Hello, I am a Lyrik that lives in the classroom. Sometimes I get to go to other places, but my teacher mostly uses me in the room to help students hear what she needs to say. Things have changed a lot in the last year or so. I used to see all the students in the classroom, and I always helped my teacher with clear and loud audio so that she could teach through just about anything. But now I only see half of the students on one day, and the other half the next. Hopefully soon I can see all the students together again! 

Hello, I am a Lyrik that lives in the Physical Education Department. Mr. Peters was up super early to take me to the school pool for swim practice. He wants to make sure that every member of the swim team can hear the guidance and feedback needed to improve their skills. One of the better parts of my job is to help the person who has me to communicate clearly so that any important information and direction is heard. 

It’s going to be a full day for a Lyrik like me. Ms. Rogers already had her morning cup of coffee and greeted everyone in the school office. The main office sure is a busy place! Soon Ms. Rogers and I will be heading out to help direct cars while students and parents cross the street. We want to make sure everyone gets to school safely, and Ms. Rogers always takes me along so that instructions can be heard loudly and clearly. Morning arrival can get really hectic! 

The ability to understand the lessons being taught in a classroom is crucial for student learning. If the teacher must strain to have themselves heard, or students cannot access the lesson because of hearing challenges, this can impede active learning. Jaime Mendez, Regional VP and Application Engineer for FrontRow by Boxlight, recently discussed the value of high-quality audio systems to support teachers and students with Larry Jacobs from Equity and Access PreK-12 (ace-ed.org).  

We may not even realize the breadth of invisible barriers our kids face each day during class. These include the inability to access the instruction because of how a teacher presents a lesson or where they are projecting their voice in the classroom, learning and/or language ability and level of the student, poor acoustics of the physical space, and downgraded audio quality when streaming lessons online. Technological advancements in classroom audio distribution systems (CADs) have helped meet a variety of such needs for teachers and students, with greater demand for easy-to-use sound technology given the rise of remote and hybrid learning, concerns regarding missed learning, and the need to ensure equity and access as education rapidly evolves.