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

Discipline in Critical Thinking

Jason, This is the element that is most often missing with my students. They do not want to put forth the time and effort to gain the knowledge they need to be critical thinkers. I work a lot with them on self discipline because I believe it has to start there if they are going to develop into problem solvers. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Critical Thinker Characteristics

Jason, Having the proper attitude is being willing to put forth the time and effort to find possible solutions to problems. I have experienced the same thing with my Gen Ys in that they just want to do a quick google search and call it good. Critical thinking is much more than that as we know so we need to provide them experiences and activities that will enable them to expand their problem solving skills in the area of critical thinking. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Reinforcement as Motivation

Cynthia, Your last sentence says it all in terms of why it is important to support the efforts of students. Through reinforcement such as that you are giving you are helping them to move closer to their career goals. In addition, they start to see how this new knowledge will be used to shape their future. This is a formula for success if they are willing to put forth the effort. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructors as Motivators

Wendy, Your approach helps students to take control of their future in that they get to shape their grade as you mention. This also holds them accountable for the results since they made the choice. As for sharing your stories from the field I am a big believer in this. These stories help to make the course content come alive. As a retail manager full-time you are able to bring to them experiences from each day that can help them to grow and gain insight into their career area. This is making it real for them. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Motivation Techniques

Zaneena, Like your approach. I am sure it is a surprise to the students when they think about their bodies as being textbooks. By making this connection they will see the value of what is being taught and how they can apply this knowledge in settings outside of the classroom. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Valuing Student Opinions

Daniel, This is such an important part of teaching. By earning the respect of your students and then developing rapport with them you will be able to keep them engaged and focused on the content being shared. The human factor is a part of everything we do so we need to learn how to use it in different settings so our students will see us as models in this area. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor REFOCUS

Cynthia, Appreciate your attitude and approach to instructional planning. This is how you keep your class alive and engaged. If you have passion for your content and are excited about teaching it then there will be enthusiasm in the class and a positive learning environment for everyone. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making Your Expectations Clear

Stacy, This is such a good service to provide your students as this helps them to organize themselves and keep moving forward in the course. Many students as you know do not have good organization or study skills so they need some help in terms of keeping up with the flow of the class. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Implementing Relevant Course Content

Shelly, This has been my experience as well. They need to get really comfortable with the manikin so they don't "lock up" when humans are involved. These procedures need to become second nature to them so they will make the patients comfortable as well. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Accommodating Learner Preferences

Angela, Students like change of pace and variety in their instruction delivery and you are providing both with your methods. Keep up the good work because you are going to keep them engaged this way. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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