Thread: Wired for sound!

Sounds pretty neat

The last time I got to work with cool electronics was at my last teaching assignment in Houston. Someone had donated an audio mixer, digital mixer, recorder, and a couple of video cameras with tripods to the school.

Our computer teacher used this hardware to revive the use of the clunky old televisions that hung overhead in the corner of each classroom.

Fifth grade honor students auditioned to become anchors. Other students became technicians. We used the hardware to create an in-house closed circuit TV studio.

Since we shared the computer teacher with another campus, I was drafted as the co-producer. I was excused from all morning duty and was always present in the studio for morning announcements. From time to time, a substitute would appear in my classroom and I would be summoned to the studio to film the production of a class performance or to air the principal for a special announcement.

It was all quite interesting - especially after I learned how to use the digital mixer and could train the student technicians to choose a different type of fade out when switching from camera one to camera two.

The school administrator didn't like using a mike, so she bought a wireless mike that clipped onto her lapel.

One morning, following morning announcements, she forgot to turn off the mike and remove it from her clothing. As she left the classroom studio, a student careened down the hallway and ran headlong into the principal. The administrator berated the student ... live ... on the schoolwide network.

I ran into the hallway and made quick cutting motions with my hands. When the administrator snarled at me for interrupting, I whispered, "live mike" and pointed at her lapel.

I've never seen a person's face undergo so many interesting colors ...

What does this new enhancement system consist of and do within your classroom, Ima? Sounds like a good opportunity!

Hubby uses a wireless mike for the sound system at church. Years ago at a previous church, he had it turned on while using the restroom before the services. 8O Fortunately, there were not too many members sitting in the sanctuary. My children sank down low in their seats at that moment. :roll:

Originally Posted by Bananas

What does this new enhancement system consist of and do within your classroom, Ima? Sounds like a good opportunity!

It evenly distributes sound throughout the room, and I can also adjust the volume. There are four speakers in my ceiling, an infrared receiver in the middle of the room, a wall-mounted receiver unit with lots of knobs & switches, a teacher microphone--that hangs on a cord, and a microphone--a big one that kids can use. Oh, and a charging unit, too.

The thing I've noticed so far is that my large class--27 kids--required a louder setting on volume than did my class of 19, even though they were being equally quiet! Guess those bodies were absorbing sound.

I always thought it would be pretty cool to have a wireless mike and some speakers to do classroom presentations with. I'm not gifted with a booming voice, unfortunately. Sounds like you've got a useful set up there, Ima! The mike can work with Photostory or Moviemaker pretty good too.

We have a little girl with a hearing problem. Everyone who has her has a mic that they wear but she's got the only recepticle.

That mike can be great for Open Mike when sharing their writing products with the audience!

I worked with an FM system similar to what Bitsy said. She often turned it off because she was obstructive. There was once I knew she had it on because I had to speak sharply to a child across the room--you know the kind of sharp speech: "Jimmy! Sit down and get to work!"--and she jumped about a mile because there was suddenly a too loud sound.

I'd love to have the audio enhancement system. I have a naturally soft voice (although I can holler with the best of them) so sometimes I have to be too loud for my voice and, at the end of the day, my voice hurts.

A colleague had to have the system set up in her class and she couldn't believe how much quieter she could be and how much more the kids were listening. She thinks it was because her voice was all around rather than coming from one direction.

Ima, I'm jealous that you get stuff in your class. I have to beg and steal to get basic furniture.