Those Who Can, Teach

Monday, June 21st, 2010

Teachers rarely get much respect. The old joke goes, “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.” I think that is backwards. Maybe it should read, “Those who can, do. Those who can and care, teach.”

You have heard the proverb, “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life.” Teaching a subject multiplies its value by the number of people taught, or by many more as they go on to teach it to others. If you care about something, don’t just do it. Teach it!

Moving Young Minds with a Mockingbird

I was inspired by this BBC News article on To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. I haven’t read the whole book yet; I’ve just started reading it because of the article. Lori tells me Mockingbird was one of the most influential books she read as a child, and we still have her copy.

What really impressed me was the tale of the English teacher, Garry Burnett, as described in that BBC article. Mr. Burnett was so inspired by the book that he started a Mockingbird Festival in Hull, England. The week-long festival “was attended by actors from the… film adaptation…” according to the article.
Wait a second. A schoolteacher got American film actors to attend his school festival in England? That was a pretty extraordinary feat. Mr. Burnett cared about Harper Lee’s book, and he took action to share his passion with others.

Did Mr. Burnett spend a few weeks lecturing about To Kill a Mockingbird and explaining why it is an important book? No. He went far beyond the requirements of his job and inspired his students. He took some of them thousands of miles to visit the author’s home. He created an annual week-long festival to encourage young people to explore the book’s themes in depth. And just this week, his influence was extended worldwide by a BBC News correspondent, and I am reading that book as a result.

“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I can move the world.” – Archimedes

What can one hero do in this age of mass communication? If he knows how to teach, one man can move the world.

Great Teachers Change Lives

We’ve all had good and bad teachers, some more memorable than others. Two who influenced my life were Mr. Herman (6th grade) and Mr. Cross (8th grade math.) in Abington, Pennsylvania. Some students considered both of them “mean” or tough, but to me they were inspirational. Without their influence, I might not have met Lori, and I probably would never have become a game author. I certainly would not be writing this blog today.
Mr. Cross introduced me to probability theory. That foray into “recreational mathematics” was one of the influences that later led me to major in mathematics at UCSB. I do not know if I would have become a computer programmer without that early push.

Mr. Herman ran his 6th grade class as a competition; students raced to complete math problems on the board, worked in pairs to practice spelling, and so on. He did not believe in mass-market teaching. If you finished your problems early, he kept you busy with “extra credit” assignments.

Since I was good at spelling, Mr. Herman had me go through an advanced SRA self-study program in reading and vocabulary. When I finished that, he assigned me a College-level spelling workbook. Finally, I got a week or two of free periods during spelling at the end of the school year. Mr. Herman taught me that there is no limit to learning, that study – and even spelling – can be fun. I didn’t know at the time how important that extra work would become. They don’t teach spelling in American schools after 6th grade, so that was my last chance to learn a skill that has been important to me throughout my life.

Communication is Key

My mentor at UCSB, Professor Max Weiss, liked to tell this story: “You can be the greatest problem solver of all time, but if you can’t share your discoveries with others, your work is worthless. A successful proof is one that can be communicated and reviewed by your peers.” In other words, mathematics is about teaching as much as discovery. If you can’t or choose not to teach what you have learned, the knowledge will soon be lost.

Today I read an AP news report about a Los Angeles 8th grade math teacher who had a problem. Fresh out of college two years ago, Lamar Queen heard his students say that his class was boring. They joked that it would be more fun if he taught in rap… not knowing that he had performed rap in high school and college. Lamar started teaching his lessons in rap, and the students listened and learned. Queen has “won a national award and shows teachers and parents how to use rap to reach children.” He now hopes to “make rap math a business”, creating a web site to expand the use of rap in education. That’s communication on two levels – with the students and with the wider world.

Help Create Heroes

The School for Heroes is our small attempt to spread some of the lessons about heroism that we began with Quest for Glory. Our audience is much smaller, but the interaction is much more personalized than we were able to achieve in the games.

We aren’t alone in this. Scott Farrell runs the highly-recommended Chivalry Today web site (http://chivalrytoday.com/. Scott, also known as “Sir Guillaume” in the SCA, started promoting his message of the importance of chivalry as a Knight (and now Duke) in the SCA. Since then, he has made teaching the art of chivalry into a passion. Besides the web site, he visits San Diego area schools to teach the lost art of chivalry. He also runs a Summer camp where students learn martial arts and the principles of heroism.

You can be a part of the movement too. We all have skills, knowledge, and ideas that we can teach. The difference between a mere “doer” who affects a few nearby people and a teacher who affects dozens, hundreds, or millions is one of commitment. Do you have something valuable to teach? We think you do. Will you accept the commitment to share what you know? It isn’t really that hard. Start by writing an article for the Ars Heroica or by posting on the site of your choice.

When you see someone post a message you find valuable, help share it. Spend a few minutes commenting on their work. Post a link on another site. At first only a few people may see it, but if just a few of us help promote worthwhile messages, the word will spread. The ideals of heroism and chivalry can go viral, and then we will be teaching the world. It is up to each of us to care enough to make that dream become real. Be a part of the dream.

Tags: Heroism, School for Heroes, Teaching
Posted in Heroism | 2 Comments »

The Art of War(riors)

Wednesday, January 14th, 2009

On the surface, the brash, straight-forward Warrior seems like the easiest and most obvious character class to define. Examples of great Warriors abound – Genghis Khan, Caesar, Conan, Wolverine, Hagar the Horrible, Patton, Leonidas, and many others. (Okay, so some of these are greater than others.) We all know what a Warrior is and does…

Or do we?

When we think of a Warrior, it might be one of several images – the plate-armored “human tank,” the wild-eyed berserker, the big, dumb, fighter, or the calm strategist. Each serves an important role in battle, and each is a very different archetype. Here at the School, when we say Warrior, we mean Leader.

If you took the Hero Test and became a Warrior, you would rather do something than sit around. You crave excitement and adventure. You are decisive. Other people respect that and look to you for decisions and answers when the going gets tough. Our great Warrior heroes need the judgment of Right and Wrong and the heart and soul to choose the Right.

Leadership

Back in October, we wrote an article called Tribal Lore about a book called Tribes: We need you to lead us by Seth Godin. The concepts are powerful for everyone, but Warriors especially should read the article and consider getting the book.

Seth says, “The first thing you need to know is that individuals have far more power than ever before in history.” You don’t need a title to be a leader. You just have to be passionate about an idea and willing to do the work to help it spread.

Creating and sustaining a tribe is about leadership. More than any other class, the Warriors have the decisiveness, the vision, and the passion to be leaders.

No Substitute for Hard Work

The Warrior class may have some of the most difficult and challenging assignments in The School for Heroes. That’s because Warriors thrive on challenge and they know how to overcome obstacles. They don’t think their way around it like the Wizards, and they don’t sneak past it the way a Rogue might.

To a Warrior, finding a way around an obstacle is avoidance. They aren’t afraid of hard work when the goal is worthwhile.

Warriors see a problem, face it, and overcome it. They know that a challenge postponed is ten times harder than one handled immediately.

How was the Great Wall of China built? Step by step and brick by brick. If a task seems overwhelming, the Warrior breaks it down into manageable pieces, makes a plan, and starts working on it one piece at a time. If the project is too big for one Hero, the Warrior delegates, leads, and finds the people to get the job done.

Are Warriors the Best of the Best, or What?

Warriors in the School are pretty hot stuff. They’re confident, healthy, decisive, and charismatic. Nobody’s perfect though. It’s easy to go from “decisive” to “reckless.” Warriors sometimes act without having all the data they need to succeed. Somewhere along the line, a successful Warrior needs to learn control and balance as well as authority and power.

One of the most important parts of the Warrior curriculum is learning how to lead. Warriors are natural leaders because other people tend to follow the one who has a plan. However, to stay a leader, Warriors need to learn to listen, to compromise, and above all, to keep going when times are tough.

We might not succeed at every plan, but failure makes us stronger. Some of the greatest successes in history have come after equally spectacular failures. Be willing to be wrong, and be willing to adapt when the first try fails. Nike had a slogan, “Second place is the first loser.” We hate that saying, but that message is different to a Warrior than to other people. Here’s what it says to a Warrior:

“Second place is the best motivation to win the next time.”

Learn from your failures and grow. Maybe you just need a little more work, and a little better plan, to be a winner. Second place is pretty damn good, but being a Warrior is about becoming the best. Cherish your seconds and thirds, then do what it takes to become first.

“Never give up, never surrender, full speed ahead.” – Galaxy Quest

We don’t make it easy on our Warriors. One of the first Warrior assignments is to create a daily workout regimen and report on their progress after a week of following it. No other class gets a rank 1 assignment that they have to spend at least a week on before they can report it as done. It can be very easy for a new Warrior to look at the assignments, think “This is too hard,” and give up.

Give up? Even think about giving up? That’s no Warrior attitude! If they assignments are tough, that’s because we know you’re tougher! By working through them, you will become stronger.

And we need your strength. We need Warriors to help lead us into the future. More importantly, the world needs Warrior Heroes who lead with a conscience. Be that leader. Be a Warrior!

Tags: Classes, Leadership, School for Heroes, Tribes, Warriors
Posted in School for Heroes | No Comments »

The Entertainer – Bards in the School for Heroes

Thursday, January 8th, 2009

Bards have a unique role in the School for Heroes. They tend to be outgoing, creative, and expressive. They preserve our tales for posterity and let the worlds hear of them today.

Traditionally, Bards – also known as minstrels, troubadours – carried news from town to town and kept history alive by memorizing traditional stories. Others created original works of performance art to entertain their audiences in the days before books, TV and the Web.

Famous historical Bards included Taliesin, O’Carolan, and of course “The Bard”, William Shakespeare. They’re famous partially because some of their work was written down and actually survived into the present. It also helps that their work was very, very good.

What is a Bard to me? Here’s Corey’s story.

Love Is But A Song We Sing

I grew up in the 60′s listening to the music of The Beatles and Herman’s Hermits. By the late 60′s, the “conflict” (it had not officially been declared as a “war”) in Viet Nam was in full swing. Music – a blend of folk and rock-and-roll – was at the heart of the protest movement.

I discovered folk music when my mother took an adult school class taught by George Britton, a co-founder of the Philadelphia Folk Song Society. I started by helping her learn to tune, then discovered I really enjoyed playing the simple chords and singing along. I wasn’t very good, but the music touched my soul, and that was what mattered. My older brother, Barry, and I discovered a local coffee house and spent every Saturday night there listening to the singers and helping out.

Barry went on to become the folk music DJ at the University of Wisconsin radio station. I collected song books by Peter, Paul, and Mary, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan, and others. I joined the Vancouver Folk Song Society and learned how much more powerful the songs become when you sing them in a circle with everyone around you.

From Folk to Filk

A few years later, when I attended my first science fiction convention in Los Angeles, a young woman named Karen Willson sat in the lobby and sang her wonderful original song, “Ship Without Sails.” That was my first introduction to filk singing – the scifi/fantasy version of folk singing. The songs at a filk are based on Fantasy, Science Fiction stories, NASA, mythology, D&D games, and anything else people want to sing about. (Supposedly the word “filk” was coined when the editor of a mimeographed fanzine mistyped “folk” and the variation stuck.) Karen now runs a great Web site for girls, A Girl’s World.

Filk sings are also known as “Bardic Circles” and there’s a reason. Everyone takes a turn to perform and tell stories through their music. I got my dusty guitar out of the closet and began to play along. Nobody cared about my limited skills – They were just glad to have someone accompanying the music to keep everyone more-or-less on key. Science fiction writers like Mercedes Lackey, Gordan Dickson, Larry Niven, and C.J. Cherry occasionally joined the filksinging. Mercedes Lackey wrote a few of the best songs.

After I met Lori, we started going to the filk sings together, and they became as much a reason to go to a convention as gaming. Sure, some of the singers were terrible, but the sense of belonging and fellowship, the music, and the funny stories made each session unique and fun. We even wrote some Filk songs ourselves such as “The Mage who Lost his Glasses” and “I’m a Retriever.”

Around the time our son was born, filk music started becoming more professional and many singers were more interested in putting on a good performance than in connecting with the rest of the circle. The music got better, but filk lost a little of its heart. We moved out of the San Jose area and our priorities shifted away from filk music. We miss those good times, though.

The Music Man

The Washington Post did an interesting social experiment a couple of years ago. They arranged for Joshua Bell, a great classical violinist, to play six Bach pieces in a crowded Washington Metro station at rush hour on his $3.5 million Stradivarius violin.

A few people threw change into his violin case, most rushed by without even noticing. This is one of the world’s great musicians; two days earlier he performed to a packed house in Boston at $100 a seat. But people were not expecting great music in the subway and didn’t find time in their busy lives to listen.

Here’s a great video about Joshua Bell’s passion for music and – as we see it – what it means to be a Bard.

Being a Bard is about communicating – the message and the passion behind it. People were not prepared for Joshua Bell’s message in the Metro, and so they missed a rare – and free – treat. We hope that the words and songs of our Bards will not be as lost in the world. As a start, the rest of us in the School need to make sure we listen.

The Bards in the Band

When the How to Be a Hero Correspondence School opened its doors to students from Earth, there were no Bards. We had Warriors, Paladins, Wizards, and Rogues. But after a few unfortunate incidents in the alleys of Silmaria, the school council decided that having Rogues in a school for heroes was a little too edgy. The Famous Adventurer had to make the difficult decision to close the School for Rogues. In its place, the School would teach Bards. After all, all Rogues have a bit of a class clown in them, no? So why not turn them into acceptable members of society by teaching them to become Bards?

At least, that was the Famous Adventurer’s theory – before he heard some of the rogues sing. He began to think he had made an error in opening the School for Bards. Then came the first application from an actual Bard student. The difference between a true Bard and a pretend Bard is the difference between Joshua Bell’s Stradivarius and a kazoo. Today, actual Bards are just as important a part of the School as any other class.

In The School, we don’t require Bards to have magical ability… or even musical ability. What a Bard does need is the soul of a performer. They stand in front of an audience and tell stories or sing songs. They write poetry and prose or direct movies. Bards see deep into the human soul and find a way to touch the heart.

We look forward to hearing your stories and watching our Bards perform. We also hope they will invite us all to join their circles of music, magical tales, and wonderment. The Band of Bards is currently the smallest class in the school for heroes, but one of our most important. Our Bards will be the ones to spread the story of the school to the worlds… if we all share with them our own stories of heroism, learning, and fellowship.

Tags: Bards, School for Heroes
Posted in School for Heroes | 2 Comments »

Happy Heroic Holidays!

Saturday, December 27th, 2008

Well, it’s that time of year again when holidays abound. Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, New Year’s Eve – There’s a festive occasion for almost everyone. Each of these events is a celebration of ancient traditions. They represent rebirth, renewal, and hope for the future. It’s a time for reconnecting with relatives and friends. It’s time to count your blessings and make commitments for your future.

Celebrations at the Ranch

Here at the Flying Aardvark Ranch, we’re enjoying our holiday season. Lori managed to get out for a day to get some nice photos of the season at Western Sierra Nursery and did some art for the FAR Studio website. Our son, Michael, is home from his work in Lompoc, California for a few days. Lori, after agonizing over Michael’s low-carb diet, put off making the traditional sugar-loaded, fattening holiday cookies until now, and Corey apparently ate more than his share of them… but more likely the Evil Meep took a bunch just to make Corey look guilty.

Gifts were opened on Christmas Eve just as midnight came around because people couldn’t wait for morning. Lori got a ‘Pirates of the Caribbean” mug from Michael’s recent trip to Disneyland. Corey got a “School for Heroes” denim shirt from Hero Bazaar. Michael got the “Persona 4″ video game for the Playstation 2. It’s an interesting role-playing game about developing your skills and interpersonal relationships as a kid at a High School in Japan who fights Shadows in a strange shadow world. The game play is varied and the mystery underlying the game is intriguing. It’s a great game for anyone who likes heroic games.

Singing for Supper

We sing in a local choral group – Corey’s a tenor and Lori a first soprano – and for the holidays, we did a Christmas concert and caroling at a couple of events. We enjoy learning the harmonies and singing with the group. We sometimes have a little trouble with the better-known songs because we know too many parody versions. “Carol of the Bells” reminds us of Oxhorn’s World of Warcraft machinima version, “Hark, Hear the Wails”. Corey can’t hear “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” without thinking of the Star Wars parody version – “They know that Obiwan is on his way, carrying daddy’s light saber home on his sleigh.” But we manage to fight through it and usually sing the correct lyrics.

We had a little Winter excitement two weeks ago as a result of choral singing. The group had been hired by Tenaya Lodge, a wonderful local resort hotel about 25 miles up in the Sierra Mountains, to carol in their lobby. As we started up the hill towards Yosemite Park, snow began to fall gently all around. Having neither chains nor 4-wheel drive, we decided it would be incredibly stupid to keep going. So of course we did anyway. The concert was lovely – we sang in the foyer by the huge Christmas Tree and the blazing fireplace. Then, afterwards, we followed the snow plows back down the mountain through several inches of snow. We drove really, really slowly and had no luckily had no mishaps.

Last Sunday was the holiday concert. We were raising money to fund a free meal program. However, it was still a fun concert and everyone sounded very good… even when people got a little creative with their parts. Afterwards, we had supper at a local Mexican restaurant and the waitress insisted we sing some carols with her. A patron at the next table also threw in a special request. That and a Mastercard were enough to pay the dinner bill.

No School Break

Despite the busy time, we keep working on The School for Heroes. Lori makes sure the teachers get all of the assignments and then she posts the results. She creates art for the blogs and the website. Corey fixes bugs and adds features to the site code. The latest – Assignments are now broken down by level to make it easier to find current ones. You can now edit your “avatar” icon and tag line on your personal page. Honor awards for “charter students” (anyone who completed at least the first “mission” in 2008) and special awards for exceptional submissions now appear on the Personal Page as well. We will soon add school-wide assignments, available to everyone in the school. Corey is also gradually adding higher-level assignments as we work out which ones from the previous incarnation of the school still make sense four years later.

A Time for Reflection

This end-of-the-year holiday season is a great time for reflection and commitment. We tend to scoff at New Year’s Resolutions, but you know, if you really want to be a hero, think about taking them seriously this year. Pick two or three big changes you would like to make in your life and commit to them. If you say them as New Year’s Resolutions and repeat them several times during the day, you can begin your commitment. Repeat your resolutions to yourself each morning in front of a mirror and you will be amazed at what you can accomplish this coming year.

What is a New Year’s Resolution, Hero style? For Warriors, it’s a powerful commitment to definitive action. To a Wizard, it’s a form of Lesser Magic by which you turn dreams into reality. For a Paladin, it’s an opportunity to commit to helping others and doing good. Bards can use their resolutions as a rehearsal for the deeds of renown they will be performing throughout the year. And for the Rogues – Well, let’s just say that planning ahead is essential to succeeding in whatever wild plans you may have in 2009. And repetition of the goals and the plan are a great way to make sure you stay true to your goals under pressure when you are challenged.

We look forward to growing together with all of you in 2009. It’s a time for change, and we can work together to make those changes positive ones.

Tags: School for Heroes
Posted in Game Design | 4 Comments »

Paladins – Those that Can, Do

Thursday, December 11th, 2008

Over the next 6 weeks, with a little time out for the holiday blog, we will look at each of the five four schools in the School for Heroes. This week we look at the Paladin class, our second-largest class in enrollees and level 1 Initiates who have completed their mission statements.

What Was a Paladin?

When many of us think of “Heroes”, the image of the Paladin comes to mind. The word Paladin was first used to refer to the Knights of Charlemagne in romantic tales such as The Song of Roland. The “Knights of the Round Table” and of Medieval Europe were supposedly held to a Chivalric Code – the Seven Knightly Virtues of Courage, Justice, Mercy, Strength, Generosity, Faith, Nobility, and Hope. These were the sort of values the Knights swore to uphold and believe in before they were worthy of their title.

In the early days of television, there was a TV Western show called, “Have Gun – Will Travel” about a man named Paladin who was a “Champion for hire” and a “knight without armor” who traveled around the American West helping people with his Colt six-shooter and his Winchester rifle instead of a lance.

But it was Dungeons and Dragons that defined the modern Paladin as a Lawful Good warrior dedicated to serving his God as a Holy Warrior.

Lori has played a lot of Paladins in D&D games. From Karl, the boneheaded Ultra-uber “I am the leader by virtue of my God Heimdahl” in-your-face Paladin to Ekara Lita, the gentle protectress of women and children dedicated to the Finnish Goddess Ilmatar, to Fotheringay, the angst-ridden ‘never as good as he needs to be’ Paladin of Dianceht, Celtic God of Healing, she has explored all sorts of personalities who have only their Lawful Good beliefs in common. In D&D, you have to obey the Laws of Man and God, and you must always be unquestioningly good.

Then, in 1985, Richard Garriott created “Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar” – a computer game that was based on the Eight Virtues ethic system of beliefs. The virtues were: “Honesty, Compassion, Valor, Justice, Sacrifice, Honor, Spirituality, and Humility. It, and its sequel, “Warriors of Destiny”, inspired us a great deal to create Quest for Glory. Why? Oddly enough, because while we loved the character creation system which required moral decisions and we appreciated the virtues underlying the game, the actual game play was still basically ‘kill a monster, get its treasure” with the occasional stop at the local blood bank to donate blood to get your honor up. Not exactly our idea of heroism in action. As much as we enjoyed playing Fantasy-RPGs on computer, they were no match for a real D&D game. We thought there was a lot of room for improvement.

The Quest for Glory Paladin

The Quest for Glory version of the Paladin owes more to the Dungeons & Dragons Paladin character class than to Richard Garriott’s Paladin Avatar. However, Glorianna is a world without the ethics system of Good/Evil and Law/Chaos imposed upon the player. There was no major religion dominating the world. There was no such thing as a Holy Paladin, born to serve his deity. In fact, in the first three games, you couldn’t choose to play a Paladin. Your character became a Paladin through the course of the game by always making ethical choices and working for the good of everyone.

While the D&D Paladin is essentially a Warrior with some clerical “holy” abilities, we allowed characters of any class to become Paladins if they managed to do enough good deeds while avoiding any truly evil actions. It was most difficult for a Thief to become a Paladin as their sneaky nighttime activities often came at the expense of others. Nevertheless, a Paladin was defined by the actions he took and the good he did in the game.

So, What is a Paladin?

From the Paladin Lore page:
You are compassionate, forward-thinking, and devoted to doing the right thing… Above all, you love helping others and bringing a little light to the world wherever you can.

Paladins are the conscience of heroism. They are the ones who see problems and immediately work to fix them. The Paladin is a person who cares about other people and has the empathy to understand what they are feeling. The Paladin believes in personal growth and striving to become a better person. Unlike the D&D Paladin who lives in a world of Black and White with no moral ambiguities, the Paladin in this world needs to use his own common sense rather than firm rules to determine the Justice in any situation. Like the Quest for Glory Paladin, we live in a world where not all laws are fair, and not everyone who breaks the rules is ‘bad.’ The Paladin must learn to trust his own judgment.

The School for Paladins is called a Circle. There are five virtues to this Circle of Paladins – Strength to face the future and bear the burden of responsibility, Faith to believe in yourself and what we do, Wisdom to see what is right and true, Love to care about others, yourself, and the world, and Will – to do what is right. These five principles form the core values of the School for Heroes Paladin.

How Could It Get Any Better?

As with every class, the profile of the typical Paladin suggests both strengths and flaws. Paladins tend to be overly critical of themselves. It is very hard to live up to the ideals we believe in. Although Paladins believe that they can make a difference in the world around them, it is sometimes easy to be overwhelmed by the gulf between the “Way Things Are” and the “Way Things Should Be.” Many Paladins tend to try to do everything they can to help others, but are reluctant to ask for help when they, themselves need it. They also have a tendency to let other people take advantage of their good nature.

The Circle of Paladins was designed to bring Paladins together. It shows that “we are not alone” – there are other people out there who care as much as we care about others. There are other people who are working to make a difference in the world. The Circle is a symbol of all the Paladins gathered together, holding hands, supporting one another and our shared dreams.

For while “The Song of Roland” was only a bard’s tale, D&D, Ultima and Quest for Glory were only games, Paladins are real. They may not know the word, “Paladin,” but they live their lives by these values. The members who join the Circle of Paladins are real people who truly believe in making a difference in this world. They are actively working to make this world better.

So yes, Paladins are real. That’s why there is a School for Heroes.

Tags: Paladins, School for Heroes
Posted in School for Heroes | 9 Comments »

The Weird, Wild, Wacky World of Wizardry

Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008

Over the next 6 weeks, with a little time out for the holiday blog, we will look at each of the five four schools in the School for Heroes. Today we begin with the Wizard class, our largest class in both enrollees and level 1 Initiates who have completed their mission statements. In the following weeks, we will explore Paladins, Rogues, disbarred Bards, true Bards, and finally Warriors.

The Wonderful Wizards of Odds

There are a few reasons for the popularity of the Wizard class. One is self-selection – Many of the first people to find this site are role-playing game players, and you’re all pretty computer literate to be here at all. A lot of Wizards fit that profile.

Another possible reason is tester bias – The hero test was created mostly by Corey, a notorious Wizard, and the rest by Lori, who is undoubtedly a Paladin. It would not surprise us if we’ve unconsciously made the Wizard and Paladin answers sound more desirable than some of the other choices. We have in fact recently fine-tuned the hero test to balance the weighting a little; it is now slightly easier to qualify as a Warrior, for example. We hope to see more students choose the difficult, challenging path of the Warrior over the coming months.

What Is a Wizard?

From the Wizard Lore page:
You’re intelligent, educated, and just a bit superior to everyone you know… For you, learning is a joy, and knowledge is the greatest treasure.

There are a lot of really good things about being a Wizard. Wizards are great at defining and solving problems. They often have great insight into the heart of a problem that they can use to come up with a good solution. Contrast this with a Rogue, who is also good at solving problems, but generally by finding a way to work around or avoid the problem entirely. Wizard solutions tend to be clean, thorough, and permanent.

Another Wizard strength is “seeing the big picture.” Where a Warrior might just attack a problem head-on, sometimes the Wizard can see that what appears to be a problem is really just a symptom of a problem somewhere else. It’s like the old saying about, “Teach a man to fish.” A Paladin is likely to see a hungry man and feed him. The Wizard might be the one to see that training and knowledge are worth more than food to the man with no resources.

Wow, I’m Brilliant! Is There a Downside?

As with every class, the profile of the typical Wizard suggests both strengths and flaws. Consider that “just a bit superior” part, for example – The good side is that Wizards are very smart and know it. The bad side is that sometimes they get a bit arrogant about it and don’t listen to others as well as they might. Despite their love for knowledge, Wizards sometimes fail to learn because they are too busy imparting their wisdom to others. They can also be a little lazy about finishing projects once they’ve worked out the theory of how to do it. It’s like this…

The Mathematician Joke

A physicist, a mathematician, and an engineer met at a conference, had a few drinks, and stayed up really late. This was back in the days when even highly intelligent people liked to smoke, and they’d been smoking cigars. The engineer got back to her room, tossed the cigar into the trash can, and fell into bed. An hour later, she woke up and realized she’d started a small fire. So she dumped the trash can into the bathtub, turned on the water, and the fire was soon out.

Meanwhile, the physicist had the same unfortunate circumstance. Acting quickly, he measured the trash can and flame height, did a few calculations on a hotel notepad, and poured exactly 7/8 of a glass of water on the fire, just enough to put it out. In minutes, he was back in bed snoring.

The mathematician, having had some physics and engineering training as well, was equally up to the problem. He made some measurements, did a few calculations, determined that it would take just 7/8 of a glass of water, plus or minus 5%, to put out the fire. “Problem solved,” he thought, and went back to bed.

Ways of the Wizards

Wizards are sometimes like mathematicians. They’re great at analyzing problems and coming up with solutions, but not always quite as good at applying and following through on them. Unfortunately, this flaw is compounded by the tendency of many Wizards to be loners. A Wizard is strongest when working with a team of other people with complementary skills. The School for Heroes can help you build those relationships with Heroes-in-training in all the classes. It can also be very helpful – and fun – having other Wizards to talk to.

So, from one Wizard to another… Let’s work together to learn, to teach, to improve ourselves, and to make the world a better place through the application of insight and knowledge. It’s so much easier and more fun to do it together than alone.

Tags: School for Heroes, Wizards
Posted in School for Heroes | No Comments »

Mission: Possible

Wednesday, November 26th, 2008

Ok, so you’ve taken the Hero test and we’ve assigned you a class based on your results. You’ve taken a deep breath, then followed the email link to Enroll in The School for Heroes. Well, if that’s all there was to it, we could have stopped at the test. But the test is only the beginning.

After enrolling and signing in to the school, you will see your personal page. It isn’t very personal yet; we have a lot of features that we will be adding over the next weeks and months. But there are already some very important links on the right side sidebar. These are:

Start your heroic journey by clicking on Available Assignments to see your first mission.

Your Mission. . .

When you first select the Available Assignments at The School for Heroes, you will see just one Available Assignment. It is a way for you to introduce yourself to your instructor and fellow students. The First Mission is also a task that gives you some of the flavor of your particular class. Once you have completed the initial mission, and your class instructor has responded to it, you will advance to Level 1 in your class. This is a very important accomplishment, as you will now appear in your class roster and new assignments will open for you.

We recommend that you read the assignment carefully, then work on it off-line. Compose and proofread your answer, then copy it and paste it into the Available Assigment form. This way you will have an assignment about which you can be proud, have time to change your mind if you decide to submit a different answer instead, and have the chance to polish your answer and make your instructor and other students happy. Incidentally, you can use some limited HTML tags to improve the appearance of your assignment. If you don’t know how to do this, it isn’t a problem – Plain text is always fine and we will add minimum formatting to make your submission look good.

In Raseir, Everything Not Mandatory is Forbidden

Fortunately, Silmaria is very different from Raseir. Assignments come in three flavors – Required, Optional, and Examinations. To improve your rank in The School for Heroes, you must do all of the Required assignments at your current level, enough Optional assignments to give you the experience points required for the next level, and pass the final examination. You can even re-do assignments for extra credit. Once you pass the final exam, you will then receive a new rank title and will become eligible for the next level’s assignments. (There might be a few days delay before you find new assignments; we’re still entering them into the new system.)

Should You Decide to Accept It. . .

When you have finished filling in your answer to the assignment, you will notice a check box labeled “Keep My Answer Private” and a button labeled “Submit”. We recommend that you don’t check the “Private” box unless your answer contains significant private information or reveals secrets that you do not want other students to see. It’s much more fun when people can share their experiences with others at the school. When you click the “Submit” button, your answer will be added to our database and email will be sent to your class instructor. You are then automatically redirected to the “Submitted Assignments” page.

Within a few days – at most – the instructor will read your submission and determine the number of “experience points” you have earned. The assignment will be moved to the Completed Assignments page and the points will be credited to your account.

This School Will Not Self-Destruct

There’s more. . . much more. Just as we post a new blog entry every week, we are also constantly adding features to the school pages and assignments. New assignments may appear at any time. If you come back every week – or even more often – you will see a slightly different school each time. And the process will accelerate. When we add the forums, you will want to visit daily to share your experiences with other students and the instructors. We want The School for Heroes to be a living, breathing space where we all can grow, surrounded by friends. Your continuing mission is to be a part of our tribe and help make the school great for everyone. Are you up to the challenge?

Any Questions or Comments? Be sure to ask them here where everyone can learn from them.

Tags: School for Heroes
Posted in School for Heroes | 9 Comments »

What’s Your Type?

Wednesday, November 19th, 2008

Back in the mid-to-late 80′s, when Corey worked on the Atari ST, we looked forward to reading articles by David Small. David invented the Magic Sac, a device that allowed Atari ST owners to run Macintosh software on their ST systems. One of David’s articles talked about the Myers-Briggs personality classification system and a wonderful book called Please Understand Me: Character and Temperament Types, by David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates. Please Understand Me explains the system and includes a test to find your own classification.

Reading that article gave us a fascination for classifying people and fictional characters by the Myers-Briggs system. Lori even keeps notes on the personality type of each of her D&D characters. So it’s not a coincidence that there is a close correspondence between the character classes in The School for Heroes and some of the M-B types.

Here’s a quick explanation of the system. There are four scales that, combined, measure personality. People can fall anywhere on each scale, but for simplicity are classified according to the endpoints. (This bothers Corey, who prefers “fuzzy” measurement systems, but that might just be because he’s a strong “P” on the Myers-Briggs scale.) Um, right, distraction. Let’s try this again. Here are the scales:

• Introvert < ————————————> Extravert
• iNtuitive <————————————> Sensing
• Thinking <————————————> Feeling
• Judging <————————————> Perceiving

Introvert vs. Extravert

The Myers-Briggs system defines an Introvert as someone for whom social interaction (such as at a party) drains energy, and an Extravert as someone whose energy level goes up when they’re surrounded by strangers.

Intuitive vs Sensory

An Intuitive person is one who is interested in meaning and ideas, while a Sensory person prefers more concrete things they can sense.

Thinking vs Feeling

Thinking people value logic and a scientific approach to knowledge, while Feeling people care more about emotions and art.

Judging vs Perceivers

Judging people like order, structure, and system, while Perceiving people prize flexibility and spontaneity. Judgers are happiest once a decision has been made or a task completed, while Perceivers are happier when the task is in progress and the decisions are still open.

Personality types are abbreviated by the first letter of the word (or “N” for “iNtuitive”, since “Introvert” stole the “I”). A person with an ESTJ personality tends to be good at getting things done, but may lack flexibility. They like to work and be with other people, deal with concrete things, solve problems by logic, and finish tasks. That person’s opposite, an INFP, tends to be a dreamer, perhaps an artist or writer. They are uncomfortable around strangers (but very loyal once they get to know someone). They think a lot about ideas hidden meanings, feelings, and emotions. They prefer to philosophize about an issue and take their time thinking about it than jumping to a conclusion that might be wrong.

Personality Prevails

Interesting, the personality types are not created equal. With 16 archetypes to choose from, some are much more “popular” than others. In the U.S., 52% of the population are ES types (ESTJ, ESTP, ESFJ, or ESFP – each about 13%), 24% are IS, and 20% EN, leaving only 4% for the IN categories. (Last time we looked, Corey was INTP and Lori was INFJ. Guess which of us is better at finishing projects? ) People do seem to shift categories over time; Corey used to be more Extraverted, but has definitely moved to the Introverted side of the equation over the last 15-20 years. The most critical differences are between the four base pairs – SJ, SP, NF, and NT. The E/I scale seems to be a little less important. If you’re Intuitive, the biggest difference is between Thinkers and Feelers, whereas among Sensing personalities, whether they are Judging or Perceiving is the most important difference.

There’s a lot more to the system, particularly about where conflicts are likely to occur between people of conflicting personality types. An ESFJ manager of an INTP programmer will probably think the programmer is indecisive and doesn’t finish tasks on time. That programmer might think her manager is illogical and often makes hasty, bad decisions. By understanding your own strengths and weaknesses, as well as those of your family and co-workers, you can better understand their thought processes and why they act the way they do.

Heroic Archetypes

What about our school class archetypes? We tried to create a balanced system that reflects that not all heroes have the same personality. We want people to be able to discover who they really are

Warriors > Sensory Judgers

Warriors tend to fit the SJ personality type. They like direct action and straightforward decisions. They get things done and make good leaders. Warriors are underrepresented in The School for Heroes compared to the outside world, because many of them are outside playing sports or working with their hands; fewer find their way to the Web or our site. Those who do find us make great additions to the school because they act as catalysts to get everyone moving.

Wizards > Intuitive Thinkers

Wizards tend to fall into the NT category. They like to research, consider all the possibilities, and make well-reasoned judgments before they make a decision. Programmers make likely Wizards. Since those are also people who are likely to browse the Web, we have a much higher representation of Wizards in The School for Heroes than you will find in the general population.

Paladins > Intuitive Feelers

We also have a higher-than-usual complement of Paladins. A lot of that is self-selection because – to many people – Paladins are Heroes and vice versa. Our site says “The School for Heroes” and that idea is attractive to Paladins. Most Paladins are NF personalities. They like philosophies, ideals, and the big picture. They care about people and want to help them. Paladins are the most likely to volunteer for a charity event or the Peace Corps. But the path of the Paladin is by no means the only way to be a Hero.

Rogues > Sensory Perceivers

Rogues can be troublemakers, but they can also be a valuable resource for shaking up a sleepy enterprise and coming up with unique flashes of insight. They tend to be SP personalities – They like excitement, risk, and action with unknown results and consequences. Oh, I think we mentioned that there are no Rogues in The School for Heroes; how could someone who likes to stir up trouble or tweak others want to be a hero? Despite this incongruity, there are still some people who take the Hero Test that seem to come out as Rogues. (We try to integrate them into the new Bard class.)

Bards – the Versatile Class

Bards are usually a hybrid of SP and NFP personalities (not too many Bards have Judging personalities). They are usually Extraverts, although some composers and writers can be Introverted, yet still successful as Bards. They are the communicators, the entertainers, and sometimes the shakers-up of staid traditions (especially those Bards who started out as Rogues). Bards like excitement, but they deal with it in indirect ways rather than by taking direct action as a Warrior might.

Whatever your archetype, there is a place for you in The School for Heroes. We hope that the Hero Test will help you to understand your own personality type a little better. Knowing what drives your decisions may also help you to get along with others of conflicting personality types… or in the case of Warriors, other Warriors when they both want to lead.



Keirsey also has a more recent book, Please Understand Me II, on the subject. We can also recommend Do What You Are, by Paul D. Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger.

Incidentally, for another fun take on the archetypes as related to gaming character types, check out this Monkey, Ninja, Pirate, Robot article. The second page of the article has a fun table suggesting all sorts of correspondences with the “big 4″ personality types (SJ, SP, NT, and NF).

Tags: Heroes, Myers-Briggs, Personality, School for Heroes
Posted in School for Heroes | 12 Comments »

School is in Session!

Wednesday, November 12th, 2008

The School for Heroes has been open a little less than two weeks. With no publicity other than the site and word of mouth, over 150 people have taken the Hero Test and most of you have returned to the school to register. That’s a pretty good start!

Once you “enroll” in the School, you can get to your personal page, a “lore” page that describes your character class, and the teacher’s page for each class. Within the next week, we’re adding a Roster Page so you can learn about your fellow students and an Assignments page that you can use to learn about and grow as a Hero. The personal page will also become richer – So far you can enter a “personal statement”; much more will be customizable in the not-so-distant future. You can also copy a piece of HTML code from your personal page to let your friends know what kind of Hero you are.

While you’re waiting for the Assignments page to appear, feel free to undertake the Mission on your class lore page and tell your instructor about your results. Their email accounts are simply the instructor’s first name (at) theschoolforheroes.com. You can also use the class name if you prefer. Accomplishing the Mission – which is different for each class – and reporting on it are your first steps towards advancement within the School… and in your Heroic quest.

Testing the Waters

You can think of The School for Heroes as a sort of iceberg… um, in a good way, of course! At first, all you can see of it are the blog entries and the Hero Test. Once you dive into the water by taking the test and enrolling in the school, you can see more of what’s available. Over the ensuing months, much more of the School will surface as we implement and reveal features. By continuing to follow your personal Heroic path, you will also discover new content accessible only to advanced students.

We’d like to talk a little about the test. As your first introduction to the School, it’s pretty important. We created the hero test for several reasons. One is that people on the Web love online quizzes. We hope we’ve managed to make our test an entertaining experience. Another reason is that your test responses help us to understand your approach to Heroism. Each class has a different learning approach that should appeal to students who score high in a particular test category. Finally, the test and signup process act as a gateway. To join The School for Heroes, you need to make a conscious decision to take the test and follow through on it. We want to focus our energy on working with people who want to work with us.

Incidentally, if you don’t like your test result, you may retake the test as often as you like until you enroll in the school. Enrollment occurs when you follow the link in the email message we send you about your test results and then sign in with your user account for the first time. Feel free to “game” the test if you really want to “play” and study as a particular class. However, answering the test questions honestly gives you the best chance at finding a school experience that fits your style.

As Classy as We Can Make It

Once you complete the test and follow the enrollment instructions, you will have full access to your personal page and other school pages. Only you can customize your page. Also, you may notice on the Lore pages that you will only see the Mission for your own class. That’s to keep you focused and maybe add a little mystery to the other classes. Once we bring the Forums online, you’ll have full access to your own class forum and the public areas of the other class forums.

The Forums will be the heart of The School for Heroes. We are creating a Tribe here, and a Tribe is only as rich as the connections between its members. You will help make the School strong. Our goal is to set up an environment where Heroes-in-training can learn and share their experiences. We will also be inviting many of you to take a more active role in the school as Teaching Assistants, Forum moderators, and in many other roles. After all, our goal is to make the School so active that we won’t be able to handle all the communication by ourselves.

We will be walking a fine line between giving students in each class an exciting, dynamic, and unique learning experience and ensuring that students in all the classes can interact. We don’t want to create barriers between classes that you can’t find a way to cross. To make this work, we’ll need help from all of you in the form of suggestions, feature requests, and open communication in all of the school forums.

Tags: School for Heroes, Tribes
Posted in Game Design, School for Heroes | 5 Comments »

A Time for Change

Thursday, November 6th, 2008

This is a momentous time. The United States has just elected Barack Obama as our next President. The obvious “change” there is that we elected a black man, but that’s a side note. More important to me is that we have chosen a highly intelligent, very well educated thinking person as President; but that’s secondary too. The real change is a commitment to change, the realization that we can’t just keep on doing things the way we’ve done them for centuries. And it’s a statement that we need to be open to change within ourselves to prosper and succeed.

Here’s a quote from Mr. Obama’s nomination acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention last August:
“I get it. I realize that I am not the likeliest candidate for this office. I don’t fit the typical pedigree, and I haven’t spent my career in the halls of Washington. But I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the naysayers don’t understand is that this election has never been about me; it’s about you.”

It’s about us. For the last eight years, American politics has been about “them”. It’s been about reacting to the terrorist attacks on 9/11. It’s been about reacting to the fear of possible “weapons of mass destruction” and a despotic regime in Iraq. It’s about counting on our government to protect us from the outside world and keep us safe. But it hasn’t been about protecting our quality of life, or about individuals taking responsibility to improve their own lives or to make the world a better place.

Well, now it’s about us. It is a time for change, but the change must come from within each of us. It is a time to take individual action, a time for hard work, and a time for Heroes.

A Book for Heroes

John F. Kennedy once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Barack Obama said something similar Tuesday night, “I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it’s been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years – block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.” It may be uncomfortable in a nation of luxury and entitlement, but we all have to help to make change happen. The nice thing is, as we work to help the world, we grow stronger as individuals.

What do we mean by that? We recently read a book that is changing our lives – and it might change yours – in very positive ways. The book is “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success,” by Carol S. Dweck, PhD. Ms. Dweck is a Professor of psychology at Stanford University and a researcher “in the fields of personality, social psychology, and developmental psychology.”

At its heart, Mindset is a very straightforward, single-topic book about the advantages of having a “growth mindset.” The author defines a “fixed mindset” as a belief that what you are is what you will be. You’re athletic or not. You’re smart or dumb. You’re good at art or have no talent. A “growth mindset” is the belief that you can learn and improve any area of your life – If you suck at calculus or basketball or playing the piano, that just means you need to work harder at learning and getting better at it. People who have a “growth mindset” – and apply it to how they live their lives – are much more successful and effective in every area of life than those who have a “fixed mindset.” It’s a simple idea, and I had heard it before, but an incredibly powerful one.

If Mindset is a one-idea book, why do we think you should all read it? It has to do with… mindset. The fixed mindset is all about taking the easy way out. The previous paragraph gave you the “easy way” version of mindset. You didn’t have to work for it; it got handed to you. One of the things we learned from Mindset is that learning doesn’t work that way. We grow by making a commitment to growth, accepting that we can do very difficult and challenging things, then working towards them step by step. When we’ve been exposed too much to the fixed mindset, it’s easy to see work as a negative thing. If we were truly smart, we wouldn’t have to work to learn something new or to accomplish something important. That mindset can work great when we’re being successful, but it has no coping strategy for challenges or failures.

Mindset contains dozens of examples of people with fixed and growth mindsets, and of studies that demonstrate how much more effective people who apply the growth mindset are. Some of those examples are absolutely astonishing! How about the teacher in Chicago who gets all the “failed” troublemaking kids and refuses to treat them as losers? By the end of the year, every student is reading well. By the time they’re in 5th or 6th grade, they’re reading Chekhov, Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Socrates – and loving it. They get there step by step and by not having the option to quit when things get tough.

How about the idea of encouraging children by avoiding criticism and telling them how smart they are? That’s great, right? According to multiple research studies cited by Dweck, it’s a disaster! Children – and adults – learn by our mistakes and by being challenged. Children who did well on a test and were told they were really smart saw no reason to study. When they later did poorly on a harder test, they were devasted – “If doing well means I’m smart, then failing means I’m stupid.” They had no coping method and no tools for growth.

Children who were given the same series of tests, but were told, “You must have worked really hard to do so well on that test,” had a totally different experience. They too had trouble on the harder test, but they interpreted their failure differently – “I did poorly on that test, so I’ll have to work harder so I can do better next time.” With that simple change in mindset, these children continued to learn and did much better on the retest.

We Hope You’ll Change Your Mind

Now, you might not think that applies to you. Readers of this blog are probably really intelligent, well-educated people. There’s a good chance you read challenging works of literature, philosophy, or science. Well, if that’s the case, you could be in even greater danger! Thinking you’re smart by genetics or education makes it easy to think, “I’m brilliant because I succeeded at something. The moment I fail, I’ll stop being brilliant. It’s safer not to try at all.” You need to reinterpret yourself and take the attitude that, “I did great work on that project!” instead. That way you will reinforce the growth mindset and continue to work, learn, take risks, and grow. That’s why we think you should read Mindset, really thinking about the ideas and examples in it, and work to apply them in your own life.

I (Corey) remember a conversation, early in my career as a programmer. Someone asked me why I was willing to work long, crazy hours. I said, “Work is all about learning. I learn something new every day. If I ever stop learning new things at a job, it’s time to move on.” I used to get really embarrassed when someone said to me, “You must be really smart” or “You’re a genius!” because I felt I was just having fun learning new things. Unfortunately, somewhere in there I think I started believing the compliments and maybe forgot a little about how much real work it takes to create great software.

What do you do when you’ve been on the top of the world, a success, a star? Especially what do you do when you then have a couple of projects that are canceled, or that simply fail? What happens next depends on your mindset. If you believe that “success = brilliance,” then clearly “failure = stupidity.” Guess what, you’re now a has-been. You don’t dare start any new projects or take any big risks because they might not succeed and gasp! you might discover that you were a one-hit wonder. There, safe, whew!

What I learned from Ms. Dweck’s book is that being “safe” is the real failure. Every great accomplishment comes from incredibly hard work and the flexibility to keep learning and growing while you’re working at it. If you lose the growth mindset, you lose everything. Mindset came to me as a badly-needed kick in the ass.

That doesn’t mean I won’t screw up. It’s very easy to slide back into laziness. Even when you do everything exactly right, failure is always a possibility. But with the growth mindset, failure is just the start of a new opportunity. It’s a lesson and a chance to grow. Learning isn’t comfortable… but it’s fun. Hard work can be stressful… but it’s a lot less stressful than knowing you aren’t accomplishing anything. “Meaning” can be hard to come by, but it’s really rewarding when you find it and work for it.

A School for Change

By the way, The School for Heroes isn’t a “fixed” place either. It’s a living, growing site that will constantly be changing and adding new features. Within the next few weeks we’ll let you edit your personal page (you can already add a personal statement), view a roster of the students in each class, get to your Heroic assignments, let your friends know about your hero class and how to take the test, and much more. Soon we’ll have a forum where you can talk to other heroes-in-progress and discuss your work, plans, and ideas.

Of course, Lori and I have a lot of work to get all that done. We’re eagerly taking on the challenge and watching our hard work slowly turn into a real school for – and of – heroes. We hope you’ll all stay with us and take the missing features as challenges and growth opportunities. From a fixed mindset, every missing feature is a failure – The school obviously needs all those things. From the growth mindset, each one is an exciting opportunity for growth and change. The School for Heroes will never be a static site and you are all essential to helping it grow and become what it promises to be.

Read Mindset, please. Its message is both powerful and important. We live in a momentous time, a time for change, a time for heroes. Can we really make a difference – in ourselves and in the world around us? To quote our new President-Elect, “Yes, we can!”

Tags: Change, Obama, School for Heroes
Posted in Featured, School for Heroes | 12 Comments »