Listen Up

There’s nothing like classroom amplification to make any teacher sound better and louder. Crestron’s MP-AMP40 amplifier is small, lightweight and can save on electricity. The Class D design and doesn’t require a fan, so its whisper quiet. It puts out 40-watts of power and has RCA and mini jack inputs as well as terminal block outputs. It has bass, treble and volume controls and because the MP-AMP40 meets the UL 2043 standard it can be installed behind a wall, in the ceiling or just about anywhere. 

Audio on the Cheap

There’s nothing worse than not being able to afford enough headphones for the whole class to use at once because the alternative is a cacophony of sounds from the variety of educational devices. Califone’s 8200-HP headphones cost just $10 each or $180 for 20 of them. Still, they have an adjustable polypropylene headband, a pair of 30mm mylar speakers that can create sounds from 20 to 20,000 hertz and connect via a 3.5mm audio jack. The headphones weigh 3-ounces and have comfy foam ear cushions.

Headphones for Little Ears

The wrong headphones can damage the hearing of growing children but Califone’s Listening First Headsets can make sure that they never get too loud. Available in blue, red and yellow and aimed at primary school students, the Listening First Headsets have microphones for video conferences and language labs. They come with headphone and microphone jacks or a USB connector and cost either $25.75 or $49.

Speak Out and Up

If you’re having trouble being heard in the gym, auditorium or playground, Behringer’s Eurosound EPA40 can help with a small device that gives even the most petite principal a big voice. Equipped with a 5-inch speaker, the EPA40 comes with a plug-in microphone and can work with a CD player or iPod. It sells for $109, has controls for volume and a battery that can last a whole school day of use.

 

Sound Off

Small audio devices like iPods and phones deserve small speakers that pump out solid sound. Sound Matters’s foxLO does the trick with its patented Linear Magnetic Drive woofer technology. The $149 sound system has a 25 watt amp and a passive radiator speaker to produce rich, full audio for small groups. The best part is that it has its own battery and weighs just 1.5 pounds.

 

FETC 2012: Whale of a Good Speaker

The last thing a teacher wants is to be is not heard by the back row of the classroom or go home with a sore throat. Cetacea Sound’s Astronaut series can let the teacher speak in a normal tone of voice, yet be heard everywhere. The small device comes with a 40- or 60-watt amplifier, which should be plenty for even the

 

 

Instant Audio

Every classroom needs speakers so that the entire classroom can hear audio from a computer, iPad and the occasional digital music player. Logitech makes it easy with its Mini Boombox, which can connect with old fashioned wires or Bluetooth. It’s available for preorders now at $100.

 

 

ISTE 2011: Speaking of Speakers

Having an array of speakers in the classroom is all well and good, but where do you put them? Premier Mounts has a good answer: a shelf that fits underneath a flat screen TV or monitor in the classroom. It works with the company’s P family of display mounting hardware and provides lots of hidden space to route cables out of view. It and a slew of other gear can be seen at booth 3136.

ISTE 2011: Classroom Panic Button

Covering a school with video cameras and alarms is old hat when it comes to enhancing classroom security. A big step forward is Panasonic’s Security Alert System, which has a pendant that during normal operations works as a microphone so that every student hears the lesson. In an emergency, the pendant has a button that delivers a silent network-wide alarm in the event of a discipline problem or a disaster, like a fire or explosion. It may not win any fashion awards, but it looks great with a bolo tie. It and other school tech can be seen at booth 2330.

 

 

Hear it All

Even a small classroom can muffle the teacher’s words when you’re in the back row. Crestron’s FreeSpeech amplification system can make sure that everyone hears it all. Aimed at elementary, middle and high schools, FreeSpeech includes a small wireless microphone that can be clipped to a lapel or shirtcollar or just placed on a tabletop. The base station has a 30-watt amplifier and can power a set of classroom speakers. It can also integrate the audio from a PC, DVD player or even an iPod. There are versions that have single- and dual channel microphones.