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

Feeling Accepted Helps with Success

Hi Tami, You raise a good question about motivating younger students. One of the ways I have tried with success is to form learner groups with a mix of students in each group. I assign projects and the groups interact with each other, share ideas and develop respect for each other as they strive to find the solution to the problem. Also, I use individual research projects and panel presentations to help the younger students get invested in the course content. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Valuing Student Opinions

Hi Jon-Paul, I like the way you explain your position in the learning sequence. You are the instructor because you do have the experience, education and application but you are also a student and will be one all your life. That is the fun of being an instructor we get paid to keep on learning. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Creating Personal Support Systems

Hi Audie, Good support system. It is progressive and tailored to the individual needs of the students. This way they can continue to progress in the course with just the right amount of support when needed. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Effective Motivation Techniques

Hi Lonnie, Right you are. I call this the "scratch and snift" test. Students really need to use multiple senses to get maximum retention and application of course content. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Your Instructional Style

Hi Angela, This is a great way to help your students to "connect the dots" between class content and future application. This helps them to see the relevancy of the course and fits into their career development. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Charlotte, I commend you for your approach to the different courses. You are being reflective of the course content and student dynamics as you modify your delivery based on what the course is about and how it should be shared. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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The Human Factor in Retention

Hi Art, Good points about creating the connection between the instructor and the students. By laying out the course expectations, requirements and policies any misunderstanding is greatly reduced. This way students can concentrate on being successful in the course. Even when students don't like an instructor by being professional one can earn their respect for the knowledge and experience you bring to the class. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Human Factor in Retention

Hi Bob, Simple and to the point. Good advice and a critical factor in career college success, the key is to get them to eat something along the way of knowledge and skills. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Human Factor in Retention

Hi Tracy, The wise instructor gave you some very good advice. This is the human part of teaching. If students realize that you care about them as humans then respect and rapport start to build. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Human Factor in Retention

Hi Jeff, This is a good approach because this helps student with skill development. If they don't know where they need improvement they won't know where they should concentrate their efforts. By knowing they are doing certain things correctly they are able to build on that to expand their expertise. Gary

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