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Make a difference; help those kids! |
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Written by Frank Chang
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Monday, 31 August 2009 |
Hearing loss is an invisible disease. We cannot see it. It is often difficult to dictate. Even the sufferers themselves are often unaware that they suffer from it! But it is like polluted water; it may look clean; but if you drink it, and continue to drink it, over a period of time, you can become seriously ill. The same analogy can be applied to children suffering from hearing loss. If the problem is not identified (and this can be difficult, because hearing loss can be temporary), these children become seriously disadvantaged in their schooling.
As teachers you spend a great deal of time preparing you lessons. You spend time looking at all the different and innovative ways to deliver your lessons; hoping that the information you deliver would get through to your pupils.
But if a child cannot hear you properly; or missed out even 10% of what you are saying; all your efforts will come to nothing. This is because children, unlike adults, do not have a vocabulary to “make up” missing words.
So, the child that suffers from a hearing loss “lags behind”. And as the rest of the class progress, and you continue with “your teaching program” the child with the hearing loss “slips further behind”.
This is a very serious problem in many schools. Figures from the Ministry showed that as high as 20% of school children “fall through the cracks”. These children ended without a proper education, developed anti-social behaviour and can, in later life, resort to a life of crime.
Research conducted both here and overseas, indicated that the introduction of Sound Field systems into classrooms can make a difference.
As teachers you may not be able to recognize the immediate impact of the systems. But like clean water, fresh air, and regular exercises, the systems, in the longer term, will help to “make a difference”.
Do not give up when you encounter small difficulties. Get help. Ring us on our free phone. The call cost nothing.
0800 800 833
But think of the difference that you can make in your classroom. The future of the children, may well depend on you.
We cannot ignore the fact that up to 30% of Kiwi kids suffer from hearing loss. Let us all lend a helping hand to help these children and to make sure that they are not left behind. |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 07 September 2009 )
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How Soundfield helps kids learn |
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Written by Don Grover
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Thursday, 11 December 2008 |
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As teachers you often wonder if your message is getting through.
Research indicates that most students catch only 70 percent of what you say. But this is not surprising given the class size today and the poor classroom acoustics.
Let’s look at the facts. Children spend approximately 50% of their school day listening. Kids who have good listening skills tend to become better learners. Kids who have difficulty hearing often “missed out”, “day dream” and engaged in disruptive behaviour.
Children auditory processes are not developed until they become teenagers. So in order to comprehend what you are saying, kids need greater speech clarity than adults.
Since what the teacher says can often be new and unfamiliar, the students cannot rely on context when they miss a word.
The typical classroom learning environment is also affected by the following factors: |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 06 January 2009 )
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Written by Frank Chang
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Saturday, 29 November 2008 |
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MSl offers two different Soundfield models. Both have advantages in various applications. The 'Clearvoice III' is much cheaper, but is limited in the number of systems which can be used within the bounds of a school. (Click Here for more system info) The 'Clearvoice IR' has many functional advantages, including being a hub for your complete media system in a classroom. One of its main advantages it the fact that it works by 'Infra-Red' wireless technology meaning that there is absolutely no restrictions with using many systems in one school. The ClearVoice IR model will be available from Feb 2009 (Click Here for more system info) |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 12 January 2010 )
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