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

The Learning Environment Effect

Hi Lou, You are right about needing to make our classes as "real" as possible. This will help our students to see what is ahead of them and how they are going to fit into such situations. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Learning Environment Effect

Hi Matt, You got it! Student centered learning. Sometimes this is forgotten in the rush to get everything done. We need to stop, think and visualize just how the students fits into all that we do. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Learning Environment Effect

Hi David, Good idea. We do need to see our classrooms and labs through the eyes of our students. It is like the experiment where a piece of paper was put on the floor in the middle of a hallway at a school. The students walked around the paper for several days and got used to the paper being there. No one picked it up since they had gotten used to it being there, even though it was out of place. By seeing as students see it we can change the things that may be distracting the students from maximum… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi James, Way to go in pacing your delivery. These methods lets you control the pace and flow of the class so you can keep your students engaged in the learning process to the maximum degree. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Lisa, Good professional development plan. It is fun to learn and through the taking of these courses you are learning not only the most current content in your field but experiencing how other instructors teach. You can observe and learn from how they are conducting the class and you can use this information back in your own setting. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Earnest, What methods do you use to identify the learning styles of your students? Do you use an assessment or is it based upon your experience as an educator? Thanks. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding learner characteristics...

Hi Jeff, Right you are about needing to engage and personalize the learning situation for each student. This can be a challenge but the rewards are well worth it. Through your efforts you are helping your students to achieve their life long goals. That is powerful because it shows us the impact we are having on the lives of our students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Matching Content to Need

Hi Julia, I like to do this as well. This helps me to "base line" the knowledge of my students so I know how much I need to cover for the foundation and then when I can move on to the higher level areas. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Clarifying Your Expectations To Students

Hi Patricia, Good approach with the students you have. You show them respect from day one and as their supportive "coach" you will help them to achieve their career goals if they will put in the effort. This also develop rapport with the students to the point that they have a relationship with you that is productive for both parties. Keep up the good work. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Matching Content to Need

Hi Daniel, Thank you for sharing this example and how it worked in your setting and how it could work with others. The key to using any assignment is assessing how it works in your setting. You did a very good job of that. Each time I teach a course I add at least one new thing. Some are great successes and others will never see the light of day again, but no matter the results it keeps me excited about teaching courses that I repeat as often as ten times a year. I want to remain fresh and excited… >>>

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