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

Making Your Expectations Clear

Peggy, Good way to get the students on the same page as yourself. You are letting them know your expectations and how you will enforce the polices of the course. From then on it is a building process where mutual respect is developed. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Learning from Instructor and Student Introductions

John, This is a key point in terms of getting the course off to a good start. Students need to be able to feel comfortable in the class and look forward to being taught with an experienced professional educator. The more you can demonstrate your expertise and professionalism the more respect will come your way. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Learning Environment Effect

Matthew, I support this approach because we are preparing them to enter their chosen career field. The more we can assist them to transition into that field the quicker they will be advancing their career rather than just trying to adjust into their career. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Developing Critical Thinking Skills

RAJINI, Good point. Students need to be able to analyze the problem and review it from a number of different perspectives. The more experience they have in using this approach the wider their range of problem skill development will be. Keep up your efforts in this area because both your students and their future patients will benefit. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Motivation Through Relevancy and Application

Ren, Students love real world examples as you say. They really perk up when one of these stories is shared. They get to see application and relevancy to what is being taught. This increases the value of the course for them. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Student Feedback

Ren, Good way to keep improving and refining your course. The more information (feedback) from which you can benefit the better your delivery will become. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor Enthusiasm

Nicole, Great point. Passion for one's field and enthusiasm for teaching it goes a long way in increasing student engagement. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Increasing Student Retention

Ren, Right you are. Sometimes the students are simply in the wrong course. Through some type of pressure (family, friends) they have chosen a career area that is not right for them. I don't count these students as dropouts even though they are counted as such by the school because there was nothing I could do to keep them in the class. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Alicia, The more you know about them the more information you have from which to do your instructional planning. How do you get information about your students as you start a new course? Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Preparing and Delivering Effective Lectures

Patricia, Good strategy. The students need to see that you "own" the classroom, which means that you roam all over the classroom and interact with them. This lets them know that no matter where they sit they will be expected to participate. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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