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 a Positive First Impression

Hi Sue, So do I. I really like to use them in my classes. What is your favorite ice breaker? Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making a Positive First Impression

Hi Sean, You are a great example of a dedicated professional that wants to set the example for his students. This is so important as the students move through their education. They need to see models of behavior, dress and knowledge from individuals that represent their soon to be career area. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Using a Well-prepared Syllabus

Hi May, Good points about why a syllabus needs to be well prepared. I like your idea of the syllabus being the gps for the course. It really is because it helps the students get to their destination. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Motivation Techniques

Hi Karne, All good strategies to increase the motivation level of students. The more variety of learning options you offer and the greater the connection between the classroom and the real world the higher the motivation is going to be. Personal stories and guest speakers are always great ways to increase the interest level of students because they get to hear about relevancy and application of their content. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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The Human Factor in Retention

Hi Amy, So simple yet so powerful. Knowing that someone in authority, in this case their instructor cares about their success is a motivator of the highest level. They will work harder knowing they are meeting the standards you have set and that you believe in them and their futures. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Teaching to Multiple Intelligences

Hi Ariana, Good strategies. Students as you know like variety and you are offering it through the different learning opportunities that occur while the students are in class. This keeps their interest up and engagement high. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Making Instruction Relevant

Hi Rebecca, You are going to get some very good return on your use of role playing. If you set it up right the students really get into it and sometimes it is hard to get them to step out of their roles. Also, you can use role playing as a method of review so you will be touching upon both of your instructional delivery goals when you implement role playing. I wish you the best with this addition to your instructional efforts. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Reinforcement as Motivation

Hi Amy, This is such a good and helpful strategy to use with your students. This way they can continue to make progress and not become derailed by a grade or point score that doesn't tell them anything. The grade or points and then comments help them to see how and where they can improve and this is a great service to provide. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Teaching to Multiple Intelligences

Hi Rebecca, For visuals I am assuming you are using the commonly used forms such as videos, PPs, etc. In addition, I have found that I assign my students to bring into class visual examples of course content. In other words, I am striving for application of course content through visual referencing. This seems to really help with retention of content because the students are drawing mental pictures of the content in relation to visual images they have seem, recorded and brought into class that represent the content. Hope this helps. I will be glad to discuss this further with… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Teaching to Multiple Intelligences

Hi Maureen, You are on the right track. You can offer instruction using three of the intelligence formats and then rotate them so the students will have a variety of experiences through which they can process content. With the short time frame I am thinking this will enhance student knowledge acquirement while appealing to their intelligences. Gary

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