Name: Dr. Sharon Jones
Business Name: the dot. Consulting
Location: Charoltte, USA
Establishment (Year): 2016
Category: Education
Profession/ Specialty: Education Consulting
Website: www.thedotconsulting.co
Social Media: Linkedin
Company Detail:
The dot. Consulting (Dottie Rose Consulting, LLC) opened its doors in 2016 after Dr. Sharon Jones spent years teaching in schools. She has a passion for all things education, which stems from a deep and long history of education in her family. Dr. Jones's great-grandparents (Clonnie and Velna Moore), her Papa’s parents, Dwight B. Moore, were the spearheads behind New Salem Elementary being built. In the 1920s, education in a rural community was not very common, but her great-grandparents understood the value and power of education.
As Dr. Jones developed her own career, she was often called back to her center and her family roots. Her grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, and extended family are hard workers and have provided an example of how she wants to live her life and purpose.
Dr. Jones found her calling in education and knew that her passion for computer science and the integration of all disciplines that make computer science and art came from her experience as a child to imagine and create. Being a teacher in a specific classroom limited her to only her students, and she wanted to make a bigger impact. She started Dottie Rose Consulting (the dot. Consulting) with the eagerness to impact so many more students. Through the consulting company, she is able to work alongside multiple teachers and help them grow the field of computer science, which impacts more and more students every day.
At the dot., they are dedicated to providing innovative solutions to Computer Science education and technology learning. From face-to-face training to blended training techniques, their technology consulting services deliver a distinct advantage for organizations looking to grow. They help organizations invest in the technology knowledge of individual employees to create an overall collective sharpness, savviness, and greater productivity, thus increasing the technological speed, understanding, and quality of the expertise in the organization.
Delivering the key strategies and tools for immediate implementation of short-term and future value. Their core work of integrating computer science thinking, concepts, and structure through coaching and strategy into the K12 system is creating true change in education. In addition, creating content and courses for technical learning that challenge and relate to learners is the heart of their business.
Unique Selling Proposition or Competitive Advantage:
Computer science drives innovation throughout the US economy, but it remains marginalized throughout K-12 education and industry. Ninety percent of parents would like for Computer Science to be taught in their child’s school, and only thirty-five percent of schools teach computer science. But 58% of current and future jobs are in the computer science, technology, or STEM field, and currently, only 10% of graduates are produced. And that is where the challenge lies and how they can make a difference. They provide a solution for both K12 education and industry through their innovative learning experiences.
Children are sponges and are able to absorb and learn quickly. Children who learn another language before age five use the same part of the brain to acquire that second language that they use to learn their native language. Younger learners are also uninhibited by the fear of making mistakes, which is sometimes an obstacle for older beginners. Hence why it is so much harder to pick up a language in high school or just start learning computer science in high school.
AND learning a programming language is like learning a foreign language because it is different, it is the language of the computer. Research shows that learning a second language boosts problem-solving, critical-thinking, and listening skills, in addition to improving memory, concentration, and the ability to multitask. Children proficient in other languages also show signs of enhanced creativity and mental flexibility. That is why their work to integrate computational thinking and process is so important for students to have exposure to work and learn a coding language and why they need to prepare teachers to be able to teach and implement with confidence.
Working with teachers and creating an out-of-the-box learning environment for them to take back to their classrooms converges with their work to create new learning experiences for adults understanding a new software or content. Their corporate training merges adult learning techniques with new innovation to allow participants to learn and be able to implement with fidelity.
Challenges Faced During the Journey:
When schools closed abruptly in March 2020, Dr. Jones stepped in, in full force, to help teachers and students transition to online learning. She held countless trainings and professional development sessions for many schools. Dr. Jones put the teachers and students' needs before her own and went above and beyond to make sure they knew everything they needed to know. Teachers and administrators have said on many accounts that she was an immeasurable asset to them when they had to transition so fast.
Dr. Jones made incredible strides to help parents fill in time for their children by providing pop-up camps through her Foundation, which she was able to put together in a matter of days, it was incredible!
As a leader of her company, she did everything possible to make sure revenue was still coming into both the dot. and The Dottie Rose Foundation. She came up with countless ideas and ways to continue to allow both entities to run and, honestly, flourish.
Advice for Women Entrepreneurs:
Empowerment begins with belief in oneself. To aspiring young women entrepreneurs, and those already forging their paths: Embrace your vision, navigate challenges with resilience, and let your passion illuminate the way. Your journey is a testament to the limitless potential within you.
