MICROPHONE FOR TEACHERS: KEY TO HYBRID EDUCATION
The arrival of Covid19 in our daily lives has meant that many of our country's institutions and companies have had to adapt to a situation that, unfortunately, has become our "new reality". The education sector has not remained on the sidelines of these changes, implementing what we call hybrid education. In this new educational model, technology is a perfect ally for classes to remain useful and understandable for all students.
In this article, we explain in particular the microphone for teachers and its importance in the new reality.
Teacher Cameras and Microphones: Essential Equipment for Hybrid Classrooms
Most professionals in the education sector believe that with a simple webcam they will be able to conduct their online classes without major complications. It is true that, in some cases, this webcam will help them to give their classes in a fixed way, without moving from their place.
Cameras like our B&H PC Pro. A webcam with integrated microphones. And this is where we should pay special attention: "integrated microphones". Not all professional cameras for hybrid classrooms are equipped with integrated microphones, so with this type of equipment, we will only get a clear image during classes, but useless if it is not accompanied by audio. And this is where the importance of having a good wireless microphone for teachers or a portable microphone arises, to give online classes. The importance of having good microphones for teachers.
There is a popular saying that "a picture is worth a thousand words". But, in this case, an image without words becomes just that, an image: inert, without context and in most cases, incomprehensible.
"You can't hear you well back here teacher, can you speak louder?". I'm sure this phrase is familiar to all of us from our educational period. The most common thing in large rooms was to have microphones for teachers to serve as a voice amplifier during their classes.
A microphone accompanied by speakers distributed throughout the room. But, in the case of the hybrid education we are talking about, this microphone and speaker should be replaced by a microphone for online classes specialized for classrooms to broadcast online classes.
Microphones for online classes
Laia recommends two types of microphone solutions for teaching classesDesktop microphones or ceiling microphones. The desktop microphones are characterized by their connectivity, ease of use and quality audio pickup. The connectivity of these microphones for teachers is the key point to opt for this equipment due to its ease of connection via Bluetooth or USB, usually.
A key feature that makes these portable microphones for teachers in one of the star options today. Professional microphones like our t-Pod WiFi, t-Pod BT o t-Pod Beamforming would be some of our recommendations.
And, in the case of a slightly larger room, there is the option of the new t-Pod Quad 22the audio controller for use during your online classes, consisting of four omnidirectional microphones that you can connect to your speakers if you also want to amplify your voice during your classes.
On the other hand, there is the more professional microphone solution: the ceiling microphone. In this case, the installation is somewhat more laborious than in the case of the Plug&Play devices mentioned above. This type of microphones for teachers are devices that are installed on the ceiling/wall of the room and are connected by a cable that will eventually be linked to the teacher's computer for their classes.
This is undoubtedly the most professional and recommended option, especially for large spaces or large classrooms. One of the benefits of this type of microphones is that they can be joined together several teams thus maximizing the pickup range of the microphone for hybrid classrooms.
In this case, we definitely recommend our Laia t-Pod Air Pro Dual/Quada microphone solution capable of covering up to 8 square meters per device, being able to join up to 4 units with the t-Pod Air Pro Quad. And, for medium sized rooms we have the t-Pod Air Pro Beamforming. A discreet, small equipment with a quality and pickup range that surprises covering spaces of up to 60 square meters.
The importance of good videoconferencing software for your classrooms
In addition, and as a fundamental part of this hybrid education, we have the importance of a good professional videoconferencing software. A solution that ensures secure videoconferencing, without complications and from any place and device. Something that often conflicts with our classroom equipment such as cameras or microphones.
It conflicts with the fact that some manufacturers sell equipment that, for one reason or another, only works with certain software. This undoubtedly hampers the educational possibilities of many students in centers anchored to expensive hardware equipment technologies that are incompatible with most videoconferencing services on the market. Professional videoconferencing services such as goFacing, Microsoft Teams or Google Meet are some of the most recommended services.
