Classrooms are going to look a little different in the coming months. As many schools stick with distance learning to prevent the spread of coronavirus, more students will be getting an education from home.
While districts do furnish laptops and Wi-Fi hot spots to students to help bridge the digital divide—and some even issue Chromebooks and other computers to entire classes—many schools expect students to have their own devices, plus accessories like headphones.
If you’re a parent scrambling to turn that ad-hoc setup from the spring into an education station for real learning this fall, here’s a guide to teacher-approved back-to-online-school supplies.
A Modern Router
A strong, reliable internet connection isn’t just determined by your service provider. If your router is more than five years old, you probably need a new one optimized for current wireless standards. If you want to extend connectivity to every nook and cranny in your house, get a mesh network system.
Eero is a mesh network system ($99 for the router, and $149 for additional beacons) that blankets your home with connectivity. With the Eero app, you can also set parental controls like content filtering and internet-access schedules.
Photo: Eero/AmazonMy colleague Joanna Stern is a fan of Eero, which costs $99 for the router and $149 for beacons to extend the network’s reach. With Eero’s app, you can manage everything from parental controls to network speeds. I like Google Nest WiFi ($169 for the router, $149 for each extender) because it lets you set a priority device, reserving for an hour more bandwidth for the person in your home who needs it most. Check out Joanna’s tips for getting the most out of your home Wi-Fi network.
Vicki Davis, the IT director at Sherwood Christian Academy in Albany, Ga., began teaching her students remotely over Zoom this spring. She recommends that parents update their router's firmware for internet performance and security improvements.
Photo: Vicki Davis“You don’t always have to buy new equipment,” said Vicki Davis, IT director at Sherwood Christian Academy in Albany, Ga. She recommends first updating your router’s firmware for security and performance improvements.
Over-Ear Headphones
“A good set of headphones is essential for learning from home,” said Carolyn Takano, a technology teacher at Bromwell Elementary in Denver. “Choose ones that can take daily wear and tear, and not earbuds, which tend to get tangled up.” Over-ear headphones have the added benefit of minimizing background noise, but it’s important to review safe volume levels with your kids, she added.
Anker has a $60 wireless noise-canceling set with long battery life (40 hours), a built-in microphone and a cable for a wired connection, to use in case of Bluetooth pairing issues. Anker also sells a $30 option without noise canceling. For younger learners, JBL’s $15 kid-friendly wired headphones, designed for smaller heads, automatically limit the maximum volume. A Bluetooth wireless version costs $50.
Over-ear headphones can minimize distractions—just make sure there's an integrated microphone for participation over video chat. Anker's wireless $60 noise-canceling headset has a 40-hour battery life and a cable to use in case of Bluetooth pairing issues.
Photo: Anker TechnologyAn Economical Printer
For worksheets and other nondigital learning materials, a fast printer will do the job.
My editor Wilson Rothman is a big fan of Epson’s cartridge-free EcoTank color printers ($200 to $400). He says his only requires $13 of black ink about every two years. (He refills the color tanks even less often.) Meanwhile, our Family & Tech columnist, Julie Jargon, favors the wireless, black-and-white-only HP LaserJet Pro M15w ($109).
To upload completed worksheets and other assignments, use a scanning app. Microsoft’s Office Lens (free for iOS and Android) can digitize text, and search for handwritten words in the images.
Epson’s EcoTank printers are pricier up front ($200 to $400) but ditch expensive ink cartridges for a reservoir you refill every year or two with cheap-brand-name ink.
Photo: EpsonA Simple Tablet or Chromebook
Many districts are issuing school-managed devices to families. If yours isn’t, you’ll want something that has a camera for Zoom and other video-chat apps, and is compatible with any software required for school assignments. That mainly includes web apps optimized for Chrome browsers. (If Chrome is making the computer run slowly, try one of Joanna’s recommended alternatives.)
And if possible, get a separate device for each child.
“I’m all about having less things but with many students having specific login times and deadlines, a personal device will save a great deal of time and tears,” said Ms. Takano, who grew up sharing a PC with five siblings. Her elementary school has one loaner device for every two students.
“First, look at what your district has to provide before spending money on a new device,” she said.
For younger children who just need access to Skype or Zoom, the Amazon Fire Tablet Kids edition ($60 to $150) is sufficient. It comes with a thick protective case, and if the tablet breaks within two years, Amazon offers a replacement free. However, Ms. Davis, who teaches at a bring-your-own-device school, said that to run Google Classroom (which is optimized for Chrome and not Amazon’s default browser) several of her students with Fire tablets had to switch to other devices.
The Amazon Fire Tablet Kids edition ($60 to $150) is sufficient for younger children who just need access to Skype or Zoom. If the tablet breaks within two years, Amazon will replace it free.
Photo: AmazonLower-end Chromebooks cost under $200. In the $400-to-$500 range, you can get a model with a touch screen, larger display and faster processor. They’re ideal for students using Google Classroom and great for simple web work. In addition to Google’s suite of apps, Chromebooks can also run Zoom, Microsoft Office, Spotify and other Android apps.
The problem? Many of the most affordable Chromebooks are sold out around the country, one exception being HP’s 11.6-inch $169 Chromebook, released this June.
If you’re a bit computer handy, you can turn an old laptop into a Chromebook using free software called Neverware Home Edition. (Over 350 models are supported.) The download process is somewhat involved (it takes about an hour) but you’ll be able to squeeze a few more years out of an obsolete computer.
More Computing Power
When kids get to high school or college, though, Chromebooks might not hack it because they don’t run Windows or MacOS programs. Best to look to Mac or Windows laptops—and you can now get decent models of both for under $1,000.
Apple is selling certified refurbished 2019 MacBook Air models for $779 and 2020 models, which have a better keyboard and more storage, for $849—though supplies tend to ebb and flow. Buying directly from Apple gives you a one-year warranty and a guaranteed full-capacity battery.
Apple is selling refurbished 2019 MacBook Air laptops for $779. Macs are a good pick for high-school and college students, especially if they need to run both MacOS and Windows.
Photo: AppleCollege students should take advantage of Apple’s higher-education pricing, which includes a new MacBook Air for $899 plus either a free pair of AirPods or a pair of noise-canceling AirPods Pros for just $90. (All told, you’d save about $250.)
Current Macs can run both MacOS and—through a utility called Boot Camp—Windows, which makes them a good pick for students who need both.
My Windows pick is the Dell XPS 13, a sleek laptop with a comfortable keyboard and a roomy screen. You can get this year’s model refurbished for $918. Students enrolled in college can get 10% off new Dell laptops, including the XPS 13. If you’re looking for a touch screen, the HP Spectre x360 with monster battery life ($749) and Microsoft’s ultraportable Surface Laptop 3 (on sale for $800) are good options.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
What gadgets came in most handy during the spring remote-learning session? What would you want to improve on for the fall? Join the conversation below.
Choosing a laptop with less storage can save you hundreds of dollars. You can easily compensate with a high-capacity external hard drive. The crush-resistant and rainproof 1-terabyte option from G-Technology costs $70. For faster read/write speed, there’s a 500GB solid-state model for $110.
Ergonomic Accessories
A laptop stand, like Griffin Technology’s Elevator ($39), raises the device to eye level, so your student doesn’t have to hunch over.
Pair that with a wireless Bluetooth keyboard, such as Logitech’s Keys to Go ($60), which has the added benefit of silent typing and a spill- and crumb-proof exterior. Don’t forget a mouse, too. Logitech’s silent clicker, M585, is $30.
If the laptop screen size starts to feel cramped, Kathy Schrock, adjunct professor in educational technology at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania, suggests projecting the content to a big screen. An external monitor would help here, but if you have a TV, you can easily cast any window in Chrome to Google Chromecast ($30) or any Mac screen to Apple TV ($149)—or connect the device itself with an HDMI-to-HDMI cable ($25 or less), as long as your laptop has the right adapter.
A laptop stand such as Griffin Technology's $39 Elevator can help with at-home ergonomics by raising the device to eye level. You should pair it with a wireless keyboard and mouse.
Photo: Griffin TechnologyFinally—Don’t Laugh—a Clock
Learning—and, frankly, working—from home is exhausting. Scheduled breaks are essential to preventing burnout, said Ms. Davis.
Any old-fashioned timer or clock will do. This $18 Znewtech hexagon timer can remind kids to periodically take breaks from their screens. Wearables like Fitbits can be programmed to silently nudge their wrist when it’s time to step away. And during the break, make sure they actually stop working, walk around and maybe drink some water. It’s going to be another long school year.
Send your back-to-school gadget questions to nicole.nguyen@wsj.com. For more WSJ Technology analysis, reviews, advice and headlines, sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Write to Nicole Nguyen at nicole.nguyen@wsj.com
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