15 3.2 Positionality Statement

I identify as a Sikh woman who came to Canada as an international student from India in 2017 and is currently a Canadian citizen. Due to my immigration status and religion, I have felt discrimination and racism in the beginning years due to wrongful perceptions about Sikh international students. These perceptions never stopped me from believing in myself, continuing my career, and making a place for myself in a new country. I work as an Early Childhood Educator, where I learnt about new cultures and how to eliminate these biases against others. I did my elementary education in India, where schools followed traditional teaching methods by avoiding the use of technology in the class or outside. Technology was something for me that only people who work in higher fields like engineering and medical specialists would use. That perspective changed when I came across different online tools after moving to Canada.

Due to the lack of technology exposure at a young age, I was more curious to learn about it. When I started working in a field where I documented using online tools, I could see the future where technology would be incorporated everywhere in every field. Even if it is my workplace or my online bachelor’s program, I always think about improving myself using technology and being more confident using it. I want to build my career focusing more on technology, as moving forward, there will be countless opportunities for professional growth by having knowledge about digital spaces like online learning platforms and digital tools. According to my understanding, it is very beneficial for users to understand the ethics of any online platforms or tools they use daily.