My "Want List"

A few days ago at work, my boss asked me if I had anything I needed for my job. He quickly followed that up with if there was anything I wanted for my job. My mindset when it comes to things at work is do what I can with as little as possible. This probably comes from being a classroom teacher where it seemed like it was easier to find the free or cheap things than to try to obtain something that cost money. I've brought that mindset into my current position as our District Technology Integration Specialist. I often look for free or low cost ideas for my teachers. I'm just not wired to have a "Want List". I told my boss I'd think about it and after a couple of days, I started to think of some things.

One of my goals in my current position is to develop more videos. I want to create quick tips, full trainings, explanations, and more. I am equipped with a webcam and I'm playing around with some different screen recording programs. I suddenly realized, I could make a "Want List" for my video goal. I started to create my list and I quickly remembered that I do not know much about what I need! I remembered I attended a great training at TCEA last week called "Oooh, Shiny! Geek Out with Gadgets". It was the first time I had attended a session, or even heard of, the pair that called themselves the EdTech Nerds. In their presentation they talked about webcams, lighting, microphones and more, so I went to review their slides. I then remembered that about a year ago, one of my favorite people to follow, Leslie Fisher, had a webinar and talked about all of the cool stuff in her new office. She also had suggestions on webcams, microphones, lighting, and more. Between the two, and after some research online, I came up with a few things to put on my "Want List" for my video goal.

• Blue Yeti X Microphone: I have a Blue Snowball Microphone at home and I like it. I thought I'd ask for a better quality mic for the office. I also asked for a mount for the microphone so I had more options for where I place it.

• Logitech Brio Webcam: This webcam, or a version of it, was recommended by both of the people mentioned above and it has great reviews.

• Key Light: Now lighting is really tricky for me. I have a smaller ring light at home and have still not had much luck learning how to use it correctly. However, I need to stop procrastinating and learn how to use proper lighting for my videos. This one was also highly recommended. I will start with one and we will see if I feel the need for additional ones.

• Green Screen: I have been wanting to purchase one of these for my home office but haven't committed yet. I was not sure if I wanted a portable one for my office and what type of display. I decided on one that can be mounted to the wall or ceiling and will roll down when I need it and go back up when I don't.

• Stream Deck: Now I've been hearing about these for awhile and they look like a lot of fun! I'm not 100% sure what I'll use it for, but I have a feeling I'll figure it out quickly and then be a tad bit sad that I only asked for the one with 15 buttons.

• Screencast-O-Matic: I pay for a personal subscription for this but now I would like one for work as well. I used to use Screencastify, and still do at times. However, over the past 6 months I've been impressed with what Screencast-O-Matic can offer that I can't get with Screencastify and I am looking forward to using it more.

I sent my new "Want List" to my boss, so now we wait to see if I get it all or not! Then comes the fun part, learning how to use it all correctly.