Muncie Central High School Physics Teacher Mike Wolter Receives State and National Awards

MUNCIE, IN - Mike Wolter, Central High School physics teacher and adjunct faculty member of Ivy Tech Community College and Ball State University, was presented awards of Distinguished Service from the Indiana Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers and the equivalent national award from the American Association of Physics Teachers in his home Wednesday afternoon. 

The awards recognize outstanding service to educators who educate others in the physics world both state-wide and nationally. “The national award has only been presented to five or six persons a year since its inception in 1953,” according to Dr. Dave Ober, professor of physics and astronomy at Ball State University, who presented the national award at a small reception honoring Mr. Wolter’s accomplishments in the teaching of physics. 

Recognizing Mr. Wolter’s contributions to physics education were Muncie Community Schools Supt. Marlin B. Creasy, Assistant Supt. Steven Edwards, Central High School Principal Dick Daniel who made the state presentation, CHS science teacher and friend Kris Scholtes, Ball State University faculty, Ivy Tech Community College faculty, and former teachers in residence who trained under Mr. Wolter during his 2003-2004 “Teacher in Residence” (TIR) assignment at Ball State University, and his family members. 

During the TIR program in the physics department at Ball State University, his responsibilities included working with teachers assistants in introductory level physics classes and with new physics teachers beginning their careers. Throughout the program, Mr. Wolter trained many aspiring physics teachers to become trained professionals where he taught physics to students, including future teachers, to become competent physics teachers, according to Mr. Scholtes who added that Mr. Wolter has also presented many workshops to educators to help them either learn a new computer program, talk about the roll in education of new physics teachers, or talk about the usefulness of technology in the science classroom.

As part of the Physics Teacher Coalition Program (PhysTEC) at Ball State, he utilized his training as a certified mentor to develop a training manual for TIRs and university faculty. The year following the Teacher in Residence program, he shares that he was given the opportunity to serve as adjunct faculty in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Ball State. 

At Central High School, Mr. Wolter developed the use of a "math engine" in his physics classes for problem solving. He has presented several papers and workshops about StudyWorks by MathCad. In 1999, he was selected as the Indiana High School Physics Teacher of the Year. In 2003, he was one of 110 educators nation-wide to receive a RadioShack (sic) National Science Teacher Award for demonstrating a commitment to academic excellence in mathematics, science, or technology. As a result of this award, Central High School received a $500 RadioShack Tech Tool Grant. The school could use the grant to buy equipment, software or supplies to enhance the learning experience for students in the classroom.

He completed a three-year officer progression in the Indiana Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers from 2002 to 2005.  In the spring of 2006, he was elected to serve a three-year term as the Indiana section representative to the AAPT national committee.
 
Wolter, an educator for 38 years, has taught algebra, physics, physical science, integrated physics/chemistry, and chemistry at Central High School, the former Northside High School, and McKinley Middle School. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education (majoring in physics and math) in 1969 from Ball State University and a Master of Education degree in physics in 1973 from the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis). 

In his biography posted on a faculty member link of the Ball State University website (www.bsu.edu), Mr. Wolter says of physics, “Once exposed, forever involved.”

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