Grant Spotlight:  No Hiding in the Oval

Mary Pat Colicchio knows "the middle" can be full of surprises, as the national election recently demonstrated. The Summit High School history teacher, armed with an SEF grant, is determined to make sure her students who perform in the middle of the academic spectrum get the spotlight they need to make them shine. To this end, Colicchio spent a couple years researching a teaching/learning concept known as the Harkness Discussion Method, which emphasizes thinking over memorization and regurgitation of material.

The mechanics of the Harkness Method require students to sit at an oval conference table, with the teacher, acting as moderator and observer, circling the perimeter. No one seated in the oval can "hide" during a Harkness-style discussion, as students sift through new material by talking, listening and formulating conclusions together. Since oval conference tables are not readily available or practical at SHS, Colicchio penned a grant seeking funds to retrofit her classroom with movable desk systems that would allow students to quickly get into a Harkness oval, break apart for smaller group discussions, and then return to an eyes-front formation for traditional lecture format.

 

Sophomore Devon Degen said,  "We do a lot more group stuff with desks like this." During one of Colicchio's recent sophomore history classes, students, configured in several small ovals, engaged in spirited discussion of whether George Washington really was a great military leader.

Colicchio is thrilled with the ideas and confidence she's seen emerging in her classes. "The kid who would normally have blossomed as a senior is blossoming earlier!  He or she can't be a wallflower anymore. I'm indebted to the SEF. This has just been a great experience."

Article by Nicolette Chin