure out which tech sessions to attend. But the Table Talks are all about community conversations on topics of interest to all of us. And yes, each topic has three timezone-aligned sessions (with different moderators).

And I would be very remiss if I didn't point out my two favorite Table Talk sessions - yes, these would be ones I am moderating!

Table Talk 1: Is it the end of Traditional Learning as you know it?
Table Topic: Tech Community Chatroom on Learning

We talk about how we can continue to learn and stay current with the technology ecosystem in this fast-changing landscape. As someone who writes often about learning this is a topic that resonated deeply.

This was one of the earliest sessions to hit full capacity - so we expect great discussions. Save it to your backpack and participate on the chatroom above.

The second table talk discussion is on another topic that is close to my heart - app development!

Table Talk 2: Why we're excited to be a developer right now!?
Table Topic: Tech Community Chatroom on App Development

I am joining a stellar cast to talk about why now is a good time to be a developer!

If you've been following my series on Microsoft Surface Duo Development it should come as no surprise that I think this is an amazing time to be a mobile developer. And if you are not a coder - this is an amazing time to explore being part of a fusion team, looking at no-code and low-code solutions like Power Platform.

3: Take the Cloud Skills Challenge!

Speaking of learning and app development, there is no better time to skill up, or re-skill, than the present. The challenges of COVID have meant not only that more people are now switching to online learning to acquire skills, but that remote work options and local economic challenges might make it worthwhile to explore career pivots.

And MSIgnite has an entire Learning Zone with options to learn something new or advance your existing knowledge. This includes the Cloud Skills Challenge - complete one of the learning challenges to qualify for a free Microsoft Certification exam. You have till March 31, 2021 to redeem the offer - and there are a number of eligible certifications you can choose from.

Check out this page for the complete list of eligible certifications

If you take the Cloud Skills challenge, share your learnings right here on dev.to using the #cloudskills tag - and inspire others to follow your example!

And yes, you can even kickstart your challenge by exploring some collections from Satya's keynote!

See you soon!

The event is hours away and I can't wait to hear the keynotes - I'm all set for my Table Talks and I would definitely keep an eye out for some sketchnotes on the #MSIgnite tag!

QUICK LINKS

• 🔥 | Microsoft Ignite 2020 - free registration
• 💬 | Table Talk: Is it the end of traditional learning as you know it?
• 💬 | Table Talk: Why we're excited to be a developer right now
• 🌟 | Learning Zone: Cloud Skill Challenge to Certification
• 🎓 | MSIgnite Cloud Skills Challenge 2020: Free Certification Exam