Teaching with a Tablet and a TV: Equipment, Setup and Tips

The whiteboard and marker are still the main tools in most course centers. But many teachers have already switched to a tablet: what they write appears on the big screen in the classroom, pages are saved, and formulas and graphs are added without lengthy drawing by hand. In this article we look at how to set up a lesson like this in practice.

What you need

A tablet and a stylus

The key requirement is being able to write comfortably with a pen. When choosing, pay attention to:

• Stylus support. A finger is fine for quick notes, but a full lesson needs a pen.
• Pressure sensitivity. Lines that get thicker when you press harder make handwriting look natural.
• Palm rejection. Resting your hand on the screen shouldn't leave stray marks.
• Screen size. Long formulas are easier to write on a larger screen.
• Battery life. The tablet should last through several lessons in a row, or there should be a way to charge it in the classroom.

The TV and the connection

The classroom TV shows the tablet's screen to the students. There are two main ways to connect:

1. An HDMI cable and adapter. A direct connection through an adapter that fits the tablet's port (often USB-C to HDMI). This is the most reliable option: lag is minimal and it doesn't depend on Wi-Fi.
2. Wireless screen mirroring. When the TV and the tablet are on the same network, you can show the screen without a cable. It's convenient, but a weak network can cause lag and dropouts.

If the Wi-Fi in the classroom is unreliable, go with the cable and keep a spare adapter.

Where the TV goes

A student in the back row should be able to read comfortably. Before your first lesson, sit in the back row yourself and check: is the smallest writing legible, and is there glare from the windows on the screen?

Preparing before the lesson

One of the advantages of teaching with a tablet is that you can prepare the board in advance:

• Choose the page type. Squared pages for maths and physics, lined pages for text, blank pages for free-form diagrams.
• Add your materials. Problem statements, a map, a diagram or a PDF worksheet: place them on pages so you can write over them.
• Check the symbols you need. Keep the ones you use most (roots, integrals, reaction arrows) close at hand.
• Test the connection. A few minutes before the lesson, connect the tablet to the TV and make sure the picture comes through.

Have a backup plan as well. Technology sometimes lets you down: the adapter stops working, or the TV won't show the picture. Keep a marker and an ordinary whiteboard in the classroom for times like these. In the first few weeks it also helps to arrive a little early: you can check the connections calmly without eating into lesson time.

Tips for writing during the lesson

• Write large. Text that looks fine on the tablet can be small on the TV. After a few lessons you'll find the size that works for you.
• Use colour sparingly. For example, the main text in a dark colour and key results in another. Too many colours are distracting.
• Don't cram the page. When you run out of space, start a new page: it makes the pages much clearer to look back on.
• Don't draw graphs by hand. If you can plot a function accurately, do that and spend the time on the explanation instead.
• Face your students. With the tablet on the desk, you never have to turn your back to the class. This is one of the biggest benefits for the teacher.

After the lesson: share the pages

When a whiteboard is wiped, the explanation is gone. On a tablet, the pages stay and can be shared with students. This is especially useful when:

• a student preparing for an exam wants to go over the explanation again;
• a student who missed the lesson wants to know what was covered;
• a parent wants to see what their child learned in class.

You don't need to share every page. From a 10-page lesson, for example, it's enough to pick the main explanations and the worked problems.

Live viewing for students at home

Sometimes a student is ill or stuck in traffic. If the board can be watched live during the lesson, they can follow what the teacher writes from home. It's no substitute for being in class, but it's better than missing the explanation entirely. If this option is available, explain to students and parents in advance how to use it.

How a system like Zehinly helps

Zehinly's lesson board runs in the browser: the teacher writes on a tablet with a pen, and the picture can be sent to the classroom TV over HDMI. It supports pen pressure, palm rejection, symbols and formulas for maths, physics, chemistry, biology and geography, function graphs, squared and lined pages, and writing over images and PDFs. During the lesson the group's students can watch the board live from their portal, and afterwards the teacher can share the pages with students and parents. You can try it in the free online demo.