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.

Activity

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Setting Expectations

Hi Ann, Again you are correct about expectations. Consistency is the key. Explain expectations, teach to the expectations, test to the expectations, and then illustrate to the students how they achieved the expectations and you will have achieved your goal of helping students achieve their career goals. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Learning Environment

Hi Ann, You are correct about the environment being everything. It is often helpful if instructors will step outside of themselves for a time and try and see the classroom or lab through the eyes of their students. As humans we get used to our surroundings very easily and with time we accept the environment in which we work, be it good, bad or somewhere in between. By constantly looking at the classroom, making sure supplies are sufficient, and that the appropriate technology is available the instructor is then free to focus on the learning needs of students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructional Style

Hi Ann, Good comments about instructional styles. Sometimes instructors become so focused on content they forget delivery. They are going to deliver content in the only way they know, which often times is the method through which they were taught. They don't stop and think about alternative ways of delivering the content, that will not only keep the students interested but will keep them interested as well. By talking with other instructors, reading professional literature, and observing master instructors new instructors can develop a knowledge base from which they can select a number of different ways they can present their… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Becoming aware of retention strategies...

Hi Carol, Isn't it amazing how much â€œcommon senseâ€ has to play in the instructional process? Students ask nothing more from instructors than to be treated with respect and be viewed as individuals seeking to improve their future. Sometimes this is missed in instructional planning. Good instructors will often times step outside of the learning environment and focus on how the human aspects of their students are being handled. Course content is a given in any class but the human dynamics of the class is not. Human needs, support and interactions have to be factored into the learning formula. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding learner characteristics...

Hi Carol, It is obvious by your forum response that you have had a lot of experience in working with non-traditional learners. Your points about how to encourage them are right on. Sometimes the personal aspects of instruction become more important than content. If the student is so discouraged or burdened down by life outside of the classroom that he or she cannot see a future for themselves in your classroom then the best content in the world will not make a difference. A key part of experience is knowing just when to intervene and when to step back and… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making the Course Relevant

Hi Carol, You are correct about using a variety of delivery methods in order to touch on the different learning styles and multiple intelligences of your students. Each person prefers to take in information in different ways as well as processing the information in different ways (multiple intelligences). By using diversity of delivery an instructor can hit on both intake and processing thus enhancing the learning potential. By having a variety of instructional strategies it also helps instructors to stay fresh in their teaching. Looking for different ways of delivering the same content helps instructors to hone their skills as… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Setting Expectations

Hi Carol, Right you are about being clear in your expectations for your students. No one likes surprises unless they are presents. When a student is working hard to achieve a certain level of success in a course and is thrown a curve in terms of expectations or additions to what was shared as being expectations then the learning curve starts to change. Instructors that constantly change requirements will soon find themselves with a rebellion on their hands and when this happens no one wins. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Learning Environment

Hi Carol, Many times instructors become oblivious to their surroundings to the point that when they start a new class they do not realize the discomfort their students have in the setting there are suppose to learn in. As you mentioned the instructor needs to always keep focused on both the content and the environment of the instructional process. They both compliment each other in terms of instructional effectiveness. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructional Style

Hi Carol, You have hit on the key points in the area of professional development. By having an organized method of bringing new instructors up to speed in terms of instructional delivery career colleges will enhance their ability to train individuals for new careers. Also by having a program for helping experienced instructors to improve and refine their skills everyone benefits. Not only the students, but also the instructors which enhances retention on the part of instructors as well as students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Setting Expectations

Hi Larry You have captured the essence of how to create student comfort in the classroom setting. By giving them the requirements and then helping them meet the requirements you will be doing what you are suppose to do as an instructor, help students learn. Consistency is the by word of instruction. Enough cannot be said about this, but often it is forgotten and instructors find themselves in difficult situations that could have be avoided by simple following through with what they said they would do. Gary

End of Content