I have always thought of myself with a little bit of the "MacGyver Spirit" in me...I will try to find unique solutions to problems using things I already have or getting low-cost items to make something new. Now, this project is nothing new. LED boards are everywhere - one place you might see them is in your favorite restaurant with the special of the day! 
Now, let's add another layer onto this - I really like the History channel show "How the States Got Their Shapes". And in the 'bumper' videos, the host would ask people to try to draw the shape of a state. They would step in front of this big piece of plexiglass in front of the camera and do their best to try to draw the state.
And one more thing -- I am always on the lookout for different ways to engage people through video...especially now with our remote learning situation. The 'same old same old' is just that - OLD. 
OK - so that is the background...here is the solution:
I took an inexpensive sneezeguard I found on amazon and then purchased a mini reel of LED strip lights (from amazon). I took a few binder clips I had and put the led lights on the outer edge of the sneezeguard. Then I grabbed some NEON dry erase window markers I had in my stash (you can find them here on Amazon) and when the LED lights were plugged in (via USB - awesome), I got this cool glow effect.
Then, I grabbed my mac and recorded a quick video! The sneezeguard I have has an opening on the bottom of it - so like if it were on a desk you could pass documents, etc. through it - but for me, it meant I could control my laptop when making the video.
So, here are a few pictures and the quick video I made. I hope this might inspire you to give your instructional videos a bit of a different flavor!

I will admit it...I have a lot of stuff. And you know what, that is OK. But, I like other people to use my stuff if they need to, but I did not have a really great way to keep track of it. That is when I found Asset Tiger. Asset Tiger is an online inventory program. You can try out the program for FREE (up to 200 assets) and then after that the pricing is ultra-reasonable. You simply enter your assets (name, description, photos, documents, etc.) and then you can assign scan tags to them (which you can print for free using their companion site (my asset tag) or you can do it in google sheets/excel. Or for tags you can use Avery Design & Print Online - totally neat site on its own! This is a great way for me to be able to keep track of my stuff if I lend it out to other people. 

The school district I work for even bought the upgrade and we can manage up to 10,000 assets for only $350/year. This allows for unlimited patrons (people you check out your assets to) and for unlimited users (so our whole tech team can login and use it). We purchased some hand scanners (AMAZON LINK) to facilitate fast check in/out when we are distributing our over 1,500 mobile assets at the beginning/end of the school year.

BONUS: there is an app you can install on your phone/tablet to be able to access your asset inventory and even use your phone to scan to check in/out items. (iOS App Store LINK) (Google Play LINK)

Even a self proclaimed "tech goddess" likes to do things the 'old-fashioned' way sometimes! You use the right tool for the right job - sometimes paper a & pencil does the job, sometimes it is a google doc, and sometimes it is a whiteboard. Enter the WRIGO Mag Whiteboard Marker Holder/Eraser.
This is another one of of my successful kickstarter projects I backed and I think they are just so cool. You insert any whiteboard marker (chisel tip sized) into the unit and it holds the marker as well as having a MAGNET on it to hold it to your whiteboard. BONUS - the magnet side of the WRIGO is also an eraser - so you can write and erase with ease.
Check out more about WRIGO products on their website.

I am not a huge gamer by any stretch of the meaning...there are a few games I like to play though on my device. 
Apple Arcade offered a free trial of their service. With Apple Arcade - you pay per month to access all of their games (no in-app purchases or ads - you get the full games). So, I thought I would try out the service. There are a few neat games out there, but the one that is the winner in my book is Patterned.
Patterned is a puzzle game where you get the pencil sketch and then have to move in "tetris shaped" pieces into the sketch to fill it out. It is such a cool game and the artists that create the patterns are unbelievable! When you finish with a puzzle, you can download the artwork to use on your device. 
Patterned works on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, AppleTV, and Mac. Your progress is synced thru game center so you can play on any device and you pick up right where you left off. 
Apple Arcade is currently $4.99/month.
Patterned on the App Store (thru Apple Arcade)
Learn more about patterned on the developer website.

Way back in 2013, I backed a kickstarter from IPEVO for an "AT-ST Video Stand" - unfortunately, the kickstarter was unsuccessful. But recently, IPEVO came out with the "uplift" and it has been a success (because if you visit the site it is sold out". The uplift is a stand for your mobile phone that has a weighted base and an articulated arm and a swivel top. In the picture you can see how I have my iphone situated in the stand. I used the stand to record my charcoal art drawing (using the time-lapse function). So cool! This stand is a winner for so many different things you could use in the classroom or in your regular life. 
Want to see the time-lapse movie of my charcoal artwork? Check out the video below!

At my district, we opted for a touchscreen chromebook as the teacher device (we chose the HP Chromebook x360 11 G3 EE). It is a great device and really responsive to touch (in either the regular or flipped position). 
But sometimes, when you are doing a lot of on-screen annotation, a stylus can be very helpful! Now, with these chromebooks you can use any CAPACITIVE stylus. A capacitive stylus is one that has some electrically conductive material in it - that material allows the "electricity" in your body to conduct through the stylus and therefore you can write on a touch screen device. (Too much science, right?)😉
Anyhow - capacitive styli come in a variety of styles and price ranges. I found this Dual Tip Stylus on Amazon. What I like about it is that you have the choice between a regular stylus end and one with more of a fine tip. 
You can use this stylus on any touchscreen device (iphone/ipad/android devices/etc.).
​Check out my 1/13/21 post on websites you can use to annotate on a touchscreen chromebook/computer.

So, I have backed a few kickstarters over the years and I have only been really burned by one of them (never receiving the product or my refund), but I still am always on the lookout for interesting products. This one caught my eye! I have had it for a few months, but thought I would share a blog post about it now.
This is the Moft Foldable 5-in-1 Laptop Stand - you can use seated or standing. It supports up to 22 pounds of weight (so probably NOT leaning on it would be a good idea if you were standing). But, it gives you several different option angles to place your laptop on it. 
The stand is lightweight and folds up to be able to slip in your bag or backpack if traveling with your device. I think it is a great way to get a different angle on your laptop!

Check out this Moft stand and all their other products!

If you do not have a touch-screen device, it can be difficult to write or draw using just a mouse. Enter the Pen Tablet! These devices come in many different price ranges and are made by different vendors, but I opted for a "generic" version from Amazon. I do have other touchscreen devices to use, but when I am at my desktop PC, I needed a quick alternative and this fit the bill.
I chose a small version as well, so it can just fit neatly on my desk and not be in the way if I am not using it. This one is from Amazon and I liked it because it did NOT require charging (you simply use one AAA battery). The pen has a "clicker" on the top so you can turn it on and off (so you are not draining the battery) which is a great feature! This pen tablet only works with PC/MAC - you just need to install a quick program for it to work (takes less than 10 minutes from opening the box, to installing, to using).
What do I use this with?  I can use it in live sessions or with recorded videos. I can use it to electronically sign forms. There are a lot of uses!
​There are a number of different whiteboard/drawing that you can use for in-person or remote learning. These listed below are all FREE:

• Jamboard by Google
• Google Canvas
• Classroom Screen
• Whiteboard Chat
• Sketch.io
• Microsoft Whiteboard
• OpenBoard

You can also use this pen tablet with other programs like Seesaw, Explain Everything, etc.

In late November/early December of 2020, I attended the ISTE conference online. I was honored to be a part of the conference as a speaker, volunteer, and attendee. Being an attendee on an online conference was a new thing for me, but I enjoyed myself and learned a lot. Part of the online conference included the vendor expo. Now if you have ever been to a conference, the vendor expo is a little like Willy Wonka's factory -- lights, sounds, and all the new stuff a geek like me loves to learn about.
I have been lucky to win a few SWAG items at conferences in the past, but this year I was super lucky and was picked to win an Elmo OX-1 Document Camera. Wow! What a great prize. This doc cam is plug and play and I was up and running. It has a web-based visualizer interface that is simple to use (and you can also download EIT software to pc/mac). The image on this doc cam is so clear! The doc cam also has an on-board microphone so if you need to use it to record or with a video meeting you can (if your device does not have a webcam built-in/added on). 
The Elmo OX-1 is a great webcam and I am so thankful to have won such a wonderful device!

• Elmo OX-1 Website
• ImageMate-C Web-based Visualizer Software
• EIT Software for Windows/Mac
• Elmo OX-1 User Manual

I have been a long time fan of Rocketbook and recently they came out with a new product...cloud cards. This takes index cards to a new level! In the pack you get 40 3x5 index cards (dual sided lined/dot grid), a frixion pen, and a card cleaning cloth. You use the rockebook app to scan the cards and then upload them to your favorite cloud service. So neat!

​Learn more about rockebook cloud cards