Blog Post 7

I honestly do not even know where to begin.  This video has opened my mind and heart.  I waited so long to watch this video because I was afraid it would be depressing.  Boy was I wrong!  I laughed and cried throughout this entire video.  Dr. Randy Pausch gave the most meaningful and motivational speech I have ever heard.  I am truly blessed to have been given this as an assignment and I have passed it on to my family and friends.

Dr. Pausch’s Last Lecture was not about his illness, his family, or his religious views.  It was also not just about his accomplishments.  His speech was about how he has fulfilled his childhood dreams, as well as how he has been influenced and has influenced others to do the same.  He gave personal experiences to relay his messages about life to the audience.  Dr. Pausch’s speech gives the tools and reality of how to reach your own childhood dreams.

One of my favorite quotes he gave was, “Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.”  At this point, I stopped the video to reflect on what he had just said because what great assessment of life this statement truly is.  He had previously mentioned, “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the game.”  What I took from this is we can only work with what we are given and if that is not what we had wanted, than we will get experience from our new path.  This message from Dr. Pausch connected with my life in so many ways.  I became completely captivated to the rest of his lecture.

What have I learned from this experience? 

I have learned valuable tools which can help me, not just in my future as an educator but as a person.  Dr. Pausch used the example of “brick walls” which will stop people who don’t want what they are aiming for, enough.  He said that brick walls are there for a reason.  I believe this.  It all wraps into his belief of Karma, which I also believe in.  The most important part of his teaching method involving brick walls is to never give up if you really want something.

Dr. Pausch gave a list of Lessons Learned which included:

• Know the role of parents, mentors, and students
• Decide if you are a Tigger or an Eeyore
• Never lose the child-like wonder
• Help others
• Loyalty is a two-way street
• Never give up
• Brick walls let us show our dedication
• Don’t bail
• Set a feedback loop and Listen to it
• Show gratitude
• Don’t complain; just work harder

I listed these to show Dr. Pausch’s personal values as an educator.  If you watch this lecture, you will know how important each one of these life-lessons is.  He used these values in his methods of teaching. 

His methods of teaching were a lot like Dr. Strange’s.  He believed that the teacher is more of a mentor who should guide his students to their highest potential.  He believed in his students and let the student set the bar for their own educational abilities.  Dr. Pausch gave an example of how he learned to do this.  He talked about an exceptional class he taught one semester and after their first project he had no idea what to say to them to motivate them anymore than they already were.  His mentor told him to go into class the next day and tell his students “that was pretty good, but I know you can do better.”  That advice will stay with me forever.  By pushing his students to do better each time, they will have the challenge and drive to put effort into everything they do.  Sometimes, I personally get discouraged in school.  I find it hard to continue to do my best when it seems like so few students are doing the same.  This method of teaching pushes everyone to continue to try harder.  No one is perfect, which is why we should all have this kind of motivation and encouragement to be better than we have ever been before.

Dr. Pausch mentioned that the best thing someone can do to educate another, is to make them self-reflective.  This is a great method of teaching because it pushes the student to realize their own abilities and know when they are doing their best, as well as when they are not giving their all.  This brings me back to his method of never giving up due to brick walls.  He said that teachers and students should never give up if they truly want to succeed.  This means that we should look to others for help and advice.  Dr. Pausch gave a specific list of ways of how to get people to help you.  They were all common sense, but it was refreshing to see that such small acts can impact a person in such a tremendous way:  

• Karma
• Tell the truth
• Be earnest
• Apologize when you screw up
• Focus on others, not yourself

People can only go so far by themselves; this is why we all need direction from others.  Dr. Pausch pointed out “when you mess up and no one tells you anymore, then they have given up on you.”  This means, as a method of teaching, we need to be able to give constructive criticism as well as have the ability to accept it.

Another method of teaching used by Dr. Pausch was the “head fake” where he would have the students learn something while they think they are learning something else.  This was an interesting method.  He said that the greatest learning is done by having fun while learning something hard.  I have never really thought about it in depth before this lecture, but this has to be the most effective method of teaching.  For example, I was extremely technology illiterate.  Thanks to the fun and active projects in my EDM310 class, I have learned so many new ways of using technology by having fun with my classmates, who have in turn become some of my best friends.  I am proud of everything I have learned and completed in this class because I have enjoyed what I have been working on.  Although Dr. Pausch and EDM310 are related to technology, this process can be applied to every subject.  As another example, some of the first grade students I am following are having a difficult time reading.  They have centers of activities that they can work on with partners, groups, or individually.  They also have time in the computer lab where they can play interactive games.  All of these activities are fun to them, so they don’t realize that they are actually learning how to read what they thought was difficult.

The head fake method was what he used to sum up his lecture.  Dr. Pausch gave his first head fake:

It’s not about how to achieve your dreams; it’s about how to lead your life.  If you lead your life the right way, then Karma will take care of itself and dreams will come to you.

He then followed this by his second head fake:

This talk is not for you, it’s for my kids.

I think what really stuck with me the most is how he was truly just a good person.  I have not heard such a moving speech since my dad was inducted into the coaching Hall of Fame.  Dr. Pausch reminded me of my dad in so many ways and made me thankful for the wonderful family that I have.  Without both my mother and father, I would not be the person I am today. I know his goal was to speak to his children so that they will remember the lessons he wanted to give them throughout their lives.  I know that they will never forget the message he is sending to them, because I will never forget the message my father sent to me in his speech.