I do quite a bit of bespoke social media and Microsoft Office training for clients – I go to their site and plug into their equipment. I do have my own projector and screen but many clients like me to use their TV to project my screen.
This works fine – but does entail lots of wires and issues with plugs – I also end up at the front next to the TV and learners can’t show their own screens to others if there is a particular issue.
Image from Amazon
I was with a client the other day who had bought Google Cast. This is a device that allows anybody to project to the TV screen from a Google browser using the client WiFI.
I just needed to download the Google cast app to my browser and I could project any browser tab or my whole desktop. It wasn’t without problems – the option to project my desktop took a while to display – but once it worked it was excellent. Rather than be up at the front, I could work with the client team around the table. It was also fantastic that individual learners could project their screens to discuss a particular problem and then with a press of the button, I could return to projecting my screen. Although we didn’t try it, I believe you can also ‘cast’ or project your Android tablet or SmartPhone.
The device costs £25 from Amazon – well worth investigating as an alternative for projection – use any money you save buying the largest screen you can afford. Apparently it also works well to watch TV tool!
What do you think? Have you used Google Cast? Do you use any other methods of projection in training rooms that you would like to share.