The founder and CEO of CodeWithSharen is using her platform to teach young ones how to produce technology instead of the overconsumption of it.
According to Black Business, Sharen Eddings is a computer programmer and a mother of three who is ahead of the game through her establishment of a coding lesson that’s specialized for the younger generation but certainly open for all.
“Coding doesn’t only teach you about technicality, but also a lot of other skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving,” said Eddings.
When the pandemic hit, Eddings acted quickly to turn her coding class into a virtual lesson. She developed her own software to give her students the engagement and attention that they needed, regardless of the digital format.
Students consist of children from grade six and up with the virtual class starting with an eight to ten-minute typing lesson, followed by an introductory video that walks them through not only the lessons but the class schedule as well.
As she was looking to provide her children with better healthcare and find herself a better career path, Eddings found coding. She used this motivation to lead her into a computer programming initiative at a local library which turned out to be love at first sight, or in this case,”first click.”
“I saw a lot of potential with the subject matter and decided to put what I learned into my resume,” said Eddings. “Two weeks later, I landed myself a job at a tech company, and it has changed my life ever since. I had better wages and opportunities and no longer saw the glass ceiling.”
She also explained her experience working as a computer programmer, which she says was nothing short of remarkable.
“Tech companies pay for their employees to think, they would even pay for you to continue your education,” she said, reports Black Business.
That passion for computer programming is what led her to build her coding program right at home with her own children first.
“I started small with just my son and his classmates four years ago,” said Eddings. “Then, I started to volunteer in different schools, which soon turned into an after-school program.”
Through this program, Eddings has taught children how to write, read, plus how to read and develop code.
“There was a lot of excitement for it! I started with fifteen students, which quickly became twenty-five as they kept on sneaking into my classroom,” she said. “At some point, I was trying to figure out how to multiply myself because the demand was becoming really high, and that’s when I came up with the virtual online lessons.”
CodeWithSharen not only teaches kids to code but how to expand their creativity. During the week she sets time aside for her students to apply their skills to something both tangible and fun.
“That time is called Free Fridays, students are encouraged to apply what they’ve learned during the week,” Eddings said. “I remember having a student who was able to recreate the user-interface of a bridal website by the end of an after-school program!”
“We want to teach children to become the producers of technology and not only consumers of technology,” Eddings said.
For more on Sharen Eddings and her virtual coding lessons, visit her site here.
