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

Student Motivation Factors

Hi Jeffery, Thanks for sharing this great example of using episodic learning in your instruction. These students will remember this material for as long as they work in the field because they "earned" the knowledge by working through the steps to complete a task. Great job. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Motivation Techniques

Hi Pierre, I don't see a problem at all with competition in the training process. When students graduate they are in competition for jobs and then success in their career field. They need to know how to "brand" themselves and set themselves apart from others. They can do this with their skills, drive and abilities. We instructors need to show our students how they can be successful if they want to put forth the effort. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Using a Well-prepared Syllabus

Hi Eric, This is a good point about the importance the syllabus plays in the instructional process. Yes, it is a contract between the student and the college. It spells out the expectations, requirements and polices so the students see the sequence of the course and how they are going to need to perform in order to be successful. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making a Positive First Impression

Hi Elizabeth, You have a very clear idea of how you want to conduct your classes and support your students. You are going to do well as an instructor. I wish you the very best in teaching career. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor REFOCUS

Hi Tommy, I use it in my classes as well. My students really like it when we use it in a review format. They get real competitive while we are playing and great learning occurs. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Learning Environment Effect

Hi Rochelle, This is part of the "connecting of the dots" from the classroom to the real world. If students aren't comfortable in such a setting it is for sure they won't be in a real hospital setting. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Michael, The key is to remember clarity in our teaching. The example you gave is a good one. We know how to get there but do the students. Will they spend too much time driving around the learning pathway when with clear information they could have gone directly to the destination (lesson plan goal). Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor Enthusiasm

Hi Dale, Great point and one that we instructors need to remember each time we enter the classroom. Our excitement about the field spreads to our students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Strategies for Increasing Student Motivation

Hi Angela, Good point. The key is to make the connection between the classroom and the real world. The content and activities need to be coordinated so the students will be able to make the transition from the educational setting to the work world. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Accommodating Learner Preferences

Hi Albert, Good strategy because as you have experienced these are the two most common learning preferences. This lets the students settle into their preferred learning mode but also lets them work in the other so they get experience in it as well. In the work world all communication and interaction will not be in their preferred learning mode and they are going to have to work in others as well so the more experience they have in them the better they are going to be in the end. Gary

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