Get with the 5, 7, 5: Haiku (improves) Learning

Get with the 5, 7, 5: Haiku (improves) Learning

Haiku: a haiku

Don’t detest the switch.

Not like useless Facebook ones.

Transforms our learning.

 

Haiku Learning is replacing SchoolLoop at Dougherty this fall, a beneficial change for students and for overall learning in school.

Many opposed to Haiku are attached to the simple, effective design of SchoolLoop and detest any attempt to fix what is not broken. However, Haiku is not a solution; it’s an improvement, and a significant one at that. SchoolLoop’s limited functions offer little more than a grade report, given that the remainder of its functions can be easily operated through a Google account, one of which every student is already provided. Haiku is connected to that Google account, eliminating the need for two school accounts, and it offers a more developed, cloud-based platform for extended learning.

Haiku is designed to be an online classroom that, when used in tandem with a teacher’s guidance, promotes active learning. Rather than listen to a teacher lecture about a topic, students can research the content for themselves, presenting them in “content blocks” on their own Haiku Learning page. Teachers can use these pages to foster more discussion, whether through a forum for blog posts and comment threads, or embedding content such as videos and Google docs.

Students can collaborate through Haiku, view others’ work and exchange ideas online, all within the online classroom. Haiku sets up navigation-friendly organization within each classroom, in which teachers can create categorical tabs for students to find what they’re looking for.

Grading is also transformed in Haiku Learning. Students can submit their work online, teachers can grade and write comments electronically and grades can be updated and viewed, all solely within the Haiku system.

Haiku includes everything SchoolLoop does and offers a more effective platform for thorough understanding, discussion and original thought. Its accessible and multifaceted design encourages both practicality and creativity.

However, it will take the efforts of both students and teachers to truly reap the benefits of Haiku. To take advantage of Haiku’s many features, teachers should do more than just upload worksheets and other files on Haiku, and students should embrace active learning and give Haiku a shot before disparaging a website they’re unfamiliar with.

The purpose of Haiku is not to assign more work, but to be used during classtime as a tool for teaching and learning. Should a student miss class, the online classroom is there for his or her reference anywhere he or she has internet access. Greater participation in Haiku functions, such as the ample opportunities for class-wide dialogue and individual thought, will demonstrate the impressive advantages of the program. As both teachers and students become more comfortable working in Haiku, we will see this change for its colossal improvements on learning.