Teaching at Ladies Learning Code
I absolutely love to teach. Any chance I get I am gong to jump up on stage and do my thing. I had the honour of teaching my first Ladies Learning Code workshop on June 11 and it was amazing. The room was filled with learners who were nervous and excited to learn what the building blocks are for website making. The range of people in the room was amazing. We had folks of all ages, all skill levels and all work backgrounds in the room looking to learn more about technical literacy and code. The mission of Ladies Learning Code was laid out before my eyes and it was fantastic. We were actively introducing so many wonderful learners to new tech concepts and boosting digital literacy. We had designers in the room, HR professionals, nurses – the whole gamut of professions. The learners were chatting with one another, they were asking questions and they were making real websites! Many people come into these workshops knowing nothing and feeling very apprehensive and then leave knowing more than they thought they would while feeling encouraged. That is what it is all about. It is about fostering real community, encouraging learning and breaking down the barriers to learning.
When we start these workshops we always like to crack open the HTML for a real website on the web and show people what goes into a website. There is always a level of apprehension that follows but by the end of the day, people aren’t frightened or put off. They are curious and aware of what is going on under the hood. Talk about success! The tech industry is in rapid change and is developing an understanding diversity and equity. It is not just a brogrammer’s paradise anymore. More people of diverse backgrounds and gender expressions are filling rank and it is an honour to be participating in that shift as a leader. Being an instructor has allowed me to see where my knowledge gaps are and I am all in for addressing them. Being an instruction has allowed me to contribute to the very community that encouraged my start in code. Being an instructor has allowed me to foster my own community across my colleagues, across learners and across other businesses.
- Photos courtesy of #WOCinTech