How instructional audio technology can reach more learners

Do you have a large number of English language learners you’re struggling to reach? Or, are you looking for new ways to engage students regardless of your classroom size? This tech leader recommends instructional audio.

District Administration had the opportunity to sit down with Lisa DeLapo, director of instructional technology at Union School District in San Jose, California, who relies on Lightspeed’s instructional audio system to boost engagement and participation in the classroom.

Note: The following transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity

How does this technology work and what role does it play in instruction?

We have instructional audio installed in every classroom. We also house two of the county’s deaf and hard-of-hearing campuses. Basically, it’s a lanyard microphone that attaches to the teacher along with a handheld microphone that you give to the kids for them to respond.

What instructional audio does is help our teachers pronounce things clearly and make sure that if they’re writing on the board and their back is turned to the class, they’re able to be heard. It’s really good for English language learners because they’re hearing the language more clearly.

What kind of feedback do you get from your teachers and students?

They weren’t fully using it until during COVID, when I showed a lot of teachers how to use it when I was modeling instruction. Their masks muffled their speech, so they realized its importance. Even after masks, instructional audio allows teachers not to have to use their voices as much and risk straining their vocal cords.

The other piece is that teachers say their students are more engaged because they have that other microphone that goes around the classroom. It’s important because the kids are so eager to have a voice and be just like their teacher.

Do you have any success stories to share involving instructional audio?

We held a genius hour with our fifth-grade kids that involved me using instructional audio to teach them how to participate in the genius hour. I was teaching a larger classroom of 64 students at a time.

Whether I was on one side of the room or the other, I could hear them and they could hear me. It helped every student understand the directions. And what I’m seeing with teachers is that those who use it religiously feel they’re not as tired at the end of the day.

As for our students, we’re seeing increased vocabulary comprehension because they can hear everything the teacher’s saying. It levels the playing field for the kids.

What are some other ways the district is leveraging technology to improve engagement and participation in the classroom?

We want to see the four C’s being used: creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and communication. We want to see them using these skills with technology to give kids agency and choice in what they’re learning so they can learn deeply.

Technology in the classroom can’t operate like it did during COVID. That didn’t work. It was just listening, watching and being a consumer all day. And the content wasn’t even exciting.

I want to see that media balance so kids aren’t staring at screens all day and they choose certain technologies based on the activity. I believe giving kids a sense of choice increases engagement in the classroom.