Hello y’all, I’m Mel Drake. To tell you more about myself, I’ve created an interactive image with a wee bit of text using Genially. To interact with the image and learn more about each of the items I carry with me, just mouse over the green icons. If there’s an issue with the image embed and it’s not loading for you, please click the link below. *Thanks to Deirdre for letting me know there was an issue!
https://view.genial.ly/5ffc8f00a2847a0da0f1ff33/interactive-image-whats-in-my-bag
Full disclosure, I haven’t carried a daily bag since before lockdown last March, and so I’ve curated these personal belongings to represent who I am and what I want to share with others. The items as a collection become a text that shares a version of my daily life which revolves mostly around my interests and free time instead of my life as a full-time graduate student in an online program. This version of my daily bag is also shaped by the pandemic which has canceled hanging out in public spaces like coffee shops or libraries for long periods of time to work or study, and so the items I use when studying such as a laptop and notebooks are notably absent. Also absent are the loose scrap pieces of paper, notes, and receipts and little found mementos I collect when I come across them.
What does my bag
say about me?
I’m an American living in Canada and an educator addicted to Burt’s Bees who loves travel, music, card games, photography, the outdoors, observing and identifying bird and insect life, and collecting coins. Further explanation and inspection to connect these objects together are required to create a more complex narrative.
I find joy in the discovery of new things, and the real-life version of Pokémon I play to collect all the coins, insects, birds, and other fauna and flora is my way of connecting to and learning about my new home and the places I visit.
What text technologies are present and what literacies can be identified?
The text technologies – the writing devices (pencil, pen, highlighter, dry erase markers), the bird ID book, travel documents (passport, travel/immigration cards in protective sleeve), mobile phone, and mirrorless DSLR camera – show that I communicate using traditional text mediums and computer-based and image-based mediums. From reading these belongings, it can be inferred that I have literacies that involve technology, photography, and the natural environment.
Though some of the objects curated (loupe, birds book) are becoming increasingly obsolete to me, they represent an interest or hobby in a more tangible way than the technology that has replaced them (camera lenses, DSLR, apps such as iNaturalist, eBird, and Merlin, and social media affinity groups for insects and birds).
What would an archaeologist say?
An archaeologist of the future would be able to identify me as a person who lived in Canada and the U.S. in the late 20th century and beginning of the 21st century during a time of technological transition from analog to digital and might be able to identify me as a Gen Xer on the cusp of being a Millenial. Upon inspection of the coins I carry and the contents of my wallet and passport, they would also know I’ve traveled to México, the Dominican Republic, Europe, and the UK. They’d identify me as a student from my student ID, an educator from faculty ID, a reader from my library cards, and further as a person who enjoys flora and fauna from my parks and butterfly conservatory passes.
Bags of my past
15 years ago, I was a second-year teacher, and I carried an enormous and bulky district-issued backpack packed with the district-issued laptop, personal laptop, materials I prepped at home to teach for the day, and manila file folders of student work to take home and mark, plus a purse. I would have also been carrying my lunch, snacks, Coke Zeros, and various personal hygiene products, headache medication, and a month’s worth of feminine products to supply me and my students. My car would have also functioned as an extension of my bag for all the things I needed that I couldn’t possibly carry with me – sports and workout gear for extracurriculars, extra clothes and shoes just in case. I would have had a mobile phone but not a smartphone, and I would have needed to carry my DSLR for photography since my little flip phone took horrible photos.
25 years ago, I was a sophomore in high school, and my bag would have only carried textbooks, a big 3 ring binder, and notebooks, with more loose papers crumpled into the bottom of the bag than I probably care to admit.
9 replies on “Task 1”
Hi Mel. For some reason, your image won’t load for me. I enjoyed reading about the contents of your bag, and how you choose to define yourself. I specifically enjoyed your Pokemon metaphor. I don’t know if this is similar to you or not, but I spent a large part of my summer berry picking, flower pressing, and taking pictures along the way.
Deirdre, thank you for letting me know! I was able to copy and paste the HTML embed code from Genially to share.
Though I live in a somewhat rural area, it’s almost all well maintained agricultural land and roadsides and ditches on the perimeter. Growing up in east Texas this was a favourite summer activity, but I haven’t found the berry locations near me yet. I’d actually love to start pressing leaves and flowers, but photography is the main activity for me when I’m out and about in nature.
I can see it now
Hello Mel, I enjoyed reading your post and liked your interactive image, so I added Genially to my Ed-tech toolkit to find out how to use this tool at a later time.
We share common things, I have been away from my home in Canada (where I lived for over sixteen years) for almost five months for a work assignment in Dubai, so I know how it feels to be away from your beloved ones and couldn’t go and see them at this challenging times. Even though I could have returned to Vancouver during the holidays last month, I decided to stay safe until I get the vaccine and COVID travel restrictions loosen as well. On my way from Canada, I brought books, the Canadian flags, Vancouver Canucks shirts and hats, and other Canadian-themed items to make my current house feel a little bit like home.
I am also that ” Gen Xer on the cusp of being a Millennial” so I am attached to the paper, pencils, textbooks though I am tech-savvy if you are to describe from a professional side.
Marwa, you will enjoy checking out Genially. I’ll message you in Canvas a few other instances in which I’ve used it and share one of my classmate’s creations with you, as well! It’s a really neat tool with a lot of uses.
I’m glad you’ve been able to return to Vancouver, even if the circumstances are preventing you from returning to Dubai and now you have to wait it out. In Ontario, I’m not expected to be able to get the vaccine until August at the very earliest, and only time will tell if I am able to get it on the province’s proposed schedule. Fingers crossed for the both of us! Very cool that you’ve been working in Dubai. Years ago I was looking at opportunities to teach English in other places, and I had explored the possibility of living and working there for a few years.
It’s funny – along with all my Canadiana, I have so much more Texas-themed art, books, tchotchkes, and clothing than I ever did while living there. It helps a bit with the homesickness, but what I really want is to learn how to make some of the dishes I really miss, so I should pull out the cookbooks and try my hand at them.
Hello from another Mel! I also like your bee hat, and I wonder if every Melissa feels connected to bees due to our name. I have considered getting a bee tattoo…maybe someday! I really like how you used Genially. This tool is new to me and seems like it would incredibly useful.
Melissa, I am so sorry for the late response! Thank you, and I, too, feel connected to Melissas because of bees. 😀
Hi Mel, thanks for sharing! I too love this genially tool! Looking forward to playing around with it for my school website.
Thank you, Sarah! Genially is a great tool for teachers and students alike. Have fun!