Group work
The noise of teams at work is legitimate up to a point, and that point is hard to put into words. A visible threshold says it for you, and students regulate themselves by watching it.
The classroom noise meter, recording nothing
A gauge that rises and falls with the noise in the room says in one second what a reminder takes a minute to achieve. The microphone is used only to read the instantaneous sound level: nothing is recorded, nothing is sent, nothing is kept.
Try it right now
This is not a screenshot: it is the tool itself, the one your class will see on the board.
Your browser does not allow microphone use here.
How it works
-
The mic only turns on if you ask
Nothing starts when the page opens. You have to click “Turn on the mic”, then allow it in your browser. Clicking “Turn off the mic” releases the access straight away, and removing the tool from the board does the same.
-
One gauge, three zones
The level is shown from 0 to 100 and changes colour: calm, then a warning as it nears the threshold, then over. The value is smoothed so the bar does not shake at every chair that moves.
-
Your threshold, not ours
The “Max threshold” marker is adjustable and starts at 60. A classroom, a science lab and a library are not alike: where the line sits is your call.
-
An alert that does not nag
When the threshold is crossed, the tool shows “Too loud!” and plays a signal — once. It only rearms once the level has clearly come back down, otherwise a class sitting on the line would trigger the alert on a loop.
When it really earns its place
Quiet moments
During a test or a reading, lower the threshold: the smallest rise shows on the gauge, and the reminder becomes a gesture towards the screen rather than a word.
Next to the timer
On the board’s canvas, a timer and a noise meter side by side frame independent work from end to end: how long is left, and at what volume it is to be done.
What it does, and what it does not
The microphone records nothing. The tool reads the instantaneous sound level frame by frame, turns it into a value between 0 and 100, and discards the sample. There is no file, no upload, no history — and that sentence is shown under the gauge, not only written here.
It is not a measuring instrument. The value on screen is a relative scale, useful for comparing quiet and noise in your room; it is not expressed in decibels and replaces no instrument.
Some browsers refuse microphone access, and the tool says so plainly rather than showing a gauge stuck at zero. On the composable board, your threshold and your alert setting are kept from one session to the next.
Frequently asked questions
Does the noise meter record what is said in class?
No. The microphone is used solely to measure an instantaneous sound level. No sound is recorded, sent or kept, and microphone access is released as soon as you stop it or remove the tool from the board.
Do I have to allow the mic every time?
That depends on your browser: most remember your answer for the site. In every case the tool never starts on its own — the microphone is only requested after you click “Turn on the mic”.
Is the reading in decibels?
No, and it is better said out loud: the 0–100 scale is relative, calibrated so that a lively class sits in the upper part of the gauge without pinning it. It compares moments in your room; it does not produce an official measurement.
Can I mute the alert sound?
Yes, the tool has its own button for that, separate from the portal’s “Sounds” setting. The visual warning stays on screen either way.
Why does the alert only sound once?
Because an alert that keeps sounding stops being heard within three minutes. It fires when the threshold is crossed, then waits until the level has clearly dropped before it can sound again.
Pairs well with
This tool lives on the board’s canvas, next to all the others.