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

Students as Class Members

Hi Bruce, What has been your greatest success in using your students as resources as you encourage them to learn how to work together? Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Students as Class Members

Hi Karen, After you have tried out the one suggestion with your class let me know how it worked out and then share some more specifics about your class and students and I will be glad to help you out with some more ideas. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Understanding Learner Characteristics

Hi Karen, Let me know how it works out for you. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Instructors as Motivators

Hi Rosie, You make a good point about what an instructor needs to be. If an instructor is going to stay planed behind the desk and never really tries to engage the students then they would be as well off buying a CD and listing to it because the human factor certainly isn't there. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Developing Student Rapport

Hi Cynthia, Right you are about the needs for our incoming students. Many of them are being retrained in a completely different career area after many years of success in another field. This is scary for them and they need an instructor that is understanding of what they are going through. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Defining Instructional Professionalism

Hi Kendall, Good observation. We instructors, today have a lot to be thankful for in terms of being able to communicate and support our students. My only problem is just when I get Blackboard down, there is something even better that comes out and I have to attend a number of training sessions to help me become even more proficient. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Making a Positive First Impression

Hi Sarah, This is a good example of an instructor bringing disrespect upon herself because she doesn't have it together. As you say first impressions are definitely vital. Just think what the students would be saying about this instructor if she had come in organized and prepared to teach. They would have been wowed by her abilities as an instructor and educational leader instead they are dismayed by her being in the classroom. So sad. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Creating Personal Support Systems

Hi Steven, Your point about the need for the student to assume responsibility is dead on. We can do everything in the world to support them but at the end of the day it still is up to them. They have to have a level of maturity and commitment where they will put forth the effort to be successful. This message is often forgotten in this age of entitlement. Education is an opportunity that has to be taken advantage of not an entitlement. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Comprehensive Planning for Instructional Success

Hi Kurt, My preparation is based upon the topics I am going to cover that night in class. Some topics have me thinking about how I will break up the class into work groups and do a case study and others have me thinking about the PP I will be using. When I use a PP I prepare for using the slides by thinking of examples or illustrations that can be used to reinforce what is on the screen. I refer to the points on the slide but I don't read them because the students can read them, themselves I… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Developing Clear Goals and Objectives

Hi Anwar, This is a good way to show your students the topics that are going to be covered in the course. By sharing at the beginning of the course it is like you marking the path you are going to follow on map while on vacation or a print out of MapQuest. Gary

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