[0:17] Hey, everyone, have you ever gotten a gadget, a device, a product, a toy that you got really, really excited about? Made you feel like you were a kid again?
Equipment to Make Teaching Easier!
[0:28] Well, I got something for myself this summer for my teaching. The only unfortunate thing is that I had to spend money out of pocket, so my district did not get this for me. But I purchased two things for myself that’s really, really helped in my teaching this year. One, I got myself a portable wireless Bluetooth speaker that I could bring with me anywhere. It’s on wheels. It looks like I’m carting around luggage to the airport, and I also got myself a UHF wireless microphone system that will work with that speaker.
Benefits of a Mic System
[1:04] First of all, I got sick of constantly projecting my voice. I feel like I’ve had lots of sore throats, strained vocal cords, raspy voice, and thinking about this school year with the pandemic the fact that I have to wear a face mask to teach in would make it very difficult in a large space for my kids to hear me. And not only that, kids that have difficulty with hearing problems that would become detrimental because well now they can’t see my mouth and it’s very difficult to hear from me. So I decided to spend my own money and do that and oh my god, it’s been absolutely awesome.
Voice + Music is a Winning Combination
[1:46] The wireless system that I had, it comes with two lapel mics, two headset mics. It also comes with a mini wireless receiver and a universal plug that you can plug and play and use. It has a transmitter in it and it’s fully compatible with my phone. So when I am creating videos or other sorts of items for the kids, I have clear sound. If I’m across the gym or the room as if I was standing right in front of a camera. I am so proud of myself that I decided to do that. It’s helped a ton. I go outside, kids hear my music and myself clearly. I’m inside exactly the same.
What to Look For:
[2:36] I do not have a PA system that I can tap into currently in my gymnasium. So this is my personal device and it’s been wonderful. Giving instructions has been an absolute breeze. I am not going to endorse any specific company, but here are some things I think you should consider if you’re going to get one for yourself in your instruction.
1. With a speaker, what are the wattage that it has? Mine happens to be 120 watts. I wanted something somewhat louder for distance.
2. The wireless microphone system: Does it have one thing (microphone), or does it come with two of them? That’s pretty important, because if you go nonstop throughout the day with your classes, you might not have enough time to properly charge them, and you don’t want it to die on you while you’re in the middle of instructing a class. With the system that I did my research on, I have two transmitters, so that way I can use one and during my prep period or lunch, the other one is fully charged for me, and I never lose power. I also didn’t want to purchase one that was several $100. I wanted something that was affordable that I could use right away.
[3:56] If you do not have the money in your budget, consider possibly looking for a grant. This is technology and it does aid in teaching. Perhaps you could go for the money and funding that way. I am a big fan of making my life as simple as possible, and these two items really have done the trick for this school year.
7 Responses
What system did you go with? This sounds like exactly what I have been looking for. I am outside quite a bit. The colder it gets the raspier my voice gets! Thanks for sharing.
Yes please let us know. I purchased one and it wasn’t nearly as sturdy as I was hoping. Thanks for sharing.
I have the same question that Trina had. What system did you get? Thanks!
I use the Ion Pathfinder 4 bluetooth speaker, rechargeable battery. It is 120 watts, and has some excellent range.
What microphone and transmitter set did you purchase? In the podcast you said you have 2.
It would be helpful if you threw out a couple of models that work well and are quality products. My problem is deciding to spend hundreds of dollars on a product that isn’t made well and breaks (think about ball pumps!). I am going to buy one in the next few weeks and would love a review of a few.
My wireless system is the Alvoxcon Duel Wireless Lavalier System. Both my wireless speaker and the wireless mic system have been wonderful. I did not try any other systems, but got lucky with the ones that I have. The Alvoxcon system was recommended by a colleague, the speaker is something that I went by online reviews. The only issue that I have run into was the clip on one of the body transmitters broke (just 3 days ago), but I wrote the company and they are sending me a new clip. I would recommend both.