Sunday, March 4, 2012

Blog Post #6

Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture


“Brick walls are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things”
brick wall



In this video, Dr. Randy Pausch discussed several methods of teaching. At the beginning, he mentioned getting the fundamentals done first. Students need to understand that learning can be fun even though it is hard work. A student needs to learn his alphabet before he learns how to read or they need to know their numbers before they can do math. Teachers need to provide students with necessary tools to encourage learning and allow students to unleash their learning potential. Dr. Pausch stated on how to accomplish this is by choosing indirect learning or “head fake”. This method can be applied in projects that students can do in small groups. Where the main focus lies not on the project itself but on the teamwork. As a teacher creating a solid foundation is essential for continued success in a students development.
Secondly, Dr. Pausch focused on the importance of feedback. Corrective criticism is necessary to allow students to identify areas of improvement and apply corrective measures. Dr. Pausch stated, “When you see yourself doing something badly and nobody's bothering to tell you anymore, that's a very bad place to be. Your critics are the ones telling you they still love you and care”. This is an area where as a teacher you are able to provide guidance and encouragement for students to succeed in reaching their goals.
Thirdly, Dr. Pausch encourages us to be patient. As a teacher, a student’s individual needs vary from one student to the next. Allowing students more time to accomplish a certain project may surprise you. Focusing on others, the students, and not yourself will allow the students to achieve more positive results. By setting the standards high for accomplishments makes the students aim for the stars in order to reach the sky.
This video was very encouraging and informative. It contains several good teaching methods as well as quotes. My favorite quote that Dr. Pausch says is, “Brick wall are there for a reason: they let us prove how badly we want things”. I liked this particular quote because I can relate to it, in the sense that I am coming back to school after being out for a extended period of time and it seems that a wall can be an obstacle that I continually have to knock down. It is unfortunate that Dr. Pausch has past away and I am seeing him for the first time. With over 14 million views on you tube I am sure his legacy will continue to influence students in years to come.

1 comment:

  1. "...This video was very encourage and informative...." encouraging instead of encourage

    Rather brief.

    The reason we include this video is to inspire you to bust through those brick walls, to raise the bars, to execute effective head fakes and much more. I hope you will do these things when you are a teacher.

    You have combined your C4K Report with your Blog Post #6. Please put into two separate posts.

    ReplyDelete