The bag I chose to document for this task is my everyday work/personal bag. There are actually 3 bags in total; computer bag, wristlet, and the one (on the right) that holds it all! I emptied the contents of all 3 bags so you can see the different items that belong inside each of them. (Note: I would have my iPhone in my bag but I was using it to take the picture)

What is my daily need for these items?

• The laptop and iPad are a necessity for teaching each day. The laptop provides me with the ability to communicate and stay connected with my colleagues via our Teams channel and email. My laptop stores all the documents, assignments, and bookmarks that relate to my units and lessons.  I use my iPad each day to support my teaching by demonstrating specific skills and viewing educational websites/apps/videos by air playing through an AppleTV at work.
• The items in my wristlet are essential for personal use on a daily basis. I have my ID, cash, and credit cards in there. There is also make up for touch ups during the day and some band aids for when my children hurt themselves.
• The items in my main bag include a notebook for writing notes, a book (usually one I’m reading for my next book talk with the students), writing utensils, hand sanitizer, a KN95 face mask, and Tylenol. I don’t always use these items daily but they are housed in my bag and can be found in there each day. You will also notice a red envelope (lai-see) that I keep with me as a good luck charm.

How might these items be considered “texts” and what do they say about you?

• All the items in my bag contain some form of text on it. The texts include English words, Chinese characters, numbers, or symbols. The texts help to identify each item and this is what helps me decide wether it is important to me or not. Each item has a story behind it. Each item has come from different places, for example the book is from the Vancouver School Board, according to the barcode label. There are also items that document what is happening in this time period, being in the middle of a pandemic, the KN95 face covering is an example of this. I guess these items can be summed up to say that I am a learner, a reader, and big on health and hygiene.

Thinking about the title of the course, what are the “text technologies” in your bag, if any? What do these items say about how you engage with language and communication?

• The use of technology plays a very important role in my work life. Although the laptop and iPad are just devices, these devices store the digital text and software that I need to teach and support my students at school. I use these devices to teach my students digital literacy skills, build upon their online portfolios, and create digital books. I also use the accessibility tools to support my students who require adaptations to help them develop reading and writing skills. These devices also support me by strengthening communication at work. I use Teams to chat and post announcements about the library, communicate with colleagues, and read email correspondence. I provide feedback digitally through Office 365 on student assignments and reporting.
• The book is a representation of both my professional and personal life. My motivation to learn English was because of the visits I would make as a child to the library and I would be in awe at all the colourful books on the shelves, but I couldn’t read them. Fast forward to now where I am an avid reader, work as a Teacher-Librarian, I read/evaluate resources for the BCTF. I can talk about books anytime! I cannot bring myself to read books online, I need to physically be able to hold the book and analyze the text as it was printed. The beauty of printed text written in different forms, fonts, colours, styles, and languages is like art to me.
• The notebook is where I write notes, reflections, and reminders to myself. I prefer to pencil and paper to write down notes instead of typing it out. You can always find a written checklist of things to do in these notebooks as a visual reminder for myself.

What do the items in your bag say about the literacies you have?

• The items prove that I include and combine the literacies of the old and new world. The print novel is published in English. The tech devices help me to expand upon my knowledge of digital literacy, application, and media. There is a notebook for me to write down notes. Another literacy would be symbolism and the ability to read icons, brands, and numbers. Every item has some form of text and and therefore, they all need to be read in a specific way.

How does the narrative of the (private) contents of your bag compare with the narrative produced by image you have of yourself or the image you outwardly project?

• The private contents would be ones I don’t bring out of my bag each day but they are housed in my bag for sentimental reasons. The red envelope (lai-see) was given to me by my mother and it contains a picture of my grandmother who recently passed away. I keep it as my good luck charm but it also represents a time in my life that I am still grieving and do not want to outwardly project. The contents that do outwardly project my image is everything that has to do with teaching. I’m very proud of being a teacher and being an advocate for school libraries. I also promote the use of technology in the schools and I am constantly acting as a tech mentor to my colleagues.

What would this same bag have looked like 15 years ago?

• There would be no mobile devices in my bag 15 years ago. Can’t really store a desktop in a bag! The only technology that I probably had in my bag was a USB stick and my Nokia sidekick. I had a purse for all my personal items (money, credit cards, ID, makeup) but I probably had a shopping bag of marking that I had to bring to and from school. I would’ve been 2 years into my career as a teacher and I spent a lot of time creating assignments by hand. There also would be an absence of hygiene and health items relating to Covid-19. Hand sanitizer and face coverings would not be an everyday necessity for my bag during this time.
• If it was 25 years ago, I would have been in my first year of the Bachelor of Education program. I was probably carrying a backpack that contained all my school work, text books, and writing utensils. As for technology, a flip phone and a floppy disc for saving assignments when at the computer lab were most likely in the backpack.

How do you imagine an archeologist aiming to understand this temporal period might view the contents of your bag many years in the future?

• The archeologist would probably be most interested in documenting and analyzing the different types of printed and digital technology found in my bag. The different companies used for technology devices can be compared to what is available and how its’ purposes and functionalities could be quite different in the future. The MacBook and iPad could be historical artifacts that would become evidence to the evolution of mobile devices. Also, the book might be seen as a great discovery into how books were bound and published in this temporal period.
• As for the perusal items, the archeologist would also be able to see what beauty products were used in this time and if the products are still packaged and made in the same way in the future. The coins and $5 bills would prove that currency was still important in this time period and the shift to strictly digital forms of payments have not occurred.
• Lastly, the evidence that we are living in the middle of a pandemic. Will there be another pandemic in the future and if so, perhaps the archeologist can look for evidence of how we survived this current one.