Praises sung for audio assistance
SHY students have benefited the most from the roll out of the Hear and Learn RedCAT audio technology.
This is the view of Assistant St Catherine's principal Dianne Stevens who said the technology was making life easier for everyone involved in the school.
"We couldn't do without them,” she said.
"When the students are packing up the room the teacher can be heard, even from the back of the room, just as clearly as when all the students are sitting quietly together in the reading area. It's a brilliant system.”
The technology was introduced in 2013 initially to serve the purpose of assisting students with hearing loss.
It's success has since seen it applied to St Cath's learning enrichment program and now it is commonly used in most primary school classrooms.
The RedCAT technology enables voice projection for teachers to allow students to enjoy a calmer learning environment.
"The RedCATs enable our staff to talk at the same tone and volume as their normal speaking voices and they can be heard clearly by every student in the class, no matter what activity is taking place,” Ms Stevens said.
"Our students are so relaxed with the system. I had one Primary student tell me that, when she put on the microphone to give her presentation to the class, it was just like wearing a piece of jewellery.”
Ms Stevens said research showed children performed better when spoken to in a regulated, positive tone, contributing to social and emotional development and their self esteem.
The technology also comes to the aid of parents during meetings such as the annual Prep Information Night.
Whitsunday Parish Church priest Father Bill also sung the praises of the RedCAT technology declaring it even "better than the PA system used in the Whitsunday Parish Church”.