I felt a wave of excitement come over me as I joined the zoom meeting room a few minutes in advance to the coding 101 session. I had prepared for the session, and I was looking forward to sharing knowledge with the attendees. Sarah, the session moderator welcomed me warmly and oriented me on the flow of the session. Most attendees joined on time, and we kicked off the session with an introduction from the moderator.
The moderator’s introduction of my bio was impeccable. That gave me extra energy to dive right into the session introduction after being given the floor. Being passionate about coding, I was thrilled to introduce the attendees into the captivating universe of coding by empowering and inspiring them through a comprehensive exploration of coding fundamentals. My aim was to provide attendees with the tools and insights necessary to set out on their coding odyssey.
I started by explaining that coding isn't just about manipulating characters on a screen; it's a gateway to a realm of endless possibilities. Creative freedom, problem solving, career opportunities and the sense of belonging to a community are some key reasons why learning to code is an investment in personal and professional growth. I then proceeded to explain some of the most prominent programming languages available to aspiring coders and the vital factors to consider when choosing which language to work with. The ease of learning, community support, resource availability and interest alignment are the main factors we reviewed. Additionally, we checked out the basic tools (code editor, version control, debugger) required for a successful coding journey.
At this point, the attendees had ample information to dive into the coding fundamentals. We comprehensively explored coding foundational concepts such as syntax, data types, control structures, and functions. We talked about the best coding practices and looked at a few avenues/platforms/resources to facilitate their ongoing growth.
By the end of the session, the attendees were aware of the diverse programming languages, essential tools and foundational concepts hence ready to set sail on their unique coding journey. During the session, I found it helpful asking some questions to know if part of the attendees had worked with some tools or heard of them before. That enabled me to know how to best explain some concepts without using technical coding jargon. I found the session to be interesting as it gave me an opportunity to provide guidance for aspiring coders.
If you would like to watch the session, you can find the recording here.
