The Task
Introduce yourself to the instructor and your peers in ETEC 540 by taking a picture of an array of items from a bag you commonly carry. This task is meant to get you thinking about why you choose to transport such items with you.
I must say, at first this task sounded a lot like the TV show “Let’s make a Deal”. Where members of the audience wound bring in random items, in their ‘bag’, in hopes that they would become the next contestant.
The ‘Purse’
The first picture is of my ‘purse’, small and compact, although this is new, since Christmas and is slightly larger than my older ‘purse’. I will be honest in saying that I have only started carrying a ‘purse’ within the last 12 years or so (since about 43 years old). Usually, I would just carry my wallet. In that time, I had a career change, which may have lead to why the use of a ‘purse’ now.
I use quotation marks around ‘purse’ because technically it’s a Secure Anti-Theft Multi-Pocket Crossbody Bag and not what I would classify as a traditional purse. The ‘purse’ has internal components as well as 2 external pockets.
The Contents
I think it is important to note that the contents in which you see here are all located in the purse separately from each other. In other words, the wallet has it’s own contents which I have not been emptied and are not shown in the picture.
Inside purse: Two phones (personal and work phone), ear buds, STM pin, ribbon, tissue, lip balm, two receipts, pen, sunscreen, keys and fob on a lanyard, ziploc bag containing cough drops, daytime/nighttime cough cold medication and aleve, and five hair ties.
Outside compartments (for easy / quick access): keys on a keychain, loonie, drivers license, Tesla key card, Staff ID, three credit cards, and Save-on More card.
(Text) Technology
The phones mostly represent the text part of the text / technology, especially from my work phone. As the Vice Principal and Social Development Teacher at our school, there is an on-going communication with some parents which is typically done through text messaging. These would be updates, that don’t necessarily require a full conversation. for example: How someone slept last night, home issues, generally how the student is doing. Oddly enough, given the wonderful aspects of technology, and the mobility that a cell phone can bring, my reception at the school is terrible so texting is a wonderful option. The personal phone is equipped with the Tesla app, which acts as a key to my car. Also note that I still carry the key card, as there have been numerous times that the app hasn’t worked (typically when it’s raining out – of course). The keys on the key chain are 1) keys to unlock the home Tesla charger 2) a backup house key, incase the electronic lock doesn’t work.
The lanyard has work keys and an access fob.
Three credit cards, although usually I only have two for quick access, includes the Costco card that I haven’t yet put back in my wallet. Not quite tech savvy enough to have my phone(s) set up for payment.
The receipts, that I haven’t taken out yet, represents some text technology. Some place I can not get the paper receipt and just have the receipt emailed to me. When out with my sister-in-laws, celebrating a birthday, each person pays for their own meal plus pays an equal share of the birthday girls meal. My receipt shows my meal plus 25% of the birthday girls meal – now that technology. Back in the day, we had to figure this out ourselves. Usually involving math on a napkin. The other receipt shows suggestions of gratuity, starting at 18%.
The loonie, is for quick access when needing a shopping cart, begs the question when did paying for shopping cart use begin?
The STM pin, is for a track meet for students with diverse needs that I have the honour of organizing. It is my bucket filler!
What do these items say about how you engage with language and communication?
The presence of both digital (phones, earbuds) and analog (pen, receipts) tools indicates a versatile engagement with language and communication, blending traditional and modern methods.
Other items play a role in communication in indirect ways. Keys and fob on a lanyard, and the Tesla key card, though not text technologies in the traditional sense, symbolize access and control, aspects often managed and communicated through text-based interfaces, such as apps that track usage and digital logs.
What would this same bag have looked like, say, 15 or 25 years ago?
Fifteen or twenty-five years ago, the contents would have looked quite different, reflecting the technology and communication methods of those times. Instead of two smartphones, there might be a single, more basic mobile phone, primarily used for calls and text messages. Twenty-five years ago, I might not have had a mobile phone at all, relying instead on landlines and payphones (coins in my ‘purse’ so I could make a call). For listening to music or audio content on the go, I might have had a pair of wired headphones used with a portable CD player, cassette player (walk-man), or possibly an early MP3 player.
In place of digital notes and contacts on my phone, I might have a small notebook or planner for jotting down notes, appointments, and contacts, along with an address book for keeping track of phone numbers and addresses. Receipts would still be present but possibly more numerous, as physical receipts were more common for keeping track of expenses and purchases without digital records.
Instead of relying on GPS apps on my phone, I might carry printed maps or written directions for navigation. Carrying more cash and coins would be common, as digital payment methods were less prevalent.