Play It in The Right Tone
Some of the latest technological advancements offer great promise to classroom learning. But not all of them however go the distance. Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare? Similarly, there are some time-tested staples which may not be the flashiest game in town, but continue proving themselves to teachers as valued tools to this day.
One item that’s still contributing to effective student learning in the 21st century is the cassette format. As you’re probably aware, not all cassette player/recorders are created equal. In this article, we’ll point out a few benefits and applications of a feature that enables you to play your teaching material in the right tone – the Tone Control. A feature not found on many cassette player/recorders, here are a few examples of its applications and benefits:
• Assist in music recognition – In a vocal class, teaching separate groups of students to sing different parts such as soprano and alto is not an easy task. With the tone control, the differences in soprano, alto, tenor, and bass can be emphasized to students who are responsible for each respective part, makes it easier for students to recognize the different notes within the melody.
• Enhance orchestra performance – Students play any instruments in the orchestra need to listen to the sound from other instruments simultaneously. The tone control enables students to get familiar with the various frequency sounds generated by various instruments.
• Aid in theater art – The tone control can help students practice their lines in a play. Different characters’ voices could be easily identified and followed. For instance, in a play that involves animal characters, a lion’s voice and a bird’s voice can be demonstrated to students easily through the tone control. Enabling students to quickly learn that an animal’s voice is associated with a specific type of frequency range.
• Support training for Special Ed or students with special needs – The tone control is a good tool to train Special Ed or physically challenged students to recognize different sounds. Not only with the voice commends, but also sounds that they would hear on a daily basis such as a door closing, water running, and running or walking foot steps. More importantly, some emergency sounds such as an alarm from the building, siren from a police car or ambulance, and railroad warning siren. The tone control helps students understand the same type of sound or siren can be generated at different frequencies, training them to be independent and stay safe at various situations.
• Provides customized listening – Whether it’s listening to books on tapes in a reading class or enjoying simple background music while working on a class project or an annual poster, you are empowered to play the audio in the preferred tone for the entire class with each and every cassette tape. No high frequency hiss, makes the learning/working environment that much more pleasant for everyone.
A small feature can provide unlimited benefits. Does your cassette player/recorder have a tone control? The Tone Control feature is found in our Deluxe Series Cassette Player/Recorders and the Infrared Classroom Cassette Player/Recorder.
