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

Student Feedback

Hi Dan, How to you get feedback from your students? Once you get it how do you use it to make modifications in your instruction? Thanks for your input on this. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Application of New Knowledge

Hi Sharon, This is a great idea. Thanks for sharing it with us. I know many of us can use it in our classes to get a status check on the learning that has occurred just as the class ends. Gives us insight for planning the next class. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Instructor Enthusiasm

Hi Julie, Great strategies. Thanks for sharing them with us. I know they are going to be valuable to a wide variety of instructors and as a result of much benefit to students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Using a Well-prepared Syllabus

Hi Tracey, You make a good point about the effectiveness of a weekly calendar. You can have an entire course calendar to show the students the big picture but they do need the weekly reminders of due dates and activities that are going to be conducted. They have a lot going on in their lives and it is easy to forget something along the way. These reminders help them to keep the course activities in the front of their memory banks. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Instructors as Motivators

Hi Manuela, Good way to bring in the personal touch without making it too personal. Students as you know really like it when you share your own experiences in the field. It helps the subject matter come alive and they really get focused when you share like this. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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The Human Factor in Retention

Hi Diane, This is so important for student success. Helping them to stay focused and making forward progress is the key to keeping them enrolled. The more you know about the outside pressures the better you are going to be able to provide support. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Instructors as Role Models

Hi Diane, So true. Being a role model and being available are key indicators of an instructor that is dedicated to his/her profession and cares about student success. Keep up your good work. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Preparing and Delivering Effective Lectures

Hi Anne Marie, I agree with you about the value of feedback during the course rather than the end of course survey feedback. By having feedback while the course is going on you can make adjustments in your delivery, assignments, etc. and keep the course moving forward. You can also find that you are right on with your instructional delivery as it is. Either way you have a win win situation for your students and the course. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Blog

Handling Challenges

It has been said that you can tell a lot about a person when you observe them in handling different situations. For example a test of one's patience and coping skills can be observed in how that individual handles rainy days, elderly people, lost luggage and tangled Christmas tree lights. Using this same idea of coping with challenges instructors face a variety of different and complex situations each time they teach. When a challenge comes up instructors need to think about possible solutions in relation to how big the challenge is. Students like to bring issues to instructors and see… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Motivation Techniques

Hi Louis, These are the students I have as well. They have specific goals and are willing to do the work it takes to expand their knowledge and skill sets to get them where they want to go. Great bunch to teach because they are dedicated and motivated even if they are tired from working all day and going to school at night. Gary

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