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Though this is (reportedly) the last year the New York State Regents exams will look the way they currently do (the standards and therefore the assessments are changing) there remain some online resources for preparing for success on the New York English 11 Regents. One that has been useful in years past is used in the past is the interactive versions of released tests posted by the Texas Education Agency.

The Student Assessment Division of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has developed interactive online versions of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) and the TAKS–Modified (TAKS–M) released tests. In the development of the online tests, every effort was made to ensure that each test question is identical to the test questions in the printed test booklets. Don't let the year of adminstartion for these exams fool you, the types of questions asked on the English Comprehension TAKS tests are VERY similar to those currently asked on the New York State Regents.

Texas Education Agency Released Tests

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2000
Spring 2000 TAAS (Texas) Reading Online Test containing four selections (three fiction and two non-fiction) and 48 multiple choice questions.

Writing Part 1 section of the Spring 2000 Exit Level TAAS containing 40 multiple choice questions all dealing with grammar, word choice, sentence structure and proofreading.

Revising and Editing section of the Spring 2000 English II EOC Online Exam (Texas) containing 40 multiple choice questions all dealing with grammar, word choice, sentence structure and proofreading.


2001
Writing Part 1 section of the Spring 2001 Exit Level TAAS containing 40 multiple choice questions all dealing with grammar, word choice, sentence structure and proofreading.


2002
Writing Part 1 section of the Spring 2002 Exit Level TAAS containing 40 multiple choice questions all dealing with grammar, word choice, sentence structure and proofreading.


2003
Reading & Written Composition section of the Spring 2003 TAKS (Texas) Grade 9 Online Test containing four selections (three fiction and two non-fiction) and 48 multiple choice questions.

Reading & Written Composition section of the Spring 2003 TAKS (Texas) Grade 10 Online Test containing four selections (three fiction and two non-fiction) and 48 multiple choice questions.

Reading & Written Composition section of the Spring 2003 TAKS (Texas) Grade 11 Online Test from containing four selections (three fiction and two non-fiction) and 48 multiple choice questions.


2005
SDAA Spring 2005 Level 9 ELA Reading (Texas) containing four selections (three fiction and two non-fiction) and 30 multiple choice questions.

SDAA Spring 2005 Level 10 ELA Reading (Texas) containing four selections (three fiction and two non-fiction) and 42 multiple choice questions.


2006
READING SECTION of the Spring 2006 TAKS (Texas) Grade 9 containing four selections (three fiction and two non-fiction) and 36 multiple choice questions.

READING SECTION of the Spring 2006 TAKS (Texas) Grade 10 containing four selections (three fiction and two non-fiction) and 48 multiple choice questions.

READING SECTION of the Spring 2006 TAKS (Texas) Grade 11 containing four selections (three fiction and two non-fiction) and 48 multiple choice questions.

Music Monday Tuesday?: The Life of Riley

"Although this World is a crazy ride,
you just take your seat and hold on tight..."

Though not quite as alliterative as "Music Monday," this impromptu "Music Tuesday" is courtesy of my dinner this evening with my wife.

While waiting for our food to arrive at a small restaurant within walking distance of our home, I was struck by how fortunate I am. In light of my recent birthday (which always seems to put me in a somewhat reflective mood), and the incredible fortune I have in being who I am, where I am, with the folks who love me, I couldn't help but recall this song (and "band," The Lightning Seeds), both favorites of mine the summer after graduating from college.

I still believe that in this world, you've got to find the time for the Life of Riley...

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Staking Out Over Spring Break

"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides."~W.E. Johns, The Passing Show.

After briefly looking back at gardens past last week, this week's Spring Break served as an excellent time (with unusually cooperative weather!) to begin staking a claim on some turf for this year's edition of our family vegetable (and fruit) garden. As previously mentioned, the big change this year is that we will further be turning over what passes as our lawn to garden space. The hope, of course, is that more spec will equate to a higher yield from our garden.

The small area of our backyard (note: both pictures were taken this past Monday with an inexpensive Kodak disposable camera) as currently configured for growing a variety of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and squash:


The same are, but now staked out to add an adidtional 2' x 5' area to eb used for the inclusion of more vegetables and to allow for more growing space in bewteen rows of plants:


Next up: hopefully this coming weekend we can begin turning over the soil and mixing in some of the compost from our pit with the hopes of planting in mid-May. Stay "tuned" for updates!

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Poem du Jour: Trail-ku

As National Poetry Month continues on, I have (once again) fallen short of my goal to craft a poem a day (poem du jour!). This error on my part, however, has not stopped me from periodically jotting down some notes or making semi-poetic observations during the course of my day. If this exercise has been successful at all, it has been in my consciously recording the occasionally inspired with a thought, idea, or observation, and at the fleeting moment when it arises.

Inspiration comes from many different places and today's poem was derived from the feeling of running on a trail... as visualized while I myself was taking a slow run on the roads:

wildflower field dew--
blooms kiss bare leg on dirt trail,
welcoming me back.

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!