Distance Learning & Working From Home Gadgets

What a year this has been.  It’s so funny, the thought of 2020 seems so alluring, so exciting, such a great year to make new decade goals.  

Instead, it seems like we’ve lost time instead of moving toward goals.  There certainly is a lot of uncertainty right now.

But, things must move on.  School is here and many kids are already “back in school.”  

Now, depending upon where you live, your kids may be in class at school, playing in the marching band, shooting hoops in PE, and more.

But where I live in California, most of our kids are at home interacting with their teachers through distance learning. 

And with kids learning from home that means parents are working from home to be with them.

It’s certainly not what I hoped for my new high school freshman and college-bound high school senior.

But, life goes on.  Goals should still be made.  And home can become a great place for students and adults to work.

Rocketbook Panda Planner

Even though this year is not as any of us “planned” for, it doesn’t mean we should give up the whole year for lost.   

Setting plans can help students and adults see the bigger picture of where they are and where they want to go.

The Panda Planner by Rocketbook is a great planner for older students – junior high and up to adults.  Not only can they plan their daily, weekly, and monthly schedules, but they can use it to set goals, manage projects, focus on their health, manage stress, and more.

The Panda Planner empowers its users to take more control of the direction in their life rather than just cope with COVID-19 and has it has impacted our life.  

My 17-year-old daughter has been using the Panda Planner for 10 weeks now and she really loves it.  She plans out her homework, projects, and important dates.

She enjoys the satisfaction of checking off the items she completes. 

But in addition, she has written down two long-term goals and the Rocketbook Panda Planner helps to breakdown these goals into smaller more actionable pieces. 

The planner even goes so far as to have her write down how she’ll feel when she obtains the goals…and how she’ll feel if she doesn’t.  She filled out everything.

And get this…she doesn’t need to start all over with a new planner next year.  The Rocketbook Panda Planner is reusable AND scannable to the Rocketbook app.

The Rocketbook Panda Planner comes with a special erasable pen that stays put on the pages but can be erased using the pen top eraser or from a wet towel.

Easily scan each page into the app to keep track of all calendars, goals, and notes and always have your planner with you.  You’ll always have your history to search for in the app if you need something too.

The Rocketbook Panda Planner is available from Rocketbook for  $37 plus shipping.

Autonomous SmartDesk

If you get an Autonomous SmartDesk in your house, there will be a lot of competition as to who gets to use it…you or your student. 

The SmartDesk 2 is a sturdy heavy-duty steel frame desk with a motor designed to smoothly raise and lower your desk to your desired height.

Sitting for hours on end is not good for us.  Simply by pressing a button, you can raise the SmartDesk 2 to a customized comfortable level to stand and do your Zoom call or work on a project.

In fact, you can set up to 4 customized buttons.  I use 1 for sitting down, 4 for standing up, and the two in the middle for different positions.  You can also manually adjust the height to your liking.

I use mine for work, making videos, designing things (it’s a big workspace), and even for meetings. 

I love having a big wide white workspace to work with and change its height according to my needs.

The SmartDesk 2 comes in black, white, walnut, and white oak, and natural bamboo, all made of high-quality MDF wood.  The desk will fit well into your decor.

The SmartDesk 2 comes in two sizes, 70.5″ x 30″ and  “53” x 29.”  Both sizes are very spacious with plenty of room for your monitor, keyboard, PC, and a place to write as well.

There are also 2 holes with a plastic grab to keep wires tucked underneath the desk.  And the SmartDesk 2 is very sturdy, in fact, it can hold up to 300 lbs.

The Autonomous SmartDesk 2 is a fantastic desk to use – whether standing or sitting and it comes with a 5-year warranty.  

The SmartDesk 2 is one of the most economical desks you can get.  While most electric standing desks cost over $1,000, the SmartDesk 2 starts at $379 for the white 53″ x 29″ size.  I texted the XL size which starts at $519. Shipping is extra.

The Logitech BRIO Ultra HD Webcam is available through Amazon for $235.99 with free shipping.

J5 Create USB-C Docking Station

The new Mac Air only comes with two USB-C ports.  That’s it.  There are no other USB ports, nothing for HDMI, etc. 

Yes, you could add your Bluetooth mouse and keyboard if you want, but how do you use your thumb drives, SD cards, and hook up a larger monitor?

The j5create Triple Display Docking Station with 90W PD Adapter gives you plug-in luxury like none other. 

It affords you the flexibility to have your laptop connected to up to 3 displays (2 4K HDMI, one DP or VGA,) connect to 4 USB 3.0+ ports for accessories like speakers, mouse, USB fan, desk cam, etc, an SD/MicroSD reader, Ethernet, and even an option for a microphone.

The j5create Triple Display Docking Station with 90W PD Adapter gives laptop you and/or your student up to 13 accessory ports!

A USB-C laptop can be connected to the front of the adapter with 90 watts of power coming from the wall outlet. 

The laptop then in turn imports power into the ports at the back of the docking station.

Simply unplug the laptop and it’s ready to go but all the accessory items are ready to use once you return.

Because it comes with its own power supply, you can keep the laptop manufacturer supplied power brick/supply in your backpack, ready to go.

The j5create USB-C Triple Display Docking Station with 90W PD Adapter is on sale right now from Google for $109.99 with free shipping.

MixcderE7 Noice Canceling Headphones

The mixcder E7 Active Noise Canceling Wireless Headphones use a large 40mm driver for good sound quality and bass. 

With their built-in 400 mAH battery, these wireless headphones can last 18-20 hours on a single charge. 

Yet, they do come with a 3.5mm cable so you or your student can continue listening to music if the battery dies.

The mixcder E7 headphones are very comfortable, with earcups that provide a pillowy-soft cushion on the ears.  Your student will be able to wear them for hours without fatigue. 

And if your desks are all close together during distance learning, your student will appreciate the ANC or Active Noice Canceling technology to help block out low-frequency noise around him or her.

Music sounds great with nice highs and lows.  The volume, skip, repeat, and pause controls are handy and easy to access.

Take calls with built-in hands-free calling feature and walk up to 25-30 feet away from his phone while still being connected through its CSR 4.0 Bluetooth technology. 

The mixcder E7 headphones have a nice leather and metal look to them, even if they are not made of these materials. 

They feature 90-degree swiveling earcups for flat storage or comfortable neck wrap wear.  They also come with a sturdy hard case for protected travel.

The mixcder E7 headphones are available through mixcder for $79.99 plus shipping.

For younger students, try BuddyPhones POP available through BuddyPhones for $39.99 plus shipping.

Hopefully, we will all return to school and work soon, time will tell. 

But in the meantime, ensuring both you and your kid(s) have the right tools to succeed at home will go a long way in helping keep your family productive this Fall.

*I was given each of these items for purposes of review and evaluation.  All opinions are my own.