How to Present with a Laptop in an MIT Sloan Classroom

At a Glance

You can connect your laptop and display your screen on any projector or monitor using the Touch Panel in an MIT Sloan classroom.

Bringing your own laptop helps you get set up quickly and work within your familiar environment, with all your files easily accessible.

Locate the Teaching Table and/or Touch Panel

Large classrooms feature a 22″ Touch Panel built into the Teaching Table. Follow these instructions to get started.

E51-372, E51-376, and E51-395 have a 10″ Touch Panel mounted to the wall. Follow these instructions to get started.

Use Your Laptop in a Room with a Teaching Table Touch Panel

Connect Your Laptop

1. Locate the HDMI laptop cables: In rooms with a 22″ Touch Panel, locate the two cables from the cubby on the Teaching Table.
   
2. Optional: Connect a USB-C, Mini Displayport, or Lightning adapter to the HDMI cable.
   
3. Connect the cable or adapter to your laptop.
   

Choose Where Your Laptop Shows in the Room

We refer to devices like your laptop as Sources or Inputs, and all projectors, displays, and screens as Destinations. Changing what appears on these displays is called Video Routing. Use the Touch Panel on the Teaching Table to adjust video routing through one of three options: Quick Starts, the Menu Bar, or Easy View.

Routing Option 1: Quick Starts

You can use Quick Starts to set up your presentation in one tap. Quick Starts ties many actions into one button press, so you won’t have to tap multiple buttons on the classroom interface.

1. On the right side of the Touch Panel, there are four Quick Starts.
   
2. Select Laptop 1 or Laptop 2 based on which cable you plugged into your laptop.
   
3. You will see your laptop on the Main Projector [1] and the Confidence Monitor [2] (the monitor hanging from the ceiling).
   
   

Routing Option 2: Menu Bar

You can change what goes on the screens or monitors using the four buttons in the top center. They represent a screen or display and can be tapped to show the different sources available to you. Use it if you want to route your laptop to individual displays like the Side Screen.

1. On the top of the Touch Panel, you will see the available destinations for your laptop.
   
2. Tap on the screen or monitor you want to see your laptop on [1] and tap on Laptop 1 or Laptop 2 [2] based on which HDMI laptop cable you plugged in.
   
3. Repeat Steps 1-2 until your laptop screen appears on all desired classroom projectors and monitors.
4. Optional: If you want to use the chalkboard and only one screen is active, tap the Swap button at the top center of the Touch Panel. This turns off the Center Screen and displays your laptop screen on the Side Screen.
   • Tap Swap again to return your content to the Center Screen.
   • If two screens are active, the Swap button exchanges the content between them.
     

Routing Option 3: Easy View

This is one panel that contains screen routing and some room controls. It is meant to put things in one place.

1. On the left side of the Touch Panel, tap on the button for Easy View.
   
2. Tap on the screen or monitor you want to see your laptop on [1] and tap on Laptop 1 or Laptop 2 [2], depending on which HDMI laptop cable you plugged in.
   
3. Repeat Steps 1-2 until your laptop screen appears on all desired classroom projectors and monitors.
4. To choose the Downstage Monitor (the display on the ground), swipe left on the Destinations and repeat the above steps.
   

And you’re done! No need to keep reading this page.

Use Your Laptop in Rooms with Wall-Mounted Touch Panels

After connecting your laptop to the room, you can route your laptop screen to the available projectors and monitors using the Touch Panel’s Quick Starts or Routing Page.

Connect Your Laptop

1. Locate the HDMI laptop cables: In E51-372, E51-376, and E51-395, the laptop cables are located at a seat in the front row next to a Zoom Room Touch Panel.
   
2. Optional: Connect a USB-C, Mini Displayport, or Lightning adapter to the HDMI cable.
   
3. Connect the cable or adapter to your laptop.
   

Option 1: Quick Starts

1. On the top, you will see the available Quick Starts. Select Laptop.
   
2. Your laptop screen will appear on the Main Projector [1] and the Confidence Monitor [2] (the display on the back wall).

Option 2: Routing Page

1. On the left side of the touch panel, tap on Routing.
   
2. Tap on the screen that you want to change [1] and then tap on Laptop [2].
   
3. Repeat Steps 1-2 until your laptop screen appears on all desired classroom projectors and monitors.