Faculty and students participate in Physics Teacher mentoring workshop
The GO4ST8 Physics is a state-wide organization that works to mentor physics educators across the region. GO4ST8 Physics holds Saturday workshops every other month during the academic year. Since the pandemic the MSUM Dept. of Physics and Astronomy has facilitated expanding these workshops virtually with in-person satellite sites in MN and SD.
This month’s session focused on a make-take-do activity of constructing an inexpensive fan cart. Faculty member Steve Lindaas was assisted at MSUM by Society of Physics Students (SPS) Alex Niemi and Brennan Olthoff. There was good discussion about ways to use as well as also improve the cart design including incorporating the activity into an engineering design process for a class. Alex found some possible ways to use inexpensive skate board bearings to substantially improve the carts. The teachers across the state were all very interested (and impressed!) and look forward to hearing about his experiments at the next meeting in April.