Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Blog Post#6



     After watching the video by Randy Pausch called "Last Lecture Achieving Your Childhood Dreams", I thought that is was very inspirational. If you haven't watched it yet, then you should. At first glance, I noticed that this video was a hour and sixteen minutes long and I did feel intimidated. I wasn't sure if I could last that long just watching and listening to someone lecture. So I finally went for it, hoping that it wouldn't be dry. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the video. I was interested in his topics because they left me with some very important messages.
     At the beginning of the video, I must say that I admired Mr. Pausch. Like he stated, he wanted everyone to notice the elephant in the room. I was saddened to know that he had ten tumors in his liver and that his life expectancy was from three to six months. Instead of focusing on his personal or life threatening issues, he was quite happy with his life. He has a lot of humor and even showed the audience that he was really in a good shape by doing push-ups. Even then, that was a lesson in its self. He is losing his life, but he chooses to turn things around and be merry. This reminds me of myself. I have had hard some hard times in my life that may have been worse for some, but not as hard to others. No matter what has tried to take or keep me down, I still find happiness. I still smile because I know that there is a bigger picture. I wasn't raised to dwell on negative things, but to figure out how to make them better.
     First, he started with the topic about childhood dreams. Everyone has had one at some time in their lives. During this segment, there was one quote that stuck with me. "Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things. From my point of view, this quote said to me that sometimes you will not have your way and even get rejection, but they are here to make you better, work harder. Secondly, he wanted to express how he enabled the dreams of others to come true while being at Carnegie Mellon University. I was amazed to see how a teacher who once started with a class of fifty students in his course became a huge hit at the school. He allowed his students be creative just as long as they didn't use violence or porn in their projects. Last, there were lessons learned. He left the audience with tips on how to get help from others and to never give up. In order to be successful in whatever it is that we want to do, we cannot do it all alone. I'm pretty sure that everyone can thank someone for taking that extra step to help them. Maybe they saw the potential and thought they could possibly be the one who would open up the doors for you.
     When I become a History teacher, I will definitely use some of his ideas on teaching and learning. He allowed his students to be themselves by letting complete their projects with creativity. I will remember that by allowing creativity to my students will allow them to enjoy what they are learning. He mentioned how teachers can also learn from their students. I want to build a relationship with my students and make that bond stronger over time. I want them to feel like I'm trustworthy and am and will be a person just like them. Like my students, I will make mistakes and learn from them. We should grow together as a class. I don't want them to feel like they are inferior to me. I want them to talk to me and tell me what's going on. I want them to feel comfortable with me, but also understand that there should still be a level of respect towards me. This video also inspires me to leave my students with encouraging quotes and that learning can be fun. I hope to also have a class without paper that is based on the use of technology. Mr. Pausch's video was a pleasure to watch. I was deeply moved by his struggles and successes. He wasn't able to control his illness, but he was able to control how we wanted to leave this earth and did just that. With hard work and determination, anything is possible.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Shaniqua!

    Overall I enjoyed reading your blog. It was very thorough, although I did want to point out that the tumors were on his liver not his brain.

    Like you, when I saw how long the video was I thought I could never sit still that long, but I gave it a whirl. Surprisingly, I too was so intrigued that it flew by.

    I love the brick walls quote you mentioned. I think it is a very powerful statement. I agree that is awesome that he allows so much creativity in his classroom. Creativity breeds success.

    I too plan to use his methods/ideas of teaching and learning in my classroom. I think it is mandatory for teachers and students to form some bond. I agree is it very important for students to feel comfortable but still be respectful.

    Again, I enjoyed reading your post. Good Luck!

    Ashley

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  2. Hey Shaniqua,

    I am glad you enjoyed the last lecture! It really is amazing to see how someone can be so inspirational to so many people!

    Good job!

    Stephen Akins

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