InFocus LiteShow 4 Makes Collaboration Easy

In my last post I featured the InFocus JTouch, I wrote about the LiteShow 4 and how it worked with the display. I wanted to take another post to dive deeper into the the LiteShow 4 and show how it can be used.

As I mentioned in the previous post, the cool part of using the LiteShow 4 is that it allows for multiple devices to connect and then those images can be shared on one screen. Here are a few photos of students using the JTouch display and the LiteShow 4.

 Two students are showing their two screen. One is using an iPhone and another is using an iPad. You can see that there are two open spots for other users to share their screen if they connected to the LiteShow 4. I get excited about all of the possibilities for this feature. Students working in four different groups can do research and then share out on one screen. Items can be compared and viewed by the entire class at the same time. The teacher can switch to one of the images and then back to the four with just a click of a button.

For our Makerspace, I envision four students designing four different solutions to a problem and then sharing them on one screen to see which is best. Being able to share from their own devices allows the students to do work freely and then throw it up on the screen. It is important to make sharing and collaborating easy. The LiteShow 4 allows students and teachers to work and share without interruption.

Here are the students showing their pages to each other from their devices. Again, I love that fact that the students can move freely from the 4 images to the solo images so the bigger picture can be explored in more detail. I think about the HoverCam Solo 8 that I will be adding to the space and how awesome the image will look on the JTouch and it does not have to be connected to the computer connected to the JTouch. From these pictures alone, the images are crisp. 

One of things that really make the LiteShow 4 stand out from previous versions is that it adds the element of touch control wirelessly when showing one feed from a PC, Mac, or Chromebook onto a touch display (like JTouch). That is such an amazing upgrade. Being able to use the touchscreen feature wirelessly is just an extra awesome feature that makes the LiteShow 4 a bigger deal in our Makerspace. 

Users can use the MirorOp app to connect to the LiteShow 4. It is a free download and easy to navigate and connect. From there, users can share their webpages. The camera feature can be used, so students can have another document camera in their hands while they are connected to the LiteShow 4. The LiteShow 4 add more options to the classroom. 

The LiteShow 4 also works with an HDMI/VGA display or a projector. This is great so it is not restricted with be paired only with the  JTouch. This opens up the possibility of a variety of different uses in classrooms around the building. It's portable size makes it a great option if other classes might need it during the course of the school year. 

For me, I am always looking for more ways for students to collaborate. It is one of the reasons I have been working so hard on the Makerspace in our library. I see the value in giving students the time, space, and the tools to connect, create, and collaborate. The LiteShow 4 is another tool they will be able to use to do all three. 

The LiteShow 4 retails for $399 and I think it is a solid investment when trying to get the most out of a learning space. 

Note:  InFocus sent me the LiteShow 4 for the purpose of a review, but that does not make it less awesome.