What is EHI?
Listen. Learn. Lead.
A Conference for Teachers Like You
What is EHI?
The Exeter Humanities Institute is a five-day working conference for secondary school English and History teachers. It is designed to explore the use of student-centered, discussion-based education that is loosely described as the "Harkness method" of teaching. Morning sessions will utilize essays on a common humanities topic to explore issues in leading discussions. Afternoons are spent in focus groups or in the Academy library doing research on teaching materials for participants to use in their home schools.
The selection of a core topic is intended to provide common content in the humanities as well as a focus for class discussions. The topics are broadly defined to encourage interdisciplinary exchanges. This year our topic is "Distance."
2008 Dates Announced: The dates are June 22 - June 27, 2008 (conference officially starts on Sunday, 3:00 pm and ends on Friday at noon)
Click here to learn more about Harkness.
What will participants learn?
Participants will be introduced to strategies for leading discussions and for training students to become effective participants in discussions.
What is the purpose of the core topic?
The selection of a core topic is intended to provide common content in the humanities as well as a focus for class discussions. The topics are broadly defined to encourage interdisciplinary exchanges. Reading might include essays, poetry, novels, as well as a variety of primary source documents in history. Participants are encouraged to develop their own teaching materials on this topic while the conference is in session.
Is this open only to History and English teachers?
Not necessarily. We welcome other humanities teachers; however, the lead teachers come from those disciplines.
