Overton K-3 Classrooms Receiving Voice Projectors For Hearing Impaired Students

Overton County Schools K-3 classrooms will all receive audio enhancement gear through federal COVID funding.

ESSER Director Teresa Johnson said in a typical classroom up to 30 percent of students have hearing impairments.

“Each teacher will receive their own,” Johnson said. “It is similar to a lanyard, and then it has a small microphone that the teachers simply speak into. The two kindergarten teachers that we let pilot the system just said it was amazing.”

Johnson said portable speakers will be installed on brackets that can move around the classroom. Johnson said the sound of the teacher’s voice is then projected by speaking in the microphone. Johnson said a projection device is also available for the student.

“One of the primary key focuses in the Overton County District is literacy,” Johnson said. “We just feel like from everything we researched that it will improve not only student attention but have fewer distractions and less need for the teachers to repeat themselves.”

Johnson said originally, only K-2 classrooms were budgeted for the gear, but the school system saved some $90,000 in a bathroom renovation project. Johnson said the gear will go out for bid next week.

“We’re really excited about this opportunity and looking forward to seeing the result in student’s learning,” Johnson said.