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

Preparing and Delivering Effective Lectures

Hi James, I agree as well. You need to do all you can do to bring the students into the learning process. The more they see themselves in the instructional process the more engaged they will be. You are right on with your planning. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Expanding Your Instructional Abilities

Hi Robert, Thank you for sharing this list. This I know will be valuable to other instructors starting their teaching careers. You have touched on the key elements to keep students engaged and focused. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Reasons for Enrolling

Hi Cathleen, Good way to approach your students. You are customizing instruction on a mass basis. This helps the students to be able to personalize the instruction and see how to achieve their career goals. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Instructor REFOCUS

Hi Cathleen, Good plan. It is a strategy I use for my courses as well. Mixing things up helps to keep me fresh and I get to use my creativity. All of these elements contribute to an environment of engagement for both me and my students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Developing Clear Goals and Objectives

Hi James, It certainly will. This is so important for both you the instructor and the students. This gets both parties off on the right step in the course. Think how you felt when you had an instructor that gave you clear goals and objectives when you left class for the first time. Use that same model for your own class. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making a Positive First Impression

Hi James, I would have class introductions and an ice breaker to get them talking among themselves. This helps to set a comfortable tone for the class. After that you can take them through the syllabus and the course expectations. I like to do an activity that has a very high success rate and low stress so that everyone goes away from the first class feeling like he/she can be successful. You can also have them write down and discuss their expectations for the course as a part of the first day. The key is to get them feeling like… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Defining Instructional Professionalism

Hi Victor, Right you are about the instructor needing to be a model for the students. What are some ways that you serve as a model for your students? Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Preparing and Delivering Effective Lectures

Hi Lisa, Two things that make learning effective. Application and relevancy. You are offering your students the opportunity to apply both of these as you bring in the real life experiences and examples of what you did when you were in the field. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Learning from Instructor and Student Introductions

Hi Lisa, Good approach to starting a new class. You are setting the stage for the earning of respect by you and your students while creating rapport opportunities. It is a building process from there that will be to the benefit of everyone. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Hi Joe, You are right on with this approach as you are spreading the learning opportunities throughout the intake preferences of students. In addition, you are getting enough repetition going that the students have ample opportunity to store the new content in their working memories. Great job! Gary

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