I thought that Airplay Mirroring on the iPad 2 was a huge deal, but this just takes it to the next level. Being able to mirror your Mac to a TV connected via an Apple TV 2 might be one of the best things to happen to the education market for a long time.
Imagine removing all interactive white boards, all projectors, and a huge amount of cabling in classrooms and instead using products that will work better in a well-lit classroom.
- Large LCD TV
- Apple TV 2
- Wireless or wired network
That’s it. You could get down to just three cables if you wanted: two power cables and an HDMI cable to the TV. The LCD TV would allow for a better viewing experience in the classroom because of the higher brightness and contrast, the Apple TV 2 would allow students to use iPads to present in the classroom at the drop of a hat.
There are problems, as always, but a new version of the “smart classroom” is slowly coming out. No longer are we trying to shoehorn technology into older models (like an interactive white board) but bringing newer technology into the picture and freeing teachers to move around the classroom.
Of course, you can do this in many ways already, but I’m excited to see what Airplay Mirroring can do.