EDM 310 Blog Post 8

What Can We Learn About Teaching And Learning From Randy Paush?

     In the Randy Pausch's last lecture, I learned a lot from the lecture that he gave.  One of the first things that I keyed in on was just his overall attitude when he was speaking.  He was speaking to them audience much like I would to a classroom.  It shows how much of an impact you can have on your audience just by simply creating a common ground.  I took notes on this as an educator.  The idea that having fun with a group shows to them not only that you are open to the room and able to speak, but also that you are human too, which  can definitely create a positive learning environment.  People are engaged and really interested in what you are saying to them.  Students can read your demeanor the moment you walk into a room and it is on us as educators to make sure they know we aren't cold blooded, we are human.





The next thing that I learned from this was there is a lot to take away from the way you speak to people.  Randy spoke back on when he was speaking to administrators and that the way they spoke defined the way that the conversation went. This is easily translatable to the classroom environment. You have to know how to speak to students in a classroom and also be able to talk to those who are your equals.  Nothing can shut down a student in a classroom faster than having a teacher give off a negative aura to them.  You have to know how to speak to them in a way that makes them feel comfortable with you.  Establishing this relationship with a student is paramount to further their learning.  We should all strive to establish a positive relationship with our students.







The last thing I really took from this lecture was the "You're either a Tigger or an Eeyore".  Like I've said earlier in this post, students can read the energy you are giving off.  From watching this video it isn't really hard to see what type of person that Randy is.  I think that we should all try to be a Tigger.  The energy that you bring into the classroom will translate to your students, whether it is positive and lively or its negative and lethargic.  It is something that you have to establish before you ever walk into the room.  You yourself have to decide whether or not you're going to bring a positive or negative attitude when you go through the door.  This goes beyond the classroom into your everyday life as well. People tend to follow those who are positive throughout their life. Randy gave off this attitude from the moment he began his lecture. I want to establish this attitude in my life so that my students are able to follow my attitude and become more engaged in their learning.  Randy's lecture has many points that we should all try to show in our everyday  lives.