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

Sharing Comprehensive and Clear Course Requirements

Hi Jessica, You are doing a great service to and for your students when you give them clear course expectations, requirements and polices. This helps to set their minds at ease and get them settled into the course. Also, as you say it shows them that they have an organized and dedicated instructor. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Motivating Learners

Hi George, Good point. This is so important for those students that may be on the bubble of dropping out. A few kind and supportive words and you may have gotten them to rethink their decision to quit school. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Understanding Learner Characteristics

Hi William, How do you go about collecting the information that you need to develop the different delivery styles in your class to meet the varied learning preferences that your students have? Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Instructors as Motivators

Hi Joseph, An important part of learning is total involvement and by getting both their minds and their bodies moving you are doing just that. Plus, their brains like the change of pace that comes with physical activity. This helps them to concentrate better when they are back in a class format. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Student Feedback

Hi Sir Roy, What are the ways you collect feedback from your students so you can modify your course as needed? Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Instructors as Role Models

Hi Tanisha, Good description of the role an instructor plays as a role model. The point you make about moving through a mistake and the lessons that can be learned from it is a good one. This shows the students that they can over come their own mistakes and move forward with their education. They don't have to collapse if they make a mistake but can learn from it and go on. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Creating Personal Support Systems

Hi Bernard, This information is very important for students to know. Many times students have had this information shared with them but they forget it until they are in need and then they don't know where to turn. By reminding them every so often about what kind of supports are available you are giving them comfort in terms of knowing they can get help from you and others should they need it. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Effective Retention Strategies

Hi Cheryl, Your effort to follow up with your students is very important because it lets them know they are not forgotten. They know their instructor wants them to be successful and this can be a powerful motivator. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Effective Motivation Techniques

Hi Michael, Good points about both areas of student development. They need to develop themselves personally so they will have the needed communication and interaction skills as well as the knowledge base to successful in their careers. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Motivation Techniques

Hi Patti, Good strategy for getting the students involved. I am a big game person myself. I find my students really like to play games and the competition gets them all ramped up for the course. You are right it does increase motivation and excitement. Gary

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