When Williamsburg-James City County elementary school students take their desks this fall, their teachers might seem a little more like rock stars then before.

Their voices will bounce around the room, amplified by speakers wirelessly connected to microphones. If you’re picturing the headset mic favored by Garth Brooks and Britney Spears, forget it. These mics will be attached to lanyards for easy, every day use. Teachers can just pull them on and pull them off as needed.

The school board approved a plan earlier this year to install sound-field amplification systems in all of the elementary schools and Lois Hornsby Middle School, with the goal of eventually expanding to all the schools in the division. The cost to retrofit the existing elementary schools was $278,000; to add the equipment to J. Blaine Blayton, it cost more than $31,000 and for Lois Hornsby Middle, it cost $41,000. The installation in the two new schools was funded through leftover funds set aside to build those schools.

Sound-field amplification research has shown that simply micing a teacher can result in improved academic achievement, especially for younger students, better behavior and improved standardized test scores.

No more will teachers be hoarse from repeating themselves, calling down students or yelling, “Class! Class! CLASS!” They’ll now be able to use their normal speaking voices and be heard throughout the classroom. The amplification is just another tool to help them command attention.

“It’s not like going to a rock concert, but you can hear the teacher’s voice wherever you are,” Welch says. “It engages the student in a way that’s very difficult to achieve without having to change the way a teacher talks.”

The benefits of sound-field amplification are myriad, according to research. Welch says studies have shown the amplification has resulted in improved test scores, reductions in behavioral problems, improved phonological awareness in kindergarteners and even better understanding for English as a Second Language learners.

ESL students who studied in classrooms where teachers wore microphones showed 19 to 30 percent gains in coursework. Another study polled students who learned in sound-field amplification rooms and found 95 percent said it was easier to hear the teacher. Two major studies showed referrals to the office in special education classes reduced 40 percent after implementing sound-field amplification. Two more studies found teachers said it took less time to start class discussion and lectures when they wore microphones. Another 2004 study found students in amplified classes had standardized test scores 10 percent higher than students in classrooms without microphones.

Welch says he’s spoken with teachers in the division who have previously used sound-field amplification and they were most excited about having a new way to engage students. At least one teacher has already used the system to ease strains on her throat.

I will certainly be interested to see the microphones in action. It’s hard to fathom for those of us whose elementary school days are behind us, but I can imagine it will be much, much harder to talk over the teacher when he or she has a microphone. Teachers are probably pretty excited about that!

It’s time for athletic tryouts

WJCC schools will be holding most of their athletic tryouts the week of Aug. 2.

For information about tryouts at Jamestown High, click here.

Finally, for info about Warhill tryouts, click here.

It should be noted I spotted that information on WJCC’s new Facebook page here.

You can also get WJCC info at its new Twitter feed, here.

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