Okay, so we know distance learning is the new way of teaching…well at least for now! When distance learning first rolled out, it was a bit chaotic and frustrating. I literally felt like I was not prepared. I mean your girl only had a small amount of time to learn how to do this whole distance learning thing in like 2 days (I am sure we all can relate). But trust me when I tell you this. There are 3 magical pieces of equipment that will take your distance learning to the next level! I am talking TOTAL GAME CHANGER! 
If only I knew about these 3 pieces from the start, I would have saved myself some time and troubles. But hey, trial and error, right? What matters now is that I have my teacher budget items and I feel much more confident teaching distance learning style!
Item Number 1: Gooseneck Long Arm Phone Holder
The first week was a piece of cake and went very well. Then again, it was the first week so things were pretty simple and there wasn’t a whole lot to do. The disastrous mess began the second week of distance learning. I don’t even like thinking back on it. Approaching the second week, I knew I had to start recording math videos because I could not do the long explanation emails over and over again. It was draining and time-consuming so that forced me to get creative. I started by stacking books and leaning random items against each other so I could prop my phone up. I literally thought I could record myself completing the problems in the math book with no issues. But surely enough, my DIY method turned into an epic fail. I am sure you guessed that everything fell over and let us just say the video was a disastrous mess. So like any teacher, I took a trip to Amazon and found this precious treasure. The best part is it came in a rose gold color (my fave) and literally solved my problem. Using this gooseneck phone holder, I have been able to get a clear overhead shot of myself working out the math problems in the math book. The best part is I can still wear my PJs while filming since only my hands are in the shot!
Item Number 2: Tripod
Tripod!!! Another Game Changer! Now yes, you can use the Gooseneck Phone Holder, but that works best with overhead shots since it must be clamped onto an edge of a table or counter. The tripod comes in handy if you need to film yourself talking to the camera. Say goodbye to holding your phone or camera while doing this! The tripod will do all of that for you and minimizes the risk of any movement because a wobbly video is never a good look.
An exciting thing about the tripod is that it comes with a Bluetooth remote (Woohoo)! This means you do not have to worry about getting up to hit the record button! Talk about a win-win. If you want a tripod for a more close up or for some fun selfies, I really like the ring light tripod as well!
Item Number 3: Studio Lights
Do you know what else looked like a disastrous mess? My lighting! I looked like I was in a dark cave in my videos or even in my Zoom and Google Hangout meetings ( can you say unprofessional). See, I am a firm believer in natural lighting… BUT lets face it, natural lighting doesn’t always work. For instance, the days I filmed, it was gloomy and raining outside and that just didn’t work for me. I was done with the dark videos and only waiting to film at certain times in the day in order to get good lighting.
Studio lights made my iPhone videos look so professional and these studio lights were definitely in my teacher budget. We all know lighting is a key factor in creating a GREAT image, so these studio lights were a definite game changer and TOTALLY worth it.
Clearly…
none of my DIY methods seemed to work and of course, that led to frustration! But you know that saying, “there is always a light at the end of the tunnel?” Well, it is true. My light at the end of the tunnel was taking my distance learning experience to the next level by buying a few pieces of equipment that fit my teacher budget! Only a few pieces of equipment to incorporate were a MAJOR GAME CHANGER for me!
I felt more confident knowing that my lighting is ALWAYS on point, my students get good quality videos, and I don’t have to worry about setting up random household items to prop my phone up. It is honestly the little things that can make the biggest difference and I now feel a million times more confident teaching and running virtual meetings during distance learning!
Distance Learning Equipment
The Equipment Items you NEED for Distance Learning
🌟Gooseneck Long Arm Phone Holder: https://amzn.to/3dgLxdd
🌟Tripod with blue tooth remote (51″): https://amzn.to/3c5H1xS
🌟Tripod with ring light (10″): https://amzn.to/35ve3os
🌟Studio Lights: https://amzn.to/2xuDtpN
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