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

Reasons for Enrolling

Hi Wook, Right you are. With these basic introductions you can develop a very clear picture of the students you have in the class and how you can meet their learning preferences. A very valuable exercise for starting a class. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Hi Kim, With your personal experiences of working with your own children in the area of learning disabilities I know you are able to focus on the learning needs of your students with much accuracy. I have worked with students with learning disabilities for many years and have found that with the right kind of accommodations they have great success in class. The key is to find what those accommodations are and how they need to be provided. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Feeling Accepted Helps with Success

Hi Kim, Feeling accepted and comfortable is so important for getting a class off to a good start. Once students see how they fit in a class and know that they can be successful if they will put forth the effort then learning is ready to begin. You have expressed it well in your forum comments. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Adapting Your Instructional Strategy

Hi James, Great to hear. I know this will make a difference for your night students and enhance their learning effectiveness. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Hi Anthony, Right you are. By knowing your students will you are able to more accurately target the instruction they need. This will keep them engaged and focused at a much higher level leading to higher retention. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Reasons for Enrolling

Hi Louise, Right you are about the need for students to see application and relevancy in their studies. When they are taking required or elective courses they sometimes don't see the ROI (Return on Investment) that comes as a result of the courses. Instructors need to point these benefits out to students so they can see how each course contributes to their total career preparation. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Being Successful in College

Hi Marie, You are right on with your comments about the need for clear and open communication. This is very important in establishing a comfort level for the students as well as providing them with support as needed. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Accommodating Learner Preferences

Hi Chad, There are a number of learning preference assessments you can use with your students. A search online will give you a number of sources of sites that you can look at to select an assessment that will work with your students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Sharing Comprehensive and Clear Course Requirements

Hi Sandra, There is a trade off between on-site and online courses. The trade offs are just as you mention, one you get to see and "read" the students while working with them on-site. I really like teaching on-site because of the interaction I get to have with them. Teaching online courses gives you the opportunity to work with students in a different way so you have to work hard to encourage discussions and interaction with each other. A lot of my satisfaction in teaching comes from the student interaction which I get from both forms of teaching, but my… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Developing Student Rapport

Hi Marion, You are right about the need for rapport and respect between and among students and the instructor. It really sets the stage for engagement of ideas and provision of support when needed. Gary

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