I encourage you to take a moment to check out Mel’s take on Task #1, where she represents herself using the objects in her bag.
I appreciate her work on this task for a number of reasons. First of all, as she states, she currently doesn’t carry a daily bag. As a result, she has carefully curated objects that represent herself and her interests. In some cases choosing objects that may not necessarily be ones that she uses on a regular basis, but that represent her interests. It was interesting to contrast this approach with my own, which was to present the many items that I carry each day. I wonder about the “authenticity” of either approach and which would allow others better insight into who we are as people. There are certainly many interests and values of mine that are not represented by what was in my bag, and I’m sure there are things about Mel that are not represented in hers.
Secondly, on a much more personal level, it was very interesting to get to know Mel more outside of our relationship as classmates. We have previously worked together on a group project in September that had an extremely tight deadline once the course started. As a result, we worked together efficiently to complete our work and didn’t have a chance to get to know one another, or the other member of our group. It’s interesting to reflect on the fact that we spent many hours collaborating on work together, and having to trust each other, without knowing much at all about each other. As a result, I really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know Mel more through this task!
Mel
April 6, 2021 — 8:13 am
Hey Megan, I appreciate this post a lot. We were catapulted into that project at the very beginning of a course, and you aren’t kidding that we had to trust one another implicitly, which is an interesting and unpredictable situation in remote learning and group work. Teambuilding and connecting with peers is an important piece of the learning process, and I think we must do a better job of humanizing online learning. It worked out for us, but I can easily see how others in the same situation may have struggled and may not have been as successful as we were.
There’s a hidden narrative behind my choice to curate the bag: I haven’t worked since the last winter semester of 2020, and so I literally have had nowhere to go where I needed to take a bag during these pandemic months. Not working full time as a teacher as I once did is an emotional topic for me, but also a circumstance that has given me the time to explore nature, birding, gardening, and what I was missing when I worked 60+ hours a week. What’s not in our bags could equally say as much as what’s in them, and everyone’s bags are missing something as a result of the pandemic.
From what I’ve learned about you, you love the outdoors and you are PREPARED for the task at hand. I respect your organization and preparedness, and I would definitely want to join you in outdoor adventures!