Randy Paush's Last Lecture

    Where to begin...? Randy Paush's message is one to digest, and to be completely honest I don't think it's one we ever completely swallow and be done with. Randy Paush has left this world leaving behind a challenge. A challenge to live one's life to the fullest, to live for others, and to live to have fun. He lives his lessons and before he leaves, encourages us to do the same.
     While most of the world would tell children to stop dreaming in class, I think Randy would encourage it. He would encourage you to dream and then ask you to bring the ideas, the projections, the technologies that bounced around you head and let them flow throughout your classrooms. Why shouldn't they? The title of his lecture is called "Chasing Your Childhood Dreams," so that should tell you he places lots of emphasis on mixing the innovations of technology with students individual creativity.
     Tangled in his use of technological jargon are the hints of much bigger and deeper messages. Messages to follow your dreams, but live for others. Live a life of servitude, but do it through your own innovations, and never give up when obstacles appear in the path. He describes the "brick walls" in life, not as a hinderance, but as an opportunity. An opportunity to show how bad you want whatever you are trying to achieve. A chance to prove you can rise to their level and overcome problems that stand in the way.
     Although he seems to address the individuals, he speaks to teachers. He explains how these ideas must be fostered in classrooms throughout the world. We are here to show them their potential and then help them achieve it. We are the ones who must encourage them to dream and then to chase. We are the ones who must challenge them to stand again, after they hit a brick wall. We are the ones who must live for them... so they can see the day their dreams come true.
     Finally he drops back to another aspect he called the "head fake." Pulling on his years of playing football he describes how this was a way of teaching an aspect about the game, but representing a much deeper message about life in general. In other words, teachers aren't here to teach about one particular subject. Teachers are called to teach a way of living that will challenge their students to flourish in their future. At the end he reveals the "head fake" of this specific lecture. He reveals the lecture is not about simply chasing dreams, but about living a full and joyous life. And he closes his last lecture leaving everyone with a stirred set of emotions... he closes his last lecture with a dedication. A dedication to his three children. Because he will not be around to see them through it, he leaves his guide through life in a lecture. Leaving behind words of wisdom that we should all strive to reach everyday.