WHEN TEACHING MEETS LEARNING
forever friends with one of your class- mates. Do not go grab a beer with one of your students! When a student opens up a conversation, be friendly to them as if you were beginning a conversation with an individual you just met or did not know very well. You want to create an open-ended discussion—classroom envi- ronment with set boundaries. Subjected discussions should remain in the science realm that relate to a geology topic. By inviting students to have open-ended discussions with you on related topics (during your structured hours), you will appear more approachable and students may want to open up further discussions with you.
(4) Be knowledgeable to the best of your ability. Answer a student question to the best of your knowledge. If you do not know an answer, then it is acceptable and wise to reply, “I do not know.” Being placed in a teaching role does not indicate you now understand every idea and theory known to exist in geology. Remember that you are still a student learning and evolving your
knowledge. Instead of attempting to answer a student question with a wishy- washy response, you might reply to the student with, “I am not sure of the answer to that question, but perhaps Professor so-and-so may know the answer. Perhaps you should ask him/her during your next lecture. I am interested too, to know how he/she responds.”
(5) Be excited to be teaching geology! You should be enthusiastic teaching the subject that you have found so intriguing over the past few years. You enjoy geology so much that you are further studying the subject in graduate school! No group of students wants to sit through an instruction by a person who does not exhibit some passion for the sub- ject they are teaching—it will resonate poorly with them. Your excitement for geology will show when you take the time to structure your lab’s presentations and activities, discuss open-ended concepts with your students, and are knowl- edgeable to the best of your learning experiences (that you have gained) from
your undergraduate education. This will improve the classroom environment.
A final thought: if you have never instructed a course or lab in an academic setting before, then do not fret. Teaching can be one of the most fulfilling experi- ences for a graduate student. It may open up new opportunities for you outside of conducting research. Putting in the hard work during your first year of gradu- ate school to understand the basics of geology and better explain concepts to a student who has never thought of the Earth as a dynamic planet will greatly increase your knowledge of the subject and, perhaps, inspire others from the next group of undergraduates to do the same.
Steven Battaglia is currently a gradu- ate student at NIU and conducts research in planetary geology. He received a B.S. in Atmospheric Sciences and Geology from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign in 2012.
Get the “Frac” Out of Here Gretchen M. Gillis, CPG-9693
As an ambassador for geoscience and professionalism, I often find that I am the only geoscientist at gatherings. The gathering might be a cocktail party or a town hall meeting, but anyone who learns that I am a geoscientist is likely to react to that fact. The reaction might be, “Isn’t that interesting,” followed by a hasty segue to another topic, but it might also be a lead-in to a discussion where my scientific insights will be important.
The conversation on my mind is about hydraulic fracture stimulation, a proce- dure performed during the completion of an oil or gas well. Water, sand, and a small amount of chemicals are pumped into the reservoir to initiate and prop open fractures, making production from low-permeability reservoirs economical- ly viable. Most lay people are not famil- iar with hydraulic fracture stimulation beyond what they are told by the media. The media typically describe it as “a controversial drilling process known as fracking [sic].” This description, like a pickpocket in an elevator, is wrong on many levels.
I will tackle one aspect of what is wrong here. As a petroleum geologist,
I insist on using the term “hydrau- lic fracture stimulation” or “hydraulic fracture” rather than “frac” or other colloquialisms.
The correct technical term is “hydraulic fracturing,” as defined by the Schlumberger Oilfield Glossary (hydraulic fracturing - A stimulation treatment routinely performed on oil and gas wells in low-permeability res- ervoirs. Specially engineered fluids are pumped at high pressure and rate into the reservoir interval to be treated, caus- ing a vertical fracture to open…). To see the entire definition, visit http://www.
glossary.oilfield.slb.com/en/Terms/h/ hydraulic_fracturing.aspx (accessed January 20, 2015).
In addition to my affection for proper terminology, I avoid playing into the hands of groups that demonize the oil and gas industry by making a deroga- tory association between “frac” and an epithet. While I believe that communica- tors should strive to address their audi- ences with clear and familiar language, this should not come at the expense of the reputation of the entire petroleum industry. Performed properly, hydrau-
lic fracturing is an effective method for enhancing oil and gas production that has been in use for more than 50 years.
I urge my colleagues – students and professionals alike – to appoint them- selves ambassadors for the profession and to clear up misconceptions such as this, one person at a time. While I am occasionally frustrated by my lack of progress, I know that petroleum geosci- entists and engineers play essential roles in making reliable, affordable supplies of energy accessible to customers wher- ever, whenever, and in whatever forms are needed. This is the message that opponents of hydraulic fracturing should consider before casting aspersions on our profession, and why I am on a crusade to wipe out the “f word.
Gretchen Gillis, CPG-9693, is a geo- logical consultant at Aramco Services Company in Houston. She served as Editor of the AAPG Bulletin from 2007 to 2010. Gretchen earned a BA in geology from Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania, and an MA in geological sciences from the University of Texas at Austin.
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