To get this project up and running we put in many hours of collaborative discussion. With one of our team members being out of the province for many weeks, and with our varied schedules during the day, most of our meetings took place virtually in the evenings. Over these meetings we decided what sound clips would be used. We listened, analyzed, reflected and discussed which clips best represented the child’s experience. This process was time consuming and evoked powerful emotion due to the nature of the clips and our personal attachments to them and the children that created them. We really did see democracy come to life as the group made decisions.
During one of these meetings we broke ourselves into subcommittees to divide up the vast amount of work. The content committee worked alongside educators with their ideas and language, offering additional thoughts about content while asking questions about research and theory. The design teams focused on layout with a vision of intention and aesthetics. (physical exhibit) We had a committee that organized community outreach to participants with pandemic considerations and another that took on the very important task of documenting this process.
Zoom became a place of shared ideas, shared excitement, and shared opportunity. Similarly to how we used the Zoom platform to stay connected with our families during the closure, we were able to stay connected with one another throughout this project. We noticed that our professional relationships strengthened and that we felt a strong sense of trust and camaraderie within this group. We were able to communicate in a more efficient way, not worried about offending, but knowing that all feedback and suggestions were coming from a place of respect.
The Gift of Togetherness: 