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

Increasing Student Retention

Hi Monica, Right you are. Contact--Follow-up--Contact--Follow-up. That is what it is all about. This way the students know that you care about their success and will provide the support to help them achieve their career goals. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Accommodating Learner Preferences

Hi Lucy, Two words are critical in this process. Application and relevancy. If you can show students how these two words work in their lives they will stay engaged in the learning process. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Reinforcement as Motivation

Hi Barry, Well said. The key is helping the students to see the future and this is what was being done for you as a student. The teacher was making you a part of a vision quest that showed you what you could accomplish. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor Enthusiasm

Hi Kerstin, You make a number of good points about enthusiasm. Without enthusiasm it is hard to ramp up students and get them excited about they are learning. By being the "leader of the band" you can keep everyone moving in the right direction. When you may not being feeling the most up about the class I would suggest that you do group learning or activities. I have found that these sessions general good discussion and before I know it I am excited about what we are discussing. This way I'm not slogging through a lecture that is boring the… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Human Factor in Retention

Hi James, This is a great to start a class and get everyone settled into the learning environment. The use of food is always good because it helps students to open up and share more. The opening of a discussion while eating give a casual feel to the setting while covering topics of value to their career. Good approach. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Accommodating Learner Preferences

Hi Laura, With this method you are making the transition from the classroom to the real world much easier to understand. This also helps them with application and relevancy, not to mention the fact they get to taste some very good cheeses. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Reinforcement as Motivation

Hi Debbie, Good sequence of knowledge and skill acquisition reinforced at each step. This will really help with student knowledge retention. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor REFOCUS

Hi Creighton, Great way to capture the essence of how to keep yourself and the material alive and fresh. By doing so you are going to engage your students more in the learning process with a much higher retention rate. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Retention Strategies

Hi Creighton, Great to hear about your teaching success and your ability to change your instructional delivery to meet the needs of your students. You are giving your students tools that they can use to learn with. They know you care about their success and are willing to work hard to earn your approval. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Motivating Learners

Hi Maurine, I love hearing these stories. One teacher had such an impact as to shape the career of a young woman for years and now that woman is a part of shaping the careers of other new professionals. Talk about a legacy that one teacher has created. This is what teaching is about. Gary

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