Listen Up! Calypso 2010 Be HeardSchool Grant Deadline Extended to May 21

Win one of three school-wide classroom voice amplification systems courtesy of the Calypso School First Foundation

Calypso Systems, a leading developer of multimedia technology solutions for K-12 classrooms, has extended its deadline for schools to apply for its 2010 Be Heard School Grant program. The new application deadline is May 21.

The grant, which awards three K-12 institutions fully installed school-wide classroom voice amplification systems, recognizes the importance of hearing and being heard in the classroom.

“Voice amplification is perhaps the simplest and most cost-efficient way to improve teaching and learning,” said David H. Parish, Ph.D., president of Calypso Systems. “Classroom audio has come a long way from the days of simple hand-held microphones and infrared listening devices, and we hope this technology will facilitate even greater communication and collaboration in the classroom.”

Established last year by the Calypso School First Foundation (CSFF), the Be HeardSchool Grant program awarded more than $120,000 worth of classroom voice amplification equipment in 2009 to schools in three states. With school budgets tightening and classroom audio needs still underserved in a majority of districts, Calypso will again equip up to 35 classrooms in three K-12 institutions with classroom voice amplification systems.

Classroom Amplification Benefits
Studies estimate that 80 percent of classroom teaching and learning involves listening and recitation A growing portfolio of independent research supports the performance improvements in classrooms where voice amplification systems are used, including improved attention, increased motivation and fewer special education referrals. More than 300,000 U.S. classrooms now use some sort of amplification in the classroom, helping K-12 students and teachers focus on listening and instruction amid the din of noisy HVAC systems, poor acoustics and other distractions.

“My son missed many opportunities in his elementary classroom because he simply couldn’t hear the teacher, said Margaret Knox-Ingle, technology specialist and parent at Holly Grove Elementary School in Holly Springs, NC. “Early literacy is crucial for developing confident students, and I believe if his school had invested in an amplification system, we would have endured far fewer struggles while teaching him to read.”

Since receiving the Be HeardSchool Grant last year, Holly Grove Elementary teachers have reported more attentive listening and eager participation in the classroom. Research has consistently shown that sound-field reinforcement enhances classroom performance through increased student knowledge and attention, resulting in improved academic outcomes.

“I believe sound systems should be standard equipment in all K-12 classroom settings,” Knox-Ingle said.

One Winner’s Success Story
Rod Dunklee, technology integration specialist for McWhirter Elementary School in Webster, Tex., is a 2009 Be Heard | School Grant winner. He first discovered the grant program through the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) newsletter in early 2009 and decided to apply after evaluating his school’s needs.

“Before applying for the grant, we struggled with helping our students hear better in class,” Dunklee said. “We always knew multimedia learning would make a tremendous impact on student attentiveness and class participation, but we soon realized that the visual media presence alone wasn’t enough – we also needed sound.”

Calypso Systems installed WCM-RF classroom voice amplification systems in thirty-five classrooms in November 2009. Since then, Dunklee says, both teachers and students have been clamoring for more.

“Recently, one of our kindergarten teachers told me her students always remind her to put on a microphone before beginning a lesson. She felt relieved that she no longer had to use her ’teacher voice’ every second – during story time, for example, she could use her entire range of communicative emotions instead of struggling to project her voice.”

Apply before May 21
Applications are being accepted now through May 21, 2010, with winners announced in June. For more information about the Calypso School First Foundation and to apply on-line for the Be HeardSchool Grant, please visit http://www.calypsosystems.com/grant-apps.

About Calypso
Calypso Systems, headquartered in Woodbury, MN, is a manufacturer of a full range of open architecture control, user interface, audio, microphone and connectivity products designed to create integrated classroom solutions for teachers, students and administrators. Calypso products are sold exclusively through commercial audio-video electronics dealers throughout North America and around the world.

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