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The Maine Center for Research in STEM Education (The Maine RiSE Center) provides an integrated approach to University-based research and professional development in science and mathematics education. The Center is a joint effort of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, College of Education and Human Development and College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture. The activities of the Center bring together faculty from the science and mathematics disciplines with faculty from education. With this combination of resources, the Center is reevaluating and reforming introductory level science and mathematics courses, establishing new practices for K-12 science teacher preparation, and building infrastructure with teachers, schools, and administrators through out the state.
Activities undertaken by the Center are targeted to create attractive, content-rich teacher preparation and continuing education options for mathematics and science teachers. The Center is working to develop well-qualified science and mathematics teachers for grades K-12 and to spearhead the development of coherent, developmentally appropriate curricula for mathematics and science.
You can find us by accessing the Map to RiSE.
CONTACT:
Director: Susan McKay, 207-581-4678
Administrative Specialist: Leisa Preble, 207-581-4672
MAINE PHYSICAL SCIENCES PARTNERSHIP
A partnership bringing together over 45 rural Maine schools, the University of Maine, three Maine non-profits with expertise in science education, and science and technology leaders at the Maine Department of Education to target the teaching and learning of physical sciences in grades 6-9 and the preparation of science teachers at the University of Maine. To find out more about this partnership, click on the link above.
Promotions, Promotions!
If you see them around, please congratulate Michael Wittmann on his promotion to Full Professor, and Natasha Speer on her promotion to Associate Professor with Tenure. We are so proud of them!!
MainePSP Post-Doc Receives NARST Scholarship
Shirly Avargil, a current postdoctoral research associate with the Maine Physical Sciences Partnership and the Maine Center for Research in STEM Education, has recently been selected by the NARST Equity and Ethics Committee to receive the Jhumki Basu Equity Scholars Award. Please join us in wishing her a heartfelt congratulations!
Poster Presentation at the PhysTEC Conference Summarizing Current Work of the Partnership
UPCOMING EVENTS:
2013 Jackson Laboratory Teaching Sabbaticals
Read about one teacher’s sabbatical experience in “Spirit of discovery”!
Maine RiSE Center Colloquia & Seminar Series:
3:00-4:00 pm, First Monday of the month
Arthur St. John Hill Auditorium, 165 Barrows Hall (unless otherwise indicated)
April 1
Nicole Gillespie, Ph.D. (education in mathematics, science and technology), Senior Program Officer, Science; Knowles Science Teaching Foundation
“Inquiry and Teacher Professional Development: Lessons Learned from the KSTF Teaching Fellowship Program”
Upcoming Thesis Defenses
We have four students defending their theses in April! Come and give them your support!
Wednesday, April 3, 8:30 am
Evan Chase
Arthur St. John Hill Auditorium
“Investigating Physics Students’ Simultaneous Use of Gestures & Speech to Describe Multiple Quantities of a Vertically-Tossed Ball”
Committee members: Michael Wittmann (advisor), Natasha Speer, Francois Amar
Monday, April 8, 9:00 am
Ryan Weatherbee
Arthur St. John Hill Auditorium
“Shedding light on marine science education: A Cross-Sectional Assessment of Student Content Knowledge in an Undergraduate Marine Science Program”
Committee members: Sara Lindsay (advisor), Natasha Speer, Molly Schauffler
Friday, April 12, 11:00 am
Adi Levy Conlogue
130 Little Hall
“Students’ thinking about recursion: When do they use it and why?”
Committee Members: Natasha M. Speer and Roy M. Turner (co-advisors), MacKenzie Stetzer
Friday, April 19, 1:00 pm
MaryJean Jones
Donald P Corbett Building, Rm. 117
2013 No Question Left Behind State Conference:
!SAVE THE DATE!
June 18 – June 20, 2013
Point Lookout, Northport, Maine
More information coming soon!
RiSE CENTER FUN & GAMES:
The Resource Coordinator and the Owl Rescue
Maine PSP Indoor Soccer Team – 2011-2012
Directions to Fields:
http://www.fields4kids.org/directions
The Center was created by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education Fund for the Improvement of Education, Award Number R125K010106.