Blog Post #7

Remarks on Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture

At the end of his lecture Randy closes by asking, “Have you figured out the second head fake?” He then says, “The talk's not for you; it’s for my kids.” These words gave me chills. Randy Pausch was an amazing speaker. As an English major, I could not help but consider the rhetorical components of his speech, particularly the five cannons and three proofs. His speech is a prime example of the use of ethos, logos, and pathos. The use of rhetoric in Randy's speech makes it extremely powerful. His use of invention itself is inspirational. Through his creative use of composure, organization, and word choice, his message gains a powerful tone. Randy does a wonderful job addressing many audiences including his students, colleagues, family, and unknown listeners. I mention this because of the nature of his lecture. Randy wanted the lecture to be inspirational and he wanted to inspire people to embrace their dreams.

What better speaker to tell about how to explore your dreams and help others to do the same than one who has been successful in doing so? Not only does Randy acquire the credibility of achieving his dreams, but he also uses his positivity to inspire others. At the time of his speech, he knew he was dying. He used his experience and his emotions in a positive way to show how the support he has received over the years has enabled him to achieve his dreams. As a result, it has also lead him to strive to help others to embrace and work toward achieving their own dreams.

I feel there are many lessons to be learned from Randy's message, not only those obviously addressed in his lecture,such as dreams and education, but lessons for life in general. In the beginning of the lecture, he apologizes for not seeming as depressed as he should be about having such a short time period to live. He mentions that we have to play the cards we are dealt. This statement is true in all aspects of life; there are some things we just cannot change. However, the journey through life can be enhanced by striving to reach our dreams.

Randy’s last lecture shows that regardless of how superficial, simple, or extravagant our childhood dreams may seem, they can mold us into the person we become. He says we should not lose sight of them and that it is important to have a specific dream. According to Randy, we should embrace our dreams and our childlike sense of wonder. We may not achieve the actual dream, but an adaptation of the dream may prove to be beneficial. Randy says experience is what we get, when we do not get what we want. I believe it is what we do with experience that makes us who we are.

Inspiring others is equally as important as achieving our own dreams. Randy emphasizes that we should help other people to acknowledge and embrace their own dreams. It appears that Randy has worked at achieving this goal as a professor, a husband, and a father. In the lecture, Rangy gives tips and testimonies that can be applied both professionally and personally. Tips I found intriguing in Randy’s last lecture are listed below.

In order to assist others (particularly my future students, as well as my children)in achieving their dreams:
Don’t put off creativity; encourage it.
Teach the fundamentals first; the fancy stuff will follow.
Push students to do more and try harder.
Raise the bar or students may never reach higher.
Allow students to see where they stand among others, in hopes of encouraging them to do more.
Give feedback and listen to any received feedback.
Be loyal.
Show gratitude.
Most of all, have fun!

Randy felt the need to promote a nontraditional classroom, and he found the results of doing so important enough to share. His nontraditional type classroom helped his students both realize and reach for their dreams. I noticed similarities between the class Randy explained and EDM310. I believe all students should have access to this type of education.

In the English classroom students are provided with an opportunity to be creative while also following fundamental rules. As a teacher, I can provide my students with assignments that allow them to explore their dreams through writing. We can learn a lot about ourselves in our own writings, especially in journals and in personal narratives. I can provide students an opportunity to view their dreams seriously as well as playfully. I would like to put together an assignment that facilitates exploring one's dreams. This would send the message to my students that their dreams, no matter how big or small, are significant.