How to use it

1. Tap Turn on the microphone, and allow access when the browser asks. Nothing is recorded.
2. Pick the level for the activity: Quiet work, Group work, or Playtime.
3. Choose the dial or the traffic light. The traffic light is easier to read from across the room.
4. Move the sensitivity slider if your microphone reads hot or quiet, until a normal working level sits in the green.
5. Tap full screen to put it on the interactive whiteboard where children can see it.
6. Leave it running and watch the quiet streak build. It keeps counting through the odd shout, and only resets when the room is genuinely too loud.

Why teachers use it

• Children get feedback on their own volume without a teacher raising their voice over the top of it.
• Red needs sustained noise, not one shout, so a class that is working well is not punished for a single laugh.
• The quiet streak turns keeping the volume down into something the class can beat, instead of a telling off.
• Three activity levels mean quiet reading and busy group work are each judged against what you actually asked for.
• The traffic light view reads clearly from the back of the room on a whiteboard.
• Nothing is recorded and no sound leaves the device, so it is safe to run in a room full of children.
• It is free, needs no signup, and works on any device in the room.

FAQ

What is a classroom noise meter?

A classroom noise meter is a free online tool that listens through the microphone in your device and shows the noise level in the room as a picture children can read. Green means the class is working at the right level, amber means it is climbing, and red means it has stayed too loud.

Does the noise meter record my classroom?

No. The sound is measured inside your browser and nothing is recorded, saved or sent anywhere. There is no account, no upload and no audio file. Closing the tab ends the measurement completely.

Why does it not turn red the moment someone shouts?

One shout is not a noisy classroom. The meter waits until the room has stayed above your chosen level for about a second and a half before it turns red, so a single laugh or a dropped chair does not punish a class that is working well.

What do the three levels mean?

Quiet work suits independent tasks where you want near silence. Group work allows the busy hum of children talking at tables. Playtime allows a lot more before the meter reacts. Pick the one that matches the activity, so the class is measured against what you actually asked for.

Do I need a special microphone?

No. The built-in microphone in a laptop, tablet or phone is enough. If the meter reads too high or too low for your room, move the sensitivity slider until a normal working level sits in the green.

Why does it say the microphone is blocked?

The browser asks permission the first time and remembers your answer. If you said no, or the site was never asked, open the padlock icon in the address bar and allow the microphone for this site, then turn it on again.

Can I use it on an interactive whiteboard or iPad?

Yes. The full screen button fills a whiteboard or projector so the whole class can see it, and the traffic light view is the easiest to read from across the room. It works in any modern browser on a computer, tablet or phone.