Harkness table
From Free net encyclopedia
The Harkness table refers to a style of teaching used most notably by Phillips Exeter Academy, as well as other American independent schools, including Horace Mann School, The Hotchkiss School, Phillips Academy, St. Paul's School, The Masters School, Germantown Academy, and The Lawrenceville School. The name comes from the oil magnate and philanthropist Edward Harkness, who presented the schools with a monetary gift in 1930. He described its use as follows:
- What I have in mind is [a classroom] where [students] could sit around a table with a teacher who would talk with them and instruct them by a sort of tutorial or conference method, where [each student] would feel encouraged to speak up. This would be a real revolution in methods.
The gift was used by Phillips Exeter Academy to put a Harkness table in almost every classroom. Classes are taught around the table, with class sizes of around 12 students and a single teacher in a discussion format.
Harkness learning can vary - most notably between liberal arts subjects such as English, and scientific subjects, like math. There are general principles and goals, however, that go along with this method. The main goal is to encourage students to come up with ideas of their own and learn good reasoning and discussion skills. Depending on his or her style, the teacher may interact very little, interjecting only to guide the discussion.
In 2004, Saint Paul Academy and Summit School received an anonymous donation to put 19 Harkness tables in language, history, and English rooms. There are now Harkness tables in science classrooms, but none yet in math rooms.