1. A virtual co-location system for facilitating collaboration between a local user in a room and a remote user outside the room, comprising: an internet of things (IOT) device, comprising: a sound sensor configured to detect different sound levels in the room to detect an ambient sound level and produce an electronic sound signal representing the ambient sound level; a light sensor configured to detect different light levels in the room to detect an ambient light level and produce an electronic light signal representing the ambient light level; a beacon light; a speaker; a user control interface comprising a control input adjusted by the local user, the user control interface producing an electronic control signal representing a setting of a control device; and a local microprocessor for executing local collaboration software, wherein the local collaboration software causes: the electronic sound signal to be received and stored; the electronic light signal to be received and stored; the electronic control signal to be received and stored; at least one of the electronic sound signal, a signal indicating an absence of sound at or beyond an audio threshold, and a signal indicating a presence of sound at or beyond the audio threshold to be transmitted to the remote user; and at least one of the electronic light signal, a signal indicating an absence of light at or beyond an illumination threshold, and a signal indicating a presence of light at or beyond the illumination threshold to be transmitted to the remote user, wherein the local collaboration software receives a hand raise signal from the remote user and causes at least one of the beacon light to be illuminated and the speaker to produce a sound; and a remote computer having a remote microprocessor for executing remote collaboration software to receive and store: at least one of the electronic sound signal, the signal indicating the absence of sound at or beyond the audio threshold, and the signal indicating the presence of sound at or beyond the audio threshold; and at least one of the electronic light signal, the signal indicating the absence of light at or beyond the illumination threshold, and the signal indicating a presence of light at or beyond the illumination threshold, and wherein the remote collaboration software transmits the hand raise signal from the remote computer to the IOT device.