We love seeing how innovative educators are using Haiku Deck to bring creativity to iPads in the classroom. When we saw tweets from Annie Lafont (of Acacia Elementary in Fullerton, CA) about her students’ storytelling projects, we got in touch to hear more.
4th graders using Haiku Deck at Acacia Elementary
Q&A with Fourth Grade Teacher Annie Lafont
Haiku Deck: What inspired you to try Haiku Deck?
Annie: At one of our staff development meetings this winter, Haiku Deck was introduced as an app that teachers could easily incorporate into their lessons. I immediately downloaded it because I saw the value in it (and it was free!).
Haiku Deck is easy to navigate and is a powerful presentation tool. Students have an easy time choosing pictures to go along with the text on their slides because the app instantly provides images based on keywords that are typed into the slides. Students can also use pictures from their own camera roll or customize the image search.
Haiku Deck: Could you tell us a little bit how you’ve been using it in your classroom?
Annie: One of my colleagues, Stephanie Given, shared a project that her students were working on. They were writing sensory poems, and the goal was to use descriptive language. I loved the idea and taught my students how to write sensory poems. Students were encouraged to include description, using the five senses.
Dance – Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires;
Their goal was to paint a picture in the reader’s mind of what it was that was important or special to them. Haiku Deck was the perfect tool to bring their poems to life.
Baseball – Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires;
Students have also created a character analysis project using Haiku Deck. Students collaborated and then brainstormed words to describe characters in “The Secret of Nimh.” Students created a slide to describe each character.
The Secret Of Nimh – Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires;
“When publishing their work on the Haiku Deck site, students have a real audience and their work has a genuine purpose.”
Haiku Deck: What has the experience been like for you and your students?
Annie: I recently polled my students, asking them what their favorite iPad project has been this year, and most students chose Haiku Deck. One student said, “One of my favorite things on the iPads was when we used Haiku Deck. I got to learn how to write an amazing, really descriptive poem, and the presentation was my own.”
“Students felt a sense of ownership and pride when it was their turn to present their sensory poem to the class. The student audience was engaged and eager to watch the presentations.”
Haiku Deck: What tips do you have for teachers getting started with Haiku Deck?
Annie: Haiku Deck is fun and easy to learn. Students are able to create dramatic presentations with ease. Students feel a sense of pride when their presentations are displayed on the board. Also, when students create projects on Haiku Deck, their work can be uploaded to the Haiku Deck site. Since each deck has its own URL, students and teachers are able to create QR codes and share their projects easily.
“Students feel a sense of pride when their presentations are displayed on the board.”
Thank you Annie and Acacia Elementary for sharing your experiences! (Side note: We love how Annie has set up the classroom account as “Room 13 Rocks!” We totally agree—you can even follow them on Twitter!)
iPads in the Classroom: More Inspiration
We’ve collected more examples of sensory poems (from Acacia Room 13 and other schools) on this Pinterest board.
If you’re looking for more creative ways to enliven iPads in the classroom with Haiku Deck, be sure to check out our Education Case Studies Pinterest board, our showcase of great education-related Haiku Decks, and our Q&A with Haiku Deck Edu Guru Jeremy Macdonald.