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

Adapting Your Instructional Strategy

George, Good point. I like to do the same thing. I like to "read" the class so I can adjust my instructional delivery to match how the students are behaving and interacting with each other and myself. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Student Motivation Factors

Rosemary, This the human factor of being an educator. We need to show respect to our students and work to earn respect in turn. In addition we need to show them that they are valued. By demonstrating such then rapport will be developed and the students will be engaged in the learning process. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Student Motivation Factors

Rod, Good points and points we need to make at different times throughout a course. When they become worn down during a course a reminder about how their success can impact the lives of their families can be enough to get them fired up again and completing the course successfully. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructors as Motivators

Kathy, Thank you sharing this strategy with us. Many instructors struggle with how to get students into the assigned reading and this is a quick and efficient way to do so. You have created a culture that the students want to excel on these quizzes. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Student Feedback

Rosemary, We need to have a system of regular student input and feedback for the reasons you state. This is how we improve our instructional expertise and communication. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor REFOCUS

Kathy, I have had those classes at times. They "checkout" before they complete the course or graduate. I follow the same strategy as you in that I try to shock them a bit by bringing in a program graduate and have that person tell them like it really is. Sometimes this works and other times it doesn't. With the latter I know they are in for a rude shock when and if they get a job in their field. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Application of New Knowledge

Rod, The more senses and repetitions we can engage our students in the greater the retention of content will be. Your point is a good one and something we need to remember as we do our instructional planning. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Human Factor in Retention

Kathy, Your comment made me smile because for me this is the fun part of being a teacher. I get to work with students and help them move closer to their career goals and in the process I get to be a human being about it. Smiling, talking and listening are three elements I try to incorporate each time I interact with students. In addition, I get paid to teach about something I love. This is a win win situation for me. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Human Factor in Retention

Billy, This is one of the fun parts of teaching and that is finding that combination of learning opportunities that will engage a student and help him or her achieve their career goals. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Being Successful in College

Rod, You make a very good point about the value of targeted feedback to students. They cannot improve if they don't know what they have done incorrectly. They need to see their areas of needed improvement and then build on what they have learned. This is one of the great values of having an instructor help them in their learning process. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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