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

Instructor Enthusiasm

David, Like the way you think. Thank you for these comments as they reflect how I think an instructor should approach the classroom. It is for sure that if we are not passionate about our content nor excited about teaching then our students will not be engaged. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Maureen, Right you are about balancing the sharing of information with the human factor of support. The human factor is what keeps the students coming back because they see that they have your support and that you are there to help them be successful if they will put forth the effort. Each student is unique and they know as an instructor you will do your best to meet their individual learning needs. This is an awesome responsibility but also a tremendously rewarding part of being an educator. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Creating Personal Support Systems

David, I use learning groups in my classes a lot. Your comments about the value of working in a group setting are right on. Students need to learn how to work with others as well as be able to share their perceptions and opinions. Small groups help them to do this in a supportive way. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making a Positive First Impression

Albert, What are some strategies you use in the first class meeting to get the students excited about coming back for the next class? Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Supporting Problem Solving Skills

JAMEL, I am a big fan of case studies as well. They help students to get into the problem solving mindset and give them experience in critical thinking. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Developing Critical Thinking Skills

Tina, You make a number of good points in relation to the value of being critical thinkers. Students need to develop skill in this areas because as you say upon graduation it will be up to them to work through problems and come up with solutions. Their future depends on them being able to do so. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making Instruction Relevant

David, I like the way you are connecting the dots for your students between theory and application. Helping your students to know where to find information and then pull out the content they need to respond to the topics being discussed is a great service to them. The effectiveness of this is demonstrated by the success they are having in their summer internships. Keep up the good work you are doing in helping your students move closer to their career goals. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Adapting Your Instructional Strategy

David, Your points are right on in terms of why we need to strive to make more episodic connections for our students as we teach through our content. These connections increase both application and retention of the needed content. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Developing Student Rapport

Jimin, Respect and rapport are two extremely important parts of the teaching learning process. Your point about respect is a good one. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Developing Student Rapport

Connie, Good and comfortable way to open up a new class. You are letting your students share something about themselves, in this case the source of their names while getting settled in the class. This simple yet effective exercise really helps them in getting a feel for the class and how they are going to fit into the class. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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