Monday, October 12, 2009 10:17 AM CDT
Retired prof helps spark new interest for Jefferson students
By DAVE FOPAY, Staff Writer
dfopay@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON — Sometimes, it’s best to turn to an expert.
That’s the approach Jefferson Elementary School is trying. School counselor Roxanne Cornebise came up with the idea to have university professors, current or retired, show the students something about their specialty areas, teaching them and perhaps sparking an interest in a career.
“We’re hoping to work on that collaboration,” Cornebise said. “It’s amazing what they can bring to us.”
For the initial effort, Cornebise turned to a readily available source: her dad, Alan Baharlou. He’s the retired chairman of the geology and geography department at Eastern Illinois University and spent a day at the school last week.
Baharlou had students in sixth-grade Earth science classes do experiments to teach them how to gather data. He brought in different kinds of rocks and minerals for them to test for hardness and other qualities and put them into groups to teach them to work together.
“They were collecting data and deciding what kinds of rocks and minerals they were,” he explained.
Cornebise said her father’s rock collection is something “the school could never afford to have.” More importantly, though, the sixth-graders were able to do experiments that some college freshmen do and experience learning that was more hands-on than most classroom lessons, she said.
And the students not only learned about geology, they also got to see what a real geologist does, which might lead them to think that’s something they’d like to do, she added.
“They see things in a whole different light,” Cornebise said. “They see they can be a geologist. It’s totally enriching their education and, at the same time, giving them a taste of a career.”
Lesley Smith, the sixth-graders’ classroom teacher for math, science and social studies, said it was a benefit for the students to see someone new. She also agreed that it was good for the students to learn from someone who’s an expert in a field and who’s passionate about it.
“The kids are saying, ‘I can do that,’” Smith said. “It’s creating future scientists.”
Cornebise said the school would welcome other professors to work with the students as well. There are professors who have written novels who could help the young people with writing techniques or a physics professor could work with them on math problems, for example, she said.
Baharlou said the Charleston school district has a “unique situation” with EIU nearby to help provide it with resources. He said he thinks current or retired faculty would enjoy doing something like what he did.
“I was so excited when I was preparing these things and to actually implement them,” he said. “It’s a benefit for us.”
Cornebise said she’s also organizing the school’s annual career day, which will take place in December and will have people in various jobs speak with the students. She said anyone interested in helping with either program can call her at Jefferson at 639-7000.
Contact Dave Fopay at dfopay@jg-tc.com or 238-6858.
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