Teachers need all the help they can get as they adapt to new learning models in the classroom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While masks and social distancing make it harder to deliver lessons, there are ways around these barriers to education.
Enter classroom sound reinforcement systems. They pipe sound through a microphone into an overhead speaker so everyone can hear. These systems save your teachers’ voices and allow them to be heard in all corners of the classroom. Today’s blog from American Sound discusses how to make classroom sound reinforcement cool for elementary school kids.
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Remember That Kids Love Technology
One thing to remember is that kids love technology. The sooner young children learn how to use computers and smartphones, the more adept they’ll be at using new technology when they’re older. Kindergarteners will undoubtedly ask repeated questions about the microphone and where the teacher’s voice is coming from with regard to the classroom sound reinforcement technology. Kids are understandably curious, and they want to know about the cool gadget their teacher is using.
Talk About the System
Rather than wait and talk about the classroom sound reinforcement when you have a formal lesson, talk about the system when kids ask about it. Say how this helps everyone, and that kids should pay attention to whoever speaks through the microphone. Consider letting some pupils speak through the mic so they can hear their own voices. Children learn best when they can relate to the lesson, so making it about them is a great way to help them feel at ease with the classroom reinforcement technology.
Make It a Teachable Item
Turn the classroom sound reinforcement technology into a formal lesson. Discuss how sound travels, the technology behind microphones and speakers, turning sound into electrical signals, and how radio waves connect the microphone to the speakers. Of course, each lesson should be age-appropriate.
Discuss the Importance of Technology
Discuss how important technology is in the lives of everyone. Surely, your students can relate to talking to their parents through a smartphone. Talk about how the same type of technology applies to your classroom sound reinforcement system. Expand the teachable moment to talk about how communication, such as talking and listening, is important for everyone.
Experiment With It
Experiment with classroom sound reinforcement. Have your students talk into the microphone. Does the sound coming out of the speaker get louder as you get closer to it and then softer as you move away from it? What happens when someone whispers into the microphone? What happens if someone shouts?
Related Post: 5 Reasons Your Teachers Need Classroom Sound Reinforcement
Classroom Technology & American Sound
Classroom sound reinforcement is an essential part of an overall classroom technology platform, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. These types of systems can help your students and teachers stay healthier while achieving effective outcomes. Contact American Sound or call (859) 261-9024 for more information on what we can do for your school.