Blog Post #7

“Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” by Randy Pausch. This video is very inspirational. Randy Pausch was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and only had a few months to live. He did not pity himself; he made the best of the time he had left. I was touched beyond measure while watching this video. He lived his life like there was no tomorrow. We all could take a few notes from him.
One of the teaching techniques Mr. Pausch used was head fake" (a term from the football he played as a kid). Head fakes are where you make a person think they are learning one thing but really, they are learning something else. The name of this particular project was “Alice.” In this case, you seem to be having fun but you are really doing something difficult. The students thought they were making movies and games but, in reality they were learning how to program.
His methods of teaching really got everyone’s attention. There are head fakes everyone. We just never thought about it. Now that I have heard of it, I will be looking for them everywhere. It is an exceptional idea. Now that I think about it, I have used that technique with my own children. It is like using a game to teach them their ABC’s. They think they are just playing a fun game but in reality, they are learning.
Randy Pausch set childhood goals for himself. Some of his goals did not do exactly as planned but in the end, all his dreams came true. This last lecture was not meant for an audience. It was made for Randy Pausch’s children, so when they got older they could watch who their dad truly was. He was a legacy. When I first read that I had to watch an hour-long video, I will be the first to admit; I grumbled. After watching, I will recommend others to watch it. He is not only an inspiration to me but someone I am glad I got the opportunity to read about.