Hello everyone!

My name is Jamie Husereau and, in no particular order, I am a wife, dog mom, sister, teacher, student, and friend among other things. I am originally from a small, rural town east of Edmonton, Alberta called Ardrossan (Go Bisons!), where most of my family still lives. I now live on a First Nations reserve with my husband and my little sister who has recently joined us in this beautiful remote community. I am an elementary special education teacher and support students with diverse abilities, I was previously a high school teacher who taught all subjects. My husband is an environmental scientist and we love all things outdoors. We enjoy hiking, camping, biking, kayaking, canoeing, sledding, snowshoeing, split boarding, hunting, fishing, boating, and just all-around being outside. We even winter camp in a tent on frozen lakes!

My bag

For this task, I chose my daily “work” bag, which I carry to and from work. I actually just got this bag for Christmas so there were seemingly fewer random/junk items floating around at the bottom than usual. I would say that most of the items are, for lack of a better term, nice-itties, whereas only a few are crucial to complete my daily tasks. As you can see in the picture, with me I carry; a wallet, coffee mug, water bottle, dog collar, snacks, tea, nail file, pens, chapstick, roll-on essential oils, a bullet, gum, cough drops, hand lotion, floss, hair elastic, lighter, a book, charger, headphones, notebook, planner, laptop, and cellphone (not pictured as it was in my hand taking the photo).

Text Technologies

Let’s begin with the digital technologies; my laptop and cellphone. Both of these are digital devices or tools that I use in my personal and professional life to generate, process, share and store digital texts. I require my laptop for finding, creating, sharing, and storing teacher resources as well as communicating with colleagues and other paraprofessionals. My particular role involves a lot of funding processes and dialogue with outside services, applying for assessments, and gathering information and consent forms. All of this would be possible without my digital technologies, however, the efficiency would look different via courier and phone.  

I engage with a variety of hard-copy books including a planner, novel, and notebook all of which have been digitally generated. Within a couple of these books will be printed texts to organize my thoughts, my learning, and my schedules. My wallet contains my driver’s license and other digital identification, all of which are linked to larger systems of data storage and tracking. I will have old receipts that have been created on computers and printed, again displaying digital data systems. My cards have numbers stamped into the plastic pieces that are raised and can be felt with one’s fingers. If we are to question where each of these products comes from as indicated by the textual branding or logos we can see a variety of international products. They include; Saje (Canada), Ruffwear (USA), Nivea (Germany), Halls (UK), Monat (USA), Nature’s Bakery (USA), Ricola (Switzerland), David’s Tea (Canada), Manna (USA), Bic (France), Wrigley’s (USA), novel (USA), Skull Candy (USA), Apple (USA), and Amazon (USA). Based on these findings, a bag sleuth would likely conclude that I was from North America.  

The literary traces that can be dissected and discussed range from print to digital communications. From the obvious technologies of cellphones and laptops to hearing others’ read their texts that I may listen to through my headphones and the physical texts found on receipts and in notebooks. My contents may indicate that I engage with language and communication in a variety of ways. I read and write physical texts through printing and printed books, and I participate in global economies with the products I purchase and carry with me, as part of a digital information and transaction system containing various text technologies to operate. I engage with digital language, visual language, and oral language through print and digital technologies. I communicate with myself in notebooks and communicate with others through textual emails on my computer and literal “texts” on my phone. I can participate in social media and social applications on my phone, creating digital texts about my life, my experiences, and my work. 

Archeologically thinking, interestingly enough, I think this bag may have looked fairly similar 15 years ago as at that time I had a cellphone and a laptop, albeit a flip phone that could not communicate or provide the affordances of such phones today, but alas a mobile phone. 25 years ago, however, it would have looked very different. Likely no digital text technologies like laptops or cellphones for myself. There are few remnants in my bag that truly display or compare with the image I have of myself. Or better put, items that are personalized enough to reveal more personal traits or characteristics that make me unique, make me me, or make a close friend know whose bag it is without looking at the ID or phone. If one were to open the teacher planner or notebook, they may find how I print in different colours to indicate specific tasks, the colours and highlighters may also communicate a bit about my personality and my elementary vibes of teaching. The digital text and contents on my computer and phone will further reveal that I am likely a teacher (with the resources) and that I am a MET student. The digital texts would also reveal that I enjoy working out (routines and plans), that I love the outdoors (textual history archives), and my tastes in music (song titles in my downloaded history).

My favourite piece in this bag is a dog collar that I thought I lost last fall and found on a recent walk home. The text indicates the brand Ruffwear and the logo is a dog. This not only reveals that I have a dog but also a bit about my philosophy as a consumer of ethically produced products (as much as I can be). I think this is the one item in my bag that reveals more of my personal side compared to my professional side. 

Thank you for joining me on this task to see what was in my bag!

– Jamie : )