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

Discipline in Critical Thinking

Harry, Development of critical thinking is hard work and requires self discipline, neither of which many of today's students want to put forth. This is why those that do develop these two skills enjoy career success and personal growth. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Developing Critical Thinking Skills

Harry, I think this is a very good approach. So many students today seem to be poor readers or will not read. They will only do a google search and grab a sentence or two which for them is all they need to know about a situation or problem. If they can discover the value of reading and mind expansion then they will be on track to become critical thinkers. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Shawn, Passion for one's field and enthusiasm for teaching about it goes a long way in engaging students in the learning process. You make a good point about the fact that we need to leave our own situations at the door of the classroom or lab and concentrate on providing support to our students as needed. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Tom, I think this is a very fair and comprehensive way to get insight into how an instructor is delivering course content. Frequently evaluators depend on one snapshot to determine how an instructor is doing. As we all know classes change, tempo changes within a class and your method accounts for these shifts within class flow. Thank you for sharing it with us. I know it will be helpful to other professionals that do teacher observations. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Developing Student Rapport

Kurt, Thank you for the kind words about ED101. You are right about the foundation of being a successful instructor is the human factor and how it is displayed and used with students. For me the human factor is what keeps me in the classroom. I get so many wonderful opportunities to work with students that enrich my life. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Learning from Instructor and Student Introductions

Leslie, This sounds like a fun ice breaker that gets the students talking with each other as well as expanding their abilities in communication and class sharing. Thanks for sharing this with us. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Learning from Instructor and Student Introductions

Leslie, Thank you for sharing your story with us. It is humorous because so often students encounter "space heaters" for teachers. You were able to respond that you are the real deal and that you know not only math as a concept but also as an application in addition to your professional training as an educator. I know the respect your students had for you soared when you completed your story. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Motivating Learners

Juno, I did a quick search in order to be able to answer your question and I came up with a number of possible sources. One that I read and think really captures the essence of the ARCS model is the article by the professors from Syracuse. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Motivating Learners

Juno, Is it possible to put some of the decision making part of the content into case studies? You could present the content for 15-20 minutes and then do a case study where they make application of what has just been covered. This way they can start to develop their critical thinking and problem solving skills while seeing the relevance of what is being taught. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Discipline in Critical Thinking

Dixie, Thank you for this perspective on the understanding of discipline and how it applies in critical thinking. You are right in your statements about how we need to develop our abilities in the area of critical thinking and problem solving if we are to be successful in our respective fields. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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