Harkness Success

 

Our first Harkness was a terrific learning experience for all of us. I was upfront and honest with my students that I'd never done this with a class before and we would all simply try our best. 

It was recommended that I run three discussion groups during one class so that more students would have the opportunity to speak for a longer period of time. I divided students into groups and students not in Harkness had individual work to accomplish. The groups moved their desks into an oval, I read the essential question, and put 10 minutes on the timer. 

Essential Question: Why is it important for people living in America today to live up to citizen responsibilities?

Students were asked to consider the Three Branches, the Bill of Rights, and their roles as citizens. I also asked them to connect citizen rights to the history we had already learned this year (for example, what life was like in the colonies before and during the American Revolution).

My historians were encouraged to use their prep organizer and were graded on using specific examples and actively listening.

This discussion is highly student-centered. I was a spectator and guided only occasionally, not at all with some groups. The students were encouraged to specifically call on or agree with others by name, and to keep the discussion on-topic. My role was to draw connections as the conversation happened, drawing arrows from one student to the next. I also wrote notes regarding the topics students brought up--this greatly helped me when I graded this assignment.

Students got a lot out of the discussion. They practiced more formal and structured speaking with one another and practiced listening, too. I also reminded them to try and engage all students in the discussion, that is a sophisticated skill that some students were adept in. They also had to practice wait time, something that can be quite uncomfortable, but is important for those of us that need more time to process and think before we speak. 

I will definitely use this activity again--in fact, we will jump in again next month. I won't overuse this strategy but we will keep our knowledge and skills fresh by doing another right away. 

Many thanks for my colleague, Julia, for the assistance and tips.