For task #1 (What’s in Your Bag), I’ve chosen to link to Tyler Graham’s In my school bag task. Tyler’s task 1 post was the first post I reviewed in ETEC 540 and I chose to link to it because his image closely resembled my own (especially what my own school bag would’ve looked like a decade ago when I was still teaching high school science and math in a synchronous, online environment).
The contents of my bag contrasting the contents in Tyler’s bag (below).
Tyler and I are from a similar generation in that we both “grew up analog but came of age digital” (Graham, 2020); and so, Tyler’s bag reflects that blend (or conflict) between print and digital-based literacies.
Tyler continues to teach, whereas I have moved into higher ed. Additionally, my life is (mostly) consumed by family (and so I chose to present my ‘purse’ or personal bag rather than my work bag). What’s interesting to note though, is despite the differences in the contents of the bag (teaching-related versus personal), both Tyler and I still prefer to surround ourselves with print-based materials (though we carry digital materials out of necessity). And so, if I were to come across both our bags, I would assume the owners of these bags felt a certain comfort with print perhaps suggesting that print holds more value or prominence than the digital. Thus, it appears that the two of us demonstrate a stronger attachment to print literacies rather than digital literacies- though both are present on our sites.
Visual or image literacy plays an important role on each site as well: the images prepare the reader for the text to follow and the images provide the reader with an at-a-glance snapshot of our preference toward print (or conflict with the digital).
I think both Tyler’s post and my own post speak to the conflict noted in Bolter (2001, Chapter 4), Kress (2005) and Dobson & Willinsky (2009) where, through technology, literacy moves beyond ‘simple’ text toward more multimodal literacies and representations of ideas. Print or linguistic literacies have been absorbed by the digital, which provides room for visual or image-based literacies to take more center-stage. Further, we can now digitally adapt and manipulate text to form new representations of ideas through sound (sonification) and data visualization (graphic or spatial literacies). The fact that both posts openly discuss the comfort we share in writing things down (the act of writing is reassuring) hints at our shared discomfort in moving toward the New London Group’s (1996) definition of multiliteracies. (Later posts demonstrate growth as the course has progressed, however, this initial post highlights the importance of print-based literacy to Tyler and I).
WordPress Design
Tyler’s informal tone allows the reader to feel as though they are a part of a conversation rather than reading an academic blog post; this encourages the reader to comment, ask questions and interact with the content within Tyler’s post. This may be off-putting to some if they are looking for more academic-sounding prose, but I find it more inviting and interesting.
Organization and Language
Part of the reason I didn’t return to Tyler’s page until recently, was that I couldn’t easily find his posts (they weren’t linked to his name in the link provided to us in Canvas); I ended up clicking on the link to Task 1 again, and was then able to find the rest of his links. This might discourage others from seeking out Tyler’s subsequent posts (which seems to be the case)-especially if they find navigating website particularly challenging (or if they use a screen reader), however, once I figured out how to navigate his blog, it was fine.
Tyler teaches French so it only makes sense that he would switch the language of WordPress to French. That’s a great idea! I do not speak French (though I can navigate well enough). I think this would work well if he were to use his WordPress site as a teaching tool with his students or colleagues. If our classmates can’t understand French, however, they might find it a bit more challenging to navigate; if they have a general idea of how WordPress sites work though, most users would be able to navigate Tyler’s site with relative ease.
Pedagogy
Again, the open-ended nature of this course allows students to take each task and make it their own. Task 1 was pretty straightforward, however, if you take quick look at how Tyler rearranged the way in which he presented his content for Task 7 versus my own ‘new’ interpretation, you’ll note the divergence in our ideas. Being able to adapt a task and take it in the direction that makes to each student, is invaluable. Further, by posting it to WordPress where classmates can see each other’s ideas, we become more open to these other ideas and interpretations of our assigned tasks.
References
Chapter 4. Bolter, J. D. (2001). Writing space: Computers, hypertext, and the remediation of print (2nd ed.). Mahwah, N.J: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. doi:10.4324/9781410600110
An image of my satchel and its contents. You’ll notice my dog’s paw in the lower left corner: I couldn’t manage to take a photo without Doug (the dog) inserting himself somehow.
Curating the Bag: What’s in My Bag and Why Do I Need It?
In preparing for this task, I removed items related to COVID-19 (choosing instead to represent my day-to-day, pre-COVID reality (that I hope we can return to at some point in the future, but who knows?).
The items I carry around with me on a daily basis are, I think, pretty straightforward and rather unexciting (my wallet, chapstick, hair elastic and work ID, for example). I keep the produce bags with me because I know if I don’t, I am likely to forget to bring them with me when I go grocery shopping (and though it’s a tiny gesture, I am trying not to use as much plastic). I keep my phone with me most of the time in case anyone needs to contact me (especially the kids’ school); because my cell battery is unpredictable, I have to carry a charger as well. The agenda/calendar and pens are to keep track of important dates, lists or to-do items. I sometimes find the act of writing things down aids me in remembering important information, dates or upcoming tasks (rather than keeping track of everything on my phone/digitally); I keep a tiny clip to attach loose papers to my agenda (important receipts and so on). The triangular box is for my prescription glasses/sunglasses (mostly so I can see street signs when the weather is terrible and/or at night). In addition, I always keep a spare leash and waste bags for my dog in case we head out in the car and then decide to go for a walk somewhere while we’re out.
My bag is an over-the-shoulder satchel (with a cute owl-shaped hand sanitizer dispenser which I have carried for at least a decade because kids are messy!); I use a satchel because it can withstand being tossed about by the kids and being set down in all kinds of weather when we’re hiking, travelling, or visiting friends and family who have pets and kids, too.
Finally, as I was digging through my bag, I found a ticket to a Senators hockey game we attended with my in-laws in January. It was fun to find this ticket because I believe it was one of the last ‘big’ events my husband and I attended without our kids before being quarantined.
Connection with Text
I’ll admit that for a year or two I tried to rely on my phone and other devices to keep track of important dates, lists, and tasks, but in the end, I still prefer writing everything down by hand; I keep at least one extra pen on hand in case the first one runs out (which inevitably happens the second I actually need to use it). The mini clip helps me keep receipts and other small pieces of paper organized (again, keeping track of text!) and my work ID indicates to others at Algonquin who I am and where I fit in the overall organizational structure. My glasses, of course, help me see text at a distance (especially in dark and grey weather conditions).
The fact that I kept the hockey ticket indicating the date, time and the cool seats we had shows the fun I had and how meaningful the evening was to me: my husband and I hadn’t had a chance to hang out with my in-laws without our kids in a very long time (the kids stayed with my parents for the evening).
I suppose looking at the items I curated (including the textiles I keep for grocery shopping), the items I keep with me indicate that I enjoy the task of writing (and it performs a function, too), that I am family/pet oriented (I always keep dog waste bags on hand!), and that I’m practical (my bag is from MEC and they can handle a lot of wear and tear before falling apart).
Text Technologies
Digitally speaking, my cell is nearly always with me (in my bag) in order for me to send quick texts to friends and family or in case the kids’ school needs to contact me; I use it for quick communication and at times, to check in on my courses while I’m on the go as well.
The hockey ticket was digitally printed (though we had copies of our tickets on our cells as well). My work ID was also digitally printed at Algonquin on a computer linked to our employee database (to ensure I am who I say I am).
The agenda is an everyday item that I always keep on hand but I never thought of it as a text technology before; to me, it was simply a way to keep track of all the competing demands on my time. However, now that I am reflecting on it, I think the agenda says an awful lot about how I process language and communication and organize my thoughts: through writing! I’ve always known that the act of writing (using a pen/pencil and paper) was important to me, but when I see the prominence this little book takes in my bag, I realize how important it is for me to have a place to write something down when and if necessary. In fact, I feel quite lost without the ability to write something important down on a piece of paper. I enjoy the act of writing things down, but I also enjoy the reflective process of reviewing the day’s tasks or looking ahead at what still needs to be done.
What stood out the most to me in my bag text technology-wise, were the produce bags. Prior to starting this course last week, I would never have made the connection between text and textiles. I wouldn’t have thought about the implications of text as weaving words like one would weave a tapestry (or….produce bags?). I don’t regularly display the items in my bag to other people, so I also don’t regularly share the fact that I wander around with produce bags, either, but it’s quite neat to think that there is a very real connection between the little agenda I carry with me and the produce bags I haul around for trips to the grocery store; perhaps the textiles I carry communicate a message to me that I am trying to make a small difference and set a good example for my kids by making little changes here and there to reduce the amount of plastic I use daily.
Literacies
I think the items in my bag indicate that both digital and print-based literacies are meaningful and important to me. Perhaps these items also indicate that I prefer being connected to print-based modes of communication despite the fact that digital methods are readily available.
My Narrative
I would say the contents of my bag are a remarkably accurate representation of the image I believe I project outwardly. I’m always wandering around with a notebook and pen or a book of some sort, my cell, and practical items (such as a hair elastic around my wrist or in my bag for when I need to put my hair up because it’s driving me crazy!). I don’t tend to carry much other than what I need in my bag because I often have to fill my bag with my kids’ extra clothing, hats, sunscreen, and so on.
The biggest anomaly in my bag was probably the hockey ticket: we don’t often get to see NHL games (without the kids-where we sit way up in the nosebleeds), so that item definitely stands out among all the others in my bag.
If I were to reflect on what my bag would’ve looked like 15-25 years ago, I imagine my bag would’ve been smaller and it would have contained more hair elastics (I always lose them), many more random receipts stuffed in a pocket, my wallet, a pen, sunglasses and that’s it. I bought my first cellphone in 2007 while I was living in a rural area and I kept it for emergencies only; I carried it with me, but rarely remembered to turn it on. Without kids, my bag was much smaller (and did not contain sanitizer nor did it have any space to carry extra items).
An Archaeological Wonder!
An archaeologist stumbling upon my bag in the future would probably think I am community-minded with my produce bags, my hockey ticket supporting our local team, my dog waste bags (so others don’t have to clean up my dog’s mess) and the ID indicating that I work and live in the same community. They may also be quite interested in my use of an agenda alongside my cell (but would find the items listed in my agenda quite dull so they would also probably understand I’m a mother, too). I’m not certain that any of the items would say much more than that (other than perhaps the photo I keep of my grandma in my wallet which contains no text at all but is priceless nevertheless).
