MiRL (Math in Real Life) is an Oregon Department of Education-funded collaborative professional development opportunity for teachers to develop and implement highly relevant applied math lessons for students in middle and high school. Mathematics Education Professor Steve Boyce was the Principle Investigator (2016-2019) and the Portland State University Project Lead. Under his guidance, Jeff Grabhorn, a graduate research assistant in the PhD in Mathematics Education Program helped to design assessments and gave feedback on curricula. The resulting research is a collaboration with Portland Metro STEM Partnership and PSU's College of Education. Project funding began in Summer 2016 and is on going.
In phase 1 of the project, Portland Metro area math teachers visited businesses and research entities to experience applied math in real life contexts. They incorporated these experiences into pilot lessons in the classroom. In the current phase of this project, Dr. Boyce and his team will focus on refining strategies for supporting applied math instruction. These strategies will include expanded participation opportunities for teachers as well as leadership development to facilitate peer learning.
Read more about the research project on the Portland Metro STEM Partnership website.