Page 26 - Buzz Magazine

PRODUCTS
If you can’t hear, you can’t learn
Teaching relies on a teacher being able to guide learners through a topic, although that is not the only important factor in learning. Children need to hear to be able to learn.
“Sometimes learners cannot hear clearly, either because the sound
pressure level is too high (it is too noisy) or because of a lack of speech clarity,”
Lauren Krüger, Concept Developer at Ecophon, points out. “For example, the teacher stands at the front of the classroom and talks and the sound
re ects off back wall. The children at back will hear the original speech plus late re ections. If you cannot make out what people saying, you cannot learn it.”
Especially when children are still young, disturbing noises from inside or outside the classroom can make kids miss words or syllables in words.
Put to the test
This issue prompted Saint-Gobain South Africa to embark on a case study with St Stithians College in Bryanston, Johannesburg.
During the September holidays, Saint-Gobain retro tted two classrooms at the girls’ college, one north-facing classroom, and one south-facing classroom. Both classrooms were tted with Habito drywalling and lined with Cavitybatt insulation from Isover to thermally insulate the walls, as well as eliminate noise from the outside of the classrooms.
Isover Aerolite insulation in the ceilings also contributes to the thermal comfort of the classrooms.
AIDInG EDUCATIOn In SOUTh AFRICA
In 2013, the Department of Education in South Africa stated that there were 12 883 888 learners in the basic education system, who attended 30 027 educational institutions and were served by 447 149 educators.
In general terms, this means that approximately 25% of the total population
of South Africa spends the majority of their days in classrooms: learners and teachers alike. Classrooms therefore make up a great part of the space that the youth of South Africa occupy.
The following educational facilities have been retro tted by Saint-Gobain Ecophon to date:
w University of Pretoria
w Sol Plaatjies University
w Tshwane University of Technology w Wits University
w American International School
w Trans Oranje School
w Thuto Pele Secondary High School w Tshepisa Primary School
w DSG School
w Eduplex High School, Pretoria
w Villa Lisa Secondary School
w Steve Bikoville Secondary School
w University of Johannesburg w A es (boys’ high school)
w University of Cape Town
w Mpumalanga University
w EWC College
w Nigel Secondary High School
w Mvelaphande Primary School
w Bafokeng Primary School
w Hoërskool Waterkloof
w Phomolong Secondary School
w Amos Maphanga Secondary School w Seshegong Secondary School
Students from the Gyproc Academy worked on the retro t of the classrooms, giving them real life, hands-on experience.
26 | BUZZ | SUMMER 2016