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

Adapting Your Instructional Strategy

Hi Nora, Yes, there are but the kind of activities depends on the content you teach. Tomorrow my students will be submitting their end of course major projects. They were given a live work situation that they had to study and then make recommendations on how to solve the needs of the company. I have a large class so I have each student come to class ready to make a 5 minute presentation on his/her proposal. I put all their names in a cup and draw out one name at a time. That person then makes the presentation and responds… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Adapting Your Instructional Strategy

Hi Nora, You are right about how online teaching removes many of the social cues that we depend on to keep us zeroed in on our students. What do you do to "read" your students in the online setting so you can be responsive to their needs? Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Adapting Your Instructional Strategy

Hi Nora, Good point about expanded learning for students. We are a service based economy so the majority of our students are going to be out in the field solving problems and coming up with solutions. The more we can provide them with opportunities to think holistically the more successful they are going to be. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Retention Strategies

Hi Sabrina, Thank you for sharing these great comments and this wonderful example of how you were able to impact the life of this student. This is what teaching is all about. You are creating a legacy for this mom and her son. Together they can enjoy success in their studies. Mom now and son when back from his tour. Great to hear that she was able to regroup and rethink her efforts in spite of all that was going on in her life and complete the required work. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Hi Sabrina, Great profile of career college students and what we need to do in order to help them to be effective and efficient learners. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making a Positive First Impression

Hi Dana, You are right about being the link between them and their learning success. They have the opportunity and access to a professional in their field, you for the duration of the course. They can gain much from you by staying focused on the course and listening carefully to what you say and learning the skills you show them. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making a Positive First Impression

Hi Michael, What methods do you use to get your message across about what you know and how it is going to affect them in the course? What do you do to get them settled into the course and ready to learn? Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making Your Expectations Clear

Hi Sabrina, You have laid out an excellent strategy for keeping students enrolled. By providing the supports you suggested an instructor can build rapport with students and this leads to professional respect which is essential for learning success. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Preparing and Delivering Effective Lectures

Hi Teresia, This is how to keep the students engaged and focused. By changing the flow of the class and introducing different activities the students get see the relevancy and application of the content. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Accommodating Learner Preferences

Hi Richard, Good plan for keeping the content flowing and the students engaged. Your support of those students that miss a lot and what to make up the work is good. For those that miss a lot and don't care then they have to pay the consequences of their actions. Gary

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