Hello! My name is Erin Duchesne, a grade 1 teacher in Edmonton Alberta and here is what is in my bag!
Items: current book (The Alchemist), extra mask, reusable bamboo cutlery, reusable collapsable metal straw, cell phone, car/house/mailbox keys, hand sanitizer, reusable water bottle, school keys, wallet, extra headphones, lip balm, lunch bag, laptop.

This is the bag that got me through four years of undergrad and now acts as the bag I take to work everyday as a teacher and my carry on bag when I travel.  These items subtly say a lot about me- light packer, efficient, reader, apple user, Albertan, and cares about sustainability. My tendency to travel light is very much the same when it comes to other aspects of my life. For example I do not keep anything in my car, all of my teaching resources are digital so I do not have any paper copies or binders in my classroom, and I have only a few apps on my phone. Most of the time when I am out and about I only take my cellphone with my license and debit card hidden in the case and my car keys- so this depicts the most that I would ever carry. The bag itself is also a very conscious choice. I love using a backpack because then I always have two arms free and don’t get a sore arm or shoulder from carrying a heavy purse on one side of my body. I specifically bought this bag (ok well actually I got it as a Christmas gift) because it has so many compartments! A fleece-lined pocket specifically for a laptop, waterproof compartment for food, water bottle holders with straps so it does not fall out, small pocket in the front for my wallet and keys, and so many little pockets for everything!

My text technologies (literacy and digital literacy) include my laptop, cell phone and book which show that I like to have means of entertainment and information readily available in multiple forms. I believe the items in my bag represent me quite well in that I do not like clutter, I love reading and using technology on a daily basis and also reflects my past self and what I would have carried for the past 10 years or so.  If a future archeologist were to dig up this bag and contents in particular, they would see that in this time period our society values compact technology, reusable items, and being socially connected. They would also see that I still cary around my University of Alberta ID from when I was 18 in the front of my wallet that expired years ago. Why? 1. it used to be my bus pass, 2. the photo is much better than my license photo, and 3. it gets me student pricing to museums and other experiences when I travel! (they never actually look at the expiration date).