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EdTech Show Daily Tuesday, January 29, 2019 4 Reduce Teacher Sick Days & Increase Test Scores at the Same Time Today's classrooms are built for many things, but proper acoustics is not among them. While flat walls and linoleum floors are ideal for motivational posters and low construction costs, they are hor- rific for sound projection. Additionally, background noise in the classroom can feature a relentless onslaught of air con- ditioners, whirring computers, squeaking desks and sounds from the outdoors. This can have great consequences for student success. The Journal of Urban Health reported that 8- and 9-year-old students who experience higher ambient noise levels in the classroom perform sig- nificantly worse on standardized tests, after controlling for socioeconomic back- ground. Other studies have shown similar results. These superfluous acoustics and background noises also impact teachers as they battle to talk above the noise. Adults, who rely on context to intuit missed words, require a signal-to-noise ratio of around over 6 decibels, meaning a speaker's voice has to be about 50 per- cent louder than ambient noise for com- prehension. In contrast, children, who lack this ability to fill in the blank, need the sound to be 300 percent louder. Additionally, because sound disperses over dis- tance, some studies sug- gest a teacher needs to speak at a level of 83 decibels to provide the proper signal-to-noise ratio for stu- dents in the back row. That's about as loud as a garbage disposal. As you can imagine, this level of volume is unhealthy. According to one study in the Journal of Voice, teachers are 32 times more likely to be plagued with voice problems than any other voice- dependent occupation. The Digital Academy and Connect2Compete By Jennifer Cobb, Product Director, Cox Communications Cox Communications is taking steps to provide broadband access to those that most need it with the Connect2Compete program. This initiative is designed for low-income families in need of internet access at home. As we've seen, broadband at home can make a big difference when it comes to education. Some homework assign- ments must be completed online, and not having access can spell a world of hur- dles for a student before education can begin. During a press conference in Washington, D.C., Cox President Pat Esser announced that Cox is expanding its commitment to bridge the digital divide with a pledge of $20 million annu- ally. Furthermore, the recent survey (Families Report Internet At Home Results In Higher Grades And Improved Graduation Readiness, Cox Raises Commitment To Bridge Digital Divide With $20 Million Pledge) of more than 1,700 Connect2Compete participants shows that our program is working. Parents agree that Connect2Compete: makes it easier to commu- nicate with teachers and the school (95 percent); sets children up for suc- cess (94 percent); makes children more interested in school work (88 percent); and the convenience of having internet access at home is among the greatest ben- efits (97 percent). Building basic digital literacy skills is key if students want to compete in the job market. To help first-time internet users, Cox Communications offers free digital literacy training and resources through the Continued on Page 17 Continued on Page 17 AN INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION NOT AFFILIATED WITH FETC Kimberly Oser Publisher Jules Denton-Card Senior Associate Publisher Lorrie Baumann Editorial Director JoEllen Lowry • Jeanie Catron • Karrie Welborn Associate Editors Yasmine Brown Art Director Jonathan Schieffer Graphic Designer Caitlyn McGrath • Susan Stein Customer Service Managers Anthony Socci Associate Publisher Marcos Morhaim Senior Account Manager Louie Palos Account Manager Tara Neal Director of Operations Jay Watson • Hannah Stefanovich Show Logistics & Distribution Enrico Cecchi European Sales EdTech Show Daily is published by Oser Communications Group ©2019 All rights reserved. Executive and editorial offices at: 1877 N. Kolb Road, Tucson, AZ 85715 520.721.1300/Fax: 520.721.6300 European offices located at Lungarno Benvenuto Cellini, 11, 50125 Florence, Italy www.osercommunicationsgroup.com Lee M. Oser Founder