Last month I had the pleasure of presenting a visual art installation at the Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education (RECE) in Toronto. Conference proposals are usually submitted many months before the actual conference, so I had been dreaming up this installation for a long time! Lately, I have been thinking a lot about community, diversity and early childhood education; specifically how they all weave together to create unique ‘tapestries’ of learning in local neighbourhoods and school communities.
It was really important for me to involve our students, their families, members of our community and input from First Nations elders in our visual art installation because they all contribute to quality early childhood education that is democratic and inclusive. As an educator, I believe we are just one piece of fabric in a beautiful tapestry.
We asked our Kindergarten and Grade One families to send in a culturally meaningful piece of fabric – simple! We had over 30 families participate in our quilt, and at by the time it was finished, it was over 6 ft long and 5 ft wide!
