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

Charles, What are some way you do this with your students? Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making a Positive First Impression

Regina, A good first impression is a great foundation upon which to build the next steps of the course. A level of confidence comes out of a positive first impression and everyone (both students and instructor) can move forward. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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The Learning Environment Effect

Regina, The learning environment sometimes is overlooked in instructional planning yet it plays as you have said such an important part in the total learning process. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Your Instructional Style

Mary, You have some great resources upon which you can draw as you make your journey toward becoming a master teacher. I wish you continued teaching success. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Motivating Learners

Regina, You make a good point about helping students to see the value of the course they are taking. This is an important part of their education. They need to see relevancy and application in what they are learning and how they can use it in their career in the future. This is when motivation gets going. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Effective Motivation Techniques

Karen, You are showing them the future by letting them know the value of the content and how they will be using it. This is what creates ROI for the course. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Motivation Techniques

Melissa, I like your style. Go ahead a be a nerd, it is OK. I like being around and listening to instructors that love their field and are excited about sharing their passion for it. You are right excitement is contagious. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Developing Student Rapport

Karen, I work on the basis of the following model. "Courtesy is given." Meaning I will be courteous to you and respect you as a fellow human being. "Respect is earned." Meaning I will strive to earn your respect and in return you will earn mine. "Rapport is developed." I will work to establish rapport with you so we can build a positive and professional relations throughout the course. When I explain this model to my students we have a foundation from which to operate. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Application of New Knowledge

Melissa, This is a method I use a lot in my classes as well. My students like to work together in the small groups and they get very competitive in their groups as they play review games. This increases the motivation factor to do well. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Human Factor in Retention

Karen, Thank you for sharing this example of a student that is not connected. It is a sad situation but one hopefully we all can learn from. Keep up your effort because you might be able to establish a connection with the student and get him engaged. If you don't don't be too discourage. Even though we try we cannot reach them all. When I have such a situation I keep up my effort but also focus on my engaged students enjoy the feeling I get from their enthusiasm and learning. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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