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

Strategies for Increasing Student Motivation

Jon, Passion for your field and excitement about teaching about it goes a long way in getting students engaged in the learning process. As we know excitement is catching! Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Learning Environment Effect

Gary, The answer to this question is "it depends". It depends on how your school approaches assigning classroom or labs. My school has me teaching in a long narrow room. The seats are only three rows but they are very long stretching from wall to wall. This means that the students setting in the 3-4 end seats on each side of the room cannot see the board or screen. My school does not care that this is not a good learning environment. What I do is to rearrange the room before the students arrive so the seats are in a… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Kale, I think this is a good idea because there is a certain amount of cognitive processing that goes into skill development. Your handouts will help your students to integrate both the tactile/physical and the cognitive. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Motivating Learners

Gary, Variety and change of pace are two critical elements in keeping students engaged. You are right on with your approach and I know it results in increased student learning. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Defining Intelligence

Jeffrey, I do this at times with my students and it is amazing to watch. Some students have the common sense to work through the problem and others just freeze up and wait until someone else does it for them. I am afraid that this may be how they function in the workplace unless they are willing to take the time and effort to develop the required self discipline and knowledge required to be critical thinkers. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Using a Well-prepared Syllabus

Kellie, I think this is a good method to follow as it places accountability on students via the signed sheet. They know they need to look at the syllabus so they will have knowledge of the course expectations. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Kellie, Good strategy to follow. Your students will appreciate your efforts to get them engaged and enjoying their classes. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Stacy, This is an important part of professional development. By remaining current your students know you are sharing the latest content and practices in the field. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Helena, Good balance to how you approach the delivery of instruction and student interaction. This method gives everyone an opportunity to participate and share their opinions. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Discipline in Critical Thinking

Jeffrey, I appreciate your statement in terms of students not wanting to invest in the self discipline and effort it takes to be critical thinkers. It is not easy nor quick and both of these are what the majority of students want in their classes. As you say you have been successful by being a problem solver and helping them to see how you have benefited from being such is a valuable part of their career development. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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