Califone International, Inc.

Studies about classroom acoustics have shown that excessive noise and reverberation can interfere with speech intelligibility, resulting in reduced understanding and therefore reduced learning. In many classrooms in the United States, the speech intelligibility rating is 75 percent or less, meaning that listeners with normal hearing can understand only 75 percent of the words read or spoken.

As part of the largest elementary school district in California, Clear View Charter Elementary School in Chula Vista serves more than 500 K-6 students. Its mission to develop the knowledge, critical thinking skills and attitudes of their students is inherent in the practices and passion the school’s educators have for incorporating technology in each classroom, especially technology that promotes proper classroom acoustics.

After researching several options, the school’s Library Media Teacher, Jim Dieckmann, decided to move forward with purchasing a Califone Classroom Infrared Audio System for each classroom.

Dieckmann reviewed with each teacher how to use the system once they were installed in the classroom, including the differences between the units they were using previously and the new units from Califone, how to wear the voice pack and charge the battery for future use.

“We believe that using the Califone audio system in the classroom helps to naturalize the teacher’s speaking voice, allowing for the appropriate tone and pitch to reach each student. Without a device like this, teachers tend to raise the volume of their voice and speak in tones that are not conducive to listening. With this system, teachers tend to speak at a lower volume into the microphone, allowing a wider range of pitches to come through, and ultimately this helps to reduce strain on their voices,” Dieckmann explained.

Click here to read more about Clear View Charter Elementary.