Teaching from home with my laptop this fall was a joke. The small screen and only being able to see one tab at a time was horrible. My 13″ macbook was never going to cut it. I tried using airplay to cast the screen on the big screen but you couldn’t put the meet up there because it caused lag and you couldn’t read the text at that resolution from across the room.
I was super frustrated until I learned about portable monitors. This was a game changer. Portable monitors are a lightweight monitor that uses a single connection for power and video transmission. They are designed to be completely portable. Some attach to the laptop via magnets, some are designed to be used freestanding.
The monitor I purchased and reference above is the Duex Pro monitor with kickstand combo. The kickstand is a small plastic piece which allows you to set the monitor up seperate from the laptop and provides a “kickstand” to prop it with. It is worth the couple extra dollars to extend the versatility of the device. It connects via magnet to the screen back and connects with one single USB cord. My older Macbook Pro does not have USB C so it works with a USB A to USB C cord. Is it seamless? No. There is an infrequent flicker where it goes black for a second and then comes back. Maybe once every hour or two. Definitely something I can live with.
The monitor can be set up as pictured above as a second display that is a desktop extension or, if you are working across a table from someone you can fold it back to back with the monitor and mirror your display so you are both seeing the same thing. It requires a driver to be installed so if you are working on a managed system you may need to get approval to add the displaylink driver. Be careful what system you purchase if you are a Mac user. There is a popular brand that indicates it is Mac compatible but the reviews do not indicate users agree with the manufacturers claims.
If you are looking for second monitor versatility without separate power cord and bulk this is completely portable monitor is the one. https://www.mobilepixels.us/?rfsn=6065804.e7c3d8
The Embed Educator 