Harkness table
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The Harkness table refers to a style of teaching used most notably by Phillips Exeter Academy, as well as other American independent schools, including Memphis Jewish High School , Hathaway Brown School, Horace Mann School, The Hotchkiss School, Palmer Trinity School, Phillips Academy, St. Paul's School, Middlesex School, St. George's School,The Masters School, Whitby School, Germantown Academy, Kingswood-Oxford School 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, St. 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.
[edit] Harkness Tables in Australia
The first Harkness Table outside the USA was officially opened in 2004 at Melbourne Grammar School, Melbourne, Australia. Introduced by Head of Business Studies, Matthew O'Meara, the table is the largest in the world with 22 seats. This Harkness Table is the only one of its kind, with built in power points and a wireless access point, to support the school's laptop program.[citation needed]
