Gadgets - Online learning

Trying to deliver teaching solely online has made me hunt around for gadgets to help me deliver my programme. There's only so much one can do by sharing your screen and typing! It is not very engaging for the viewers and some things are just poorly done via text input from a keyboard.

The issue is/was: cost. There are some AWESOME things available but boy, they can really cost an arm and a leg, and as a fourth year teacher the pay isn't something to rave about. And besides, without being able to fiddle around and use it in a store (Level 4 lockdown) first, it was hard to choose something you KNEW you'd work for the money you could afford to pay.

I found that using my finger on my laptop touch pad was a poor tool when trying to handwrite numbers and equations on a virtual whiteboard. I stumbled across a writing tablet that was a) really cheap and b) worked really well!  

Huion Inspiroy H430P Osu! Pen Tablet

It requires no batteries, just plugs in the side of your laptop (for the price, no bluetooth!) and works a treat. Once you get your brain around the mapping from the tablet to your screen area, you're away laughing. Free software download. Quick to install and use. A bit of practice and my numbers started looking awesome. I got it on special from PB Tech for $59.00 although it normally retails for around $68.00. Rating: 5/5 for price/value/ease of use.  Link to PB Tech is in the title and the image. 

The next item I stumbled upon was after several attempts at finding a document type camera. They were from a few hundred to thousands of dollars. Way beyond my budget and also any benefits. After going down the rabbit hole many times, I came across these:

IPEVO Mirror-Cam

These fold up, have a mirror on them and come in a 6 pack (plus a small whiteboard). They are placed over your laptop webcam (so will only be as good as your inbuilt camera) and they point down over your keyboard.  Downloaded software flips the image so you are presenting everything the right way up. I have ordered them from Amazon and I am eagerly awaiting their arrival!  If they work well, they could be part of our kit in the classroom or for kids at home to use. It would allow us to see what they are writing at home, maths work as they do it etc. In class, it will allow easy photo taking of hard copy work to upload online and to record themselves working out problems as evidence. Fingers crossed they are as useful and work as well as I hope!  At around $40 for 6 it isn't a lot to spend for what possibilities they will open. I'll update my blog with the results once they arrive. Link to Amazon is in the title above.

I bought myself a small microphone to make recordings clearer and less like I am in an area where the acoustics are rough, a ring light to make myself look more beautiful (ha ha!) and I'm sure there will be other purchases, partly to satisfy my need to BUY SOMETHING but also to hopefully make any distance learning easier for me AND my tamariki.