Visualizing Classroom Noise

As teachers we know great things can happen when we give students assignments that require them to collaborate and work together toward a common goal. Although, whether by accident or by design, this can generate a lot of noise in our classrooms. I don't know about you, but I was always self-conscious of noise bothering nearby teachers or being overheard by administrators. My students were usually pretty cooperative, and when I told them they were getting too loud they would quiet down. But that was usually short-lived.

Enter Bouncy Balls. Bouncy Balls is a free online noise meter that shows the volume of the noise in a room by displaying a set of colorful bouncing balls on your screen. The louder your students are, the higher and more frequently the balls on the screen bounce. To use Bouncy Balls, simply go to the website (bouncyballs.org), click "Begin Bouncing," and then click the microphone icon to allow the site to access your computer's microphone (as shown in the image below).

This tool can be used in any web browser on your laptop or Chromebook, or using Safari on your iPad.