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.

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Accommodating Learner Preferences

Hi Scott, When student bring in articles such as those you mentioned this is when you should get an "aha" moment. They have connected the dots between the classes they are taking and the world in which they live. This is what it is all about and why teaching is so much fun. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Instructors as Role Models

Hi Jeff, Thank you for sharing this example. It is sad to hear about such poor teaching but is common throughout higher education. By being aware of how this impacts students we instructors can make our classes interesting and relevant to our students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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REFOCUS...

Hi Graham, You make a very good point about the need to REFOCUS as an instructor. What are some strategies that you use to help you get excited about the other half of the course? Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Understanding learner characteristics...

Hi Barton, I commend you for using the previous experiences of your students as a foundation upon which you can build their educational platform. By showing you value their experiences you also are helping them to see self value in what they have done and will be doing. You are connecting the dots for them. Maybe the Don Henley song won't be seen as being true. Thanks for sharing. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Teaching to Multiple Intelligences

Hi Amanda, Any kind of movement will work for students in the kinesthetic area. Moving them into work groups works. Another thing I use a lot are Legos. I have small number of Legos in zip lock bags. I give each group a bag of Legos and I have the students problem solve using the Legos. My course is a content course not lab so all of my activities relate to the content but involve some movement, discussion and participation. Role playing is another body involved activity you can use. Hope these examples get you to thinking about how you… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Strategies for Increasing Student Motivation

Hi Rainerio, Three great points that all involve supporting student success. This is what motivation is all about and when the students know that they have support from instructors it goes a long way in keeping them in school and moving toward their career goals. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Motivating Learners

Hi Myung, You make a great point about how everyone has to be on board with making the students feel welcome and supported. With all that the students are facing sometimes the smallest thing can send a student into crisis. By having the entire college staff buying in to supporting these students then the retention rate for these students will be higher and their success greater. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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The Learning Environment Effect

Hi Alexander, Right you are. That is why we have to have classrooms and labs that reflect the field that the students are training to enter. If we do then the transition for the students from school to the work world will be much easier. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Becoming aware of retention strategies...

Hi Gina, Good point. Listening is a very powerful learning tool and we instructors need to learn from our students. By listening to them we can get a very clear picture of where they are coming from and how they are perceiving the course content and then we can act accordingly to meet their needs. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Accommodating Learner Preferences

Hi Roy, I hear you about making it personal for students. If you make it relevant, make it applicable, and make it personal the message gets through. Keep up the good work. Gary

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