USB Driving Classroom AV Equipment
5th in an ongoing series about changes to audio players.
Change is one of the few constants which can be relied on, especially as far as how teachers and students are applying audio technology is concerned.
The previous article in this series covered the rise in popularity of SD cards, and their use in classroom multimedia players. In addition to SD cards, the other perhaps even more dominant technology for portable storage is a USB drive, which will be the focus of this blog.
USB drive in use on the Spirit SD
Offering the same portability and benefits of an SD card, a USB (or “thumb” drive), is a self-powered drive which is MAC and PC compatible, can hold any type of file (audio, video, jpegs, and text) commonly used in a classroom, and is considered to be a little more durable.
With the demand increasing from educators for this portable storage to bring teacher-created materials into class, the supply-side has started catching up with two multimedia player/recorders, each fitted with a USB drive. The Spirit SD offers the portability of a lightweight boombox but with the durability necessary for day-in and day-out learning center uses where the emphasis is on read-alongs played from its cassette & CD players, or through its USB and mini-USB ports.
Boomboxes however aren’t the sole domain for these new drives. Portable PA units such as the PowerPro PA919SD offer an SD card slot and two USB connections. A staple for language learning, there are three headsets (3064-USB, 3066, and 4100-USB) as well as a jackbox offering the faster USB plug. Most of the products in the fast-growing Computer peripheral category (a USB Hub, USB Microscope, animal-themed mice, and a keyboard) in addition to the upgraded Deluxe DVD Player (DVD110) offer a USB slot.
Return to the beginning of the series.
