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Bouncy Balls
Pros: Easily adjust sensitivity. Set a noise alert. Takes seconds to set up.
Cons: Alert is easy to miss. Could lead to more giggly-ness. Can't choose mic input.
Bottom Line: This is a fun tool that offers a silly but possibly effective solution to managing noise levels.
How Can I Teach with This Tool?
Bouncy Balls is a simple, free noise meter that can be used in the classroom. As sounds increase, plastic balls, emoji, bubbles, or eyeballs shoot up from the bottom of the screen and move erratically until levels decrease. Use Bouncy Balls during group work when high noise levels can distract students. Or try using the tool to keep classrooms quiet during independent work or an exam. You'll need to adjust the sensitivity meter to fit your classroom environment. Keep in mind that students might actually want to cause noise in order to see the chaos ensue on the screen. In this case, you might want to let students get their giggles out at the beginning then challenge them to get as quiet as possible. This might not satiate sillier more active classrooms, but for others this could be a good tool to set a noise baseline and encourage self-regulation and staying on task.