My name is Kiley Black. I am from Houston, Texas and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from Brigham Young University. I have a Master’s of Education in Montessori Education and will receive a MACTE Credential in Montessori Teacher training in the spring of 2022. I love teaching in the early grades and using my unique experiences to combine the best of traditional education and a Montessori education. I create curriculum resources that align with the Common Core standards for College Readiness for teachers in both English and Spanish. You can often find me cuddling my husband and kiddos, gardening, or lesson planning.

Have you ever found yourself in a teaching position where a child blurts out “Teacher! I can’t see!” and the only response you have is “Just a minute, I will make sure everyone can see.”? Well, in kindergarten, it happens ALL. THE. TIME. I mean, every single day. Even to the student who is literally sitting right next to me during our circle time lesson or our small group lesson! 🤦

Thus I began to get creative. I would pull over the whiteboard easel and prop my phone on the edge on video so I could slide whatever paper, lesson, book, etc. we were utilizing and then screen cast it to the TV. And within minutes, my phone would fall down, get knocked over, or just go to sleep. Cue the explosion “Ms. Kiley! It turned off!” from twenty-three cute 5 and 6 year olds.

Enter the HUE HD Pro document camera. 🤗

This is more than a document camera. It comes with software so that you can capture images, video, use it as a document camera and project to your computer, TV, etc. It connects to videoconferencing and works with Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chrome OS. It has a built-in light and a built-in microphone. It has a detachable base so you can plug it directly into a USB port if desired. So far, there is nothing this cute little guy can’t do. The neck of this powerful camera is adjustable. It is sturdy so that as you move it, it doesn’t tip over or break, and it keeps its “posture” as I like to say (meaning, it doesn’t sag down from its own weight). Another bonus feature, there is a ring to focus it by hand. Sometimes that is my biggest complaint about auto-focusing cameras… they don’t focus correctly!

HUE has truly outdone themselves with this camera. It is able to tackle all of my teaching needs both in person and remotely, as we all know how the pandemic has affected learning. Something worth noting is that I teach in a Montessori classroom. In a traditional grade-school setting, you will find a designated teacher area that includes a desk, shelves, cabinet space, etc. But in a Montessori classroom, the environment is the child’s. This means that there often is not a space to leave out teacher materials and supplies. With the HUE HD Pro, I am able to quickly pull out, set up, and then put away the camera for use during lessons. It is lightweight, portable, sturdy, and checks all of my boxes.

You know you’re a teacher when a stack of books becomes your laptop stand. 🤣

For more information on the HUE line of cameras, visit their website.

Oh, and bonus, the camera comes in blue, red, green, and black. You won’t be disappointed.

Check out Ms. Kiley Black’s Instagram account @learning_treeschool for more about this amazing camera!

~Ms. Kiley

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