RANDY PAUSCH'S LAST LECTURE
It was really an enjoyment for me to watch Randy because he was so funny and had such a good attitude and personality. He started off his speech talking about childhood dreams. He talked about the importance of them and how every child does have dreams whether they are big or small. I think as future teachers we should always encourage kids to be all they can and that if they work for their dreams they can accomplish them. This is very important for early childhood education teachers because the younger the children are, the more they believe in their dreams. I also loved how he stressed the fact that he actually did everything on his list and learned from every single experience.
One of the key points that Randy made in his speech was to help the children learn on their own. This idea caught me because I am a firm believer in the fact that children will remember things they experience for themselves better than something they are just told or taught. The difference comes from the children actually doing activities and learning from the hands on experience rather than just memorizing information from a textbook to get them through a test. That’s when education becomes what I call the “etch a sketch” effect. They memorize the information, spit it out for a test, and then erase it completely from their memory. When the students are faced with hands on experiences, it teaches them far more important information that they will retain for a longer period of time.
Randy talked about some of his old memories and one thing he always remembered was "when people stop correcting you they have given up". This statement is so true and it so important for teachers to realize this. Students know when a teacher has simply given up on them and this makes them not attempt their best or even worse, give up on their dreams all together. By giving students encouragement, you are also giving them a chance to succeed. Encouragement goes a long way in a child’s life and it is the simplest thing a teacher can do for someone.
Another point that Randy made in his speech was to help teachers realize that there needs to be fun in the classroom. When a student is bored to tears, they lose focus and determination. It isn’t hard to try to make the lesson plan a tad bit more fun and it’s a key factor in trying to help the students succeed. This goes for all grade levels, not just younger children. I feel like Randy had good points in his speech and it is something that I will remember in the classroom.
I also found that even though the video may have been long it never phased me because as you said he was so funny, has a good attitude, and personality. It is very important for us as elementary teachers to let our students know they should follow every dream they have. They will learn from each and every dream when they follow them all.
ReplyDeleteI like what you call the "etch a sketch" method. That is sadly how most classrooms are these days. The information is given, the children retain it long enough to take the test, and then they forget it all. Part of that is how the tests are made. If you give a child a test that has direct questions and is multiple choice then all they need to do is spit out an exact answer. However, if you design a test for your students that provides situations or something more in depth where in order to chose an answer they really have to dig deep to know it. It would not just be hear it, remember it, spit it out, and forget it. I learned this when I went to nursing school for a semester. They had all tests designed like this. All tests were multiple choice but that was how it was designed. Also all answers were right but you had to choose the answer that was the "most right." You knew the ones you got correct because they were already embedded and the ones you missed you never forgot. This was all due to how the tests were written. There was no way to memorize and then forget.
His points on teachers making sure they keep encouraging every student is very important. If we do not do that then you do have those children who will throw their dreams away because you were not placing that positive impact on their lives. Also FUN is so important in a classroom. If students are not having fun then they are not focusing on what you are teaching and they will retain nothing. Classrooms must be hands on and interactive. That is when the most learning will take place.