Re: Student Teachers

[Guest guest]

> Date: Wed, 10 Jan 2001 23:43:05 -0500

>

> Subject: Re: Student Teachers

>

> Thanks Kerri...listen, we went nationwide, even world-wide working with

> sound tech gurus, audiologists, engineers, etc....what we determined was

> that because the two units are on the same frequency, their signals

> jam.

Phonic Ear web site discusses using two transmitters on different

frequencies for each teacher and then having one teacher wear one of

the receivers too. The output from this receiver is then routed into

the input line for her transmitter and then the child wears the receiver

associated with that transmitter. Hmmm. Never tried it because its

expensive to get the district to pay for two copies, but it should work.

Here is the web site. They have pictures, which helps alot!

http://www.phonicear.com/arcvmn_f.html#teach

They also have a way of putting two conference mics into one receiver

which may be even better. But that would only work with their system.

http://www.phonicear.com/featureteach.htm#featureone

Personally I've found that passing a mic back and forth is cumbersome,

but makes them take turns talking rather than talking over each other.

Terri , Mother of Kathy, 6 HoH, future dancer and artist

[Guest guest]

At 07:32 PM 1/10/01 -0500, you wrote:

>So my questions are the following: Do any of you have kids where there are

>two teachers in the room and your child uses an FM?

Yes.

>How do you handle this

>logistically?

They pass it around. We actually have two transmitters, but I think using

both at the same time would be confusing for the child.

>Am I being extra picky to think that sharing an FM transmitter

>is a bad idea (disruptive to the whole class, and not particularly optimal

>for Patty either)? If it is technologically doable and the school says no,

>do I call and IEP meeting and put it on record?

Well, first I'd talk to an audiologist to find out what s/he says about the

effectiveness of this. Remember, your child knows who has the FM, and that

is the only way s/he knows where that person's voice is coming from. I can

imagine it would be more confusing than it's worth to have two people

talking into your ears at the same time.

We have the HandyMic transmitter and the MicroVox transmitter. The HandyMic

is a lot easier to hand around...and the teacher can actually POINT the

transmitter at whomever is talking to help Patty hear that person better

(it also has zoom and wide angle settings). But I have to admit, I think

having both on at the same time would be kinda freaky for Patty.

[Guest guest]

Unless they've changed, in the last year, it is not physically possible

to have two mic's operating on the same frequency unless they run

through some type of mixer system first. They will scramble each

other. Check with the manufacturer, but we tried to do a multiple mic

setup for a couple of years to no avail....we stopped trying a couple of

years ago.

[Guest guest]

My neighbor student taught a few years ago. She said that she and the

regular teacher were never teaching at the same time: she would run the

class when it was her turn, and the regular teacher would observe. If this

will be the arrangement in your case, then they could hand the transmitter

and mic back and forth. It should not be too much of a distraction.

Recently, my daughter's 3rd grade classmates presented their science

projects at the front of the room. They each took the transmitter and mic

and wore it while making their speech. It was a good thing too, they have

such tiny little voices that the teacher and I could not hear them from the

back of the room, but my daughter could (she was probably the only one in

the room who did)! And the cost you were quoted is in the ballpark...I just

paid $750 for a new Phonak FM.

Student Teachers

I just got a call from Patty's regular teacher saying a second teacher

(intern) was starting at the end of the month, and he asked me how to get

a

second Microlinks FM transmitter and battery charger for the student

teacher.

I checked with the audiologist (thinking that I wouldn't mind having it

after the teacher was done, if they weren't too expensive - HAH!) and was

shocked to find they are over $800.

I then called the head of special ed who claims there is no need for a

second

FM transmitter, that the primary teacher can just hand it back and forth

to

the student teacher. When I pointed out this was less than optimal, she

said

" well maybe there is a spare one in the district the student teacher could

borrow "

So my questions are the following: Do any of you have kids where there

are

two teachers in the room and your child uses an FM? How do you handle

this

logistically? Am I being extra picky to think that sharing an FM

transmitter

is a bad idea (disruptive to the whole class, and not particularly optimal

for Patty either)? If it is technologically doable and the school says

no,

do I call and IEP meeting and put it on record?

Thanks,

Sheri

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[Guest guest]

At 10:08 PM 1/10/01 -0500, you wrote:

>Unless they've changed, in the last year, it is not physically possible

>to have two mic's operating on the same frequency unless they run

>through some type of mixer system first. They will scramble each

>other.

OK, I have both transmitters and the hearing aids right here, and the

little guy is asleep, so I figured I'd try it out. Put one FM in front of a

television on NBC, put another in front of a television on CBS. I got an

ungodly squeal when they were both turned on. So 's absolutely

right...seems that two transmitters won't work at the same time. (The

MicroVox and boots are almost a year old, the HandyMic was new this summer.)

[Guest guest]

Thanks Kerri...listen, we went nationwide, even world-wide working with

sound tech gurus, audiologists, engineers, etc....what we determined was

that because the two units are on the same frequency, their signals

jam. The only way to handle this is to have each person use a

microphone (either hard-wired or wireless) which sends the signal to a

special device called a sound mixer that synchronizes the two mics and

allows them to be used simultaneously. This output is then routed to an

FM device that outputs the signal to the FM receiver that the child

wears. Expensive and requires a specialist to tweak....find that in the

school system! Try getting it maintained! Been there, done that...or

rather, didn't do that...but we sure tried to get it all up and

going...even offered to pay for the mixer system and all input/output

devices other than the fm components. No go.

Kerri Hicks wrote:

>

> At 10:08 PM 1/10/01 -0500, you wrote:

> >Unless they've changed, in the last year, it is not physically possible

> >to have two mic's operating on the same frequency unless they run

> >through some type of mixer system first. They will scramble each

> >other.

>

> OK, I have both transmitters and the hearing aids right here, and the

> little guy is asleep, so I figured I'd try it out. Put one FM in front of a

> television on NBC, put another in front of a television on CBS. I got an

> ungodly squeal when they were both turned on. So 's absolutely

> right...seems that two transmitters won't work at the same time. (The

> MicroVox and boots are almost a year old, the HandyMic was new this summer.)

>

> All messages posted to this list are private and confidential. Each post is

the intellectual property of the author and therefore subject to copyright

restrictions.

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/10/01 11:09:32 PM Eastern Standard Time,

Kerri_Hicks@... writes:

Because of chronic interference, the school district replaced my son's FM

soundfiled with an infra-red system. The teacher wears one mic and, when the

kids are having their sharing time, they use a hand held mic and pass it

around. As someone else said, it helps ENORMOUSLY with turn-taking and each

child waits patiently for their turn with the mic, including my profoundly

deaf son, LOL!

Orla

> At 10:08 PM 1/10/01 -0500, you wrote:

> >Unless they've changed, in the last year, it is not physically possible

> >to have two mic's operating on the same frequency unless they run

> >through some type of mixer system first. They will scramble each

> >other.

>

> OK, I have both transmitters and the hearing aids right here, and the

> little guy is asleep, so I figured I'd try it out. Put one FM in front of a

> television on NBC, put another in front of a television on CBS. I got an

> ungodly squeal when they were both turned on. So 's absolutely

> right...seems that two transmitters won't work at the same time. (The

> MicroVox and boots are almost a year old, the HandyMic was new this summer.)

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

You guys are the best. I mean it's one thing to sit down and say " I think A

B C " but to actually try it on my behalf is unbelievably kind.

Thank you so much

Sheri