In this age, where everything is going through a transition of moving from offline to online mode, education is not an exception. We have developed a habit of doing everything from the comfort of home using the internet.
Even before the coronavirus attack, online education was very much in existence. We are very familiar with online courses that are available on sites like Udemy, Byju’s on every subject.
All these courses have already made self-teaching a lot easier.
However, there is no denying the fact that the COVID 19 pandemic has surely accelerated the process of moving forward from classroom teaching to online teaching to a great extent.
Almost all the sectors of most of the countries have fallen prey to this pandemic and the education sector has also received a major blow.
According to reports of UNESCO, almost 1.4 billion students in 186 countries are now not being able to attend schools due to this pandemic situation.
In India, only there are more than 300 million students in 1.4 million schools and 51000 colleges, and now all of them are at home, as till now, the schools are physically closed. (source SmeFutures.)
However, the whole education system has not come to a halt completely. We can proudly say that the schools and colleges have recovered fast from the sudden shock and now most of the schools and colleges are conducting classes online.
Not only teachers are taking classes but schools and colleges are also conducting regular exams for the students and taking assignments from them.
The way educational institutions are trying to normalize the situation and the teachers are giving their best efforts to teach their students the same way that they used to teach in the classrooms is pretty commendable.
So, to make it easier for the teachers, here in this article I am going to talk about some online teaching gadgets that will help the teachers to conduct their online classes more effectively.
Table of Contents
List of Best Gadgets Essential for Online Teaching in 2023
Each of these gadgets has been chosen carefully and is among the best of their categories.
So, if you are a teacher who is interested in making your classes flawless then this article is going to help you with all the necessary equipment.
Now let’s go ahead with the products.
TP-Link TL-WR841N Wireless Router
A strong internet connection is the most important thing required for conducting an online class without any disturbances.
So, here is a recommended router that will provide a smooth LAN connection.
The router has two high-quality 5dBi external antennas, which can cover a wider range and each has a 2.4 GHz band. It can provide a speed of a maximum of 300 Mbps.
Its connector type is RJ-45 which is supported by ISPs all over India.
The router supports 802.11n standard and is also backward compatible with 802.11 b/g products.
Its four ethernet ports help in providing fast connection and its WPS button helps in maintaining secure connection by setting up a WPA or WPA2 encrypted connection. It also supports the recent IP version 6.
Some other advanced features available on this router are –
- There is a white list and blacklist function with which you can allow or deny a particular device from accessing your LAN connection,
- There is also a parental control facility for controlling children’s internet access, and
- With its IP based bandwidth, you can control how much bandwidth can be allotted to each PC or other devices using the internet.
This wifi router is ideal for home or office use and can also be used for continuous HD video streaming or online gaming.
Read more: Best Dual band Wifi Routers in India
Gorilla Tripod for Holding Smartphone
If you want to record your class beforehand on your mobile phone or your camera then you will be needing a tripod. Here is one of the best from the wide range of tripods.
This one is a heavy-duty tripod made up of ABS, which makes it durable than any other camera tripod made up of plastic.
It has flexible, wrappable stands with more than two dozen flexible points, which can be used for wrapping the legs anywhere, any way you want.
Its rotating sphere ensures that it has a high load-bearing capacity thus, it is not only suitable for mobile phones but also heavy DSLR cameras.
Also, it can hold the device for a long period without causing any disturbances. And you don’t have to worry whether your device will fall from the tripod.
The tripod has an accurate angle mechanism that allows you to fix the phone on the tripod at any of your desired angles while shooting.
And its clasp-based lock ensures that the device remains at that same angle even if you are shooting for a long period.
It also comes with a fee holder which can hold any device and can also be used with other Gorillapod or mini tripods.
This mini tripod is portable and lightweight, thus you can carry it anywhere for shooting.
Since it can hold mobile phones, you can also use it for watching videos by keeping the phone there. And this tripod is also suitable for shooting in a rough environment.
Graphics Drawing Tablet for Online Teaching
Graphic tablets can work as a whiteboard while teaching online.
Teachers can easily share the screen of the tablet with their students and make them understand things through board works as they used to do in class.
Here is a graphic tablet without a display which is enough for teaching classes and also comes with a low budget.
This device is compatible with both computers and mobile phones. In the case of phones, it can be connected to only Android devices having Android OS 6.0 or later.
This lightweight graphic tablet weighs around 258 gms and has a working space of 6.3 * 4 inches. However, if you are sharing its screen with mobile then the working space becomes 4.02 * 2.5 inches. It has a thickness of 8 mm.
On the surface, there are 4 expression keys whose functions you can customize as per your requirement.
The screen has a 5080 LPI resolution and a 266 PPS report rate.
The tablet comes with a battery-free PW100 stylus which has 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity. It also has a customizable button.
Along with the tablet and the stylus, the package also contains 10 replaceable pen nibs, a micro USB OTG adapter and a USB Type C OTG adapter, a micro USB cable, and a hand glove for the user.
This is one of the latest technology gadgets for education in.
Headband Microphone
While teaching online it is very important that whatever you are saying is reaching your students properly.
For that, you will require a good microphone, which will deliver your words smoothly without any latency.
Here is one which can come to aid.
This microphone has a cable length of 6 meters so that you can use it even sitting at a distance from your laptop.
The microphone has both condenser and cardioid elements along with a condenser headband.
Its frequency response is 50 to 16000 Hz and sensitivity is 5.6 mV/Pa. And the nominal impedance of this microphone is 1000W.
It requires a voltage of 1.5V.
However, this noise-canceling microphone is mainly suitable for PCs and is not to be used with mobile phones.
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1080P Webcam with Microphone
If you are the one to use monitors instead of laptops or phones then this next item is for you. It is a 2 in 1 product, a webcam along with a built-in microphone.
The webcam has a full HD resolution of 1080 pixels, which provides crisp images and crystal clear video at a rate of 30 frames per second.
Its 6 layer glass HD lense along with 1/2.8″ CMOS image sensor provides high-quality video with rich colors.
It has a light correction and HDR technology which automatically adjusts brightness and colors as per ambiance and thus provides a nice video calling experience even in dim light.
Also, it has a facial enhancement facility that will make you look the best during your video calling.
The camera also has a privacy shutter which not only protects the lens cap hood cover but can also be used if you don’t want to show your face while live streaming and just wants to use the mic.
The microphone has a noise reduction facility and can capture sound within a distance of 5 meters, thus it is perfect for the online class or video conferences.
This device can be operated just by connecting it through a USB 2.0 cable.
It is compatible with Windows 7/ 8/ 10, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Android version 5 or above, Chrome OS version 29.0 or above, and Mac OS X.
With this webcam, you as a teacher can do live webinars, take live classes, and also record your teaching video.
This is one of the best gadgets for both teaching and learning.
Samson Go Mic
If your only problem while conducting class online is that your students cannot hear your voice properly then that problem is now solved. This item here is your solution.
It is a portable condenser microphone that can be operated by connecting it using a USB cable. This microphone does not require any
Whether you are using a desktop or a laptop, this mic can help you. You can place it on the desk on which your monitor is placed or you can clip it at the top of your laptop and can use it.
The device is compatible with Mac and Windows.
It has a switchable cardioid or omnidirectional pickup pattern. The frequency response is 20 Hz to 1800 Hz and the output has no latency.
The package comes with a USB cable, cable clip, and a carry case.
This microphone is ideal for online teaching, video conference, gaming, or live streaming.
Moreover, it can also be used for music recording, podcasting and field recording, and voice recognition software.
Whiteboard for Teaching
Though with the progression of everything we are now talking about graphic tablets to show board works but if you are a believer of traditional methods this item is for you.
A whiteboard can give your students the feel of a real classroom and also it can make it easier for you to teach certain things.
This whiteboard here has a smooth scratch-free surface which provides a pleasant writing experience. The surface is magnetic and thus, it can be used for sticking magnets or magnetic objects.
The size of the board is 1.5 x 2 feet.
The board can be easily wiped and does not retain ghost marks after erasing. It also has high scratch resistance.
Thus, overall the board provides maximum readability with minimum glare. The board also has built-in hanging clips.
The frame on all four sides is made up of satin finish alloy aluminum and holds the board with such precision that it lies completely flat.
You can hang it horizontally or vertically.
Once you set the board properly in front of your monitor or laptop you will be all set for your online class from home.
Samsung Galaxy M21
Though in today’s date almost everyone has a smartphone with them and most of us even use them for video chatting or attending online classes.
Still here is a smartphone that you can use for conducting online classes. Also, Samsung is one of the best companies for smartphones.
So, if you are looking for a change, you can go for this one, with its smart features and low budget it is an excellent choice.
This model of Samsung Galaxy M21 has 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of internal memory storage which is expandable up to 512 GB by using a micro SD card.
The operating system used on this phone is Andriod 10.0 and it has an octa-core processor.
This phone has 6.4 inches of super AMOLED screen with an infinity u cut display.
It has a full HD resolution with 2340 x 1080 pixels, the pixel density is 404 PPI and it also has 16M color support.
It runs on a 6000 mAh battery which also has a 15W fast charging facility with a USB Type C port.
One of the best features of this phone is its triple camera setup. It has a 48 MP primary camera along with an 8 MP ultra-wide camera which has a 123 degree of field of view and a 5 MP depth camera.
It also has a front camera of 20 MP.
The phone provides extra security with a fast face unlock and fingerprint scanner.
It has Dolby Atmos audio system, which is supported in the stereo headset and is suitable for streaming HD content.
So overall if you do not have the facility of setting up a laptop or a monitor for online classes this smartphone can be a perfect alternative.
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 laptop for Online Classes
Due to the pressure of all these online classes if you are thinking of buying a laptop to take the classes properly as it cannot be done properly from your smartphone, here is one recommended for you.
The first thing about this laptop that will attract you is that it flips. It is a 2 in 1 laptop. Also, Asus is a well-known company for laptops, phones, etc.
This laptop has a 14 inches full HD screen with LED-backlit glare IPS level touch display. It has 250 nits brightness, 45% NTSC, and 82% screen to body ratio.
It has the Intel Core i3 10th Gen processor with a DDR4 RAM of capacity 4 GB and an SSD of 512 GB. There is a slot for a memory card through which the memory can be expanded to up to 12 GB.
It is also equipped with an Intel Integrated UHD graphic processor with 2 cores and a 4 MB cache memory.
This laptop works on the Windows 10 Home operating system with 64-bit system architecture.
It has a built-in array microphone and built-in speakers.
The ports available on this laptop are –
- Two USB 2.0 Type A ports,
- One USB 3.2 (1st Gen) Type A port,
- One USB 3.2 (1st Gen) Type C port,
- One HDMI Port version 1.4, and
- A 2 in 1 card reader slot for SD and MMC cards.
The laptop has a VGA webcam with a privacy shutter, a lock system that opens with a fingerprint sensor, and a backlit chiclet keyboard.
It comes with a pre-installed MS Office Home and Students 2019.
Along with the laptop and its power adapter, the package also delivers a stylus for its touch screen.
It is one of the best laptops that you can get for online classes.
Read more: Best laptops in India for Video Editing & Photoshop
Big LED Ring Light for Recording Videos
The last one on the list is a ring light. This is important if you want to maintain a surrounding where the light will focus on you while conducting online classes. However, you can use it only if you are using a smartphone for taking classes.
This ring light can be controlled using the IR remote and there are also nobs on the stand for adjusting its height.
It comes with a 360-degree rotating phone holder with a retractable tripod, so that you can fix the phone at any angle as you require.
There is also a wireless selfie controller using which you can directly take pictures.
You can control the color temperature and also there are various modes of lighting that you can control using the remote.
Its battery status can be seen from the indicator link at the back of the stand.
Moreover, you can also use this ring light for doing a photoshoot at home by yourself. This equipment is required for online classes if you don’t have adequate lighting in your room.
Conclusion
Though we are eagerly waiting for this coronavirus pandemic to get over and students are thinking every day when they will go back to their schools or colleges, it still seems that it is not going to be over soon.
So, it is better for the teachers to rather set up a comfortable classroom environment at their home with these essential gadgets which will make their work easier and will also be beneficial for their students.
Also, online teaching is creating a good impression on all of us, so you never know, it may retain even after this pandemic gets over.
Then it will become a necessity for the teachers to have these gadgets required for online teaching from their home.
