COPLAC: Voices of Migration

My First Post

Why Am I Interested in the COPLACDigital Voices of Migration course?

Good question. Like most write-ups, this answer will require a multitude of reasoning. I am interested in this course for the educational opportunities it presents me, and for the beneficial work I  hope to do on behalf on those who need it most.

Before I get carried away, thank you for reading my first ever blog post! Hooray! This blog is intended to give myself a personable way to track my progression through the Voices of Migration course. While I intend to keep things professional (mostly), this website gives me another way to communicate with my professors, my classmates, and perhaps any and all internet users. Once again, welcome to my blog.

First and foremost, I would be lying to say my main interest in taking this course is anything but furthering my own education. COPLACDigital gives me the opportunity to meet professors and students from across the country, interview people of diverse backgrounds right in my own community, and begin to learn about the intricacies of migration. In addition, I am going to learn skills such as how to create websites, properly conduct interviews, and utilize 21st century digital information. When the MCLA history department chairperson asked if I was interested in trying something new, for the sake of my education, I said yes.

Second, I am interested in the hope to be able to ease the plight of migrants in my own community. While I know very little of what it must be like to be a migrant, I am aware of my own power as a student, an American, and a practitioner of digital information. I am excited to be able to learn more about the experiences migrants face moving from place to place, and from culture to culture. Further, I am prepared to use my ability to help write a narrative of these migrants in order to present their stories, hardships, and perspectives to the world. In the 21st century, all people should have their voice heard; I am ready to be an amplifier.

To conclude my first blog post, overall, I am interested in cultivating a better world citizen. To do this, I must further my education both inside and outside the classroom. The Voices of Migration course allows me learn more about migration inside the classroom (albeit a virtual one) and allows me to meet diverse and interesting people outside the classroom. I hope to gain experience in dealing with migration to best influence my future policy decisions, shape my opinions, and enlighten my attitudes. Likewise, I am sure this class will shed light on some of my own biases. I am excited to discover new things about myself and am ready to tackle some of my own insecurities. Let the adventure begin!

3 Comments

  1. Sarah Leaird

    That’s great you are ready to both challenge your own society, as well as challenge yourself. I can imagine we will all experience some form of growth as we continue this course. I hope this class will also be beneficial for when you are teaching students who may either have family members who are immigrants, or may be immigrants themselves.

    • Morrison

      I absolutely agree that this course will encourage personal growth. We will all be learning about migration in academic settings (the classroom) as well as by conducting oral histories, a rather personal and intimate activity. In these ways, there will be much to learn about migration and the people directly involved. In addition, I appreciate your recognition of my educational background. I thoroughly believe this course will help influence the way I approach my future classroom and students. Not only will this oral history project give me some insight into the hardships migrant communities face, it will be a great reminder that one can never assume anything about another’s personal or family experiences.

  2. odonaldson

    Sarah and Morrison: Thank you for modeling how the comments section can be used to build classroom community through thoughtful remarks and moderation.

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