Learning Through Harkness  

Constructivism is an educational philosophy rooted in the belief that students learn best when they have the opportunity to build their own understanding based off of prior knowledge and their own experiences. In a constructivist classroom, the teacher acts as a guide and learner rather than the keeper of knowledge. Learning opportunities are created for students to make sense of new information by themselves, with peers and as a community. In this sense, there is no right answer, as multiple perspectives and experiences are being applied to make sense of new information. Harkness is truly a constructivist philosophy. As students sit in a circle, facing each other, sharing their own individual interpretations, their collective understanding becomes far greater than their own singular one. This is because they have the opportunity to see these new ideas from varying viewpoints. In fact, the teacher is encouraged to put away that textbook or English text with their annotations and instead learn alongside students. The teacher in a Harkness circle is a participant and learner. 

 

 

Harkness teaching also helps contribute to the education of the whole child. It is holistic in the sense that it encourages a community of learners. When students feel safe learning alongside their peers, they start to form connections and these connections nurture them on a deeper level. Harkness is also an effective way to have discussions about deeper issues and ideas. Furthremore, Harkness is inquiry-based as students are encouraged to work through their ideas and those of their peers to reach a deeper understanding. Following discussions, new learning can be expressed through a variety of arts-based mediums. 

 

This website contains resources and information based on my experience using Harkness as a constructivist and holistic approach in the English and humanities classroom; however, schools like Phillips Exeter Academy use Harkness across all subjects. For more information about using Harkness in a math and science classroom please refer to the following blogs and websites:

 

http://grantwiggins.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/a-visit-to-harvard-and-exeter-problem-solving-done-right/

 

http://reallybigyear.wordpress.com/2013/03/27/teaching-science-using-the-harkness-method/#

 

http://www.nais.org/Magazines-Newsletters/ITMagazine/Pages/Harkness-Math.aspx