If your child’s school has chosen to begin the school year online, making the transition to learning from home can be a challenge—not just for students, but also for you and the rest of your family as you support their learning.
From crafting the right homeschool schedule to acquiring the right tech tools, getting comfortable with e-learning for kids can take some time. To help you ease the process, we’ve created a list of the best tech tools for learning from home.
Noise cancelling headphones or earbuds
Focusing while at home can be tough to begin with. Add a full house, where everyone is homeschooling or working from home, and it can be practically impossible. Help your child to focus by investing in noise cancelling headphones or earbuds for them, which reduce outside noise and help students focus on the class or task at hand.
Smartphone stand
Let’s face it—most families don’t have enough laptops, desktops, or tablets to allow everyone to work and learn from home at the same time. Sometimes kids might have to use smartphones to watch classes.
When this is necessary, it is useful to have a smartphone stand on-hand so their arm doesn’t get tired from holding the device, and so they’re less tempted to use other apps. Consider creating a rotation schedule between students in your home, so everyone is getting the most out of their online education. These measures can prevent neck and hand strain and make learning from home much more comfortable.
Portable LED lighting
Your student may move between different work stations around the house, like a desk, dining table, or kitchen counter. For learning on the go, portable LED lighting can illuminate textbooks, homework, and anything else your student is working on. A simple, easy-to-use, but invaluable tech tool, LED lighting can prevent eye strain in dimly=lit areas.
Magnetic, wipe-off calendar organizer
Creating and maintaining a homeschool schedule can be a difficult task for students as well as their parents. Help your children stay on task with a simple dry erase calendar. Available in weekly or monthly styles, these can help the whole family plan their time. Create and stick to a structured learning from home schedule by posting this organizing tool in a common area like the kitchen or living room. If you choose to invest in an online tutoring program to keep your child up to speed academically, a calendar organizer is vital for keeping track of these appointments.
4-port USB hub
Extra USB ports are like extra credit—you may not need them right now, but when you do need them, you’ll be so glad to have them as backup. A hub like this instantly adds four ports to any USB connection, so the whole family can charge their devices at the same time as they work and learn from home.
Webcam cover
Whether you or your kids need a break from an online tutoring session, class, or meeting, or you would like to protect your privacy as you use your laptop, a webcam cover comes in handy. This simple adhesive device fits neatly over the camera on most devices like laptops and smartphones, and can be opened and closed quickly and easily.
Desk pad
Especially if you have young students home learning right now, a desk pad comes in handy to protect desks, tables, and any other surface from spills, pen marks, and more. A simple, attractive non-slip surface can be used as an extended mouse pad, or even add extra cushion for the wrists.
Power strip
Power strips are an absolutely essential tech tool. As kids and parents alike plug in laptops, smartphones, e-readers, and tablets, having extra outlets comes in handy. To boot, power strips work as surge protectors, which protect sensitive electronic devices from potentially damaging power surges. Some power strips even include built-in USB ports.
Make the Most of learning from home
Simple, affordable tech tools can ease the transition to learning from home as well as remote working. Taking stock of the resources your family has, and what you’re likely to need based on your childrens’ ages and curriculum is a smart first step. Once you’ve assessed your family’s needs, you can decide which tools to invest in to ensure that you are able to support meaningful learning from home for students, create routines, stay on track, and work efficiently.
