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.

Activity

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Expanding Your Instructional Abilities

Hi Awatef, Yes it is. How to you go about getting feedback from other instructors in your college? Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Reinforcement as Motivation

Hi Linda, Confidence is a powerful motivator and you are giving your students just that with your reinforcement of their success. By building on their success throughout the course you are going to have students that are comfortable with the knowledge that they have acquired and know how to apply their skills. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Motivation Through Relevancy and Application

Hi Dawn, Right you are about motivation and application. This is the "connect the dots" part of their education. When they connect what they are learning to their future then they get it. They start to see that they have a future in the career field they have chosen and they can be successful in that career. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Adapting Your Instructional Strategy

Hi Alicia, This can be done the first class meeting through the introductions. You don't need an in-depth knowledge of their educational experiences or how they perceived the experiences, just a snap shot. This way you know how to approach the class when introducing new content. Maybe they need some help with note taking or how to take tests. Knowledge of this kind really helps with planning. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Human Factor in Retention

Hi Christopher, You do have a challenge learning that many names so frequently. The rewards of your efforts is worth it as you mention due to the rapport that is developed as a result of your being willing to put forth the effort to learn their names. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Developing Student Rapport

Hi Mark, Rapport is so important for student success. We need to strive to develop it with each and every student. It makes teaching so much easier and learning so much more enjoyable. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Carolyn, Great ways to stay current and expand your expertise as an educator. Thanks for sharing your methods with us. Keeping current in the field as well as with instructional techniques benefits both the students and the instructor. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor REFOCUS

Hi Richard, You make a great point about keeping up with the field. This does keep us fresh and excited about the field because we are being the latest content in our field to our students course after course. Great fun in being current and being able to share it. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding learner characteristics...

Hi Jim, Well said. Knowing about the learner makes planning and delivery of instruction much easier. The instructor knows the kinds of students that are in the class and the learning needs they have. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructors as Motivators

Hi Dawn, Way to go in starting a class. Phyllis Diller said "the curve of a smile sets everything straight" and I believe it does. A smile sets a tone that will carry throughout the class meeting. Gary

End of Content