INSPIRES
Leveraging Intelligent Informatics and Smart Data for Improved Understanding of Northern Forest Ecosystem Resilience
Starting in fall of 2020, eight teachers and five researchers from the RiSE Center will work together to develop lessons for the classroom focused on forestry and Quantitative Reasoning in Context (QRC). This work will be done as apart of a larger grant awarded to a three state partnership between Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire focused on researching the Northern Forest Region. This project will focus on one of the four project themes exploring how to support students' quantitative reasoning skills in the context of forestry.



This project is divided into four themes focused on different aspects of gathering, analyzing and utilizing date collected from across the Northern Forest Region. We will be leading the work within theme 4.
Theme 1: Advanced Sensing & Computing Technologies
Theme 2: Environmental Informatics & Analytics
Theme 3: Integrated Ecological Modeling
Theme 4: Quantitative Reasoning in Context
THEME 4 TEAM MEMBERS

Susan McKay
Professor of Physics, Founding Director, Maine Center for Research in STEM Education (RiSE Center)
University of Maine

Sara Lindsay
Associate Professor of Marine Science, RiSE Center Faculty
University of Maine

Laura Millay
Research and Evaluation Coordinator, RiSE Center Staff
University of Maine
Laura Nickerson
Project Director, Leitzel Center
University of New Hampshire

Franziska Peterson
Assistant Professor of Mathematics, RiSE Center Faculty
University of Maine
Regina Toolin
Associate Professor of Education and Social Services
University of Vermont

Marina Van der Eb
Maine STEM Partnership Coordinator, RiSE Center Staff
University of Maine
OUR TEACHERS

Heather Mitchell, Houlton High School
Ruth Poland, Mount Desert Island High School
Kate Drummond, Skowhegan Area High School
Dylan Harry, Fryeburg Academy
Laurie Spooner, Van Buren District School
Susan Sieczkiewicz Linscott, Lee Academy
Stephen Adams, Windham High School
Amy Sidell, Hampden Academy
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
- What types of knowledge and supports, including professional learning experiences, are helpful for teachers in teaching integrated modules to support student learning of quantitative reasoning in forestry contexts?
- How does the design process contribute to teachers’ knowledge and preparation to teach integrated modules?
- In what ways do students benefit from the integrated modules?
PROJECT PARTNERS INCLUDE:





This work is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1920908