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

Student Motivation Factors

Rene, Stories about the field really ramp up the motivation factor for students. They like to hear these stories from their instructors and program graduates. They then start to see themselves in the success circle for their field. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Student Feedback

Regina, Good for you. Student feedback is a valuable part of instructional improvement. By listening to our students we can make adjustments in our instructional delivery which increases the learning opportunities for future students in our courses. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Human Factor in Retention

Rene, Listening is a lot of teaching as you know based upon your comments. By listening we are showing empathy with our students which enables us to encourage and support their learning success. We can't change their personal situations but we can help them have school success if they are willing to put forth the effort. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Human Factor in Retention

Crystal, I compliment you for your rapport with your students. This is a great compliment that is being paid to you when they say "I want to take another class with you." I believe this is one of the rewards of being an instructor. We are making a difference in the lives of our students. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor Enthusiasm

Regina, Good point. We have to bring passion and excitement to the course. If we don't it is going to be a very long class for the students as well as challenging for the instructor. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Crystal, What a valuable service you are providing your students. I have the same situation and I work hard to get them some basic study skills so they can have early success in the course. Without these skills the specific course content will not be gained nor comprehended. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Feeling Accepted Helps with Success

Regina, Right you are about acceptance and integration. Students need to be brought into the class setting in a way that helps them see that they are respected and accepted. With your group activity you are helping them to integrate themselves into the class setting as a member of a smaller group which in turns help them see how they fit into the class at large. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Preparing and Delivering Effective Lectures

Rene, Variety, variety, variety. The human brain wants structure and variety. Quite a contrast isn't it? But by having structure in terms of course requirements and variety in terms of delivery then engagement will be enhanced. Good point about how you do it. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making a Positive First Impression

TIMOTHY, Well said concerning first impressions. It is so much easier as we all know to build on that positive first impression than try to dig out of a hole for the course duration. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Accommodating Learner Preferences

Glenn, You are hitting on the different learning preferences throughout the course. With variety of instruction you are offering content in their preference areas at one time or another during the course session. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

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