Ha! I did the montage myself, and thanks very much for the compliment, Rowdy. I have big plans for episode #50, where I hope to bring together everything I've learned since #1! I'm a little bummed, though, because I haven't been able to get any leads on James Ohlen, the Baldur's Gate lead designer. I really wanted to interview him, but I'll be damned if I can find anything! If you or anyone else can help, please let me know. I can also interview another member of the BG team--really anyone who has good stories to tell about the development is fine with me.
I have a very poor opinion of the American school system. It's so bad that I think college educated parents are better off homeschooling their kids, assuming they have enough sense to make sure their kids interact as often as possible with other kids their age. There are also some great private schools and academies. My advice in choosing one of those is to look at what happens to their graduates (how many go on to good colleges and careers, etc.)
The public school system is broken beyond repair. Litigation and "standardized testing" and so on have completely emasculated teachers and principals. They are forced to cater to a ridiculous curriculum and encouraged to "cheat" (giving answers, changing scores, etc.) to keep getting federal money. Socially it's worse. Any kid with any interest whatsoever in learning is brutalized by thugs, hated by the opposite sex, bored by a dumbed-down curriculum, and sometimes even tragically driven to suicide or homicide. I can't imagine any sane person wanting to teach in the public education system. You have no power whatsoever to regulate behavior in the classroom, and anything you say can and will be used against you by the administration. Parental involvement is limited to ghastly parents blaming teachers and everyone and everything else for their "precious angel's" inability to learn or respect even the most basic rules of decorum. Finally, on top of all that, teachers are underpaid, schools are underfunded, and any efforts at reform get mired in politics. It's hopeless.
Ha! I did the montage myself, and thanks very much for the compliment, Rowdy. I have big plans for episode #50, where I hope to bring together everything I've learned since #1! I'm a little bummed, though, because I haven't been able to get any leads on James Ohlen, the Baldur's Gate lead designer. I really wanted to interview him, but I'll be damned if I can find anything! If you or anyone else can help, please let me know. I can also interview another member of the BG team--really anyone who has good stories to tell about the development is fine with me.
I have a very poor opinion of the American school system. It's so bad that I think college educated parents are better off homeschooling their kids, assuming they have enough sense to make sure their kids interact as often as possible with other kids their age. There are also some great private schools and academies. My advice in choosing one of those is to look at what happens to their graduates (how many go on to good colleges and careers, etc.)
The public school system is broken beyond repair. Litigation and "standardized testing" and so on have completely emasculated teachers and principals. They are forced to cater to a ridiculous curriculum and encouraged to "cheat" (giving answers, changing scores, etc.) to keep getting federal money. Socially it's worse. Any kid with any interest whatsoever in learning is brutalized by thugs, hated by the opposite sex, bored by a dumbed-down curriculum, and sometimes even tragically driven to suicide or homicide. I can't imagine any sane person wanting to teach in the public education system. You have no power whatsoever to regulate behavior in the classroom, and anything you say can and will be used against you by the administration. Parental involvement is limited to ghastly parents blaming teachers and everyone and everything else for their "precious angel's" inability to learn or respect even the most basic rules of decorum. Finally, on top of all that, teachers are underpaid, schools are underfunded, and any efforts at reform get mired in politics. It's hopeless.
Matt Barton, Managing Editor
Location: St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA
Email: matt@armchairarcade.com