Previously, parents had the freedom to choose how they wanted to handle their children’s education. The choice was theirs to select the type of school, the area, and the setting. However, the worldwide pandemic quickly changed all of that, parents and students alike, faced an unprecedented unknown. Quarantining took away a lot of options, and very quickly, families, students, and teachers had to prepare for a new world of virtual learning.
Kitchen tables were now desks and workspaces, zoom calls replaced the classroom setting, and technology showed us its value. Work from home was (and for some still is) the new norm, thus now that we are aware of it, we can better prepare and equip our children to succeed in the new world of virtual schooling.
Below we have a list of the top virtual learning supplies for students and pay attention to number 5, it is a must-have.
#1 - A Great Laptop For Remote Learning
Top Virtual Learning Supplies For Students
Prior to this pandemic, it could be acceptable for children to share electronic devices in the household, however, that no longer is the case since everyone’s dependence on technology has grown exponentially. The added requirements and long hours demanded from the student on an electronic device have essentially dictated that each learner should have their own device (BYOD).
Acer Swift 3 Thin & Light Laptop, 14″ Full HD IPS, AMD Ryzen 7 4700U, Amazon Price / $669.00
#1 Continued - A Nimble Tablet For Distance Learning
Top Virtual Learning Supplies For Students
If the student is in the lower grades, they may fair well with just a tablet, as the requirements for detailed homework is less. Students further along in the higher grades may need more capabilities for homework, research, and more, thus a full laptop may be required. By providing the learner their own devices, there isn’t the added pressures of a time crunch or other limitations that may hinder their personal learning preference.
Related: 5 advantages of using tablets for remote learning
As this is a list of top virtual learning supplies, it shouldn’t be too surprising that a laptop or tablet would top that list. There are multiple options out there, and it may be overwhelming to go over the specs and models, but it is imperative since this is an investment in your child’s education.
We chose this Samsung model, due to the fact it has all the functions kids would need, and also because iPad’s are crazy out of stock right now, but we would put them on the same level of tablet quality.
SAMSUNG Galaxy Tab S7+ Plus 12.4-inch Android Tablet 128GB, Amazon Price / $685.99
#2 -Private | Personal Workspace
Top Virtual Learning Supplies For Students
Like the personal device, each student should have their own space to do their work. The changes and challenges that this pandemic has brought on all of us have shaken up everything, so giving our children their own space to create their own sense of normalcy in something as important as education is crucial. We already cannot control so many things, let them control their learning environment.
This is where they will be spending a good portion of their day so let it be an area where they are comfortable and feel in control. Sharing is great, but if it means rearranging items every day or being in each other’s way, it may make learning feel like a chore.
A suitable desk, comfortable chair, and proper lighting will help make staying focused easier on your little learner. Allowing them to set up and add personal touches can brighten up the learning spaces.
Cubiker Computer Desk 32 Inch Home Office Writing Desk Student Study Desk, Amazon Price / $49.99
#3 - WIFI | Internet Connection
Top Virtual Learning Supplies For Students
Overall, we all know that our dependency on a strong internet connection is crucial, just ask any Gen Z’er; they may compare not having internet to not having oxygen.
But over this past year and a half, it became even more apparent as we all struggle to support working from home and virtual learning in the household. If you have invested your hard-earned dollars into your home internet plan, you will hope that it’s strong enough and fast enough to support the requirements of your family members.
So, if you are noticing any issues, here are two options that may help maximize your internet.
WI-FI Extender
We and all our devices are programmed to know how to connect to the home WI-FI, but when more is at stake than just the leisurely scrolling or social media, we may have to consider the strength of that WI-FI connection. Depending on your home and internet setup, the strength of your WI-FI may be hindered in certain parts of the house, and let’s be real, at this moment, every inch of the home should be utilized to accommodate all the activities, learning/working, and members of your family.
Adding a WI-FI extender may be the answer and could easily make a world of difference to the quality of your connection. It is unfair to demand the same strength of the WI-FI if we push it throughout your ample living space.
This simple item off our top virtual learning supplies list could be one of your greatest investments.
TP-Link AC750 WiFi Extender (RE220), Covers Up to 1200 Sq.ft and 20 Devices, Up to 750Mbps Dual Band WiFi Range Extender, Amazon Price / $22.99
Ethernet Cable
Alternatively, if you happen to have the ability to connect directly to the internet hardware (router), you may want to consider connecting directly with an ethernet cable. This way, you don’t have to worry about a weak or lost signal. No more lagging zoom calls or annoying buffering time.
Cat8 Ethernet Cable, Outdoor&Indoor, 6FT Heavy Duty High-Speed 26AWG Cat8 LAN Network Cable 40Gbps, Amazon Price / $7.64
#4 - Pen and Paper (and other traditional school supplies)
Top Virtual Learning Supplies For Students
This next entry on our list may appear strange, seeing as the list is called Top Virtual Learning Supplies for Students, but don’t underestimate their importance. Seeing how different and difficult this whole situation has been has led to a lot of uncertainty.
It may be a transition for students who are still wrapping their heads around the new normal for them to go completely digital. There may be some comfort and ease for them if they can still use traditional school supplies.
Related: What materials do students and teachers need for distance learning? We asked our data!
There may be a lot of “normalcy” that can help students as they navigate the process of virtual learning by taking notes with paper and pen. And although there may be many items that seem unnecessary due to virtual learning, there may be many benefits to still providing your young learners with some of the traditional school supplies. They are already taken away from the norm of leaving the house, and seeing their friends gives them the ability to maintain normality with real supplies.
Colored pencils or pens may make note-taking and listening to a teacher online that much more bearable. Or at least it may give them a creative outlet to help the monotony of virtual schooling.
Below we have a link to a prepacked school supply pack that should have your learners covered with all the necessities. But if you wanted a better detailed list of what items your child will need also check out some of our related posts.
Related: Best School Supply List for K-12 Students
Related: Best School Supply List for K-12 Students (Amended for Covid-19)
#5 - Noise Cancelling Headphones
Top Virtual Learning Supplies For Students
Finally, the one you have been patiently waiting for, number five on our list of top virtual learning supplies for students, is noise-canceling headphones. As we are all confined to a smaller space than normal, regardless of whether we have similar schedules, there will be a lot of noise that we will have to deal with.
As we all must share the space, nothing is worse when focusing on constant distracting noise in the background. It may be just sounds of the movement of others in the household or the murmurs of conversations, but all of this can hinder and distract the studying and learning process. With noise-canceling headphones, all these points can easily be removed or at least reduced. Eliminate the excuses by making it easy for your child to focus on the task at hand.
Our top pick for good noise-canceling headphones that doesn’t break the bank is listed below
Plantronics BackBeat GO 810 Wireless Headphones, Active Noise Canceling Over Ear Headphones, Graphite Black, Amazon Price / $69.99
#6 - Schedule | Day Planner
Top Virtual Learning Supplies For Students
As the normalcy that we once knew disappears, and our regular day does not require getting fully dressed or leaving the house anymore, we may notice that the days may start to blur. Without the various activities that we are used to (i.e., sports, events, etc.), day-to-day monotony may all start to blend.
To help everyone stay focused, we can provide calendars or agendas for our students to track their days, tasks, and other reminders. This is also an excellent way to teach your child time management and organizational skills. Without learning in person, students have a greater responsibility to manage their own time and prioritize their required tasks.
By providing them physical agendas or calendars, they can customize their entries and check things off as they go.
Student Planner 2021-2022 – Academic Planner from Jul 2021- Jun 2022, 9 ” × 11 “, Weekly Lesson Planner, Amazon Price / $12.59
#7 - Blue Light glasses
Top Virtual Learning Supplies For Students
The final item on our top virtual learning supplies for students list are blue light glasses. Children are naturally very attracted to screens, and as we increase their need to spend more extended time frames using them, we should help protect their eyes for now and for the future.
Prolonged time using screens is not ideal, but as it is impossible to avoid completely, they should have eyewear that can help reduce the impact on their eyes.
Blue Light Glasses for Kids 3 Pack Anti Glare & Eye Strain Glasses Computer TV Phone Tablets UV Protection Glasses, Amazon Price / $11.99
Final Thoughts
As we all navigate this never-before-seen pandemic, we are all in the same state of uncertainty, and we can only take it step by step. We must follow the provided guidelines and hope we find a balance and new normal eventually, until then, we just need to adapt as we go.
Virtual learning may be strange now, but it is our only option at the moment. Who knows, as we slowly go back to normal, virtual learning and in-session learning may become a new hybrid model that works best for everyone, so we might as well prepare for it and give our children all the tools to excel. Even if it’s not ideal, we must acknowledge the advances in technology that allow virtual learning to be possible.
Hopefully, this list of top virtual learning supplies for students has provided you the details needed to help prepare your child to tackle this new learning environment. But also commend ourselves, our children, teachers, and educational staff that have worked hard to ensure we can continue our children’s education.
Hey, I’m Kris Taylor. I’m a Learning and Development professional currently in the healthcare field, with over 8 years of experience in the area of corporate education. I have created numerous instructional content for various corporate projects including eLearning, in-person facilitation, and virtual training across a wide variety of learning interventions and sectors. On Taughtup, I discuss topics ranging from how to succeed through K-12 to college all the way to instructional design tips for L&D designers.
