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

Accommodating Learner Preferences

Hi Ron, Good reminder for us all. The stories that are told in class need to be directly related to the current topic. They lose their value when they are off topic or seen as rambling. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructors as Motivators

Hi John, Good for you and your students. I like instructors that can't wait to share their knowledge and experience with their students. It is a powerful legacy to have as you prepare the next generation of individuals to enter your field. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Instructors as Role Models

Hi William, Good point about the professionals. They are always a hit with my students because they show the students what a person from their field is like as well as will be doing when they graduate. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Making Your Expectations Clear

Hi Juanita, Good point about accountability for students. They have received the information as a result of this method so the responsibility then shifts to them in terms of using that information. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making Your Expectations Clear

Hi Kay, Good way to lay the foundation for the course. This way both the students and you are operating with the same information about course polices, requirements and expectations. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Blog

Providing Instructional Routine and Variety

Most human beings like routine as well as variety. They like to park in the same place, sit with the same people, travel the same routes, and organize their life in a pattern. In the meantime they talk about and often seek variety to break up the routines of their lives. This creates a balancing act for instructors. They need to establish a routine for getting classes started yet provide instructional variety to keep students engaged.

One way is to establish a set routine for starting each class. This way the students will get settled into their seats or lab… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Defining Instructional Professionalism

Hi Gerald, Well developed definition. You have touched on the key elements of what being a professional educator is all about. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Understanding Learner Characteristics

Hi Paula, Right you are. This is valuable information to have as you plan your instructional delivery. This lets you be more accurate in customizing your content and format. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Strategies for Keeping Students Engaged in Learning

Hi Eric, I agree. Instructor enthusiasm is critical to get students engaged in the learning process. We need to bring it to the classroom each and every time. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Motivating Learners

Hi Nicholas, Some technical content is a challenge to deliver in an interesting way just as you mention. What I try to do is to deliver content and then have an activity using the content. So there is a change of pace being offered to the students. 10-15 minutes of content then application, 10-15 content and then application. This way the students can segments of content in relation to relevancy. This is in addition to colorful graphics, PP and other media to help keep students engaged. Gary

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