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

Adapting Your Instructional Strategy

Hi Aprilyn, Sounds like you are well on your way in developing a variety of strategies to help your students get their drink from the firehose. By helping them to get a sip you are getting them engaged and ready for taking the really big drink that is needed for learning to occur. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Feeling Accepted Helps with Success

Hi Larry, Well said about the environment. Students need to feel comfortable and accepted into the learning format. If they do then they can focus on learning and not on the room arrangement. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Learning Environment Effect

Hi Kristen, Well said in relation to instructors being able to help students to "connect the dots" and see the value and ROI on their efforts. If they don't they are going to be gone and no one benefits from their leaving their program. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Student Feedback

Hi Jennifer, Good point about student feedback. If collected in a way that illustrates how improvements can be made or different directions taken instructors can adapt their courses so the students will benefit from the feedback while they are still enrolled in the course. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Human Factor in Retention

Hi Larry, Well said and something we all need to remember as we enter the classroom. Students need to see the human factor in their instructor and themselves. After all it they are going to school to better themselves and create a future. They need to be reminded of that often. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor Enthusiasm

Hi Jennifer, Good points about excitement and enthusiasm. We have to bring it to the class no matter what is going on outside of the classroom. If we don't we are going to have challenging classes due to a lack of interest on the part of students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Motivation Techniques

Hi Jennifer, I have found the same thing. Students like to hear stories about how things did or did not go in their field. By them hearing the stories they get to reinforce what they are learning and get excited about entering the field themselves. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Application of New Knowledge

Hi Jennifer, The involvement of the different mind/body areas reinforces what is to be learned as well as increased retention of knowledge. Your approach gives them opportunities to store the new information in their working memories for later use. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Learning Environment Effect

Hi Carolyn, Soft skill development is essential for career success so the more we can introduce it into our courses the better prepared our students will be. They need to know the importance of having good communication and behavioral skills as they enter the workplace. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Hi Larry, Your last sentence really captures the essence of teaching subjects like yours. By knowing the characteristics you can adapt your delivery to meet their needs while maintaining the standards of the course. Gary

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