Margaret (Maggie) Niess is a Professor Emeritus of Science and Mathematics Education in the Department of Science and Mathematics Education at Oregon State University. Her research focuses on integrating technology in education, specifically in the preparation of mathematics and science teachers for teaching with technology. She has most recently focused on teachers' development of technology pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK) - considering how both preservice and inservice teachers develop this knowledge for teaching mathematics and science, effectively integrating technology as an integral tool for learning. This work has evolved and is now referred to as TPACK (Technology, Pedagogy, And, Content Knowledge) as the Total Package for teaching with technology.
I am currently a Co-PI for the EUSES (End Users Shaping Effective Software) Consortium, an NSF-funded multi-university collaboration among Oregon State University and Carnegie Mellon, Pennsylvania State, University of Nebraska, Drexel University, and University of Cambridge (U.K.) to help End Users Shape Effective Software. This effort has focused on supporting end-user software engineering by helping teachers consider the importance of designing dependable spreadsheets. The project, although drawing to close, has resulted in the development of a set of spreadsheet activities to accompany a first year algebra course where students learn to use spreadsheets as a mathematics learning tool. Theset activities underscore the importance of scaffolding students' learning to use of student-designed dynamic spreadsheets in modeling and mathematical problem solving. These activities are available at the EUSES website (see the link on the left of this screen.
I am also currently the PI and Project Director for a Mathematics Science Partnership grant funded by the Oregon Department of Education (2008-2011) that is focused on preparing K-8 mathematics and science teachers to integrate appropriate technologies in teaching mathematics and science in five Oregon school districts: Culver County, Bend/LaPine, Jefferson, Redmond, and Crook County.
Another activity that I am engaged in during my retirement is designing and teaching Masters of Science courses through ECampus (online) including:
SED 520 INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY & LITERACY IN LEARNING MATH & SCIENCE
SED 581 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PRACTICUM IN MATHEMATICS
SED 595 ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION
SED 597 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE EDUCATION
I have received various teaching and service awards including the Burlington Resources Foundation Faculty Achievement Award (OSU, 1993), Recognition for Advaning Gender Equity and Awareness (American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, 1995), Loyd Carter Award for outstancing and inspiration teaching (College of Science, OSU, 1995), D. Curtis Mumford Faculty Service Award (OSU, 2000). Most recently an Alumni Scholarship was named in recognition of her work (Maggie Niess Scholarship, 2001). She has been Faculty Senate President of OSU (1998), Editor of School Science and Mathematics Journal (1996 -2001), Director on the Board for School Science and Mathematics Education (2002-2005), Chair of the Technology Committee for Association of Matheamtics Teacher Educators ( 2003-2008).