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

Instructors as Role Models

Heather, It is the repeated modeling of the correct procedures and professional behavior that really sinks into the minds and practices of students. Your approach is doing that with each interaction you have with your students. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructors as Role Models

Mary, This is what modeling should be about. I commend you for your effort and I am sure your students are taking note of how you dress and conduct yourself in relation to preparing for success as vet tech. Keep up the good work. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Student Motivation Factors

Hossai, You make a good point about personal motivation. There are many types of motivation and as instructors we should hit on as many as we can so our students can see an application of one of the motivating factors in their own life. Once they can do that they can really focus on being successful in the course since they know what is driving them. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Motivation Through Relevancy and Application

Naimah, So true. Relevancy and application are two essential elements of the learning process. After sharing content with our students we need to be able help them make applications and then see relevancy in the material. By doing so we will have increased the value of the course to the students. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructors as Motivators

Leticia, Giving your students a realistic picture of the field via the sharing of stories and examples is an important part of the teaching/learning process. They need to know what to expect when they are out in the field and why the content you are sharing is valuable to their future. This increases the ROI of the course for the students. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Student Feedback

Leticia, This type of feedback is how you improve your course delivery and develop meaningful activities. I think feedback needs to be secured throughout the course so you get a more global picture of how the course is going through the eyes of students. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor Enthusiasm

Hossai, Right you are about enthusiasm. It is needed by instructors as they present their material. In addition, I like to see instructors that are passionate about their field and are excited about helping to prepare students to enter it. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Increasing Student Retention

Leticia, The instructor is the center of the retention formula. By establishing a connection with the instructor a student much more likely to stay in the course and work hard to be successful. This is how rapport is established. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Reasons for Enrolling

Hossai, This is good information to have just as you have said because it gives you an idea on how to approach a student. I know when I have a student that has been forced to enroll in my course I try to help him or her to understand the value of the content being shared. Sometimes I can get them excited about the area and I feel good at having helped them with their career growth. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Creating Personal Support Systems

Leticia, This is the value of creating small learning groups. The students get to know each other and work toward a common goal. This gets everyone contributing. Good strategy to follow. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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