One of the teachers working with us as a co-researcher on the project shared her thoughts on the early stages of the project.
To say the start of this project has been an eye-opener would be an understatement.
Initially, students responded to a few questions that opened the conversation. This allowed me to experience the pandemic shutdown from the students' perspectives.
I discovered, much to my chagrin, that video cameras were turned off during classes, not just because students felt like they were on display and were shy but also because they wanted to engage in other activities like playing video games or texting friends.
Many students admitted to poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles at the start of the shutdown, but many also showed an interest in improving their choices for food and activity as the isolation period continued. They tried cooking and walking or biking with family and friends to alleviate their health concerns and issues with boredom.
Some students fostered closer family relationships at this time while others became isolated in their own homes. For one student in particular, the time away from society became somewhat of an existential crisis for her as her entire friend group changed. The loneliness she felt as a result was agonizing and traumatic.
As students continue to peel back the layers of their experiences throughout the COVID-19 restrictions, we will no doubt learn more about how deeply it affected them. Our next step is to zero in on a theme or central idea around which they will develop their films.
The final goal will be to bring them to a realization of their resilience. That realization might ultimately convince them that they will be able to handle anything in the future.
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