What’s in your Bag?

After seeing many of the TOSA community as well as my friends Ryan O’Donnell, Roland Aichele and John Eick share what’s in their bag, I thought I would give it a go as well as we kick off 2017. It was pretty fun to have to unpack the unruly beast I carry all over, and it prompted some cleaning too, so thanks guys!

Take a journey along me with to explore what I keep close at hand.

  1. Cheat sheets for Microsoft 365. I don’t have all the answers, but I know where to go when I need help. Being a Microsoft district, I find I am pulling these things out less and less and I become more versed in the programs and problems our teachers are having most often.
  2. iPad Pro- it is the big one. If I need to record or edit on iMovie or show something, this is my go to. I like the big screen, and it makes it easy to see from all over the classroom if I need to help it up. It is also great for gaming when I am travelling.
  3. Business cards- I ahve 3 distinct types. One for work, one for my site, and one of the podcast. I find I don’t use them as much as I thought I would, but I always have them handy.
  4. 8in1 cell phone camera lenses. Bought these on a whim and find myself using them all the time. Great for the phone and iPad, and they were cheap on amazon.
  5. Mini Drone- DX-1 quadcopter. Small enough to fit in a bag and fly in a classroom, but fast and fun enought to speed around and have fun with. Thanks @TechMikeBUSD for the Secret Santa gift!
  6. Pens. I love my pens. I ahve three Pens I am most proud of and I keep them safe and sound in this case. The pens are (l to r) Montblanc Starwalker Platinum Fineliner, Montblanc Starwalker Extreme Screen Writer, and Montblanc Starwalker Black Fineliner. Love these pens.
  7. Moleskine Journals- I carry anywhere from 3-5 journal size notebooks. One for blog and podcast Ideas, one for work stuff, and one for reflections.  Right now I am rocking a Home Simpson, Luke Skywalker and First Order Trooper covers. I love the branded style Moleskines and have about 15 filled in a closet at home. They range in theme from “the Hobbit” and “Game of Thrones” to Superman and the Avengers. I like the craftsmanship and quality and just keep buying more.
  8. Laptop Stickers- I carry 3 with me to hand out. One is the new TOSAs Talking Tech sticker. The next is the VIP Guest on TOSAs talking tech, only available to those we have interviewed on the show. And Lastly, I have some ConnectedTL stickers.
  9. Macbook Air from work. It is a workhorse and I love it. I used to carry two laptops, work and personal. I got over that quick, as my bag was over 20 pounds! I store everything in the cloud now, so if I really needed to I can access anything anywhere.
  10. Spacemarines Codex, Warhammer 40k- I am a nerd, if you couldn’t tell. I just got into Warhammer 40K and I can pop this sucker out when I ahve a few extra minutes. It is my sanity away from work. This could have easily been a monster manual or player’s handbook for DnD, but on this day, it was Warhammer.
  11. Dongles and charger and cables. Essential for any tech specialist. I keep them about as organized as a Rat’s nest, but I can always find what I am looking for.
  12. Kindle paperwhite- Great for when I just want to read. I have the kindle app on my phone and Ipad, but nothing beats these little e-book readers for pure reading. Easy on the eyes, and the battery life is second to none. And it is small and weighs nothing, so I can take it anywhere.
  13. Charger for laptop. I have a brick charger too, but it was not in my backpack this morning because I drained it last night and it is charging.
  14. Ricoh Theta 360. Great for 360 shots and video. A go-to device when doing anything fun. It captures the moment and always brings oohs and aahs from teachers and students alike. I like my tripod for it too, it can be placed and grip almost anywhere.
  15. Lighted Magnifier for iPhone. It turns your cell camera into a Microscope (x60 power). great for entertaining kids, impromptu science lessons and exploring what’s around you. Picked it up after hearing Hall Davidson keynote at SGV Cue Techfest.
  16. Lanyards and LED badges- I go to quite a few conference, and I never throw the lanyards out. I always find uses for them. Also, we need to be badged in at all sites in our district, so I make sure I always have that on me. The LED badges are great icebreakers, and programmable with up to 8 rotating messages. Never fails to catch the attention of people walking by.
  17. Han Solo in Carbonite- it is a business card holder from ThinkGeek. It is Han Solo in carbonite, and when you push two buttons on the side, a compartment for business cards slides out. It is a novelty item, but I love it and it never fails to elicit responses.
  18. iKlip Studio iPad stand. So many uses, and folds flat and weighs next to nothing. Great for showing clips, reading, and shooting video.
  19. Blue Lil’ Mikey. A lightning port microphone for catching interviews and sound clips on the go. Never regretted the purchase as we ahve caught more than a few Manic Minute interviews and sound bytes on this workhorse.
  20. Logitech Presentation clicker- Always presenting and giving PD, so this comes in quite handy. It also has a green Laser. Works well and always handy.

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