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

Matching Content to Need

Hi Nolan, You have an unique perspective on helping students. You get to bridge the gap between needed information and the source of the information. You can make your resources come to life in the lives of the students so they will see the value of what you are talking to them about. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Matching Content to Need

Hi James, The PAC input really helps to make it "real" for students. These are folks in the field that tell it like it is. Their input helps to make the curriculum relevant and the students know if they acquire the knowledge and skills that come out of the PAC's input their will be trained to business and industry standards. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Learning Environment Effect

Hi Alesha, You are right about the students becoming comfortable with the equipment that will soon be a part of their lives for years to come. Plus, I try and sell them on the idea that they are learning how to use equipment that the majority of individuals have no idea about how to use it or what it can do. This is fun because they have knowledge that others don't and this helps to make them special. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Learning Environment Effect

Hi Annette, You make a great point about not everyone being happy but most should be comfortable. This is really true in teaching as you know, but we need to do our best to engage all of the students in the learning process. For some this will happen but we will have those students that are beyond our reach. It is sad not to be able to reach them all but we have to keep our spirits high and realize how much we have done in reaching the ones that we did. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding learner characteristics...

Hi Marc, The understanding and knowledge about your students will also help you with developing rapport with them. By getting them engaged in the learning process focused on what you are trying to do you will have a much easier time when teaching. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Ernest, All the items you listed are ways you can improve as an instructor. The key is to get a impression of how you are perceived by others and then work to refine that perception. This will create a delivery style that is comfortable for you and supportive of your students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Richard, These are all good ways to improve your delivery skills. One of the hardest is the video taping as it is hard to watch yourself sometimes. You can't believe you are doing some of the things that you are. You never noticed that you have a method of repeating a movement that becomes distracting, etc. Will really help you to keep on your toes about how you present. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Kelly, I wish you the best in your new instructional arena, adult learners. What you will find is that they are really like all the other learners you have worked with. The like to learn, laugh and advance in their knowledge. Have fun with them and in return you will develop respect and rapport for and with a great group of learners. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Judy, I wish you the best in this new effort. Keep working at it because before you know it you will be feeling very comfortable using this new delivery format. The fun part also is that you get to learn so much about a new area. Part of the life long learning process. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Amy, This is an ongoing problem with all students. They only hear what they want to hear and only when they think they need to hear it. When we receive new information we do three things with it, delete it because we think we don't need to know it, distort it to make it fit what we want to hear, or personalize it to ourselves. Of course we are striving for the later, but much of what we say gives shifted into the first two categories. So we keep on saying things over and over. Gary

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