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

Making Your Expectations Clear

Hi Tauisha, Great point you make. The printed material is one example but the human in learning is an even bigger example. So by your modeling the behaviors you want from your students and what is expected of them in the field you are setting the bar high and showing them how they can reach that bar. Keep up the good work. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Comprehensive Planning for Instructional Success

Hi Annmarie, Good point about being prepared. By entering the classroom prepared and ready to teach you are sending a powerful signal that you care about the students and want them to be successful. This then puts the burden of success on them as they have to put for the required effort since you have done your prep work. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Learning Environment Effect

Hi Kay, Good balance to how you approach the learning environment. You are giving your students a wide variety of activities in which they see how they are using content and developing their skill sets. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Developing Student Rapport

Hi Anita, Establishing rapport with students from the beginning of class really helps a class go well. Everyone gets engaged and focused on the needed outcomes. I wish you much teaching success. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Blog

Setting the Stage

When starting a new course take time the first class meeting to get the students settled into the procedures that will be followed. By sharing the operating format and giving examples the students will be able to see how you are going to operate the class as well as see how they are going to fit into it. Consistency is a must so by establishing a routine for starting each class you set the stage for getting into the content or lab working effectively and efficiently.

Make sure to spend some time talking with the students and establishing rapport with… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Motivation Techniques

Hi John, Good points. Application and relevancy are two words that really "sell" the content. The more an instructor can do this the higher the content retention is going to be. Well said. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Motivation Techniques

Hi Amber, Loving your field and sharing your experiences from it are two powerful motivators for students. Both of these really help to engage the students in the learning process and help them see themselves in that future career area. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Motivation Techniques

Hi Angelica, Students really like hearing stories from their instructors. The stories help to make "real" what they are learning. Share and discuss these examples and make them a part of your ongoing teaching. I know you are going to have much teaching success. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Students as Class Members

Hi Jeff, Good strategies for trying to overcome isolation with online learners. It is easy for them to feel and become isolated. Your approach helps to keep them engaged and involved throughout the course. Thanks for sharing with us. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Retention Strategies

Hi Jeff, Thank you for sharing your success with the packages with us. I know this information will be valuable to other online instructors that are trying to decide just how to measure content retention. Gary

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