Happy Holidays teachers! As we are gearing up for the holiday madness both inside and outside the classroom, I wanted to get you started with my 2021 Online Teacher Holiday Gift Guide. What kind of holiday shopper are you? I used to be a get all my shopping done once Black Friday hits shopper. But now? Now it’s spread out. November, December, and January are sheer craziness for us. In that time frame we have 4 birthdays, one of which we throw a party for, Thanksgiving – which we do huge because it’s my husband’s favorite, Christmas – which is my favorite, and the new year. All of this spans starting with Thanksgiving week through the first week of January. To say it is expensive would be an understatement.
I have started spreading it out and it’s worked so much better this year!I started buying birthday and Christmas presents this summer. It’s taken a ton of pressure off. So, that’s why I wanted to get my 2121 Online Teacher Holiday Gift Guide into your hands early. I know there are early shoppers! So, inside this episode I am going to share with you 7 gifts that the online teacher in your life is sure to love. Now, just a disclaimer, in the coming weeks, months, and beyond, some of these are, or will be affiliate links. It changes nothing for you, it just gives me a small commission if you purchase through my link. It’s just a little way to help support my podcasting passion while also letting you get something in return! You can find the links in the show notes, or at onlineteacherallyson.com/holidaygiftguide.
Blue Light Glasses
My first gift falls under the ‘don’t knock it ‘til you try it’ category. I’m sure you’ve heard of them. You probably know of people who have them and swear by them. But, what are your feelings on blue light glasses? I’ll be the first to admit I was pretty resistant to them. I didn’t think they would do anything, and I didn’t want to waste the money. However, I recently found them in the Target Dollar Spot and decided it was a price I was willing to pay to give them a try. Boy oh boy, what have I been waiting for? These glasses majorly cut down on eye fatigue. I’m able to work late into the night and not have my sleep affected. I honestly don’t know how I functioned so long without them.
You’ll be able to find these virtually anywhere from Amazon to Eye Buy Direct to Felix and Grey. One downside to these glasses, however, is the glare when teaching online. I am still unable to wear these when I am teaching a live lesson or recording. The light across from me bounces off the glasses lens. You can see the reflection from my monitor in the glasses. This makes is hard to see my eyes and I fear it can create a disconnect and lack of personable connection. However, there’s still tons of time to wear these when you’re grading, lesson planning, converting your paper files into electronic and so on.
Laminator and matte lamination sheets
Next up on the 2021 Online Teacher Holiday Gift Guide is a laminator. What teacher doesn’t love a fresh stack of freshly laminated papers? Something about it always made me feel prepared, invincible, and ready to take on the lesson. I have loved having my online materials laminated for my lessons. It doesn’t get banged up as easily on my desk. It travels better. It lasts between different class sections. However, there has been a learning curve to finding out the best way to laminate my materials. Remember the glare I previously mentioned on the glasses? Well, laminated materials have the same glare. But, I have a fix! When purchasing your at home laminator, make sure you also buy the matte lamination sheets. The matte doesn’t have the shine that the light bounces off of. It lets you hold it up to the camera without the shine from traditional lamination.
As far as laminators go, there are a lot of options. However, a crowd favorite is the Amazon Basics 9-Inch Thermal Laminating Machine. At the time of this recording, it costs $29.64, so it won’t break the bank either. And, if you’re a Prime member, remember 2 day shipping is free! As for the laminating sheets, you won’t have any problem finding one that fits. Matte ones are harder to find, but the Oregon Lamination Premium Store has a pack of 100 for $42.96 at the time of this recording.
Logitech C920 Webcam
What good is freshly laminated pages warm off the machine without a quality webcam? A quality webcam can make or break the fine details in some images. It also helps your classroom lighting without breaking the bank. I’ll get to another lighting option in a minute, but this could be a 2 for one fix. I know many computers come with built in webcams these days, but their quality is, well, not great. I’ve seen side by side photos of classroom before and after a quality webcam. Nothing else has changed, but the difference in lighting is hard to miss. A favorite webcam among online teachers is the Logitech C920. On the Logitech website, it is $69.99. This is an HD webcam with a privacy shutter, so if you’re one that likes to cover the camera when not in use, this is a great option for you.
Ring light
If you are interested in a different way to improve your lighting, then I highly, highly recommend a ring light. Ring lights are compact and don’t take up much room in your classroom. My favorite ring light feature is the height adjustment. By lifting up my ring light and allowing it to shine down on top of me instead of directly in front of me, I gave a more natural lighting effect. Think about it, natural light is touted as the best lighting, and it’s considered the best when the sun is shining overhead. I was able to replicate this artificially by making my ring light the ‘sun’. I also decreased my eye fatigue by having the light shine down on me instead of directly in my face. You know what happens when you look directly at the sun. You can’t see, your brain says ‘Hey! Wait! Look away!’ and, if you’re anything like me, you start sneezing. Light above your head instead of your face? It fixes all this as well. And finally, having the light higher up avoided some of the dreaded glare in my blue light glasses, my laminated materials, and any extra device – like my phone or tablet – that I was holding up to the camera.
There are a ton of ring lights to choose from clip ons to those decked out in accessories. A highly rated middle of the road ring light is the UBeesize, I hope I’m saying that right. Remember, it will be linked in the show notes and on onlineteacherallyson.com/holidaygiftguide . The UBeesize 12” ring light with Tripod. It has an adjustable height, which I mentioned before, 5 brightness levels, phone holder within the tripod, and a bluetooth shutter. It is currently priced at $36.99 on Amazon and is Prime eligible.
Sit to stand desk
What good are all of these gadgets without a comfortable desk? I love the option of being able to sit or stand depending on my fatigue level and the lesson. When I am feeling more tired, I find standing up helps me to wake up and reinvest in the lesson. Also, some lessons are just easier when standing. I don’t know what it is, but I always felt like I taught math most effectively when I was standing. Are you the same way? What subject or subjects do you teach best while standing? Sit to stand desks used to be wildly expensive. However, since the start of the pandemic, the prices have become much more affordable with the increased need and demand for them.
One desk that online teachers have raved about is the Fezibo electric height adjustable standing desk with drawer. The price varies from $259.99-$339.99 depending on the color you choose.They currently have a $40 off coupon you can clip when you purchase off Amazon. What makes this one so popular is it’s ease. With the push of a button you can adjust the desk from a sitting to a standing desk. It doesn’t take long and can be transitioned quickly. The desk itself is pretty simple. It doesn’t have a ton of huge drawers or storage space, but it is the perfect size for a small, minimalistic look.
Headset with attached microphone
Online teachers have different preferences when teaching, but I prefer to teach with a headset and microphone. I’ve tried a few in my time from my husband’s gaming headphones, typical wired and wireless earbuds, and middle of the road headphones. I have been using MPOW headphones for the past year and a half and am loving them. They are lightweight, noise canceling, and have an attached microphone. They can plug into my headphone jack or via usb port. They have a small remote that allows you to change the volume up and down, mute yourself, and turn off the sound entirely. It’s quick and easy to use and works very well in the online classroom.
Green screen software
My next recommendation is for the techy online teacher in your life. What is it you ask? Well my friend, the answer is a green screen. If you’re thinking ‘What?! That sounds crazy?!’ I get it. I used to be you. When I first started online teaching I didn’t know why anybody would want the same technology that the weathermen use. That just seemed excessive. However, after watching online teachers rock their lessons with these, my mind has changed completely. I don’t operate a green screen in my classes because I don’t have the specs in my computer to handle the online lesson, any internet tabs I may be using, and the green screen. If your computer can handle it, I highly recommend Manycam, OBS (which is free), or Camtwist. Which software you will use depends on your operating system, so do a little research before you decide.
Green screen background
The investment will be in the green screen itself. I have seen scrappy teachers use cheap green tablecloths from Party City. I’ve also seen them mounted with a piece of fabric, or an official green screen. I’ve also seen small portable pieces that fit on the back of an office chair. There is a type of green screen for any online classroom.
But what do you use it for? This is where you get creative! I’ve seen it used as a reward system – throw some stars up on the screen to let your students know they’re doing a great job! I’ve also seen it used as a secondary screen of sorts. They can show vocabulary words like ‘boil’, ‘snow’, display a timer to let your students know how much time is left to complete an activity, and so much more. Students always have so much fun with the green screen and it really elevates the lesson. Learning the green screen software can take some time, so make sure you have time to play with it before you officially launch it inside your classroom. Winter break is a great time for this tinkering!
Canva
Finally, I want to recommend Canva. I use Canva regularly for presentations, handouts, graphics, and so much more. Canva has a free option, as well as a paid for plan. Inside of the free option, there are still hundreds and hundreds of features available to use for the classroom and any side hustles. However, the paid version completely unlocks the website. As a teacher, you are eligible for Canva for Educators. This is a paid for plan for free as long as you sign up with your school email.
Are you an online teacher without the official email address – like me?! I’ve got you covered, too, freelance teachers. Canva comes at a reasonable price. It is $12.99 a month, or $119.99 when billed annually. Make sure you grab the link in the show notes, or at onlineteacherallyson.com/holidaygiftguide.
What’s on your wish list?
Ok teacher friends, that is it for the 2021 Online Teacher Holiday Gift Guide. What item is on your wishlist? For me, it’s a standing desk! Are you going to brave the green screen? Or, would you rather upgrade your classroom tech with the Logitech webcam or ring light? Whatever you choose, I would love to see it in use in your classroom! How has it helped? Do you have any tech gifts you’d like to recommend? Let us know that as well! Happy Holidays, teacher friends! Chat soon!
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