Blog Post #10

I feel very inspired by Randy Pausch after watching his video, "The Last Lecture". He really kept it together when talking about his life achievements, knowing that he has cancer, and that he will pass away soon.

I love when he was talking about his childhood dreams of becoming an NFL player. He said that it is very good for all children to play in sports when they are young. Even if they are not good at sports, it is important because it teaches children how to become team players and get along with others. It also teaches them how to work towards a certain goal. Pausch calls this “Head-Fake” learning. This is indirect learning. This is explained when he is talking about sports. Children are playing sports to have fun, but at the same time they are gaining knowledge of how to get along with others. I totally agree with this concept. I think that it is great for children to be involved with other children because it teaches them valuable lessons they cannot learn in school.

Pausch went through a lot with his directors and deans at his job when he was trying to get a furlough from work to go and do a project with Disney. He always dreamed of being an Imagineer with Disney. The Dean of Sponsored Research was very open-minded about the situation with Disney. The project did not work out, but later on in Pausch’s life he was able to have his dream of working with Disney. He got the opportunity to work on a virtual reality project with Disney. This is a life lesson that Pausch taught, which is to never give up on your dreams. This hit home for me because I have always dreamed of becoming a teacher. I graduated from the University of Alabama with a Bachelors of Science in Commerce and Business Administration in 2009. I have worked in the accounting department at an oil company for four years, and I finally decided to follow my dreams and get my Education Degree. I am glad that I am following my dreams, and I am going to do something I have always dreamed of.

At the end of Pausch’s lecture he explains the two “head-fakes” that were in the lecture. The first one was the lecture was “not about achieving your goals, but how to lead your life”. If you lead your life and never give up on your dreams, your dreams will come true. His second “head-fake” was the lecture was not intended for us, but for his children. Pausch loves his children and wants them to live a life they always dreamed.

Pausch is a very inspiring person. This lecture was exactly what I needed to hear because I know now that I am doing the right thing and not giving up on my goal to become a teacher.