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

Your Instructional Style

Robiar, I do to. Each time I observe a class I seem to get new ideas that I can use in my classes. One thing about teaching is that it is a constant learning opportunity. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Tierany, What are some ways your would expand your professional development using these ideas? Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Developing Student Rapport

Belinda, Adult learners feel they are taking a high risk when they return to school. They are not sure they will be able to successfully compete with other students. Early success in a course and a supportive instructor goes a long way in helping them to get settled in the course and feel confident they can pass it. Your comments are right on in terms of how we instructors should support our students. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Eric, You have done a great job of exploring how to develop yourself professionally as an educator. As long as you continue to seek this type of improvement you will do well and your instructional style will continue to evolve. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Using Reflective Thinking

Candace, This is a key point about how to expand the reflective thinking abilities of students. They need to learn how to reflect and consider options before jumping into the solution phase. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Valuing Student Opinions

Cynthia, Listening is one of the most effective teaching tools an instructor has. With your approach you are showing respect for the students and their ideas about the subject. This is how rapport is developed and learning enhanced. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Human Factor in Retention

Belinda, This is the human aspect of teaching and it is as essential as the content that is being shared. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Implementing Relevant Course Content

Judy, The more connections like this you can make the better. This is what gets the students engaged so they will start to see themselves in their field and why you are teaching what you are. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Stephen, I would start with a blend of both to get a "read" on the students. Deliver a mini-lecture of 15-20 minutes and then do an activity that has the students using the covered content, such as small group problem solving or a case study. You will quickly see how they respond. Most classes work well with this combination and you will be in good shape to continue this blending. In addition, with this blending approach you will be appealing to the different learning preferences of your students and this will help to keep them engaged as well. Gary Gary… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Motivating Learners

Ed, I use guest speakers and case studies as well as the activities you are using. I like to have previous graduates come in a tell about how the course content helped them in their career development and what they are currently doing. These sessions really get the students pumped up. The case studies get the students to using their newly acquired knowledge and skills as well as develops their problem solving abilities. The case studies show relevance and application of content and this increases the motivation as well as the ROI for students. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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