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 Christine, Right you are about engaging the students. Online students can get hooked into the excitement just as the on site students can but we have to work harder at in in different ways. Great attitude. Keep up the good work. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Learning Environment Effect

Hi David, All of this prior planning pays off when you walk into the class for the first time. The students quickly know you have gone to great effort to get ready for them. Plus, you don't get thrown off by having too many students and not enough space or other such planning problems that can cause a new class to get off to a poor start. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Learning Environment Effect

Hi James, You are right about all the things you listed but there is one that really stands out for adult students and that is "milestones". Letting them know how they have progressed and where they are at within the course is so critical. These milestones really help to encourage students that may be on the verge of dropping out. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Clarifying Your Expectations To Students

Hi Michael, It is your attitude of caring that comes through with all of the efforts you listed. Your students know you want them to succeed and that you are willing to help them to do such. Keep up the good work. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Clarifying Your Expectations To Students

Hi James, Good job with what we call "setting the stage" for that day's learning. It sets up the expectations and requirements and gets the students focused on what is going to occur that day. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Matching Content to Need

Hi Pamela, Well done and well said. You ability to adjust your teaching to the learning needs of students is to be commended. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Matching Content to Need

Hi Sara, Great job with all of the components you are incorporating into your course. Each of these contribute in a unique way to the total learning picture of students so they can see relevancy to what they are studying. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Matching Content to Need

Hi John, That would be an interesting study. I think a lot of the results on students seeing relevance of content to course objectives would be based upon how well the instructor made the connection. We need to work very hard at making the content relevant and show how applications can be made if we are going to keep the students engaged. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Matching Content to Need

Hi Samuel, You are on the right track with your efforts to "read" your students. These efforts will pay off big as you engage your students in the learning process and they grow in their skills. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding learner characteristics...

Hi Richard, Glad to hear about the information that you have gained from the course. Continue to look for ways of expanding your professional abilities and you are going to have a great teaching career. Gary

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