Reference sites

All Experts

Answers.com

Dictionary.com

Discovery School Homework Help

Encyclopaedia Britannica On Line

Grolier.com

Homework Help

Merriam Webster Dictionary On Line

Merriam-Webster Word of the Day

More Books and Stories on Line

Antigone

Antigone Study Guide

Bullfinch's Mythology

Classic Literature on-line

MythWeb.com (Click on Hero "Odysseus" for the long and short version of "The Odyssey." 

The Odyssey On-Line

Morte D’Arthur

To Kill A Mockingbird—Student Survival Guide

The Literature Network

The Wizard of Oz

Grandson Ezra at Bat

Nephew Brian on Pitcher's Mound

USEFUL DOCUMENTS

CLICK HERE for Useful Documents for Visual Impairments Resource.

Ninth grade students are expected to work on a PowerPoint presentation which is assigned for researching one's visual condition. Student should be able to speak intelligently about their vision.

Matthew is visually impaired due to traumatic brain injury (TBI) as an infant.

Matt was my student since he was at Sherwood Middle in Mrs. L. Johnson's class. Mrs. Johnson gave him a strong background in letter sounds and word attack skills. I was with him when he moved to Lee High and later he was in Mr. Angleo's class at Woodlawn High.

Matt used to hate learning to type but since discovering some programs computer programs like JAWS and ZoomText for the visually impaired, as he had a need to share he would type them in the V.I. classroom at Lee High.

Matt would type a daily journal which he used to post on his own web site. He would collect new words on 8 X 10 cards. His reading improved increasing from 1 word at a time to reading whole paragraphs.

Rap music was an incentive for Matt. He was not allowed to talk about it unless he would write about it. After he completed a long list of words I helped him with his "video." CLICK HERE to view "Li'l Box Cutter" (the rap moniker he gave himself) in action. 

One school year he was been rewarded by having his vocabulary words made into educational rap videos. Matt was nominated for the national "Yes! I Can" Award for his work with technology.

Biker Chicks. (Pardon some full frontal nudity)

[This was posted on the bulletin board in the V.I. classroom at Lee High]

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR VOCABULARY

READ!!!

1. There are books on every subject, for every interest and on every level. There is no excuse--if one is able--not to read. The easiest reading is that done for fun on a subject of interest. 
2. Keep a journal, notebook or computer folder.
3. When you come across an unfamiliar word in your reading, copy the sentence in your notebook.
4.  Try to determine the meaning of the word by the way it is used in the sentence or paragraph. (Context clues) 
5.  Later, look for the word in the dictionary. (www.merriam-webster.com) Do you see the definition that fits how the word was used in your reading?
6. Write your own sentence using the word.
7. Try to use the word in conversation or in your writing during the week.

In a few weeks you may surprise yourself with the increase in your vocabulary!

CLICK HERE for the TEST PREP QUESTION OF THE DAY!!!...AND YES!!!I AM YELLING!!!

 The verb "to be" changes; it does not stay the same!

To use the language correctly play the "to be" game.

Saying "he be," "she be," "we be," "I be," "they be" is wrong.

Use the chart below to write a better song.

WRONG:Right

I be your baby.

I am your baby.

They be hating on my boo and me.

They are hating on my boo and me.

All of you be tripping

All of you are tripping

Because we be hanging out together:

Because we are hanging out together:

He/She be chilling with me.

He/She is chilling with me.

With "ARE" and "IS" remember this:

If the noun is singular the verb has an "s."

You're smart enough to get the rest--

If the noun is plural the "s" takes a rest!

The Big K

"ARE" VS "IS"

The alien fights.

The aliens fight.

The dinosaur runs.

The dinosaurs run.

If you want to tick me off--make ME ANGRY!

Just speak without changing the verb "TO BE!!!"

PRACTICE:

Correct these sentences or write "NO CHANGE NEEDED":

1. My mama be burning every Thanksgiving!
2. She make the best dressing in the world!
3. People come from all over the neighborhood for her turkey dinner.
4. My brother be hiding turkey and chocolate cake in his room.
5. Betty Crocker is jealous of my mom's cooking.
6. I eats so much on Thanksgiving that I make myself sick.
7. I am stuffed like the turkey every year!
8. There are no scraps left for the dog at our house.
9. The garbage men be thinking we don't eat, because there's nothing left for the cans.
10. I am going to learn to burn like my moms!

At the high school, I had a classroom and the children would come in for study skills. We would go over their school work and have anything enlarged that needed enlarging. They could use the special equipment in the classroom to take tests from other classes, complete required reading, etc.

I would visit the self-contained classrooms and help the teacher in working with those children with low or no vision in her class.

Now, most of my students have several disabilities and I must work with their teachers. I enjoy seeing what's going on in the class and figuring out how we can create something to help the teacher work with the child.

I have created about thirty downloadable activities to add to the Intellitools Classroom Suites Activity Exchange site.

I also have activities at my Ms. Kathy's Kids Blog and on my TeacherWeb page.