Have you visited a classroom lately?
Last summer I announced that our theme for the 2007- 2008 year would be "Outreach", and I have been very pleased with the efforts of NOGS members to get involved in our community in many varied ways. One of the greatest needs in our community is for geologists to get involved in K-12 education and many NOGS members have invested their time in this effort. In most classes, geology is given, at best, a brief overview; and is not included at all in the curriculum in most grade levels. It is no wonder that most students have no thought of geology as a possible career when they graduate from high school. Not wanting to merely talk about this issue, I have made a concerted personal effort to visit as many classrooms as possible this year. Since school started in August I have inflicted myself on seventeen classes (three kindergarten, two 4th grade, one 5th grade, and eleven high school). The fossils collections available from Tom Bergeon are always a big hit, and the "Tapestry of Time and Terrain" map is a great visual. We are leaving copies of the map at all of the schools we visit. The content of the talks I have given has varied according to the age level, with a greater stress on specific career opportunities with the older students (and less focus on dinosaurs). NOGS is a active partner in "PIPE" (Petroleum Industry Promoting Education), a new organization formed to support science and engineering education in schools. PIPE played a leading role in the First LEGO League robotics competition in December that brought together several hundred middle school students, along with their teachers and parents. I was pleased to give the keynote address that day and am grateful for the technical support I received from Schlumberger, Shell, EPL, ORX and others. (I must also note that I was very ably assisted that day by Mike Fein.) Our outreach to schools needs additional support - we could really use some decent hard copy seismic and log data to show in high school classes. But our main need is for additional volunteers willing to spend an hour or two with some students. The schools I have visited reflect the great diversity of the New Orleans area, and have included locations ranging from prosperous suburbs to the hard-pressed inner city. It is worth mentioning that I have been warmly welcomed in every school, and have found students truly excited about our chosen field. Here are some letters I have received from 4th graders: Dear Art Johnson, Thank you for coming to my class and teaching us about fossils and rocks. I loved the part where you told us why Lake Pontchartrain was there. You were great! Sincerely, Alex Dear Mr. Johnson, Thank you for coming yesterday. My favorite part was when I got to touch the dinosaur poop. Thanks for skipping whatever you had to do to come to our school. Sincerely, Brian Dear Mr. Johnson, I really enjoyed hearing about geology. I was very interested in how there are many different ages of rocks. I have looked at the map you donated to our class many times. Sincerely, Andy Dear Mr. Art Johnson, Thank you very much for coming and teaching us about all that cool stuff. I learned a lot. I hope you can come back again. Sincerely, Caitlin Dear Mr. Johnson, Thank you for donating your time to teach us about dinosaurs. The poster you brought is interesting. I wish you could come every day. Your friend, Ben I'll ask you all again: Have you visited a classroom lately? Contact Tom Bergeon or me for more information. Art Johnson |