Hi All,
About my work
A bit about me and what’s in my bag. I work at Dalhousie University’s medical school in the IT department supporting distributed education. We deliver core curriculum/lectures to students throughout Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island by videoconference. We do this using a combination of hardware based videoconferencing rooms and videoconferencing software.
Items in my bag
In my bag you’ll find my laptop. This is the most important tool for my day to day work and for communication with colleagues, faculty and clients. Though not in the picture, my iPhone is used for quick communication or when I do not have access to my laptop. I also have an Allen Key, screwdriver, Ethernet cable and USB stick. These are all handy when I have to fix a hardware issue or go hardwired with a device because of the firewall restrictions in hospitals that can often prevent certain communication software from functioning. I also have my iPhone and laptop chargers. My work often requires me to move location, so having a solid charge is important. Oh, and I still carry a pen with me. I typically use notes on my iPhone when I need to write something down. But I’m always surprised at how handy a pen comes in when providing clients with quick info or when I’m asked to complete a paper form (yep they’re still out there). My personal items include swimming goggles; I try to make it to the Dalhousie pool at lunch to swim laps. A water bottle to stay hydrated and a packed lunch, which is missing from the photo.
How the items relate to text and communication
When I think about the items in my bag in regards to text and communication. I feel that I am still very much reliant on my laptop. Part of it is the screen real estate, which makes it easier to see when using certain software that often doesn’t scale well to mobile devices or the mobile apps that lack functionality. I also prefer to write with my keyboard when creating documentation or written communication that requires more than a few lines. I feel like I should be embracing and utilizing my iPhone more at work, rather than viewing it as a back-up to my computer. Perhaps, a tablet could help me transition.
I definitely have seen an evolution in communication technologies over my past 9 years at Dalhousie. Even if laptops are being used they are being used with mobile and cloud based tools. And regarding video communication students seem less interested in if they can see each other or the presenter as long as they can hear the participants and see a presentation. I’ve also noticed an uptake in the chat features of collaboration tools. Perhaps, a result of text culture, a lot of students prefer to ask questions via chat than speak.
Reading my bag as a text, I feel it is very representative of someone that works in IT. If I think about what the bag wold look like 20 years ago, I suspect, I wouldn’t have a laptop and any computer work would be done from a PC in my office. And when I think about the future, say 10 years from now, I’m imagining a bag where I will no longer need my screw driver and tools for working on hardware, as the technology I support will all be software based and in the cloud. And at that time the software and communication tools will be more mobile friendly and I’ll be working mostly from my phone or tablet.
Charles