Where? A home office? You bet!
The solitary learner and solitary instructor need a place to learn or teach—a home office. The home office is a growth area of the 21st century— more are working from home, and many students are learning from home.
Just what constitutes a home office—is it the couch and 50-inch HDTV? Is it in the garage? Or, can it be my smartphone and the kitchen table. Well, none of these options are going to work, especially when most online courses are designed for the student to spend about 8 hours per week for each course they are taking at a distance. The home office, and home classroom should probably be a dedicated place—a place with “stuff.”
Here is a list of what seems to be the consensus of what should be in the home office—the Big 20, if you would.
A modern computer with monitor
Software—MS Office at a minimum
A desk
A chair
Lighting—ceiling and desktop
A high speed internet connection—a cable modem, for example
A wireless router
Telephone with speaker and cordless handset
Electrical outlets with surge protectors
An all-in-one printer (copier, printer, fax, scanner)
Back-up drive
Uninterruptable power supply
File cabinet
Storage
Fire-proof safe
Paper shredder
USB webcam with built-in microphone
HDTV connected to cable
Supplies
Bookshelves
What a list, and oops, we forgot the most important item—a room with doors that can be closed. The distractions in the home are too powerful to be ignored; closed doors keep cats, kids, noise, and the home part of the home office outside.
And finally, as Theodore Roosevelt said, “When you play, play hard; when you work, don't play at all.” So, when in your home office, don't play at all—or do the laundry.
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