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

Your Instructional Style

Hi Anthony, This is a good point to be made for instructors. Many students don't have anyone to help them through the maze of higher education so they are in need of a mentor to help them. Life events can interfere with their studies and career success. Showing how to work around these situations is where the mentor role comes into play. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Motivation Techniques

Hi Sara, Way to go in making it "real" for your students. They get to see the reason for the mock interview is not only to develop their interviewing skills but also to network in a way that has employment potential. That is as good as it gets. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Defining Instructional Professionalism

Hi George, I really like your perspective on being a professional. Your last sentence says it all. Passion is so important for students to see if they are going to really catch fire about the profession. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Expanding Your Instructional Abilities

Hi Chef, Great points and example. If the Big Dig example doesn't catch their attention nothing will. We out here in the mid west even use it as an example. The wedding story has to impact them as well because as we all know just one time of not meeting a deadline related to a major life event such as a wedding and you are going to take a major blow to your career. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Expanding Your Instructional Abilities

Hi Jacqueline, There are a number of things you can try to get homework turned in on time, they range from food to professional points. In some classes I reward the class with pizza if for a period of time everyone turns in homework on time. Sounds childish but it really works because we take some time in class to eat pizza and visit with each other. It is a change of pace for the students. This method also has students helping each other because they don't want to lose out on the pizza. They hold each other accountable. I… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Developing Clear Goals and Objectives

Hi Anthony, Well put in terms of the value related to goals. You have to know where you are going or you will end up some place without knowing whether or not that was where you intended to go. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructors as Role Models

Hi Melanie, Good strategy for helping your students to connect the dots between their education and their future. You are showing them each day in the classroom what a professional in their career area looks, dresses and acts like. Be the end of their training they will have that embedded in their minds as they go out into their careers. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructors as Role Models

Hi Frances, Well said. You are impacting many lives as a result of your professional approach and attitude. Keep up the good work. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Accommodating Learner Preferences

Hi Heidi, Two ways that I have done this is to have students present a demonstration to the rest of the class. They cover all of the skill components in procedure and I use a grading rubric that enables me to show them how they did at the end of the demonstration. Another is to give them a problem solving situation or case study and have them solve or resolve the problem. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Motivation techniques...

Hi Alexis, As you mentioned your field is changing all the time. What has been one of the most impacting form of change that has occurred recently in the field of Culinary Arts? How has this changed what you are doing in your classes and students in relation to their preparation? Gary

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