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 Michael, You make a number of very good points about the learning needs of students. By developing a way to gather some information about the students you get a better picture of how to approach and support them. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Making Your Expectations Clear

Hi Brenda, This you can't do too much. Students of all ages and backgrounds need repeated reminders to they will keep on target with their homework and/or upcoming assessments. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Motivation techniques...

Hi Ann, Excellent way to mix the different age groups you have in your class but still meet their individual needs. You are doing a great job of customizing your instruction so they can as you say find "ownership" in the course. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Using a Well-prepared Syllabus

Hi Kevin, The idea of referring to the syllabus throughout the course phase is a good one. This shows the students that you are serious about the contents of the syllabus and that you are going to follow the syllabus. Also, it helps to keep them on target in relation to assignment deadlines and exams dates. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding learner characteristics...

Hi Ann, By being able to "read" your students you are making your instruction more customized and reflective of their needs. This is a valuable tool for all instructors and it sounds like you have a high level of skill at it. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Motivation techniques...

Hi Heather, Good job of tying previous experiences you have had to current situations with your students. This helps to show them how real the content is that you are sharing with them. Plus the real life experiences help them to see application. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Strategies for Increasing Student Motivation

Hi Liz, Great attitude about sharing your career and professional knowledge. I am sure your students can see how excited you are about your content and that you enjoy sharing this information with them. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Motivating Learners

Hi Jeff, Being excited about the course and motivating students to be excited are very important items for teaching success. What have you found to be the most effective ways of getting students excited about your field? Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Charles, As an instructor you need to have Plans B and C and even D available in your instructional toolbox. You never know, as you say when you will need that back up plan to keep moving forward. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Tamika, You have hit upon a sound learning theory with your discussion of using student discussions as a content retention method. By internalizing the content in their own words it is easier for the students to store the information in their working memories. Gary

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