Gary Meers, Ed.D.

About me

I am an Education Advisor/Consultant for MaxKnowledge. I write courses that assist in the professional development of career college instructors. These courses range in content from the introductory level to advanced instructional development. I started my teaching career as an instructional technology teacher on the high school level, completed graduate school and then moved into higher education. I spent many years in the area of teacher training at the University of Nebraska. While at the University of Nebraska I stared working with career college instructors to improve their instructional delivery skills. As a result of these experiences I have been a consultant to career colleges throughout the United States and a number of foreign countries.

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Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Motivation Techniques

Hi Holly, I like this approach to attendance. It is clear with rewards for being there and participating. I use a similar format. I call the points the students earn, professional points but the intent is the same as yours--keep the students in school. As for midterm absences or trying to engage those students that have already been absent in excess of the allow times this is a hard one. We have individual appointments with each student and try to learn how we can be supportive and what is going on in their lives that causes the absences. What we… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Accommodating Learner Preferences

Hi Paul, You did a great job in responding to this question. By doing what you are doing you are appealing to the different learning preferences (I like to use learning preferences rather than styles) because of just what you said. There are so many sets and subsets of them that it is hard to target just one. By being an engaging, dynamic instructor you can spread out the learning opportunities and appeal to their preferences. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Student Feedback

Hi Susan, I have had the same results with the 1 minute paper. You are right about how the students responses give you an idea of how effective that day's lesson was. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Being Successful in College

Hi Cliff, Thank you for sharing this example of how a few words of support can greatly influence the life of a person. You are living proof that through the words of a friend you are now an instructor that is influencing the lives of students each time you teach. Keep up the good work. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Understanding Learner Characteristics

Hi Laurie, This is a challenge that many instructor face. What I have done it to identify the common points between the two settings and then focus on showing the student what content they need to acquire in order to be competent in the field. The example you gave is a good one. Handling animals in a shelter setting is very different than handling them in a hospital or clinic setting. So you can share with them a list of competencies that must be used in a hospital and/or clinic setting so they see that they are building on their… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Strategies for Keeping Students Engaged in Learning

Hi David, Well said. How to make learning engaging and enjoyable should be our goal as we plan our courses and instructional delivery. If we are having fun with our instruction and students with their learning it is a win win for everyone. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Being Successful in College

Hi Jeremy, Thanks for sharing your support strategy for getting students off to a good start. Your sequence allows them to build in confidence while growing in knowledge and skill. Keep up the good work, I know your students appreciate your approach. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Reinforcement as Motivation

Hi Myra, Good strategy. You are being supportive of your students but not inflating your praise. This way they know they earned a "good job" statement while knowing they need to do better when they slip. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Reasons for Enrolling

Hi John, You make a key point. A caring instructor creates a setting that engages students at a higher level. Compassion and caring really help to develop rapport with students and that leads to higher retention on the part of students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Using a Well-prepared Syllabus

Hi Lisa, Thank you for making this great point about the need for a well prepared syllabus. Your expansion of the syllabus beyond just your course in terms of helping students to see what is required in your course so they can plan their time in relation to other courses is good. This is so important in keeping students engaged so they don't become overwhelmed with life and leave school. Gary

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