Abstract We ask our students to listen when we speak, but can they hear us? Studies indicate, 75 percent of the school day is spent engaged in listening activities Hubble-Dahlquist (1998). However, these studies also report that often students cannot hear the teacher or may have difficulty understanding the teacher. This problem not only affects the hearing impaired students, but also those students in the general population. Classroom size, class room desk and furniture set-up and especially class size can disrupt the acoustics in a classroom. Studies have been done on audio enhanced classrooms and their effect on student achievement. Audio enhanced classrooms benefit all students and their teachers. The presentation will include information about the benefits of the audio enhanced classroom and examples of audio enhancement equipment that is available to schools.

Handout Educator Questionnaire Can your students hear you? As educators, we spend a majority of our day verbally communicating with our students. Have you ever thought about the acoustics in your classroom and if an audio enhanced classroom assist you and your students? Jot your answers to the following questions or just take a minute to think about your answers. Do you have a student in your classroom who is hearing impaired? Do you find that as you look out at your class, students look as if they are straining to hear you? Do the desks “ creep ” closer to you during the day? Do you find that you must repeat yourself and instructions over and over (more than usual )? Do you often have to pause to let outside noise subside before you finish a thought? Do you find that your throat is sore or you lose your voice often? Is your voice tired at the end of the day? Would you like to learn more about an audio enhanced classroom ?

By Patricia Tobin We ask our students to listen, but can they hear us?

Students can achieve at higher levels when they can hear clearly and don’t have to strain and guess at what the teacher is saying. 75 percent of the school day is spent engaged in listening activities Hubble-Dahlquist (1998)

Results of studies show the listening and attending behaviors of students with learning disabilities as well as those students in regular classrooms demonstrated improved listening and attending behaviors after the implementation of an amplification system. Arnold & Canning, 1999, Black, Field, Forster, Platt & Wertz 1991, Kosenbert, Allen, Redmo d, Phillips & Suger, 1995.

One of the corner stones of a child’s early education is the development of language skills. An instinctive grasp of phonetic structure and grammatical rules comes about only through repeated exposure to clear, unambiguous auditory interaction with parents, teacher and peers. Too often such interaction is corrupted by the acoustical environment in which it takes place. Healey, James E., Au.D.

External Noise Distracting in a Classroom hallways adjoining classrooms street traffic construction playground

Noise Within the Classroom Talking/Including support staff Desks & chairs Heating system/lights Computer equipment Shuffling feet/traffic Paper Overhead projector P.A. System

 Children hear and listen differently from adults  Too often this fact is not considered with building schools  Often the noisy classrooms are due to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC). The HVAC industry is working to improve products. (Nelson & Blasaser, 2010)

 Some estimates suggest that at any given time 25% of children could have ear infections  Children with hearing loss are significantly affected by background noise  Children learning English as a second language need quiet rooms to understand their teachers and peers  Children with ADHD have reduced attention and increased distractibility.

Who benefits from an audio enhanced classroom? Teachers and students

FM Personal Systems and FM Field Systems Teachers experience a higher number of voice problems than the general public, according to Gotass and Strarr (1993). Sapienza, Crandell, and Curtis (1999) found that FM systems in a classroom can reduce a teacher’s overall speech volume, thus limiting the potential for voice problems. Using an amplification system could cut down of teacher voice problems. Teacher Benefits

FM field systems are more cost effective than individual FM systems.  All students benefit from the clear, amplified sound.  Less stigma is associated with a field system – students do not have wear something different from their classmates  Students are more likely to listen when the teacher’s voice is heard over a loud speaker than over an individual headset. Benefits

One Study Do Students’ listening and learning behaviors improve as a result of an acoustical environment enhanced through the use of FM sound field classroom amplification? Institution: Educational Audiology Association, Tampa FL Supported by Florida State Dept. Education 3 year project, consisting of 2,054 students in 95 K-3 general education classrooms. 64 classrooms used the Easy Listener Freefield System ™ by Phonic Ear. 30 classrooms served as control (unamplified) classrooms. 1,750 students indicated that students in amplified classrooms demonstrated significant improvement in listening and learning behaviors, skills, and progressed at a faster ate than their grade-alike peers in unamplified classrooms, and that younger students demonstrated the greatest improvement. Rostenberg, G.G., Blake-Rahter, P., Heavner J., Allen, L., Redmond, B. M., Phillips, J., & Stigers, K. (1999). Improving Classroom Acoustics (ICA): A Three-Year FM Sound Field Classroom Amplification Study. Journal of Educational Audiology.

The Institute for Enhanced Classroom Hearing Study Twelve classes of Grade 2 children participated in the project. For classes 1-8, the listening environments were alternated between amplified and unamplified conditions. Each condition being for two terms of the school year. Beneficial effects of amplification were obtained in all three skill areas of reading,writing and numeracy. Students in classes with FM sound field amplification achieved higher scores in listening, vocabulary, math concepts, and math computation on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, with greater gains made by younger students. Higher reading test scores were attained by students with minimal to mild hearing loss in amplified classrooms

Additional Studies Reported by The Institute for Enhanced Classroom Hearing : California: Multiple year study of 3 rd and 4 th grade student cohorts reported up to 14% gains in reading, math, language and spelling over a 3 year period as measured with Stanford-9 Michigan: Secondary students showed 10% gains after four years of data collection. 75% of all classrooms are now enhanced in the intermediate school district.

Amplification systems to help all children in the classroom

Amplification Systems to help Students and Educators  Personal FM systems  Sound field amplification  Induction loop amplification  Infrared systems

Personal FM Systems FM Listening Systems let teachers talk into a hand-held microphone, which transmits the sound of the teacher's voice directly to a deaf or hard of hearing child's hearing aid. Students hear the teacher clearly and easily, even from he back of the room. May be connected to a television, tape recorder or radio. This transmission happens on reserved radio spectrum MHz. Many retailers of products for deaf and hard of hearing people carry personal FM systems. Cost: $ To $ (Assisted Access) There are many websites

Sound Field FM Systems  Teacher speaks into microphone. Sound is transmitted over amplified loud speakers set up in the classroom.  The transmitter can be connected to the VCR, or tape recorder which improves the often degraded sound of these recordings. TO GO SYSTEM. Includes: Receiver/Speaker Column (includes battery), Body-Worn Transmitter (Includes batteries AT0712), Charging Stand, Behind-the-neck boom microphone, Table stand, Wall mount bracket, Aux-in/out cords, Volume locks, screwdriver, TOGO guide. Classroom "Pass around mic" is available for this system further down the page. Price: $ Audiogear.com :

Induction Loop System Induction loop systems consist of a thin wire that is placed around the listening area*, a special amplifier and microphone(s). Speech signals are amplified and circulated through the loop wire. The resulting magnetic energy field is detected and amplified by the "telecoil" or telephone switch circuitry common to many hearing aids, cochlear implants and induction loop receivers. The end result is a high quality amplified reproduction of the original speech signal. Intelligibility is greatly increased because the distance between the speaker and the listener(s) is bridged and background environmental noise is reduced. (Click on above image for an enlarged version.) Above illustration adapted with permission: Cynthia Compton, Gallaudet University, Copyright You don't need receivers or headphones for each hearing impaired individual.

The Microloop II FM and Microloop II Dual FM are ideal induction loop systems for classrooms, meeting rooms, TV viewing and even automobiles. Car kit is needed. Lightweight, at only 3-4 lbs., the Microloop II is portable, easy to set up and easy to use. FM and infrared systems require special receiving equipment that can cost thousands of dollars. In comparison, the Microloop induction loop systems are extremely cost effective because many hard of hearing people can receive the transmissions with the hearing aids they already own. **Pricing: Plus accessories (Ovalwindowaudio.com) complicated Induction Loop System

Infrared FM Field System Designed to allow the teacher and students to walk freely around the room with the infrared microphones/system control units. Equipment includes: (2) Pendant / Handheld Transmitters, (1) Pure Resonance® Audio SD4 Super Dispersion Ceiling Speaker (1) Charging Station, (1) Receiver/Amplifier, (2) IR Receiver Domes with Cables, Rechargeable Batteries, and Power Supplies Cost: 1, Proacousticusa.com

The set up of classroom amplification can be a simple and inexpensive way to improve many students’ educational experiences in the general education classroom. Student achievement is the result of good teaching.

References Arnold, P. & Canning, D. (1999). Does classroom amplification aid comprehension? British Journal of Audiology, 33, Blake, R., Field, B., Foster, C., Platt F., & Wertz, P. (1991). Effect of FM auditory trainers on attending behaviors of learning-disabled children. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 22, 111–114. Gotaas, C., & Starr, D. (1993). Vocal fatigue among teachers. Folia Phoniatric, 45, Healy, James E., Au.D. (2007). Bi-County Collaborative. Classroom Mangement of Functionally Hearing Impaired Students. Hubble-Dahlquist, L. (1998). Classroom amplification: Not just for the hearing impaired anymore [online]. CSUN '98 Papers. Available from Massie, R., Dillon, H. Researching Achievement. The Institute for Enhancing Classroom Hearing. (2006) 5N0(1): Nelson, Peggy B., and Blaeser, Susan B. (2010).Classroom Acoustics: What Possibly Could Be New? American Speech-Language-Hearing Association,

Rostenberg, G.G., Blake-Rahter, P., Heavner J., Allen, L., Redmond, B. M., Phillips, J., & Stigers, K. (1999). Improving Classroom Acoustics (ICA): A Three-Year FM Sound Field Classroom Amplification Study. Journal of Educational Audiology. Sapienza, C., Crandell, C., & Curtis, B. (1999). Effects of sound-field frequency modulation amplification on reducing teachers’ sound pressure level in the classroom. Journal of Voice, 13(3), References