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

Using Reflective Thinking

Jeanne, You have done a very good job of describing reflective thinking and how it impacts problem solving. Taking the time to due such reflection yields rewards in the long term. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making Instruction Relevant

Richard, You make a number of very good points but I want to draw out is the use of relevant examples in relation to the topic being covered. The more this can be done the more value students associate with the course. Students really perk up when their instructor shares a story from his or her work experience and relates to the students. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Motivation Techniques

Bryan, My students love playing games like this. The enthusiasm level really increases when we get into our teams and start one of the games. We have fun and cover a lot of material in the process. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Reasons for Enrolling

Laura, This is such valuable information to have. This way you can customize your instruction more accurately because you know what the expectations of the students are. You can build on their reasons for enrolling in the course and help them meet their career goals. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Student Feedback

Bryan, Right you are about the value of feedback. Feedback is how we get the pulse of the class and determine if we are being effective with our instruction. Also, as you know students really appreciate having their feedback being sought and considered. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Developing Student Rapport

Jessica, Respect and rapport are two very important elements of student success. Earning student respect and showing them respect in return establish a foundation for the development of rapport and this is when real career growth occurs for students. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Increasing Student Retention

Jessica, Good point about helping students to make applications of the course content into their personal lives. The more applications they can make the more value they see in the course content. This is a win win situation for the students and the instructor. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Re: Effective Retention Strategies

Bryan, I use case studies a lot in my classes for the reasons you list. It helps to get the students to thinking about how to solve problems and think critically. In addition, case studies help the students to see the relevancy of what is being taught and this increases the value of the course content. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Feeling Accepted Helps with Success

Jessica, You have touched upon two very important parts of student engagement. Feeling accepted and comfortable in the learning environment sets the stage for student success. It is a building process from there. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Being Successful in College

Bryan, You have outlined a very supportive set of steps to build student confidence. As you mention early success in a course really helps to get them established and feeling like they can be successful. With early success comes more opportunities for greater successes and their confidence level really takes off then. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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