Best Online Teaching Tools For Teachers & Students During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the entire schooling system not only in India but also across the world. As the academic year was coming to an end in March 2020, the unexpected surge of coronavirus cases put a temporary halt to the formal education system in the country.

By June 2020, when schools were scheduled to reopen, the upsurge in the positive COVID-19 cases pushed the schooling system to adopt a new practice of using online teaching tools and conduct online classrooms.

We, as a country, are in the transition phase in the domain of education. Creating virtual learning set up to support the academic curriculum came as completely alien, accompanied by a massive learning curve for most educational institutes. Virtual learning and digital classroom equipment for teaching online have allowed schools and colleges to continue educating students without disrupting the exchange of knowledge between the tutor and the student. The Indian education system has responded well to this unimaginable situation. As the saying goes, “necessity is the mother of invention”, educational institutes have started implementing technology-based solutions and using online teaching tools to develop the capacity for online education.

Before implementing the technology, attention must be paid to help students and teachers adopt these technologies to the best effect. A flexible solution that supports the different teaching activities required for different subjects and student groups has to be put in place.

One of the other challenges is to get the right set of products to create a seamless teaching and learning experience for the teachers and students respectively. Educational institutes have to make arrangements to procure the appropriate online teaching tools for students and teachers.

Let us talk about some of the necessary online teaching tools to make this virtual learning experience smoother for both the students and the teachers.

Essential Distance Learning Equipment

Technology is continuously transforming the classroom experience. Each year, we find new and improved online teaching devices hitting the market that has also become primary and useful online teaching tools.

Laptops

Laptops are among those online teaching tools that give students and teachers good speed and high performance to further enhance their learning and teaching experience. Teachers need to conduct video conferencing with students for long hours. They have to maintain records related to student performance and attendance, deliver and check assignments, conduct online exams, prepare and deliver reports to the school admin and communicate with their peers. Students have to attend classes online, stay connected with their classmates and teachers, and work on assignments. For all these functions and more, one can find a wide range of laptops at competitive prices from Amazon Business like the Lenovo Ideapad S145 that delivers powerful performance with the AMD A6-9225 processor and 4 GB RAM. The Ideapad gives enough firepower to perform multiple tasks without slowing down. Laptops with such similar configurations as the HP 14 10th Gen Intel Core i5 14-inch HD Laptop and  Mi Notebook Horizon Edition 14 Intel Core i5-10210U 10th Gen have now become one of the staple online learning and online teaching tools.

Tablets

With technological advancements, tablets have started offering a lot of value in performing tasks when learning online. Their compact size and good performance make it one of the effective online teaching tools. Students find tablets very comfortable to use, so they treat them like books. They are also much more affordable than laptops.

Be it video conferencing for online classes, working on spreadsheets and documents for assignments, or presentations in the form of slideshows, tablets have slowly occupied the space of an essential online learning and online teaching tool for both students and teachers.

Some examples of affordable tablets that can be bought on Amazon Business are the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.1 and the Lenovo Tab M10 HD Tablet. They come with high-speed performance and adequate storage for a seamless and enjoyable experience. The powerful processor on these tablets makes multitasking smooth and easy. Amazon Business also provides tablets like the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 that are a hybrid of tablet and laptop. These high-performance hybrid tablets come with an attachable keyboard, larger display, and powerful processor for a laptop-like experience and are popular online teaching tools among students and teachers.

Routers and Modems

Routers and modems play an important role in connecting individuals to the internet. When learning has taken the online path, it is essential to have an uninterrupted internet connection for seamless learning and teaching experience. This is where routers and modems have become vital equipment for teaching online.

Due to progress in technology, we now have wireless routers and modems. For people wanting to buy such wireless devices, Amazon Business offers premium routers like the TP-link N300 WiFi Wireless Router TL-WR845N, Tenda AC10 AC1200 Wireless Smart Dual-Band Gigabit WiFi Router, and the Linksys Dual-Band AC1200 MU-MIMO WiFi 5 Fast Router. Customers can get exclusive discounts from Amazon Business on purchasing such online teaching tools.

Headsets

For a smooth e-learning experience from the comfort of one’s home, it is necessary to ensure that there is no disturbance by the activities at home, nor are the online classes a disturbance to the family. To this effect, headphones with a mic play an important role. Students and teachers can interact clearly with each other using headsets.

Headphones have made their place in the list of online teaching tools. They provide more clarity to students during their classes while also canceling external disturbances to some extent. The HP B4B09PA Headphones with Mic, Jabra Elite 45h, On-Ear Wireless Headphones, and boAt Bassheads 900 On Ear Wired Headphones are some examples of different headsets at different price ranges that one can procure from Amazon Business.

Printers

In a scenario where teaching has gone virtual using online teaching tools, printing newsletters, textbooks, workbooks, yearbooks, and even 3D printing for arts and crafts becomes essential. Hence, buying a printer that meets all these requirements makes sense.

With Amazon Business, procuring printers is hassle-free due to the variety of available options and their easy return and replacement procedures. Amazon Business provides discounted prices for most branded printers, such as the HP DeskJet 2331 All-in-One Inkjet Colour Printer, Canon E4270 All-in-One Ink Efficient WiFi Printer with FAX/ADF/Duplex Printing, HP 310 All-in-One Ink Tank Colour Printer, and Brother DCP-T420W All-in One Ink Tank.

Essential Online Teaching Accessories

Apart from the above-mentioned devices essential for a seamless virtual learning experience, one also needs to have a list of stationery items in place for a hassle-free learning environment that supplements other online teaching tools.

White Board

Whiteboards are perfect for writing notes, presenting diagrams, writing to-do lists, and planning schedules for teachers. It is primarily used by teachers to write, draw, and explain subjects to students. Therefore, whiteboards are crucial equipment for teaching online as well as offline.

Whiteboards are the best replacement for chalkboards when it comes to online teaching since they are dust-free and easier to maintain, just like the AmazonBasics Whiteboard Drywipe Magnetic with Pen Tray and Aluminium Trim that can be easily procured from Amazon Business.

Markers

When using whiteboards, it is imperative to have markers to go along with them. Whiteboard markers write clear and smooth on whiteboard surfaces and are easy to erase. Brainstorm, ideate, and make lessons interesting using various ink colors like the Cello Whitemate Vivid Whiteboard Marker. These markers are ideal for office, school, and home use. With Amazon Business, one does not have to look further to procure these products.

Dusters

In line with the above two accessories, one will also need a duster to erase the whiteboard and present fresh ideas and notes. Dusters like the National- Magnetic White Board Duster are ideal as they hang on to all magnetic whiteboards or the Yajnas Non Magnetic White Board Duster that works well with all popular whiteboard and chalkboard surfaces.

Notepads and Pens

For virtual learning to be successful, it has to combine elements of online education with the formal system of classroom learning. Hence, the use of books and pens are as important as the use of laptops and tablets. Notepads such as the Jaitik NotePad/Diary/Notebook with Sticky Notes & Pen will come in very handy for students to take notes, make diagrams, use as a rough working space for class assignments or create reminders and lists.

Creating the Ideal Classroom Setup

Irrespective of being a student or a teacher, online education can have an impact only when it is done systematically, lending a professional touch to the entire experience. Apart from procuring online teaching tools and other necessary accessories, it is also vital to have a good learning and teaching atmosphere at home.

Students, as well as teachers, have to choose the right place at home to have pleasant learning and teaching experience. A well-lit and spacious environment is what they should be looking for. They need to choose a corner that is not distracting to them. To create a more conducive learning and teaching experience, having the perfect combination of a study table and chair is vital. A table like the Decornation Study Table Desk that is sturdy and has ample space to keep laptop or desktop, books, and other essential things and also provides adequate writing space is the perfect companion. Combining this table with the RW REST WELL N Type Comfortable Visitor/Study Metal Chair with Cushion that has a comfortable footrest and PU foam cushion and backrest will provide a more comfortable seating arrangement.

Amazon Business By Your Side

The biggest advantage that Amazon Business provides is its pan-India coverage. Be it metros, Tier II and III cities or small towns, Amazon Business has its reach covered. This vast logistic presence helps educational institutes in small towns and Tier II and III cities to procure their requirements easily, which would otherwise pose a huge challenge to them, as compared to metros and developed cities. Amazon Business, with its customer-centric approach, discounts on bulk purchases, a robust door-step delivery system, and GST input tax credit, lends incredible support to the educational institutes in procuring online teaching tools and other online educational materials at very competitive prices. Those educational institutes that do not have GST can register on Amazon Business using Business PAN, a facility that is now available for added convenience.

Educational institutes can make bulk purchases of the above-mentioned online teaching tools for their teachers and students through Amazon Business and take advantage of the discount pricing. At a time when each department is functioning in different places, it would become cumbersome to place orders systematically. Amazon Business solves this problem with its Multi-User Account facility. All personnel involved in making purchases for the institute can access a single Amazon Business account.

Group administrators can also set up approval policies to notify specific members and get approvals before the order is processed, thus allowing them to manage their institute’s spending and streamline the purchasing process.

Overall, Amazon Business can play an important role in the virtual education environment by allowing educational institutes and students to take advantage of the technological advancements and enjoy the benefits of knowledge sharing through online classrooms and e-learning. Create a free Amazon Business account now and restructure buying within your educational institute.

FAQs

1) What are the most needed online teaching tools?

Some of the most needed online teaching tools are –

•  Laptops or desktop computers, tablets, etc
• Webcam
• Router and modem
• A headphone with mic
• Printers
• Stationery items like whiteboard, markers, dusters, etc

2) What are the best online reading equipment for students?

Students can read digital study material on their computers, laptops, or tablets. However, tablets are relatively more popular reading devices for their compactness, portability, and lightweight. For example, Amazon Kindle is a compact device specifically made for reading e-books.

3) How can educational institutes procure online teaching tools?

Educational institutes can easily procure online teaching tools from Amazon Business. All they need is a functioning Amazon Business account. If someone does not have it, creating a free Amazon Business account is pretty easy.

4) Is teaching through online tools a good experience?

It is very easy. Although students and teachers might have struggled initially to cope with the new system, now teaching through online tools has become easier than before.

5) Which are the useful tools to teach online for a teacher?

Generally, teachers need a good internet connection and a few online teaching tools to initiate teaching online. Here is a list of things required for online teaching –

• Laptops or desktop computers, tablets, etc.
• Webcam
• Router and modem
• An audio capturing device like a mic
• Stationery items