The Fourth Estate supports TexTESOL IV mission by promote scholarship; sharing information through publication and research, and promote high standards in the field of English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). VISION: The Fourth Estate seeks to facilitate this purpose in each publication by providing timely and relevant articles, information, and communication for each of following Interest Areas. These contributions serve as a means of communication between leaders and members, provi...

“While you’re reading Neuro Web Design, you’ll probably find yourself thinking ‘I already knew that…’ a lot. But when you’re finished, you’ll discover that your ability to create effective web sites has mysteriously improved. A brilliant idea for a book, and very nicely done.”– Steve Krug, author of Don’t Make Me Think!A Common Sense Approach to Web UsabilityWhy do people decide to buy a product online? Register at your Web site? Trust the information you provide? Neu...

For adults, learning a new language can be painfully slow and often a frustrating experience. While everyone would like to quickly acquire the ability to converse in a foreign language, the reality is that it is not easy - there is a whole new set of rules to learn, let alone thousands of new words and expressions. It can be very burdensome to have to, in effect, go back to grade 1 and start all over again.Teachers also have to be aware that adults do not learn the same way that chi...

How can teachers guarantee that what they teach results in students learning what they really need to know? In The Purposeful Classroom: How to Structure Lessons with Learning Goals in Mind, Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey present a variety of strategies that teachers at all levels can use to ensure that students clearly understand the purpose behind every lesson. They provide step-by-step guidance to help teachers* Understand the difference between standards, objectives, an...

In his book "In the blink of an eye" Walter Murch, the Oscar-awarded editor of The English Patient, Apocalypse Now, and many other outstanding movies, devises the Rule of Six -- six criteria for what makes a good cut. On top of his list is "to be true to the emotion of the moment," a quality more important than advancing the story or being rhythmically interesting. The cut has to deliver a meaningful, compelling, and emotion-rich "experience" to the audience. Because, "what they finally re...

Educators know it's important to get students to engage in "higher-order thinking." But what does higher-order thinking actually look like? And how can K-12 classroom teachers assess it across the disciplines? Author, consultant, and former classroom teacher Susan M. Brookhart answers these questions and more in this straightforward, practical guide to assessment that can help teachers determine if students are actually displaying the kind of complex thinking that current content standards...

This book facilitates the completion of action research studies by providing a series of tasks that guide action researchers from the beginning of a project and selecting a topic for study, to completion of the project and editing final reports. All too often, students and practicing professionals in professional development schools are overwhelmed by the thought of doing an action research project and resort to using quasi-experimental designs. A Toolkit for Action Research puts ...

This practical, very effective resource helps elementary school teachers and curriculum leaders develop the skills to design instructional tasks and assessments that engage students in higher-level critical thinking, as recommended by the Common Core State Standards. Real examples of formative and summative assessments from a variety of content areas are included and demonstrate how to successfully increase the level of critical thinking in every elementary classroom! This book is also an ...

When we cannot communicate our thoughts, we cannot ask for what we need to know when we cannot talk to us in a state of isolation and frustration. This is the condition in which there are many students as a result of severe pathologies.

Backed by solid research, Writing Instruction That Works answers the following question: What is writing instruction today and what can it be tomorrow? This up-to-date, comprehensive book identifies areas of concern for the ways that writing is being taught in today’s secondary schools. The authors offer far-reaching direction for improving writing instruction that assist both student literacy and subject learning. They provide many examples of successful writing practices in each...

Don’t let the revolution in math education pass your teachers by!By now, most teachers have a shelf full of books, articles, and reports on the Common Core and RTI. But where’s the resource that addresses how the two fit together? Individually, the Common Core and RTI are formidable enough. Together, they create a "perfect storm" of challenges, with most teachers left wondering where to turn first.Finally, here’s a guide that distills the central e...

"An interesting compilation for administrators, new teachers, and seasoned teachers. This text acts as a concise reminder of what we should all be doing in our classrooms and includes practical implementation ideas."—Patricia Ruggiano Schmidt, Professor of LiteracyLe Moyne College"Easy to read quickly, especially when looking for something specific. I definitely enjoyed the quotes to start each chapter and the research for each strategy."—Kath...