“Believe in yourself, your talent, and your ambition.”- Dr Sharon Jones
A self-motivated, out-of-the-box thinker who brings real-life business problems to tech training and teaches applicable technological solutions to those problems, Dr Sharon Jones leads the dot. Consulting & Dottie Rose Foundation in the key position of CEO.
An award-winning, dedicated educator of computer science and technology for 17 years and throughout her career, she has created, implemented, and facilitated computer science workshops that apply the concepts of technology to everyday activities. She has found her passion in education and has served as a Career and Technical Education teacher in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools and Wake County Schools as well as a Sr. Technical Trainer with Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC). Besides, she is a well-known industry teacher, trainer, and mentor working for organizations with like-minded missions.
The Initiative & Exclusive Product Portfolio
At the dot. is 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 people invest in the technical knowledge of individual employees to create an overall collective sharpness, savviness, and greater productivity. Thus, increasing the technological speed and quality of the expertise in your organization. Delivering the key strategies and tools for immediate implementation of short-term and future value. They partner with companies and customize the plan. They offer three ways to work: strategic planning, professional development, and coaching. Their specialty resides in the development of the K12 technology/Career and Technical Education curriculum. Through their hands-on and real-life scenario approach, teachers will use critical thinking and technology skills to solve problems and gain insight.
thedot. Consulting offers three signature virtual or in-person Professional Development opportunities, or they have the ability to create customizable options, so one can choose what best fits his school’s current needs. Below are the three top professional development workshops.
Hello World: Big Concepts of Computer Science and Computational Thinking
Data Science Applied: Creating a Data Culture Through Application
Clients & Branding Strategies
The clientele consists of K-12 entities, including but not limited to Schools, Districts, and even K-12 programs outside of a school. Dr. Jones works directly with teachers, principals, and even the State to ensure they have what they need to integrate Computer Science standards into their curriculum.
Their branding strategy is one that gives educators a glimpse into opportunities to bring computer science into their classrooms. They provide engaging content through their social media, website, and their newsletter that allows teachers to see how easy it is to implement technology into their everyday curriculum.
Major impacts of Covid-19
“The major impact has been to move our work to a virtual platform. All of the in-person workshops were moved to online platforms. In addition, we created videos and content to be shared virtually and created opportunities for students & teachers to connect with community members through virtual talks, podcasting, and live video demonstrations and chats. As we continue to navigate the COVID 19 pandemic, we continue to do a blend of virtual and in-person work. As a technology education company, we have utilized online platforms to communicate and build content for many years as a way to expand our reach, however, the power of in-person can never be replaced. Therefore, the key to our continued success and impact will be with the blend of virtual and in-person” shared the leading lady when asked about the challenges and opportunities during the pandemic.
Challenges for Women Entrepreneurs & Advice to Overcome Them
There are many challenges but here are the top four according to Sharon Jones:
- Defying social expectations
- Accessing Funding
- Owning your accomplishments
- Coping with the fear of failure
Each of these challenges has its own hurdles but at the core, each challenge can be approached one step at a time. Own your strengths and be clear on what success means to you. Success is defined by you, not anyone else. Define your goals and take one step forward to achieve them each day.
From the CEO’s Desk
When I went to college, my sophomore year I was asked to create a PowerPoint for our project and I clearly remember turning to the person next to me and asking, what is PowerPoint?
And that is the pivotal moment that really changed my direction in technology. I taught myself PowerPoint and realized how much I enjoyed the learning. Fast forward a few years, and I go to East Carolina University to work on my master’s in education. There I entered my first programming class, Visual Basic.net. I had never programmed before and mind you had just figured out how to do the Microsoft suite of products.
However, I read, worked, failed many, many times, and finally mastered my first two projects of Hello World and turned the light bulb on and off! I received my master’s in teaching in Business and Information Technology and started my teaching career teaching in Career and Technical Education high school in Apex, NC, and then back to my home city of Charlotte. Over the years, my teaching career has been so rewarding as I have adapted learning technology to real-world applications.
I am self-taught in all of the programming languages I know and have continued to learn from my students, in professional developments and continued my education to earn my doctorate in Adult Education. My business started as a side hustle to bring in extra income for my family. I started doing workshops for teachers through Code.org and showcasing that platform and the success of those workshops grew to districts hiring me to lead further workshops around computer science. I stepped into
I have been a K12 educator, a secondary education professional, a corporate trainer, and now a business owner. My work has been a wonderful path of discovery, failures, and finding my true passion.
A Day in Sharon’s Life
- Wake around 6:30
- Short workout (try to do 30 minutes at least 3 times a week)
- Coffee! I love a cup of coffee
- Email catches up (8:00-9:00)
- Meetings begin
- Planning meetings for workshops or content
- Collaboration connections
- Curriculum planning with teachers during their planning sessions
- Curriculum/Content development for Dottie Rose Foundation and schools
- Lunch
- Meetings continue or in-person visits with schools or Professional Development sessions Dinner with my family
- After dinner research and planning for the next day
- A good girly show on TV
- Bed by 9:30
Future Plans & Jewels in the Crown
Sharon Jones wants her to venture to be the go-to for all things strategy and professional development for computer science integration into a K12 school or district. Here is the list of achievements;
- NC Tech Education Technology – Industry EdTech Finalist
- Jones was Woman of the Year, Charlotte Magazine
- National Women’s Business Enterprise Certification
- Top 100 Global Educators Presented by the Global Forum of Educational Leadership, June 2021