Still Spinning Today
Despite the fact that more schools today are turning over a new technological leaf and introducing digital media into their curriculums, there are still some educators who find comfort in the familiar going back to the days of vinyl. Although some students today may not know what a vinyl LP is, that doesn’t take away from the fact that there is priceless content stored in this format which hasn’t migrated to digital.
“…resources such as LPs are relevant in today’s educational world“
The use of vinyl LP’s is just as important today as it was decades ago and being able to use a media player such as a record player to play these LP’s can make for a worthwhile experience in the classroom. According to Rochelle Miller, a Pre-K teacher from Chatsworth, CA, “I use our Califone Phonograph Player everyday. Because so much material that’s used in Early Education is available only on albums, it’s important to my teaching to have this excellent tool available.” Since important information crucial to a specific lesson plan may no longer be available in any other type of format, utilizing a record player for students to learn from can benefit them in a variety of ways. Ronnie Greco, a high school dean from Jersey City, NJ explains: “Our new Califone record player (1005) allows us to use older but still valuable resources such as LPs that are relevant in today’s educational world. We have a wealth of records containing historical speeches, old customary dances from other countries, and various educational materials that are not available on compact disc or cassette tapes.”
Both teachers and students of any age can enjoy the types of material that LP’s offer as they are rich in content that may have otherwise become obsolete. The Califone record player plays the traditional discs at 33, 45, and 78 rpm and its tone control feature can help students differentiate between the various sounds they hear.
Education can often be a two-way street so while today’s youth may have already quickly adapted to a world filled with MP3 players and digital files, teachers can introduce something considered old-school as new and can make a fun learning adventure out of it.
If you’re unfamiliar with but would like to read about the digital world, click here to be taken to the first in a series of articles about the Future of Digital Audio.
