"The Last Lecture"

After watching Randy Pausch's "The Last Lecture", I found everything he said to be very sound advice. I remember hearing about it last year and I figured it would be a talk about his having a terminal illness. Though he did mention it at the beginning of his talk and referenced it a few times, he was actually talking about the ways you should teach, learn, and ultimately live your life.

One very big point Paucsh elaborated on was the importance of having childhood dreams and doing everything in your power to make those dreams come true. He showed a list of his childhood dreams and, through his life, he accomplished each of them in one way or another. He also emphasized the importance of helping others achieve their dreams. One comment he made several times was about the "brick walls". He said they are there to keep those who don't really want it from achieving their goals. If you really want something and keep trying, you will reach your goals. He also talks about the "head fake". He presents it as a very effective teaching method. You teach someone something difficult while they think they are learning something else. These are techniques Paush learned at a young age and continued to use throughout his teaching career.

Paush took his love of technology and used it to become an incredible teacher. He found a way to bring art and technology together in many amazing ways, and gave students the opportunity to be creators. After pooling students from different departments, he constructed an entire class around students grouping up and creating virtual reality programs. He admitted to being blown away by his first class' attempt at the programs but took valuable advice he was given not to let them settle. It is important to always encourage students to do better, even if their current work product is excellent. He co-created the Entertainment Technology Center which focuses on "edutainment"- entertainment that teaches. He was an extremely strong advocate of making learning enjoyable. He was also the creator of the software program "Alice" which, in his "head fake" style, teaches students to program while they feel they are creating virtual reality.

I found this lecture to be very moving and informative. I think Randy Pausch had a mentality that more teachers should have. He saw the value of learning from your mistakes, listening to criticism, but never giving up on your dreams. He motivated his students to not be complacent and to keep striving to be the best they could be. Though he hit brick walls he never stopped trying and he urges others to do the same. Though his lecture did give advice for how to succeed as a student and/or a teacher, but it was also very much advice on how to live a successful life.