Monday, March 28, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Blog Post #9
At the Teacher's Desk
Mr. McClung
"What I've Learned This Year"
I'm really glad we were required to read this post because although I love learning and reading about different technology posts and blogs, it is refreshing to just read a post about teaching...after all that's what we will all be doing in the near future. Mr. McClung's post is something I needed to read. Thanks Dr. Strange!
Mr. McClung talks about all the things he's learned as a first year teacher: How to read the crowd, Be flexible, Communicate, Be Reasonable, Don't be afraid of Technology, Listen to your students, Never stop learning. He says that lessons need to be student centered and we shouldn't worry so much about what other people think (our superiors) because our primary concern is whether the students learn the material. We need to be flexible because no lesson will ever be perfect. If something we really want to work doesn't, then move on from and it and learn from it...but with a smile! :) Learn to communicate not only with our students but with our fellow teachers too because we need a good rapport with them. They're a great resource. Be reasonable with our expectations because when we have high expectations for our students and they fail, we shouldn't beat ourself up about it. Just encourage the student to try again. Let technology be our best friend because it is essential in our society. Listen to students and show that we care about them. We should really know our students. Never stop learning because we expect our students to continue to grow and learn on a daily basis and teachers must do the same.
I really like all the points that Mr. McClung made in his post but the one that speaks out to me the most is the one about listening to students. I really have a desire to impact a child's life in my classroom and I want to be more than just a teacher to all my kids. I want them to realize I care about them as a person and not just another face in the classroom year after year. I hope I never get tired of teaching and just consider it a job. I know that every child has value and can accomplish great things and some of these kids don't get the motivation and respect at home. Therefore I must do my part in helping the best way I can and just listen.
I also like the comment about how as teachers we never need to stop learning because we expect our students to never stop. I have never had a teacher as motivated and as committed to daily learning as Dr. Strange. Every time I'm in the lab he's always looking up something about new technology. He is definitely an inspiration to me as a future teacher. Thankyou Dr. Strange!
Mr. McClung
"What I've Learned This Year"
I'm really glad we were required to read this post because although I love learning and reading about different technology posts and blogs, it is refreshing to just read a post about teaching...after all that's what we will all be doing in the near future. Mr. McClung's post is something I needed to read. Thanks Dr. Strange!
Mr. McClung talks about all the things he's learned as a first year teacher: How to read the crowd, Be flexible, Communicate, Be Reasonable, Don't be afraid of Technology, Listen to your students, Never stop learning. He says that lessons need to be student centered and we shouldn't worry so much about what other people think (our superiors) because our primary concern is whether the students learn the material. We need to be flexible because no lesson will ever be perfect. If something we really want to work doesn't, then move on from and it and learn from it...but with a smile! :) Learn to communicate not only with our students but with our fellow teachers too because we need a good rapport with them. They're a great resource. Be reasonable with our expectations because when we have high expectations for our students and they fail, we shouldn't beat ourself up about it. Just encourage the student to try again. Let technology be our best friend because it is essential in our society. Listen to students and show that we care about them. We should really know our students. Never stop learning because we expect our students to continue to grow and learn on a daily basis and teachers must do the same.
I really like all the points that Mr. McClung made in his post but the one that speaks out to me the most is the one about listening to students. I really have a desire to impact a child's life in my classroom and I want to be more than just a teacher to all my kids. I want them to realize I care about them as a person and not just another face in the classroom year after year. I hope I never get tired of teaching and just consider it a job. I know that every child has value and can accomplish great things and some of these kids don't get the motivation and respect at home. Therefore I must do my part in helping the best way I can and just listen.
I also like the comment about how as teachers we never need to stop learning because we expect our students to never stop. I have never had a teacher as motivated and as committed to daily learning as Dr. Strange. Every time I'm in the lab he's always looking up something about new technology. He is definitely an inspiration to me as a future teacher. Thankyou Dr. Strange!
Comments for Kids (C4K) Summary Post #2
Comment #4
HD2011 blog
Mr. Wolfe's Class
This student was talking about how what all went on in class today (March 2, 2011) and what's about to happen. He said he had a benchmark test and it took 2 days to finish. He said he learned about shapes and sides which he learned already in first grade. He is excited about Spring Break and he has to take the ARMT test soon and he's going to get an A on that.
I introduced myself and told him where I live and where I go to school. This child is from Birmingham too so I asked if he knew where Pelham is because that's where I'm from. I commented on the test he took that day and asked when he has to take the ARMT and how I'm learning about different tests in my education classes. I said I'm excited about Spring Break too and I'm not going to the beach but to Nashville.
Comment #5
Ronald at Pt. England School in New Zealand
Grade 7
He talks about going to health camp and they stayed in dorms. On the weekends he got to go on the bmx track and some people fell off the back. Then they had dinner and went to bed. Then he had to go to school on the school day and had to do work.
I introduced myself and told him where I live and go to school. I said it was really cool that he's from New Zealand and how I've visited Australia but would love to see NZ some day. I said his health camp and bmx adventure sounded really fun and how I've never done that. I asked if he was one of the kids that fell off the back. I told him he sounded brave for doing bmx. I told him I have a blog that he could comment on if he wanted to. I said his writing was very good.
Comment #6
Ryan's blog
7th grade
He talks about how he only has 2 more months left of school until summer. He's excited about the sunshine and nice weather because he's been stuck inside because of snow storms most of the winter. He said another sign that school is ending is the beginning of baseball. He enjoys catching the ball and throwing it around. He asked what other people's favorite part of the end of school is.
I introduced myself and told him where I live and what school I go to. Then I asked where he was from since I couldn't find it while searching his blog. I told him it rarely snows in Alabama and especially Mobile and I hate the snow and cold weather. I said I look forward to going to the beach during the summer since I live only an hour away from the Gulf. I told him it was nice to meet him over the web.
HD2011 blog
Mr. Wolfe's Class
This student was talking about how what all went on in class today (March 2, 2011) and what's about to happen. He said he had a benchmark test and it took 2 days to finish. He said he learned about shapes and sides which he learned already in first grade. He is excited about Spring Break and he has to take the ARMT test soon and he's going to get an A on that.
I introduced myself and told him where I live and where I go to school. This child is from Birmingham too so I asked if he knew where Pelham is because that's where I'm from. I commented on the test he took that day and asked when he has to take the ARMT and how I'm learning about different tests in my education classes. I said I'm excited about Spring Break too and I'm not going to the beach but to Nashville.
Comment #5
Ronald at Pt. England School in New Zealand
Grade 7
He talks about going to health camp and they stayed in dorms. On the weekends he got to go on the bmx track and some people fell off the back. Then they had dinner and went to bed. Then he had to go to school on the school day and had to do work.
I introduced myself and told him where I live and go to school. I said it was really cool that he's from New Zealand and how I've visited Australia but would love to see NZ some day. I said his health camp and bmx adventure sounded really fun and how I've never done that. I asked if he was one of the kids that fell off the back. I told him he sounded brave for doing bmx. I told him I have a blog that he could comment on if he wanted to. I said his writing was very good.
Comment #6
Ryan's blog
7th grade
He talks about how he only has 2 more months left of school until summer. He's excited about the sunshine and nice weather because he's been stuck inside because of snow storms most of the winter. He said another sign that school is ending is the beginning of baseball. He enjoys catching the ball and throwing it around. He asked what other people's favorite part of the end of school is.
I introduced myself and told him where I live and what school I go to. Then I asked where he was from since I couldn't find it while searching his blog. I told him it rarely snows in Alabama and especially Mobile and I hate the snow and cold weather. I said I look forward to going to the beach during the summer since I live only an hour away from the Gulf. I told him it was nice to meet him over the web.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Blog Post #8
This is How We Dream Parts 1 and 2
by Richard Miller
After watching both movies, I was still a little confused as to what exactly writing with multimedia is all about, so I did a little more digging online. However, let me first comment on Mr. Miller's ideas and videos. I think that his idea is a fresh, forward thinking, 21st century idea that more educators should start getting involved with too. He's wanting to change the way of thinking, learning, and doing from a reading and writing culture to a listening and watching culture. It makes perfect sense with all the technology that kids and teenagers use now; I'm sure their ways of thinking and learning are being adapted and changed based on all the visualization of the 21st century now. The old way was to research a paper, write it a book, publish it, and it goes into the library or bookstore. Now that same book is online for less than a $1. (He gave his book that he wrote as an example.) The new way of writing is to research everything online without having to step foot in a library and publish your book as a web based document accessible to everyone at anytime with limitless access. Also, instead of just having a document version of an article or assignment, we can now make it have videos, links, blogs, and all things interactive from the web. This is the new direction that he thinks education is going and I agree.
He made the comment that all ideas don't belong to a single person but are shared by everybody. I thought that was really interesting to think about. I understand what he means that we can learn anything and have access to anything and can know anything at any moment we want. But I still believe that an idea is owned by a single person. One person came up with an idea and shared it to the world, and regardless if we know who's idea it is or not, it's still their idea. He also said that his school is not ready to "convert" over to this new way of multimedia use because they need someone to come up with the way it would be taught, new teachers, new concepts, a new learning space, etc. Most colleges and public school systems aren't ready for this change too. Some schools are just crossing over to the technological side of the 21st century and what he's talking about is even more than using smartboards or new computers. I feel like it's a good idea but is it too much too fast? Is it really necessary? Do we really need to change our way of teaching? What's wrong with reading and studying a book? I personally think that watching videos all day and seeing interactive websites are fun, but they can get monotonous and boring after a while.
As I mentioned previously, I did a little research as to what "writing with multimedia" really is about and I discovered an article about using multimedia with research and writing. It was called Multimedia as Composition: Research, Writing, and Creativity. It helped me understand a little better what multimedia really is and how it can be used for writing purposes. The writer of this blog Viet Thanh Nguyen defined multimedia as, "the use of multiple means of communication or expression that enables a more flexible and creative environment of learning and intellectual growth." So basically the use of multimedia is endless. He also points out that when students are learning about literature, film, history, labor unions, the Civil War, etc. they are learning creative acts. So why do teachers make students analyze these things by writing papers that limits creativity? That is a great point and the solution should be multimedia technology use. Now it makes more sense.
I understand the points that both professors are making--Mr. Miller and Mr. Nguyen--however I think we have a long road to go. I also don't think that there should be a complete crossover with this multimedia use. I don't know if I'm just old-school but I don't think that everything in the classroom has to be technologically focused. If I was a teacher right now I would not be prepared to do this. I am learning a great deal that will help be in the future but I think it would take me a few years before I adapted all these concepts and ideas into the classroom with my students. I think as a first time teacher I will be focusing more on just figuring out what to do in general and my main concern won't be all about the technology, although I will have a strong interest in it and will keep that in mind in the future after more teaching experience. I think this will probably come a lot more natural to the students than to me. So as Mr. Miller said that the only limits we have we put on ourselves, I will just have to break down this last barrier of doubt and just dive into it for my students and my sake.
The Chipper Series
EDM 310 for Dummies
I thought these were great student made videos and Jamie Lynn is hilarious! Haha! I think it's sending out a great message that everyone is probably in the same boat with this class. It's something new that most of us have never experienced and it can be frustrating. However, there is a way out. I think the EDM for Dummies book would be a great resource. However, I think that would take away from us being self-learners...right Dr. Strange? Haha! We have to explore and learn these things on our own and it's not that hard if we just take the time to do it. The only thing that limits us is our ourselves! And these videos come at a great time too during midterms. It is waking me up to the fact that deadlines really do mean something and I will try even harder to make sure everything is turned in in a timely fashion. As for me making my own videos, I don't know what I would want to be a part of. I really would have more of an interest in making a video about what we've been learning and discussing in our blogs, rather than help for the class. I think it would be cool for students to make something about our opinions about technology and if we think this new 21st century way of teaching kids that we're learning about is necessary, are we willing to be a part of it, etc. Or act out and compare a student who has been taught technology throughout their entire upbringing in school versus a student who wasn't and look at the advantages and disadvantages of when they are older and out in the working world. Although a lot might be speculation it would still be cool to see what the techno-student learned vs. the old school book learner.
Learn to Change, Change to Learn
I agree with the arguments made in the video and how a new way of teaching and learning for the 21st century is necessary and about to change drastically. We will be teaching our kids in a way that is way different than how we were taught as kids. But it's something we need to get used to and have an open mind about. I hope I can be involved in this new approach of learning and teaching.
These are some of the things they said in the video that stuck out to me:
Kids are having a more stimulating and rich experience outside of schools than they are inside.
Technology isn't a choice....it has emerged and is a world.
School is classroom based now when it could be community based.
We must start with the teachers if we want the students to be on a global level.
Standardized testing is a vending machine approach that doesn't parallel with the types of jobs these kids would get later.
It's about finding info...not memorizing it. That's the new 21st century. Way different than how we were raised.
The Secret Powers of Time
Drive: The Surprising Truth About what Motivates Us
I LOVE both of these videos and I LOVE that Italian dude Philip Zambardo with the first video. He talks so fast but is so brilliant. I want to comment on everything but theres so much. After I write this I'm going to watch it again but it is just so GREAT! I love anything to do with time and this just caught my attention from the beginning. And I love the pictures and writing he does with it. I'm a visual learner so seeing that instead of just some man standing in front of an audience and watching their lips move helped me and interested me so much more! I want to say 3 things about what he said: 1) I glad that I'm a future oriented person and I have my dad to thank for that. But I'm also learning to live in the moment so I'm enjoying life without being so future oriented. 2)I agree that wasting time is pointless and unnecessary....even when waiting to boot your computer. 3)If we are a family oriented country then we should have family dinners.
Those stats he told about drop-outs and teens is just ridiculous and makes me even more passionate about wanting to help kids want to learn. This just reinforces the idea that teachers including myself will have to adapt to how they learn so they will want to stay in school.
Daniel Pink and the motivation video was also very interesting. He said if we take the money factor away then we will work better and want to work. I love that and totally agree. It makes sense. Since money is obviously a huge motivator then if you take it away and pay people enough where they aren't worried or complaining about it then they will want to work and do their best. Hmmm.....!
I understand the points that both professors are making--Mr. Miller and Mr. Nguyen--however I think we have a long road to go. I also don't think that there should be a complete crossover with this multimedia use. I don't know if I'm just old-school but I don't think that everything in the classroom has to be technologically focused. If I was a teacher right now I would not be prepared to do this. I am learning a great deal that will help be in the future but I think it would take me a few years before I adapted all these concepts and ideas into the classroom with my students. I think as a first time teacher I will be focusing more on just figuring out what to do in general and my main concern won't be all about the technology, although I will have a strong interest in it and will keep that in mind in the future after more teaching experience. I think this will probably come a lot more natural to the students than to me. So as Mr. Miller said that the only limits we have we put on ourselves, I will just have to break down this last barrier of doubt and just dive into it for my students and my sake.
The Chipper Series
EDM 310 for Dummies
I thought these were great student made videos and Jamie Lynn is hilarious! Haha! I think it's sending out a great message that everyone is probably in the same boat with this class. It's something new that most of us have never experienced and it can be frustrating. However, there is a way out. I think the EDM for Dummies book would be a great resource. However, I think that would take away from us being self-learners...right Dr. Strange? Haha! We have to explore and learn these things on our own and it's not that hard if we just take the time to do it. The only thing that limits us is our ourselves! And these videos come at a great time too during midterms. It is waking me up to the fact that deadlines really do mean something and I will try even harder to make sure everything is turned in in a timely fashion. As for me making my own videos, I don't know what I would want to be a part of. I really would have more of an interest in making a video about what we've been learning and discussing in our blogs, rather than help for the class. I think it would be cool for students to make something about our opinions about technology and if we think this new 21st century way of teaching kids that we're learning about is necessary, are we willing to be a part of it, etc. Or act out and compare a student who has been taught technology throughout their entire upbringing in school versus a student who wasn't and look at the advantages and disadvantages of when they are older and out in the working world. Although a lot might be speculation it would still be cool to see what the techno-student learned vs. the old school book learner.
Learn to Change, Change to Learn
I agree with the arguments made in the video and how a new way of teaching and learning for the 21st century is necessary and about to change drastically. We will be teaching our kids in a way that is way different than how we were taught as kids. But it's something we need to get used to and have an open mind about. I hope I can be involved in this new approach of learning and teaching.
These are some of the things they said in the video that stuck out to me:
Kids are having a more stimulating and rich experience outside of schools than they are inside.
Technology isn't a choice....it has emerged and is a world.
School is classroom based now when it could be community based.
We must start with the teachers if we want the students to be on a global level.
Standardized testing is a vending machine approach that doesn't parallel with the types of jobs these kids would get later.
It's about finding info...not memorizing it. That's the new 21st century. Way different than how we were raised.
The Secret Powers of Time
Drive: The Surprising Truth About what Motivates Us
I LOVE both of these videos and I LOVE that Italian dude Philip Zambardo with the first video. He talks so fast but is so brilliant. I want to comment on everything but theres so much. After I write this I'm going to watch it again but it is just so GREAT! I love anything to do with time and this just caught my attention from the beginning. And I love the pictures and writing he does with it. I'm a visual learner so seeing that instead of just some man standing in front of an audience and watching their lips move helped me and interested me so much more! I want to say 3 things about what he said: 1) I glad that I'm a future oriented person and I have my dad to thank for that. But I'm also learning to live in the moment so I'm enjoying life without being so future oriented. 2)I agree that wasting time is pointless and unnecessary....even when waiting to boot your computer. 3)If we are a family oriented country then we should have family dinners.
Those stats he told about drop-outs and teens is just ridiculous and makes me even more passionate about wanting to help kids want to learn. This just reinforces the idea that teachers including myself will have to adapt to how they learn so they will want to stay in school.
Daniel Pink and the motivation video was also very interesting. He said if we take the money factor away then we will work better and want to work. I love that and totally agree. It makes sense. Since money is obviously a huge motivator then if you take it away and pay people enough where they aren't worried or complaining about it then they will want to work and do their best. Hmmm.....!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Comments for Teachers (C4T) Summary Post
Aaron Eyler
Synthesizing Education Blog
Aaron is a high school history teacher in New Jersey. He wrote this blog because he wants to engage more of the educational community in understanding how to develop a student's mind. He also is trying to find a suitable PhD program and he just wanted a blog so he could write down some of his ideas. There's something he says in his "About me" section of his blog that is very interesting. He says, "Once we believe we have it all figured out, we become dumb." Great statement.
His most recent post is dated December 29, 2010. It's called Calling All Political Junkies Who Care About Kids. He wrote a short post on how he wants to create a political commentary blog for his students so they can understand and break down the current issues in a way that they can understand. My comment has disappeared that I wrote for some reason. I don't know why it's not there anymore so I decided to comment it on it again. I guess it didn't pass moderation. Haha!
I summed up what I wrote the last time on this post. I told him I'm a student in EDM 310 and explained the class to him. I said I have a previous degree from Auburn University in Political Science and thought it was very interesting that he thought up this idea for his students. I think it's a great idea and said that I think it's very important for kids to learn how to be involved and engaged citizens, however it can be overwhelming to understand or have a desire to learn with the media and everything making it so complicated. I asked him how his blog was coming along.
He doesn't have anymore recent posts so I'm having to go back in time for my comment on this one. This post was on December 16, 2010 and it's called You Get One Shot At This... He talks about how we are too busy in life to really think about what we're learning. Teachers aren't teaching persistence because when students fail an assignment, they aren't allowed to redo it to improve their work. They just move on to the next task at hand. He says that a huge component of learning is the ability to reflect on what was done and make improvements on it. I have to agree. He says that teachers are hypocritical when they say, "you need to understand this concept before you can understand future concepts," but teachers find it perfectly acceptable to pass them understanding only 70-90% of the material. He says it's no wonder kids just become masters of "doing school."
I thought this post was really something to think about. I told him that he has given me very good advice as a future teacher. I told him that I was very good at just "doing school" so I could make good grades and go to college. If I didn't do well on an assignment or test that I just made sure I did better on the next one. I didn't learn from my failures or why I failed....I just knew I made a bad grade and I had to do better next time. I think teachers teach students about persistence in an indirect way. They teach them to try harder next time and give them encouragement that they can complete a current task (which isn't a bad thing), but it's most important for them to teach persistence when they fail the specific task they failed, not to grasp the next new concept and forget about the old one. Students should be able to retry things that they fail at. I never thought about this until he brought this up but it makes a lot of sense. We would just have to find the motivation for students to want to re-learn an old concept.
Synthesizing Education Blog
Aaron is a high school history teacher in New Jersey. He wrote this blog because he wants to engage more of the educational community in understanding how to develop a student's mind. He also is trying to find a suitable PhD program and he just wanted a blog so he could write down some of his ideas. There's something he says in his "About me" section of his blog that is very interesting. He says, "Once we believe we have it all figured out, we become dumb." Great statement.
His most recent post is dated December 29, 2010. It's called Calling All Political Junkies Who Care About Kids. He wrote a short post on how he wants to create a political commentary blog for his students so they can understand and break down the current issues in a way that they can understand. My comment has disappeared that I wrote for some reason. I don't know why it's not there anymore so I decided to comment it on it again. I guess it didn't pass moderation. Haha!
I summed up what I wrote the last time on this post. I told him I'm a student in EDM 310 and explained the class to him. I said I have a previous degree from Auburn University in Political Science and thought it was very interesting that he thought up this idea for his students. I think it's a great idea and said that I think it's very important for kids to learn how to be involved and engaged citizens, however it can be overwhelming to understand or have a desire to learn with the media and everything making it so complicated. I asked him how his blog was coming along.
He doesn't have anymore recent posts so I'm having to go back in time for my comment on this one. This post was on December 16, 2010 and it's called You Get One Shot At This... He talks about how we are too busy in life to really think about what we're learning. Teachers aren't teaching persistence because when students fail an assignment, they aren't allowed to redo it to improve their work. They just move on to the next task at hand. He says that a huge component of learning is the ability to reflect on what was done and make improvements on it. I have to agree. He says that teachers are hypocritical when they say, "you need to understand this concept before you can understand future concepts," but teachers find it perfectly acceptable to pass them understanding only 70-90% of the material. He says it's no wonder kids just become masters of "doing school."
I thought this post was really something to think about. I told him that he has given me very good advice as a future teacher. I told him that I was very good at just "doing school" so I could make good grades and go to college. If I didn't do well on an assignment or test that I just made sure I did better on the next one. I didn't learn from my failures or why I failed....I just knew I made a bad grade and I had to do better next time. I think teachers teach students about persistence in an indirect way. They teach them to try harder next time and give them encouragement that they can complete a current task (which isn't a bad thing), but it's most important for them to teach persistence when they fail the specific task they failed, not to grasp the next new concept and forget about the old one. Students should be able to retry things that they fail at. I never thought about this until he brought this up but it makes a lot of sense. We would just have to find the motivation for students to want to re-learn an old concept.
Personal Learning Network Project #10
Progress Report 1 on PLN
Click on the Symbaloo image to visit my Symbaloo site
Before this class I didn't even know what a Personal Learning Network was. I watched that video that a 7th grader did about her PLN using Symbaloo and I was simply amazed that someone that young could know how to do all that. A PLN just seems so efficient and easy if I'm willing to learn and explore how to use it. I'm using Symbaloo to organize all my frequently visited webpages and sites, however it is still a work in progress. I have my Google docs, Gmail, Youtube, Blogger, Facebook, and Twitter linked to it right now. I also have the Apple website, Pandora, Craigslist, and the Yellow Pages on here too. I also have different buttons on here with certain categories such as Education, Travel, Shopping, and Images. I have browsed certain sites but have yet to customize these categories the way I want them yet. I have recently discovered iGoogle as well, for a way to manage my PLN. I like it because I can see my Google Reader as well as specific blogs that I've subscribed to via RSS. I know that I can put a tile on Symbaloo for my Google reader but I like the format better on iGoogle because it already pops up with information from people's blogs. With Symbaloo I have to click on a tile; with iGoogle all of my preferences are already open. I know that Dr. Strange loves Twitter but I just haven't been able to find the love that he and so many other classmates have for it. I do use it but I mostly see what other people have to say rather than post anything myself. I think it's a great resource to see what other educators are thinking and get their opinions as well as valuable information on a subject related to education, but I also think that blogs are just as valuable which is why I like to utilize my Google reader on iGoogle.
Blog Post #7
Randy Pausch
The Last Lecture
Carnegie Mellon University
I thought that Randy Pausch was an exceptional professor, speaker, and person. Although I was never a student in his class and during part of the lecture it was kind of hard to get into because I'm not that familiar or interested in Virtual Reality, my attention was held the entire time and his inspiration and spunk and desire to live was so meaningful.
I'm sure he was a great professor, but I would label him more as a life coach. I was amazed at how he remembered all of his childhood dreams and during his life he was able to achieve them. Did he plan his life around those goals/dreams? He must have. I don't think I even had dreams as a child, and if I did they were crazy ones like wanting to be a clown, etc. Haha! He really is the epitome of wanting something in life and going after it. He said that brick walls are created to stop the people who don't want it bad enough; they are there for a reason and to show us how bad we want something. When he said that, I thought back on my own life and saw that I didn't persevere through the brick walls and I let them stop me. I hope I'm never like that again.
His main way of teaching to college students was by creating a "head fake." He said that the best way to teach somebody is to think that they're learning something else. Most of what we learn we learn indirectly. He gave the example of football. Learning how to play the game of football isn't the most important thing that kids learn when they first learn the game; they learn about teamwork, perseverance, etc. He also said when teaching his students in the ETC program, they were just having fun learning to make movies and games, but they were really learning how to program. I really like that way of teaching. He also said that if kids have fun while learning something hard, then they will do it. That's such a profound statement that I think so many teachers don't care to understand or think about. At the end of the day, if I can make math fun for my students even if they are learning something hard, then they will want to learn, and I have done my job. Life and learning is all about fun and so many people lose that.
Randy seemed like such a fun person. He said to never lose the child-like wonder. That is one thing that I know I have not lost. People think that I act like a kid or laugh too much, but I think that EVERYTHING in life is meant to be laughed at. I think it's very easy for people to not take me seriously, but frankly, I think they are being too serious. I shouldn't have to be serious at all. I can have fun and get things done....and being serious is just boring. In the video Randy said, "I'm dying and I'm having fun!" That's amazing that he was able to stay so positive and be happy during such a horrible time in his life. But it's also horrible to think that it takes death for someone to really loosen up and have fun with life and not be so serious. I think Randy was a fun person all his life, gauging from his personality. But I think that sometimes it takes a crisis for people to really begin to find joy in life. I refuse to live like that. I find joy in daily living and I will always try to be fun and laugh until my last day on earth.
These are the things he said towards the end of his speech that stuck out to me:
Being perceived as a jerk will limit you as what you will be able to accomplish in life
Respect authority while questioning it
Help others
Decide whether you're a Tigger or an Eeyore (I'm a Tigger! He was always my favorite anyways)
You can't get there alone
Tell the truth
Be earnest
Apologize when you screw up
Focus on others and not yourself
If people give you criticism take it and cherish it
Don't complain, just work harder
Be good at something; it makes you valuable
Find the best in everybody (way too hard to do)
It's not about achieving your dreams, it's about living your life! (Love it!)
The Last Lecture
Carnegie Mellon University
I thought that Randy Pausch was an exceptional professor, speaker, and person. Although I was never a student in his class and during part of the lecture it was kind of hard to get into because I'm not that familiar or interested in Virtual Reality, my attention was held the entire time and his inspiration and spunk and desire to live was so meaningful.
I'm sure he was a great professor, but I would label him more as a life coach. I was amazed at how he remembered all of his childhood dreams and during his life he was able to achieve them. Did he plan his life around those goals/dreams? He must have. I don't think I even had dreams as a child, and if I did they were crazy ones like wanting to be a clown, etc. Haha! He really is the epitome of wanting something in life and going after it. He said that brick walls are created to stop the people who don't want it bad enough; they are there for a reason and to show us how bad we want something. When he said that, I thought back on my own life and saw that I didn't persevere through the brick walls and I let them stop me. I hope I'm never like that again.
His main way of teaching to college students was by creating a "head fake." He said that the best way to teach somebody is to think that they're learning something else. Most of what we learn we learn indirectly. He gave the example of football. Learning how to play the game of football isn't the most important thing that kids learn when they first learn the game; they learn about teamwork, perseverance, etc. He also said when teaching his students in the ETC program, they were just having fun learning to make movies and games, but they were really learning how to program. I really like that way of teaching. He also said that if kids have fun while learning something hard, then they will do it. That's such a profound statement that I think so many teachers don't care to understand or think about. At the end of the day, if I can make math fun for my students even if they are learning something hard, then they will want to learn, and I have done my job. Life and learning is all about fun and so many people lose that.
Randy seemed like such a fun person. He said to never lose the child-like wonder. That is one thing that I know I have not lost. People think that I act like a kid or laugh too much, but I think that EVERYTHING in life is meant to be laughed at. I think it's very easy for people to not take me seriously, but frankly, I think they are being too serious. I shouldn't have to be serious at all. I can have fun and get things done....and being serious is just boring. In the video Randy said, "I'm dying and I'm having fun!" That's amazing that he was able to stay so positive and be happy during such a horrible time in his life. But it's also horrible to think that it takes death for someone to really loosen up and have fun with life and not be so serious. I think Randy was a fun person all his life, gauging from his personality. But I think that sometimes it takes a crisis for people to really begin to find joy in life. I refuse to live like that. I find joy in daily living and I will always try to be fun and laugh until my last day on earth.
These are the things he said towards the end of his speech that stuck out to me:
Being perceived as a jerk will limit you as what you will be able to accomplish in life
Respect authority while questioning it
Help others
Decide whether you're a Tigger or an Eeyore (I'm a Tigger! He was always my favorite anyways)
You can't get there alone
Tell the truth
Be earnest
Apologize when you screw up
Focus on others and not yourself
If people give you criticism take it and cherish it
Don't complain, just work harder
Be good at something; it makes you valuable
Find the best in everybody (way too hard to do)
It's not about achieving your dreams, it's about living your life! (Love it!)
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