This is the story about human connections, about caring, about planting seeds of hope, about changing the world.
Chapter 1: Visa Rejections
My UK visa got rejected three times and I could not physically attend EUROCALL2017. I think the world knows about my visa story, but I share the link here again, just in case:
Denied Yet Present at EUROCALL2017: A Memoir
Chapter 2: Helen DeWaard and VC
Photo credit: The Open Faculty Patchbook
https://facultypatchbook.pressbooks.com/chapter/lost-and-found-course-designs-that-map-it-out/
I got to know Helen DeWaard through Virtually Connecting (VC) through which I could virtually attend the conference.
Chapter 3: Antonio, Alan, and Postcards for Puerto Rico
After the conference, we stayed in touch on Twitter. She mentioned me in a tweet and introduce a a campaign of mailing postcards to Antonio Vantaggiato and his students, devised by Alan Levine, to say unlike Trump #WeCare about #PuertoRico using these hashtags #care4sagrado #inf103 #inf115. You can read more about the details of the campaign here:
El Puente de Puerto Rico: A Bridge of Postcards by Alan Levine
Chapter 4: My Message
I wrote my message and sent it to Antonio and announced it to the world, and encouraged others to join the campaign.
Chapter 5: Connecting to Puerto Rico
Here are the tweets by Antonio and Alan after receiving my message. Antonio’s blogpost made my day:
I got mail from el Puente de Puerto Rico
Chapter 6: Podcast
I’d love to record one live while Alan is in Australia and interview Parisa Mehran, the author of the first postcard to arrive here, which carried the powerful message:
A woman who has to prove her humanity every day.
We want to talk humanity.
And we did and here are the links to the podcasts:
http://blogs.netedu.info/2017/11/15/podcast-puerto-rico-connection/
http://blogs.netedu.info/2017/12/16/prconnection-episode2/
Chapter 7: Elisabeth Fernandes
Elisabeth is a great friend and I know her through JALT, . I talked to her about the campaign and she suggested that we could introduce it to our Japanese students and make a lesson pan on how to empathize in English.
Chapter 8: How Can I Change the World: Bookmarks for Puerto Rico
We chose bookmarks as an “educational” item on which our students could write encouraging messages in English, and which could then become a keepsake for the Puerto Rican students.
Through the use of virtual reality (VR), our students were able to “travel” to Puerto Rico to experience the devastating results of the hurricane. They were also able to explore the campus of the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón through 3D images.
Universidad del Sagrado Corazón 360 View
Chapter 9: Reconnecting to Puerto Rico
Here is Antonio present in our classes.
Chapter 10: We Care About Puerto Rico
We also utilized augmented reality (AR), Blippar, to bring our #care4sagrado message to life.
My English major students also wrote essays about Puerto Rico:
http://write4change.edublogs.org/2017/12/04/4-we-care-about-puerto-rico-3/
http://write4change.edublogs.org/2017/12/12/4-we-care-about-puerto-rico-3-group-brainstorming/
Chapter 11: Humanity
Most of the time I have to deal with micro/macroaggressions and reply to questions that they sound like an interrogation, and people even don’t know my name. “Postcards for Puerto Rico” made a bridge and connected me to people who know my name and they don’t ask me questions. They don’t want me to prove my humanity.
Peace
Parisa, you are not only a wonderful human you are demonstrating the potential of care in the world to students on both sides of this story and to others who should read your post.
I’ve collected my share of stories about the power of serendipity and connection and this one is at the top of the pile. You took the postcard idea and pushed into a larger dimension of care.
In my communications lately with Antonio I am reminded how fast the news and attention of the world moved away from Puerto Rico where still there is so much to be done. Thank you for sparking it.
I remain impressed that your card got there first! Mine got lost in the mail. Hah!
I hope we can reconnect on a podcast soon. Thank you thank you thank you.
Thank you, Alan ❤ Our story makes me feel hopeful. Thank *you* for the brilliant idea and connecting us together. The world needs more people like you, esp, as its leaders. We stay strong! 🙂
Amazing story, Parisa. So much goodness and human connections that domino from a negative event, keeping you grounded but frees you for new opportunities. I’m humbled that this story shares the small part that prompted greater connections for you and your students. Thanks for sharing this. I’ll keep and share this as an example of the power a tweet!
Helen
Thank you once more Helen for including me in your tweet. I am so honored to be in touch with people like you ❤ Thanks for connecting people ❤