Transcript
A HISTORY OF QUALITY Headquartered in California,
In addition, Educational Underwriters
FrontRow is a division of Phonic
has verified the research upon which
Ear, whose wireless technology
FrontRow products are based. For
has helped build more engaging
research materials and references
learning environments since 1963.
from some of the
As part of the $1 billion William
thousands of districts
Demant group, FrontRow is the
and boards using
only ISO-registered supplier of
FrontRow, please
energy-efficient classroom sound
contact us at one of
technology in the market.
the numbers below.
Over 3,200 North American districts use FrontRow
TO ORDER: www.gofrontrow.com 800.227.0735
United States (Headquarters)
800.340.9894
Canada
1 800 PHONIC
Australia (Phonic Ear)
0800 OTICON
New Zealand (Oticon NZ, Ltd)
020 8772 2700
United Kingdom (PC Werth Ltd)
+45 3917 7101
Europe/Asia (Phonic Ear A/S)
Authorized FrontRow reseller:
www.gofrontrow.com EDUCAT I
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©2009 Phonic Ear Inc. Phonic Ear, FrontRow, and the names of FrontRow products are trademarks or registered trademarks of Phonic Ear Inc. in the US and other countries. VC5502 and Texas Instruments are trademarks of Texas Instruments Incorporated.
828-6880-114/Rev H/5764
0609
Audio Solutions for Student Achievement
Technology for student achievement
A
t FrontRow, we measure technology leadership by how well it impacts student success. Our goal is to make teaching and learning easier and more effective, and so our core design principle is “strength inside, simplicity outside.” Year after year, FrontRow’s California-based engineers have delivered more exciting innovations to fulfill that vision than any other sound system builder.
Save money [and maybe the planet]. Our products use significantly less energy — up to 63% less — than other systems. FrontRow is a smart choice for schools and the environment.
Digital intelligence. Faster than the speed of thought — a
Teachers using a FrontRow mic can be understood clearly by all students
blistering 500 times per second on the VC5502™ processor by Texas Instruments — the Adapto platform automatically adjusts sound quality, power usage, and other complex details. Adapto adapts so teachers can teach.
How FrontRow Sound Systems Increase Student Achievement
OptiVoice clarity. A powerful tool for test-taking, directions, TM
and ESL instruction. Fragile consonant sounds carry about 75% of the meaning in speech but are easily destroyed by background noise. OptiVoice strengthens these critical sounds, doing the work of a 12-band equalizer with a single switch.
Schools using amplification have more focused, productive classrooms
E
ach day, schools’ investments in people, curricula, and technology can be undermined when students miss 25% of what teachers say. That’s if they’re lucky enough to have a good seat: children in the back row may even miss 40%. Why? Noisy air conditioning. Unfamiliar material. Inexperienced listeners. Children are naturally vulnerable to misunderstanding new concepts because they can’t reconstruct key words and phrases they’ve missed.
This is why over 3,200 US and Canadian districts and school boards use FrontRow sound systems to clarify and evenly distribute the teacher’s voice throughout the classroom. The result is improved attention, better test scores, and more effective teaching. Ensuring clear communication no matter where children sit, a FrontRow classroom is a more focused and productive classroom.
SmartCharge peace of mind. The greatest killer of TM
electronics is accidental recharging of alkaline batteries. SmartCharge technology only charges batteries that are safe to charge — protecting your investment for years to come.
Earth-friendly design. FrontRow’s design and manufacturing practices keep lead, mercury, PBDE and other toxins out of its products — and out of the environment.
DUO speaker coverage. How can one speaker cover TM
Lead Free
the entire room? It can't, no matter what anybody says. FrontRow's two-speaker line array technology reinforces and spreads more sound energy throughout the listening zone, making it the only all-in-one speaker able to cover an entire classroom.
How FrontRow works FrontRow sound systems clarify and evenly distribute sound — the voices of the teacher and individual students, plus multimedia audio — giving every student equal access to the lesson.
Speakers Evenly spread sound throughout the classroom, so students have equal access to auditory learning.
FrontRow receiver
Teacher mic
Combines teacher, student, computer, and video system audio before sending to speakers.
Lightweight mic sends teacher’s voice to receiver. Teachers speak in a normal conversational tone, reducing vocal stress.
Tech integration Easy charging More participation Pass-mic supports student presentation skills and builds confidence.
The handy drop-in charger makes nightly charging of teacher and student mics a snap.
Better listeners Every seat is a good seat for student attentiveness, comprehension, and test scores.
Play audio from MP3 files, DVDs, and streaming video. Even record lessons for podcasting.
How FrontRow makes schools more successful 34%
Literacy Growth
Test scores you’ll want to show & tell
(Informal Reading Inventory, percent of students)
In a five-month controlled study of 166 first-graders in the Broward County (Florida) Public School System, students in classrooms using FrontRow achieved significantly greater (p<.027) IRI-measured literacy gains.
16%
Why it works At least 45% of K-12 instruction is verbal, so it helps to make sure kids are understanding every word. Because they increase speech clarity and phonemic awareness, FrontRow sound systems can significantly enhance reading and spelling performance, but math scores are shown to improve as well.
With FrontRow
Without FrontRow
7-Level Growth
0 to 100% attention in 5 seconds
Student Attention & Behavior
(as reported by teachers and principals)
56% Improved Behavior
93% Improved Comprehension
96% Improved Attentiveness
Mean Word Recognition Scores for ELL Students 87.1% 84.2%
80.6%
79.1%
6
12
With FrontRow
49.2% Without
With FrontRow
Without
Without
With FrontRow
64.7%
Why it works
A three-year project involving 55 kindergarten through second grade classrooms in Escambia, Orange, Pinellas, and Sarasota (Florida) public schools found that student attentiveness, listening, and comprehension improved when using FrontRow.
Listening is hard work, especially for children – who lack the vocabulary and brain development that adults rely on to focus. By making sure that the teacher’s voice is highly intelligible to all students, FrontRow makes it easier to listen. As a consequence attentiveness, understanding, and behavior nearly always improve.
Connect with English learners
Why it works
When researchers measured the word perception of 20 English language learners (aged 8 to 10) at various distances from the teacher, they found the children’s performance significantly improved (p=<0.0001) when using a sound system.
By ensuring that the teacher’s voice is clarified and evenly distributed around the room, FrontRow systems can be tremendously helpful to English language learners — who have particularly strong speech perception difficulties when seated in the middle or rear of the classroom. And with FrontRow’s patented OptiVoice speech clarity feature, it’s even easier to tell the difference between ‘cat’ and ‘cap’.
Recess for teachers’ voices
Why it works
24
Teacher-Student Distance (ft)
Percent of Teachers Taking Voice-Related Sick Days 14% With FrontRow
34% Without FrontRow
In a survey of 56 Dubuque (Iowa) public school teachers, researchers compared sick days due to voice or throat problems before and after using a sound system. Teachers using the sound system reported a decline from an average of .93 sick days per year to .34 sick days per year — a reduction of 63%.
Because they need to project their voice to back of the classroom, half of all teachers will experience a voice disorder during their career. FrontRow systems eliminate this added strain. Most teachers using FrontRow report more energy and greater teaching satisfaction.
These studies and more available at www.gofrontrow.com
Which system fits your needs?
F
rontRow products can be configured to meet the needs of just about any learning environment or teaching style. This chart will help you find the solution that best fits your goals.
Upgrade to Voice Amplification
Existing Amplifier and Speakers Required Integration Inputs Separate Volume Control for Inputs Podcast Outputs
Installed Voice & Multimedia Amplification
Installation-Free & Portable Voice & Multimedia Amplification
Features
Number of Systems per School
Symbio
Pro Digital
Yes
No
1 (through mic)
3-7
1
N/A
Yes
Yes
ToGo No
No
1
1
Unlimited
Unlimited
16*
Feedback Suppression
No
Yes
No
One-touch Operation
No
Yes
No
Stereo Sound
No
Yes
No
Indoor Use
Yes
Yes
Yes
Outdoor Use (not weatherproof)
No
No
Yes
Integrated DuO Speakers
No
No
Yes
Battery Power Option
No
No
Yes
Installation-free
No
No
Yes
Carry Case Available
N/A
N/A
Yes
Energy Smart
Yes
Yes
No
OptiVoice Speech Clarification
No
Yes
Yes
Lead Free/RoHS Compliance
Yes
Yes
Yes
SmartCharge Fail Safe Battery System
Yes
Yes
Yes
Microphone Channels
2
2
2
External Sensor Inputs
3
3
N/A
Yes
Yes
Yes
Transmission Technology
Infrared
Infrared
FM
Platform
Analog
Digital
Analog
Warranty
5 Year
5 Year
5 Year
Optional Student Microphone
* More systems can be used with proper spacing
FrontRow PRO DIGITAL
Lighter mics. Lower energy use. And now Pro Digital is fastest to install, too.
F A simple, 30% lighter mic makes Pro Digital a teacher favorite – and numerous money saving features make it a winner with the district office.
features RECEIVER • Adapto® Digital Platform • Digital Signal Processing • Automatic feedback suppression • Intelligent power management
Other options
• Energy Smart • One-touch operation
Student pass-around mic & drop in charger
• 2 channel infrared • 2 stereo aux-inputs • 1 mono aux-output for podcasting • Integrated infrared sensor • OptiVoice enabled TM
Lead Free
• Lead-free construction • Designed in California for K-12 classrooms
• Designed in California for K-12 classrooms
(charges both mic styles)
• Excellent sound quality • Easy-to-reach mute button (Pendant) • 2 integrated directional mics (Pendant) • 2 channel (switchable) IR transmitter • SmartCharge failsafe charging TM
• Lead-free construction • Also compatible with VocaLight, Symbio, and FrontRow Pro systems
Pro Digital gives you the full sound coverage of a standard four-speaker system with about half the installation time. That’s because each IR speaker unit combines three speakers with an infrared sensor and a single cable. That frees installers from hanging each component separately – less time, lower cost.
One-touch operation makes it easy to use and manage With FrontRow Pro Digital, teachers need only turn on the mic to start teaching. The receiver automatically wakes up from its energy-saving sleep mode, and goes back to sleep when the mic is turned off. Adaptive intelligence simplifies use and saves power.
Unrestricted teaching
PENDANT & OPTIONAL PASS-AROUND MIC • Lightweight and comfortable
rontRow
Four ceiling speakers
FrontRow Pro Digital’s powerful Adapto platform monitors sound quality 500 times per second to suppress feedback before it starts. Teachers can move freely without fear of harsh interruptions, making it easier to focus on teaching calmly and clearly.
Uses at least 63% less energy From daily use through nightly charging, the FrontRow Pro Digital uses well under half the electricity of other sound systems on the market. FrontRow designers make it an easy choice to be in harmony with green building initiatives, offering smarter use of school budgets and global resources.
FrontRow symbio
FrontRow Student pass-around microphone
Now add a FrontRow mic to any media amplifier
M
any classrooms have a basic amplifier and speakers – perhaps as a component of an interactive whiteboard – but lack the critical ability to amplify voices. FrontRow Symbio lets you easily improve achievement and attention with a simpler, smarter, 30% lighter mic. It’s never too late to enjoy excellent sound quality and more successful instruction.
The child-friendly way to build student participation
E
ngaged, contributing students are easy to find in classrooms with a FrontRow student pass-around microphone. Designed by FrontRow for K-12 classrooms – and for children’s small hands – this mic helps increase participation while reinforcing the values of turn-taking and listening. Most teachers find that even shy readers come alive when using the student mic. And thanks to the hands-free lavaliere clip, the FrontRow student pass-around mic is perfect for stand-up presentations.
Easily add teacher and student voice amplification to existing amplifiers.
A convenient drop-in charger makes the student pass-around microphone even easier to use.
features Pendant Microphone • Lightweight and comfortable
Other options Student pass-around mic & drop in charger
• Excellent sound quality • Easy-to-reach mute button
Lead Free
• 2 integrated directional mics • 2 channel (switchable) transmitter • SmartCharge failsafe charging • Lead-free construction • Designed in California for K-12 classrooms receiver • 2 channel infrared • Easy installation
(charges both mic styles)
• Lead-free construction • 3 sensor Inputs • Energy Star - qualified power supply
Even shy students love being heard using the pass-around microphone. When used as a ‘talking-stick’ the pass-around mic encourages participation and turn-taking.
features • Lightweight (just 74g/2.6oz) and comfortable • 2-channel, compatible with VocaLight, Pro, Pro Digital,
“Students are more willing to participate in discussions with the rest of the class. They want to use the hand-held microphone because it’s fun! They just feel more confident in themselves, more comfortable being able to share in front of class, read in front of class, and participate in discussions.”
Sarah McClish Third-Grade Teacher Sycamore Elementary, Dorr, MI
and Symbio systems • Designed in California for K-12 classrooms • Energy efficient drop-in charger fits both student and teacher mics • 2 channel (switchable) transmitter • SmartCharge™ failsafe charging • Excellent sound quality • Lead-free construction
Lead Free
FrontRow ToGo
So easy, the hardest thing about the FrontRow ToGo is taking it out of the box
C
ompletely installation-free, FrontRow ToGo is the only “all-in-one” sound system with DuO™ Technology. Its two precision-mounted speakers provide amazingly even coverage of the entire classroom in a way that few multi-speaker systems (and no single speaker) can match.
Goes from class to playground to assembly FrontRow ToGo goes anywhere students need to listen. Its powerful built-in battery lets you teach far from power sources, and at just 6.4kg/14lbs, it’s easier than ever to clarify your voice in the classroom, cafeteria, gym, or play field.
When accidents happen, just say “OOPS”
F
or cost-conscious schools that can't afford downtime, FrontRow's OOPS Plan offers free replacement of product damaged by spills, drops, theft, and other classroom mishaps in 3 days or less. It even covers worn out rechargeable batteries and boom mics! Simply activate an OOPS Plan at the time of your hardware purchase. Coverage is available for either individual transmitters or for entire systems, and gives you all the benefits of the FrontRow 5-Year Limited Warranty plus this valuable extended coverage:
For complete plan details, please visit www.gofrontrow.com/oops
• Defects and failures due to normal use and operation • Accidental and unintentional damage from handling and power surges • Parts, labor & normal two-way shipping at no extra cost on covered repairs and replacements • Theft (with a valid police report) • Consumables, such as rechargeable batteries, boom mics, and cables
features RECEIVER/SPEAKERS
1- to 5-year plans available for:
• Installation-free setup Able to go beyond the classroom, FrontRow ToGo’s all-in-one design and built-in battery make it a favorite for outdoor learning, physical education, assemblies, and other situations demanding portability.
• Simple, teacher-friendly controls • 2 channel FM receiver • 1 aux-input • 1 aux-output for podcasting • DUO™ speaker technology
Other options Handheld Microphone
• FrontRow Pro Digital
• Portable, battery-powered
• FrontRow Symbio Lead Free
• FrontRow ToGo Plan
Comparison
5-Year Limited Warranty
OOPS Plan
Defects & workmanship
a
a a a a a a a a a a a a
Unintentional accidents
Power surges
• OptiVoice™ enabled
Theft
• Lead-free construction
Rechargeable batteries
• Designed in Denmark for
Battery chargers
K-12 classrooms TRANSMITTER
External mics Cables & wires Shipping out
• Excellent sound quality
Telephone support
• SmartCharge failsafe charging
3-day in-hand solution
• Lead-free construction
One year only
1
a - - - 1
Shipping in
1
- - - - 1
• Lightweight and comfortable
™
2
With valid police report
a a -
2
