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

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Crystal, This is so important because you are trying to customize your instruction while engaging each student. The more you are able to target their learning needs and provide support on a regular basis the more engaged your students are going to be. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making a Positive First Impression

Philip, Right you are. What part of your presenting yourself as a professional makes the most impact on your students? What do they seem respond to the most as you model professional behavior? Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Developing Clear Goals and Objectives

Rex, Students really like hearing stories from the field. These stories help to reinforce the value of the content and enables the students to make application of what they are learning. Keep sharing the stories and engaging your students. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructors as Role Models

Nicole, This is how you bring balance and input into the classroom to the benefit of all students. Your students should feel comfortable and supported as they move through your course as a result of your modeling the behavior you expect from them. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor Enthusiasm

Cory, I am ok with being perceived as over the top in terms of passion for one's field. I would much rather be perceived that way than students thinking I don't care about what I am teaching. Keep you passion fueled at the level it is. It is a fact that if you are not passionate about your field and show no enthusiasm for teaching it the students will not be excited about being in the class. You are right about students seeing lack of emotion as being the same of lack of knowledge. We can change that through our… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Using a Well-prepared Syllabus

Gurkan, Well defined in terms of the value of a well prepared syllabus. This is why the effort is worth the investment of time and effort. The pay off in terms of student satisfaction and comfort is well worth it. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Using a Well-prepared Syllabus

Michaelle, A well prepared syllabus is so important to have for every class but your point about how it impacts the planning and success for adult learners is something that we must not overlook. Just as you mention in relation to your own education pathway the syllabus helps with planning of time and study efforts. It is a service we must provide to our students. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Michaelle, Spoken like an experienced professional educator, which you are. Learning can and should be fun even though it is hard work. When we get our students engaged and using their learning preferences they start to get comfortable and settled into the routine of taking in new information and seeing how it fits into their life experiences and career growth. When this is occurring we instructors are in the "zone" and it is a win win for everyone. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Motivating Learners

Gurkan, Thank you for these comments about how to engage and motivate learners. You are right about the need to make a connection between the course content and the life experiences of students. By doing so instructors increase the value of the content while increasing the buy in from the students. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Using Graphic Organizers

David, Good analysis of how your approach is graphically giving the students an idea of how the big picture comes together in getting an engine functioning properly. They see the parts and then the whole and the more accurately they see how each system contributes to engine success the better prepared they are going to be when they are out in the workplace. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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