Thursday, March 6, 2008

Last Lecture

Wow! It's been a long long time since I've posted. Sorry!

Ok. Well, this is in reaction to Susan's video that we all saw the other day. It really made me think about how important it is not to teach a subject, or teach material, but to remember that you're teaching students. What is it that you really want them to go away with when your class is over? Probably not just recalling facts and general information, but being able to think for themselves, form opinions, on things more than your subject area.

I know I want my students to be able to live a successful life. Doing so goes beyond teaching an academic subject, but teaching life in some ways. We talk about "teachable moments" and how important they are, and I think this video was a perfect teachable moment. It taught students not only what the lecture was about, but also not to be sorrowful. This man is about to die, and while most would choose to sulk and feel bad for themselves, he is continuing to spread a simple message of achieving childhood dreams. If I were in his shoes, I would like to say I'd be doing the same thing, but really, who knows.

1 comment:

mfatouros said...

absolutely, i want my students to actually get something out of my work. It would be great if they could remember facts and recall major dates, but I'd rather them learn something that they'll remember for a while rather than just for the test.
--Mike