Online teaching and tutoring have never been much easier and possible, as many online teachers, corporate trainers, and freelance trainers are now using this opportunity to teach online and also could work part-time. So, how can one perform online teaching with good connectivity, and with audio-visual reliability and clarity? This is very important to ensure that your students get the best online learning experience. Also, many online course hosting companies are looking for high-quality recorded/live audio-visual classes, and some even do tests in your interview to see how reliable your equipment is.
So, from here onwards, we’ll be walking you through all you need to know what gadgets and equipment are needed? Having this equipment will also help you become hired in the first place and experience fewer online technical difficulties.
Let’s look at the following items that we have found invaluable to help you take your teaching to next level.
While searching for the best laptop for online classes, you have to pay close attention to the camera specs. Along with this, a laptop should include features like an HD camera with built-in microphones and amazing features.
The best laptop should include a good size of memory and fast processors like the Intel Core i7/i9 or AMD or M1 chips. Also, better battery life is beneficial, you could realize this when you are away from the charging point or you have to work during traveling. Thus the best laptop will always provide a good balance between quality, features, performance, and price.
The best laptops for online teachers are those with:
- High definition screen,
- Excellent battery life
- Built-in HD camera
- Good built-in speakers
ASUS VivoBook 15 is the compact laptop that immerses you in whatever you set out to do, and is powered by AMD Ryzen 5 processor. Also, this laptop includes a high-definition screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 Pixels, a good HD camera, speakers, and excellent battery life. Asus VivoBook 15 will be a good choice for getting your classes to go online.
However, if you have to record the video then the camera with higher resolution is required, which can be used from our mobile phones or you have to get a webcam if the resolution of your old laptop or computer is not good.
Usually teaching from your smartphone is not common, but it is possible with platforms like Boxfish and Palfish. Also, if you are recording for the self-paced online courses then it is good to go with the smartphone recording. I would recommend iPhone 11 pro max or the budget phone Redmi 9.
Best Webcam for Online Teachers
I think a good quality webcam is essential and so during classes, if you don’t have a good quality visual for your students then they might lose interest as students may not be able to clearly see what you are doing if the visual is not clear as:
- Your students may find it difficult to focus on your picture and again they will get distracted.
- They might have a hard time seeing your lip movements which aid in pronunciation.
- Your students may not be able to clearly see what props are you using, or even your hand movements.
The best webcam for online teachers are those:
- Ensuring high quality, stream in HD (1080p) and at least 30fps.
- Quality at low-light performance, excellent color accuracy, and vibrancy.
- With a wide field of view, face tracking, and good autofocus.
So, the best webcam that could include all the above requirements and is suitable for online teaching is the Logitech BRIO Ultra HD.
However, in the case of the webcam’s built-in mic quality, you don’t need one. But honestly, even the best webcam mics are not up to the mark, and not nearly as high-quality as a dedicated external mic or headset, which we have listed hereafter.
Best Headsets and Microphones
Another most important requirement for online teaching is a good-quality headset or microphone. Your students should hear a loud and clear voice, thus investing in a good headset or mic with a nice crisp sound quality and the noise cancellation facility is a must.
We have compiled a list of the best headsets and best microphones required for online conferencing, which are also much suitable for online teachers. However, before going for buying, you have to decide at first that whether you want a headset with a mic built-in or to buy your headset and microphone separately.
So, if you want to go for buying a headset, you will have only one audio input to worry about, so yes it is easier to set up and work. But, as said that the audio quality will be not as good as with the dedicated external mics, though some teachers find headsets suitable while some find it uncomfortable. So it’s upon you to decide for what you want to go, kindly mention in the comments below, what do you think?
Our recommendation for the best headset is Blue-Parrot B550-XT Bluetooth Headset, while the best microphone is Blue Yeti USB Mic.
Best lighting for Online Teachers
Lighting impacts your video quality, yes when you have amazing online classroom lighting then your students could be able to see you clearly and will even produce better video quality. So, I think that investing in quality lighting is worth it!
You can find a range of different lighting equipment’s from umbrella lighting, softboxes and more. The easiest and comfortable to your pocket lighting solution is just a ring light.
In the case of ring lights, it’s better to have a light with a white and orange color filter, where you can adjust the color of light. Also, it is convenient to have dimmable LED bulbs with a wide dimming range, using this feature you can adjust the light intensity as per your requirement.
So, our recommendation for the best ring light is the Neewer Ring Light.
Best whiteboard and Green screen
A whiteboard is a most important teaching aid, preferred by teachers most of the time as it is a handy tool to illustrate concepts, spell our words, and more.
You can choose either an online whiteboard or a physical whiteboard. I would recommend you to go for the latter one, for a conventional teacher it is much easier to hold it up to the camera rather than switching your browser tabs to access the online whiteboard.
Moreover, it is necessary to have a background for your classroom, where a green screen comes into the picture. Using a green screen, you can be more creative as you can replace your background with anything you desire through the chroma-key effect. This can be done by using any free video editing software like Hitfilm. Also, you can be creative in your teaching as you can add animations to the background, this will help students to understand concepts more clearly.
Overall, for the whiteboard, we would recommend the U Brands Contempo Magnetic Dry Erase Board. It is durable, resistant to staining, and small enough which makes it easy to mount on your wall or desk. For the Green screen, our recommendation is EMART Green Screen Backdrop.
Best tripod stands
If you are recording your video or performing live online classes, then you should have well stable and balanced light weight tripod stand. This stand should be adjustable at different heights with the 360° rotation function, these features will assist you to shoot your video content professionally.
Our recommendation for the best tripod stand is Flexible Tripod from any of these bestselling tripoids like: Amazon basics or UBeesize or Eocean (Gulf amazon store only).
Final thoughts
The equipment listed above are very much essential for setting up an comfortable and efficient online classroom. From the technical gear to the teaching tools, all will help you to impress your students and keep them focused without any disturbance. Let us know what is your favorite online teaching equipment that you will recommend for new online teachers? kindly comment below!
