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

Josette, This is a very important point to remember. Knowing about students in a general way in terms of their goals and what help they might need to be successful is one thing but knowing a lot of information about their personal lives is too much. I to limit myself to what they volunteer and I keep that information in the context of how I can apply the information to the class they are enrolled in and leave it there. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Accommodating Learner Preferences

Katherine, Thank you for sharing your success with mini-lectures with us. With the rotation you have with them and other activities your students get to learn, apply, learn and apply. This is a proven model for success. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Bonita, You make a very good point about bringing in your own instructional style and career experiences into the teaching process. This enhances the value of the course to the students and well as helping them to stay engaged throughout the duration of each class. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Using Graphic Organizers

Ross, I use these techniques with my students with great results. The more connections I can help them make the greater the retention of the content is going to be. I call it "connecting the dots" to create a learning picture for the students. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Using Graphic Organizers

Rita, Thanks for sharing this example with us. This is a very clear way to understand the difference between the two. Listening is a learning process for us all and we need to refine this skill as we move through our educational journey. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Using Graphic Organizers

Carl, Good approach and one that enables each student to see the parts as well as the whole but not become overwhelmed in the process. It is much like answering the age old question. "How do you eat an elephant?" Answer: "One bite at a time." This is what learning is like for many students. The key is helping them to see how they can take the one bite and then another and another. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making Instruction Relevant

Daniel, This is a good way to get a feel for the class because by hearing and seeing these expectations you are gaining insight into how the students are perceiving the course and the associated value of it to their career preparation. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making Instruction Relevant

Janet, All of these strategies are good ones. By offering them all you are giving a number of different ways for students to see the value of the content you are sharing. Guest speakers and field trips are great motivators for students as they can see how they will be using the content they are learning in their careers. This increases their motivation and reinforces their career choice. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making Instruction Relevant

Rita, This is such an important part of being a learning leader. The more you can help students to internalize the content and see the value of what they are learning the greater their investment in themselves there will be. They need to see their future in the current course. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Student Feedback

Toni, Good point about student feedback and the value it has in helping instructors to become even better at in their abilities to communicate their content effectively. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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