Teaching has evolved over the decades and with each evolution, new teaching methods emerge. Today, classes operate at maximum capacity meaning we have to leverage on technology to maximize learning and facilitate teaching.
Incorporating technology in the learning environment started when the basic whiteboards were replaced with overhead projectors. Later on tablets replaced textbooks, and today, headphones are sort after to overcome audio challenges in the classroom.
Chromebook laptops have leaped into the classroom setting because of several reasons:
- Price: A Chromebook delivers the same functionality as most laptops, but comes at a fraction of the cost. That means every student can own a laptop.
- Security: Chromebooks are the most secure laptops in the world because of how their OS operates. Even world-class hackers tip their hat for the Chrome OS.
- Reliability: A Chromebook on full battery can handle intensive use for an entire day without charging.
- Instant Power On: Most laptops take anywhere between a few seconds and whole minutes to boot. Chromebooks boot up instantly meaning kids start learning immediately.
To make Chromebooks even more effective as learning instruments, it’s wise to accessorize them with headphones, preferably ones with built-in microphones. Microphones minimize the distractions normally associated with the school environment, thereby maximizing learning and teaching efforts.
Why Schools Should Buy Chromebook Headphones In Bulk
However, buying headphones in singles as opposed to buying in bulk can create a budgetary nightmare. For starters, buying individual headphones means the school doesn’t enjoy the economies of scale. Rarely will you get a discount when you buy a single item, but when you buy in bulk, the seller always cuts off a percentage off the asking price.
Secondly, by buying the headphones in bulk the school’s spending is limited to one budgetary cycle. For instance, a school can buy several thousand headphones at one go in the beginning of the school year and forget about buying new headphones for an entire school year.
However, buying a few headphones at a time means the school is always accounting for money to acquire new headphones. That’s not workable for most schools and districts due to ongoing budgetary cuts.
How to Choose the Right Headphones for Chromebooks
Now that we agree schools should buy Chromebook headphones in bulk, you might be wondering how you should go about choosing the right Chromebook headphones for a classroom setting.
There are only a few things you should really look into when buying headphones for a classroom. Some of these things are specific to the Chromebook laptops, but they can apply in other cases where you need headphones for classroom settings. Let’s kick off with the general variables you have to take into account.
General Variables
- Budget and Longevity
The school’s budget and that of the school district greatly influence purchase decisions. Generally, schools would prefer to spend only once on headphone purchases. Therefore, you’ll have to choose headphones that will last all year long. That includes both testing and actual use.
Ask yourself, how much will it cost the school to purchase headphones for testing and all year-long use? If the cost is a bit high, you may contemplate buying small samples first for testing, and when you get the right headphones that won’t affect the kid’s hearing; you can place a bulk order.
- Durability
With schools trying to rein in spending at every possible chance, the only way to get the school or district to commit to Chromebook headphones is with a guarantee from the manufacturer. The manufacturer must be able to guarantee the headphones will survive the war and tear of being folded, stretched and dropped expected among in young students.
- Comfort
Learning and testing call for high levels of attention that cannot be attained when an object sits awkwardly on the ears. While trying out different headphones stick with the ones comfortable for the kids. That will help them stay focused and get the most out of their Chromebooks at school. That said, the most comfortable headphones are the over-the-ear models because they sit comfortably and block out noise interference.
Chromebook Specific Variables
- USB Type C Connections
Chromebooks sometimes may not have a headphone jack. Instead they have a USB port where you can plug in any media you want to use with the laptop. Therefore you have to make sure the headphones you are about to buy have a USB Type C connector rather than a jack.
- Stereo
Almost all Chromebooks support stereo sound transmission. That means audio from the laptops goes over two channels before getting to the output device. Stereo headphones have the advantage of making digital signals sound more naturally than mono headphones.