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

The Human Factor in Retention

Jacquelyn, This is what teaching should be about--student centered instructional planning and delivery. The more support of this type we provide the greater our retention will be. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Using Graphic Organizers

William, Your field is full of such presentation formats and by using the flow charts and graphic organizers you are giving them the opportunity to see how each of the different parts fit together to complete the procedure being preformed. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor REFOCUS

Jay, You make a very good point about instructor engagement and enthusiasm. We need to bring our A game to each class and when we start to slip into a routine that does not let us do that then we need to do just what you outlined. This will get us ramped back up and excited about teaching once again. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Application of New Knowledge

Michael, Yes, it does. What are some ways you do this in your classes? Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Human Factor in Retention

Linda, Good step by step process to get students settled into the class and establishing yourself as the learning leader. Once this is done they are ready to hear about the course requirements and what your expectations of them is going to be. This method reduces their anxiety and gets them forward focused. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Re: Effective Retention Strategies

Michael, This is so important. By earning the respect of your students while extending respect to them you form the foundation for the development of rapport and this is where real student engagement begins. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Re: Effective Retention Strategies

Donald, Yes, it is because it helps to set a light tone and it lets the students get settled into the class for the session. You can spin off of the video with a few comments and lead right into the topic of the day. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Linda, Right you are and the key is finding the balance between the two as you do your instructional planning and work with your current students. As you know each class has a different personality so the blend of the two needs to be customized to each each student and this can be a lot of fun to plan and do. It lets us be creative in our approach. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Michael, Right you are. This is where it can be a lot of fun being a teacher because you get to be creative in your instructional planning. When an activity that you have planned works it is a great feeling because you know you have nailed it with your students and they got it. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Reasons for Enrolling

Donald, It has never been a problem for me or my students because they share their reasons in generic ways, such as "I always wanted to work in law enforcement." I have found that my students like to be asked this question because it lets them verbalize why they are enrolled and where they want to take their career. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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