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

Using Graphic Organizers

Jane, They are reminders of the necessity of sequence and order for students. By using them throughout their career training they will have ingrained the content and procedures in their working memories for use when they are in the real world. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructors as Motivators

Steven, Congratulations on making your field "real" for your students. You are showing them that not only are they acquiring knowledge and skill related to a field but also acquiring a way of life in their ability to help others. You are sharing stability and opportunity in employment and that alone should be enough to capture their interest, considering how things are today. Keep up the good work. You are having a major impact on the lives of your students. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor REFOCUS

John, You have a challenging area to begin with so I can appreciate your comments. How to best create a connection between the content and the delivery is always a concern. Are there ways of introducing more problem solving and case studies into your content? In my field I use both to reinforce what I am teaching and the students really like making immediate application of their newly acquired knowledge. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Human Factor in Retention

William, This is a very important point that needs to be remembered each time we start a new course. Many of our students have been out of school a long time and were not very successful when in school. As a result they are very nervous about coming back to school and being successful. They need our support and understanding as we help them get settled into the course. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Increasing Student Retention

John, The personal connection with a student is important. When you have respect and rapport with a student you are in a position to help them see the value of working hard in the course and making progress toward their career goals. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Retention Strategies

Amber, Thank you for the kind words they are greatly appreciated. I strive to always keep the mind set of what it is like to be a student. By doing so I can provide the support and mentoring my students need to be successful in spite of the many life challenges they fact. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Re: Effective Retention Strategies

Amber, Congratulations on your educational progress so far. You are almost there and soon will be a new doc ready to expand your contributions to education and student lives. You have the insight of being a long time student so your instructional planning will be more targeted in reaching all of your students. Looking forward to hearing great things about your teaching success, soon to be Dr. Cochran. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Creating Personal Support Systems

William, Good strategy. Mentoring is a very valuable tool for keeping students in school and having success. When they know someone is there to help them they are encouraged and motivated to be successful. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Being Successful in College

Shawn, Students like real life examples. These examples help to make the course content more real to them. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Strategies for Keeping Students Engaged in Learning

Dianne, Keep up the good work. I have been teaching for many years and each time I teach one of my courses I introduce something new or different as I am always seeking improvement in how I connect with students. In addition, the new things in the course get me excited about teaching the course even though I have been teaching it for many years. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

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