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.

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Instructor REFOCUS

Hi Terrie, This is so important because if you get out of sync with your class then it is going to be tough to recapture their enthusiasm and focus. By pausing as you mention to catch your breath and then get back to the instructional process you are going to be able to keep your excitement about being an instructor. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Accommodating Learner Preferences

Hi Gloria, Way to go with offering your students variety in the delivery of content. This is very important to keep them engaged as you know from your comments. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Motivating Learners

Hi Carl, Not sure what you mean by "tough" classes. Some classes are tough because the students aren't interested others because the students aren't at the level they need to be for success so the variety in tough classes can be great. If you can give me some additional information on the kind of tough we are dealing with I will be glad to share some thoughts with you. Thanks. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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The Learning Environment Effect

Hi Ines, You make a number of good points about instructional pacing. This is very important in order for the students to get what they individually need from the learning process. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Teaching to Multiple Intelligences

Hi Clarence, Good to hear about how you will be able to use the information from these modules. This is what professional development is all about. We need to continue being learners all the days of our lives. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Creating Personal Support Systems

Hi Terrie, It is always interesting working with cohort groups due to the dynamics that occur as the groups solidify. Your groups sound like they know how to operate and progress together. Be the instructor of groups like this has to be enjoyable because you can see them progress as a group. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Being Successful in College

Hi Susan, This is an important point. The students need to be helped to see the big picture of where they are going with their studies. Then they will be able to see how the different courses fit within their career development. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Increasing Student Retention

Hi Amy, I have been where you are in particular with the one student that refuses to become engaged in the course. I will extend myself to help and support such a student to a point and then I will remove the student from the class. The student is paying to be in the course and as a result should value the content that is being shared. When such a student doesn't appreciate having the chance to go to school I encourage such a student to step out of school until such time he/she is ready to benefit from school.… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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The Human Factor in Retention

Hi Krystal, Good strategies on how you are integrating the students into the course so they aren't sitting out there feeling lonely. This is what keeps the students engaged throughout the course. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Understanding Learner Characteristics

Hi Amy, You are doing a great job of making a gen ed course relevant to your students. The examples are a great way to keep students engaged and to show them the ROI on their completing the course. Gary

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