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

Developing Clear Goals and Objectives

Hi Angelica, Good strategy for keep reminding your students of the value of acquiring the "soft skills", meaning being on time every day and working well with others. They need both the soft skills as well as field knowledge in order to be successful. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making Instruction Relevant

Hi Bruno, This is a good way to help your students to see both application and relevancy to all that they are learning, not just the specific area of culinary arts they are interested in. Many of us have our current positions because we had knowledge and skills we could use to get our jobs and then grow in them, but if we hadn't had the basics we would not have gotten our feet in the door. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Hi Lynn, Good points about using learner characteristics to target learning preferences. You are able to customize your instruction based upon the information you have. This is a win win for both students and yourself. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Hi Michael, Good points about knowing more about your students and then targeting their instructional preferences. This will increase the retention of content by students as well as help them to see relevancy to what they are learning. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Adapting Your Instructional Strategy

Hi Herschel, Right you are about knowing more about brain processing, intelligences and learning preferences. This information helps you to form a plan that targets their needs and provides support at key points in their learning. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Adapting Your Instructional Strategy

Hi David, Good point about knowing more about your students and what brought them to enrolling in school as well as your course. Also, having a sense of what they are coping with outside of the classroom can be very helpful in deciding on what course of action to follow in instructional planning. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Developing Student Rapport

Hi Osiel, Good point and one that needs to be reinforced by instructors. They need to set up the class so students feel supported and respected. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Reinforcement as Motivation

Hi John, I agree with you on this very important point. By reinforcing content and showing application you are letting the students know that that the content is relevant and will help them in the future. This is what being in school should be about. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Dreena, Good strategies for getting students settled into courses and ready to learn. Also, listening and observing other instructors helps to see different ways instruction can be delivered. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Strategies for Increasing Student Motivation

Hi Yessenia, Good points about how there need to be cooperative learning opportunities for students. Students need to learn how to work with others because they are going to need this skill when they are out in the work world. Gary

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