Man caves: A great escape

Is it a refuge? A clubhouse? What is this thing, this man cave? And is it dangerous? This is what the women folk may want to know.

[Brown Fingers]

Bizarro FCAT world: Writing easier than reading?

> Posted by Michael Mayo on April 30, 2009 09:02 AM
Talking is easy. Writing is hard.

Or, to be more precise, good writing is hard.

Putting sentences together in a coherent, organized fashion so that everyone understands your point is hard enough. Making the whole package entertaining, or at least not mind-numbingly boring, takes special talent.

Yet when you see the annual FCAT writing scores, you’d think almost every student in Florida is a bourgeoning Hemingway.

What a joke.

The FCAT writing results will be released today, and if history is any guide, the scores will be pretty impressive. They’ll show that many of our public school kids do a good job of writing competently and at their appropriate grade level.

Yet in a few weeks, the reading test results will show these same kids don’t have the same level of proficiency when it comes to reading comprehension.

How is it possible to write if you don’t know how to read?

Therein lies the joke.

It’s called teaching to the test, and the writing exam is the worst offender when it comes to it.

Kids are drilled with tried-and-true formulas when it comes to the writing test.

It’s about as far away from good writing as paint-by-numbers is to art.

As someone who dearly loves words and writing, this offends me.

Then again, most of the FCAT charade is offensive.

Formulas and rote teaching yield passing grades. But creativity and critical thinking too often get pushed aside. Those are the real keys to true education.

You can cheer when you see the good results today.

Just remember that numbers can be as empty as words.

[JUDGE DREDD]

I did it even better. Bought the whole house and enacted Klato's No Sleepover Rule. Don't get no better than this.

[Pops]

My son-in-law Kyle has one. The realtor called it a "bonus" room. We call it the "testosteroom".

[CaveWoman]

can we have one too?

[Answer]

Just goes to show how wussified men have become. They're not "allowed" by their wives to have the things they like in the house, so they do this man cave thing. Gee - how nice of her to allow you to do that. Grow a pair and stop letting the woman walk all over you already.

[Questioning]

I'm with Judge Dredd. My whole house is my man cave.