Last year, when many students attended school remotely, it quickly became apparent that online learning was not without its challenges. Parents and teachers worked together to help elevate their students’ school experience and overcome obstacles associated with remote learning as they cropped up.
One such challenge faced by many K-12 students was the ability to stay focused and on task during a remote school day, particularly if their households were busy and full of distractions. For parents with multiple children trying to attend remote school in the same part of the house, often while trying to work from home themselves, trying to help them achieve this focus and concentration became one of the top concerns for the 2020-21 school year.
Fortunately, a quick, affordable, and portable solution exists: headsets. While it sounds almost too simple, many parents and teachers found that equipping students with school headphones not only helped them to channel their focus to the lesson at hand by blocking out distractions and background noise but also allowed them to communicate more clearly and effectively when participating in class discussions.
Now that students are transitioning back to in-person classes for the new school year, educators are planning to incorporate school headphones into their lessons, and find them particularly effective for listening centers, computer labs, and ESL learning software. Here are some of the top things teachers and administrators should look for when it comes to purchasing school headphones for the classroom.
Plug Type Compatibility
Does the device you’re using school headphones for support a 3.5mm jack, a USB plug, or something else? Before you order a classroom set of school headphones for use with a particular device, such as a laptop or listening center module, you should know what type of plug is compatible so you can make the right choice. Some headsets, like the HamiltonBuhl Smart-Trek Deluxe Stereo Headset, come in both 3.5mm TRRS plug and USB plug models, so you won’t have to sacrifice sound quality and comfort for compatibility.
Comfort
To help keep K-12 students focused and willing to participate in lessons that involve school headphones, it is essential that they provide a comfortable fit. Headsets like HamiltonBuhl’s Kidz Phonz stereo foam headphones are designed precisely with kids’ comfort in mind, making them an ideal choice for younger learners.
Microphone Availability
For certain programs that require voice responses, or for class meetings and discussions via distance learning, teachers have found that headsets with microphones provide an extra level of participation and quality. Models like Cyber Acoustics AC-204 headsets with microphones deliver on sound quality and clarity of voice responses without breaking the bank!
Make sure to weigh your options carefully when choosing the right school headphones for your classroom so you and your students can have an excellent school year filled with learning and fun!