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

REFOCUS...

Hi April, Thank you for the list of questions that you included at the end of your forum comments. This is an excellent list to ask of yourself as you work through the course. These questions help to insure that you are not missing any of the major components of the course and the delivery strategies for those components. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making a Positive First Impression

Hi Susana, Good point. The key idea is that first impressions will be made one way or another and that positive ones don't just happen they need to be planned for as you mentioned. Good planning up front saves so much frustration on the part of both students and instructors. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Expanding Your Instructional Abilities

Hi Aileen, You are right. The key is to stay up to date with the technology and content that needs to be incorporated into the courses we teach. Then we need to try them out for effectiveness and reception by students. Then we can make them a part of our teaching strategies which will make learning more effective. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Learning from Instructor and Student Introductions

Hi Anjali, This helps give the students a connection between you and them. Rapport is a powerful motivator for students because they know you care about their success. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making Your Expectations Clear

Hi Shawn, Good approach to each class meeting. Using inspiring quotes and examples helps to keep the students engaged in the learning process. The summary at the end show them how far they have come in the day's class and sets the stage for the next class meeting. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making Your Expectations Clear

Hi Ginger, Your method of building confidence and then providing supportive input on improvement areas helps the students to stay focused on the outcomes while building strong skill sets. Keep up the good work. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making Your Expectations Clear

Hi Gerard, Good list and sequence of how you work through the expectations of your course. This way it reduces much frustration and concerns on the part of the students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructors as Role Models

Hi Mark, Reinforcement needs to occur on a regular basis until the students have "gotten it". This can take some tome. You are right on with your comments about how this can take some time. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Your Instructional Style

Hi Gerard, You share a great way of staying on top of needs of your students in the course plus being reflective o and reactive as needed. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding learner characteristics...

Hi Kristen, Good point about intergenerational instructional planning. This is very important for career college instructors since that is the student population we serve. By blending these students in a setting that lets everyone use their own life experiences while expanding their knowledge you will have achieved a major goal of teaching. Gary

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