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

Making Your Expectations Clear

Veronica, Good point about how accessible you are to students. There needs to be boundaries so students do not abuse your accessibility but also be accessible as in a way that shows your students you are there to support their learning efforts. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Learning Environment Effect

Lisa, The more examples the better because when examples are used they enhance the value of the course content as well as motivate the students to see relevancy and application in what they are learning. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Kayla, Thank you so much for these comments. They are right on the mark in terms of how one develops into being the learning leader they want to be for students. As you say it is an ongoing process which means that we get to experience growth much like our students. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructors as Role Models

Lisa, So true. This is why it is so important to be the best learning leader and role model you can be for your students. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Reasoning as a Resource

Matthew, I am a big user of case studies. I think they help students to see real situations in a setting that lets them think through situations without the fear of failure. The more confidence they can build with the case studies the better because once they are out in the workplace their are very few do overs. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Discipline in Critical Thinking

Marybeth, Well said and something that we need to remind our students about as they work through problem solving situations. The more self discipline the more resources they will have from which to pull as they move through critical thinking and problem solving sequences. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Adapting Your Instructional Strategy

Mary, Thank you for these good comments because they are right on target concerning how you engage students in the learning process for the duration of class sessions. It is hard work but the results are enhanced learning and increased student focus on their career development. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Gary, This has been my experience. I try to get to know what their backgrounds and skills are early in the class so I can pull on those experiences at different times throughout the course. The students really like it when they get to relate an experience or share a skill with the class. Makes them feel they are bringing value to the class. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Reasons for Enrolling

Markita, Good plan that you are using. Students do get tired and forget they are in fact moving closer to their career objectives all the time, especially mid-training. So the more reminders and examples you can give them the better so they will get ramped back up and continue to move forward. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Accommodating Learner Preferences

Norma, You do have a great setting for student growth and effective instruction. Also, as know effective communication is an essential part of every career so you are helping your students to be better prepared once they graduate. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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