For those of you like me who work in a school where there are Windows computer all around you but you have an iPad you are using in the classroom there is now another tool available to make the use of that iPad more effective!
The ReflectionApp has now been updated to work with Windows XP! For those of you that are not quite sure what I am talking about let me fill you in. How often have you had something on your iPad that you wanted to show your entire class or maybe you had a Keynote you wanted to show the Board of Education? Of course if you have a projector in the room you can use Apple’s little dongle to hook the iPad directly to the projector. Believe me, back when this capability came out there was much rejoicing! The problem is that meant you had to take time to walk up front of your classroom, hook the cord up, and then you had to pray that the adaptor did not come out! The better solution has been to use an Apple TV hooked up to the projector. That meant you could wirelessly show whatever was on your iPad to the classroom, instantly from wherever in the room you wanted to be. The problem with the Apple TV was that you had to have a projector with an HDMI plugin or buy an adaptor.
This past spring two other options became available. Both are software solutions. AirServerApp and ReflectionApp. When the software came out there was only Mac versions, which did those of us living in a PC school no options. Then AirServer came out with a Windows version that mirrored (no audio yet) but you had to have Windows 7 or Vista. OF course my school is still running Windows XP. Now though the ReflectionApp has been updated with the ability to run on Windows XP or higher! You can buy one license for $15 or 5 licenses for $50. The app on a Mac is very efficient and very easy to install and use. I have used it in class for the past few months as well at home and I love it! I have not been able to try it on the Windows machines at school yet so I can not tell you how well it works. If someone out there HAS tried it please leave a comment below and let us know how it works.
Being able to show your entire class what is on your iPad opens a whole new world of possibilities for the one iPad classroom. Being able to do that wirelessly and quickly makes it very useable.
