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

Student Feedback

Paul, We need to seek feedback on a regular basis for the reasons you list. The more we know the more effective we can be in targeting the learning needs of our students. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Application of New Knowledge

Marita, Your strategy takes me back to my elementary years when we used flash cards and drilled ourselves on them for math and spelling. They were highly effective then and still are today. We tend to forget about this method because of all the technology we have available. This is very low tech but results in good return. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Human Factor in Retention

Philip, Good point. For a least a little while they are in a safe and supportive environment that holds a promise of a future for them. As a result maybe they can have some success and start to build a future for themselves rather than being sucked down into the failure hole. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Human Factor in Retention

Marita, It really is. It is surprising that they even show up at school when they are living in such situations. That says a lot about their desire for success even if they do present challenges along the way. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Human Factor in Retention

Marita, So true. Enthusiasm is catching if we bring it to our classes each time they meet. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor Enthusiasm

Paul, Well said and sound advice for all instructors. We need to always be student centered in our approach because they are the reason we are there. We have the opportunity to share our knowledge of our field with the next generation of workers and that is a wonderful responsibility. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Carlos, Both are so important in the learning process. So the more you know about students the more accurately you will be able to plan for their instructional needs. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Leslie, Good points about the value of knowing the characteristics of your students. Yes, the challenge does get greater as you increase the number of students but for the most part the students end up fitting into general learning groups and you can plan for these groups. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Dexter, What strategies due you use to learn about the students that you have in class? Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Marita, The outside of classroom/lab experiences do as you say help the student to connect the dots between course content and the real world. They also give the students opportunities to use their knowledge and expertise to reinforce the choice they have made to enter their selected field. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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