GLOSSARY (of all those nerdy, techie terms)
add-on: similar to a browser extension, a small piece of software used to enhance the performance of another tool
Android: the used for many non-iOS smartphones, such as Samsung Galaxy and Motorola Droid operating system
app: (short for application) a software program. Any software, like PowerPoint, is an application, but app usually means a smaller software with a limited job, like tracking calories.
avatar: an image or icon, often illustrated, representing a person in a video game, in social media, or in a software program
Android: the used for many non-iOS smartphones, such as Samsung Galaxy and Motorola Droid operating system
app: (short for application) a software program. Any software, like PowerPoint, is an application, but app usually means a smaller software with a limited job, like tracking calories.
avatar: an image or icon, often illustrated, representing a person in a video game, in social media, or in a software program
backchannel: a secondary discussion that happens at the same time as a larger event. A backchannel discussion can be set up on TodaysMeet, allowing participants to type comments in an online chat room while another presentation is going.
bandwidth: the amount of data that can be sent over an Internet connection at a given time
blended learning: a teaching style that combines traditional instruction with online learning
blog: short for weblog; basically an online diary, a series of posts that are updated regularly, unlike on a static website
Bluetooth: a technology that uses radio waves to let devices communicate across short distances wirelessly. A Bluetooth headset lets you talk on your phone without actually holding it up to your ear or using speakerphone.
bookmarklet: a bookmark stored in your browser that allows your browser to do a specific task; like a browser extension, but it won’t slow down your browser the way an extension will
browser extension: a tool added to your web browser that gives it new functions, like letting you quickly add an item to your Evernote notebook, or pin an item on Pinterest
BYOD: Bring Your Own Device; a policy in which students are allowed to bring their own cell phones, tablets, or laptops to school and use them during class to enhance learning
bandwidth: the amount of data that can be sent over an Internet connection at a given time
blended learning: a teaching style that combines traditional instruction with online learning
blog: short for weblog; basically an online diary, a series of posts that are updated regularly, unlike on a static website
Bluetooth: a technology that uses radio waves to let devices communicate across short distances wirelessly. A Bluetooth headset lets you talk on your phone without actually holding it up to your ear or using speakerphone.
bookmarklet: a bookmark stored in your browser that allows your browser to do a specific task; like a browser extension, but it won’t slow down your browser the way an extension will
browser extension: a tool added to your web browser that gives it new functions, like letting you quickly add an item to your Evernote notebook, or pin an item on Pinterest
BYOD: Bring Your Own Device; a policy in which students are allowed to bring their own cell phones, tablets, or laptops to school and use them during class to enhance learning
clickers: handheld, portable devices given to students in a classroom, allowing them to respond to questions and have their responses collected via radio transmission
cloud computing: using a network of remote servers (large systems like Google Drive, for example) to create, share, and store files, rather than performing these operations on a local network, such as your home computer or office network
cookie: a small text file containing information about you and what you’re interested in, based on your browsing history. A cookie is stored in your web browser and is sent to websites you’ve already visited to help them customize your visit. If I go to Zappos and look at a particular boot, even if I don’t create an account or anything, the next time I visit, that boot will be a featured product. That’s cookies at work.
crowdfunding: using websites like GoFundMe and Kickstarter to raise funds for independent, often creative projects. Recently, the Veronica Mars TV franchise raised $2 million dollars for a movie in 12 hours with crowdfunding.
cloud computing: using a network of remote servers (large systems like Google Drive, for example) to create, share, and store files, rather than performing these operations on a local network, such as your home computer or office network
cookie: a small text file containing information about you and what you’re interested in, based on your browsing history. A cookie is stored in your web browser and is sent to websites you’ve already visited to help them customize your visit. If I go to Zappos and look at a particular boot, even if I don’t create an account or anything, the next time I visit, that boot will be a featured product. That’s cookies at work.
crowdfunding: using websites like GoFundMe and Kickstarter to raise funds for independent, often creative projects. Recently, the Veronica Mars TV franchise raised $2 million dollars for a movie in 12 hours with crowdfunding.
dashboard: a term used by many programs to describe the user’s “control center,” the place where you get an overview of your account and your activity within that program
digital citizenship: the standards for etiquette, ethical conduct, and safe behavior while using technology
digital literacy: being versed in the terms and concepts associated with using technology and digital tools
digital native: nickname for a person who grew up with technology—personal computers, Internet access, etc.
domain name: the part of your URL that identifies your IP address. (In the URL http://www.scsk12.org, the domain name is scsk12.org.)
digital citizenship: the standards for etiquette, ethical conduct, and safe behavior while using technology
digital literacy: being versed in the terms and concepts associated with using technology and digital tools
digital native: nickname for a person who grew up with technology—personal computers, Internet access, etc.
domain name: the part of your URL that identifies your IP address. (In the URL http://www.scsk12.org, the domain name is scsk12.org.)
extension: see browser extension (above)
external hard drive: a small device, somewhere between the size of a wallet and a paperback, where you can store electronic files (documents, photos, videos, etc.). These come in handy when you need extra storage space on your computer or you want to back up your files outside of your computer.
external hard drive: a small device, somewhere between the size of a wallet and a paperback, where you can store electronic files (documents, photos, videos, etc.). These come in handy when you need extra storage space on your computer or you want to back up your files outside of your computer.
file extension: the suffix at the end of a file name that tells you what type of file it is. The file extension for a PowerPoint file is .ppt or .pptx. The file extension for a JPEG image is .jpg.
Flash: an animation software. Sometimes you may have trouble running parts of a website because your Flash player is not installed or up-to-date.
flash drive: a small storage device—not much bigger than a stick of gum—that plugs into your computer’s USB port and allows you to store and transport electronic files; also called thumb drive, jump drive, data stick
Flash: an animation software. Sometimes you may have trouble running parts of a website because your Flash player is not installed or up-to-date.
flash drive: a small storage device—not much bigger than a stick of gum—that plugs into your computer’s USB port and allows you to store and transport electronic files; also called thumb drive, jump drive, data stick
gamification: a way of motivating students to learn by adding elements of games (especially video games) into the learning environment, such as “leveling up” and earning badges for reaching certain milestones
GB: gigabyte; a unit of measurement for electronic data equal to 1,000 megabytes
genius hour: one hour per week (or per day, depending on a teacher’s schedule) given to students to pursue their own interests
GIF: graphics interchange format; a widely used image format, especially for simple graphics. An animated GIF is a set of images coded to display in a specific order, giving the appearance of movement.
GB: gigabyte; a unit of measurement for electronic data equal to 1,000 megabytes
genius hour: one hour per week (or per day, depending on a teacher’s schedule) given to students to pursue their own interests
GIF: graphics interchange format; a widely used image format, especially for simple graphics. An animated GIF is a set of images coded to display in a specific order, giving the appearance of movement.
hashtag: a word or phrase combined with the hash or pound symbol (#), creating a unique search term that can be more easily found on sites like Twitter and Facebook. The hashtag #5aDay is used when people post things related to getting more fruits and vegetables in their diets.
HTML: HyperText Markup Language; the language used to create web pages. Think about a website as a stage performance. Everything you see on the screen is “on stage.” HTML is like the script, stage, and lighting directions for the performance. For example, to make a word appear in italics, you’d add the <i> tag around it, like this: <i>word</i>.
http/https: hypertext transfer protocol, secure hypertext transfer protocol; a set of rules for transferring files on the Internet. The “s” in https indicates that your information is being encrypted—or changed into indecipherable code—as it is being transmitted, to keep it secure. Online shopping sites will often use https as a default setting.
hyperlink: Most often, a line of text—often underlined—that has been created to be “clickable.” When a reader clicks the text, they are taken to another location. So here, the word Chris is a hyperlink to the page on my site all about me. Images can also be hyperlinked. Also called a link.
HTML: HyperText Markup Language; the language used to create web pages. Think about a website as a stage performance. Everything you see on the screen is “on stage.” HTML is like the script, stage, and lighting directions for the performance. For example, to make a word appear in italics, you’d add the <i> tag around it, like this: <i>word</i>.
http/https: hypertext transfer protocol, secure hypertext transfer protocol; a set of rules for transferring files on the Internet. The “s” in https indicates that your information is being encrypted—or changed into indecipherable code—as it is being transmitted, to keep it secure. Online shopping sites will often use https as a default setting.
hyperlink: Most often, a line of text—often underlined—that has been created to be “clickable.” When a reader clicks the text, they are taken to another location. So here, the word Chris is a hyperlink to the page on my site all about me. Images can also be hyperlinked. Also called a link.
icon: a small picture used to represent a website, software, tool, or concept
infographic: A visual or graphic representation of information, using small images or icons as well as more traditional graphs and charts to represent data. In recent years, these have been specially designed for consumption on the Internet, so some are visually quite long, requiring the reader to scroll through them almost like a mini-website. These often accompany longer articles on a given topic or are created to stand on their own on social media platforms like Pinterest.
iOS: iPhone operating system; the operating system that powers Apple devices such as the iPad and iPhone
IP Address: Internet Protocol Address; a unique identifying number given to every computer in the world
iTunes: software that organizes music, podcasts, videos, and other files
infographic: A visual or graphic representation of information, using small images or icons as well as more traditional graphs and charts to represent data. In recent years, these have been specially designed for consumption on the Internet, so some are visually quite long, requiring the reader to scroll through them almost like a mini-website. These often accompany longer articles on a given topic or are created to stand on their own on social media platforms like Pinterest.
iOS: iPhone operating system; the operating system that powers Apple devices such as the iPad and iPhone
IP Address: Internet Protocol Address; a unique identifying number given to every computer in the world
iTunes: software that organizes music, podcasts, videos, and other files
JavaScript: a computer programming language that is built into most web browsers to make them interactive
JPEG: an image file type that is preferred for photographs. As a file extension, it is abbreviated to JPG. To learn more about image file types, read this article.
JPEG: an image file type that is preferred for photographs. As a file extension, it is abbreviated to JPG. To learn more about image file types, read this article.
Kindle: Amazon’s e-reader, which can hold hundreds of full-length books on one device and can download them with a wireless Internet connection
KB: kilobyte; a unit of measurement for electronic data equal to 1,000 bytes
KB: kilobyte; a unit of measurement for electronic data equal to 1,000 bytes
link: an abbreviation for hyperlink
MB: megabyte; a unit of measurement for electronic data equal to 1,000 kilobytes
mobile device: a portable device like a cell phone, smartphone, tablet, or e-reader like Kindle
mobile-responsive design: an approach to designing websites that allows them to change for easier reading when viewed on a mobile device
MOOC: Massive Open Online Course. A free online course, which can be taken at any time, open to anyone with Internet access
MP3: a type of audio file; an iPod is a popular type of MP3 player
MP4: a type of video file
mobile device: a portable device like a cell phone, smartphone, tablet, or e-reader like Kindle
mobile-responsive design: an approach to designing websites that allows them to change for easier reading when viewed on a mobile device
MOOC: Massive Open Online Course. A free online course, which can be taken at any time, open to anyone with Internet access
MP3: a type of audio file; an iPod is a popular type of MP3 player
MP4: a type of video file
NSFW: not suitable for work; content that may contain nudity or other inappropriate content
one-to-one (1:1): an arrangement in which there is one device or computer per person
open source: freely available to anyone who wants to see or modify for their own uses; WordPress is an open source software
operating system (OS): basically, the boss of a computer; the software that supports all of a computer’s basic functions. Windows and Mac OS are two popular operating systems.
open source: freely available to anyone who wants to see or modify for their own uses; WordPress is an open source software
operating system (OS): basically, the boss of a computer; the software that supports all of a computer’s basic functions. Windows and Mac OS are two popular operating systems.
PBL: Problem-Based Learning or Project-Based Learning; an instructional approach that has students learn by solving real-world problems or producing real-world projects in authentic contexts. This approach has grown in popularity as technology becomes more widely available because it gives students more tools for these kinds of tasks.
PC: Personal Computer; generally refers to any computer designed for home use, but most often used to differentiate between Apple’s Mac computers and those that run on the Windows platform (PCs)
PDF: Portable Document Format; a file format that preserves the exact look of a file without using the original software, so the file size is smaller than the original; sort of like a picture of each page of the document. Most word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation programs have a “Save as PDF” option that allows users to quickly save a copy of the document in PDF form.
platform: the environment in which a piece of software is designed to run; this can be an operating system or even a piece of hardware where the software runs
PLC: Professional Learning Community; usually, a local group of teaching colleagues— such as a grade-level team or a subject-area department—who collaborate regularly to analyze student work and data, plan lessons and units, and develop new instructional approaches
PLN: Personal Learning Network; a person’s individual network of other educators, met in person and online, with whom they collaborate and share ideas. Educators on Twitter often refer to people they are connected to on Twitter as their “Twitter PLN.”
plug-in: a small program added to an existing program to improve its functionality. For example, a blog can have a plug-in that allows the blogger to add social network sharing buttons (Facebook, Twitter) to the end of blog posts.
PNG: Portable Network Graphics; a type of image file that is preferred for graphics that are not photographs. To learn more about image file types, read this article.
PC: Personal Computer; generally refers to any computer designed for home use, but most often used to differentiate between Apple’s Mac computers and those that run on the Windows platform (PCs)
PDF: Portable Document Format; a file format that preserves the exact look of a file without using the original software, so the file size is smaller than the original; sort of like a picture of each page of the document. Most word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation programs have a “Save as PDF” option that allows users to quickly save a copy of the document in PDF form.
platform: the environment in which a piece of software is designed to run; this can be an operating system or even a piece of hardware where the software runs
PLC: Professional Learning Community; usually, a local group of teaching colleagues— such as a grade-level team or a subject-area department—who collaborate regularly to analyze student work and data, plan lessons and units, and develop new instructional approaches
PLN: Personal Learning Network; a person’s individual network of other educators, met in person and online, with whom they collaborate and share ideas. Educators on Twitter often refer to people they are connected to on Twitter as their “Twitter PLN.”
plug-in: a small program added to an existing program to improve its functionality. For example, a blog can have a plug-in that allows the blogger to add social network sharing buttons (Facebook, Twitter) to the end of blog posts.
PNG: Portable Network Graphics; a type of image file that is preferred for graphics that are not photographs. To learn more about image file types, read this article.
QR Code: Quick Response Code; an image, like a bar code, that links to a specific URL, text message, or other piece of information when the code is read by a device with a scanner
RAM: Random Access Memory; temporary storage a computer uses for running programs and software; if your computer is running slowly, it may need more RAM. This is different from disk storage, which is used to save files. RAM is only used when you are running programs on your computer.
rich text format: (RTF) a file format for word processing documents that allows text formatting such as bold, italics, and underlining. Most common word processing documents support rich text, even if they don’t have the .rtf extension.
RSS: Rich Site Summary (or Really Simple Syndication); a format for publishing regularly changing content. If you subscribe to a website’s RSS feed through a feed reader like Feedly, you will be able to view regular, short summaries of new content from that site as soon as it is published.
rich text format: (RTF) a file format for word processing documents that allows text formatting such as bold, italics, and underlining. Most common word processing documents support rich text, even if they don’t have the .rtf extension.
RSS: Rich Site Summary (or Really Simple Syndication); a format for publishing regularly changing content. If you subscribe to a website’s RSS feed through a feed reader like Feedly, you will be able to view regular, short summaries of new content from that site as soon as it is published.
screenshot: an image taken of the whole screen of your computer or other device
search engine: software that allows users to search for information on the Internet; popular search engines are Google, Bing, and Yahoo
smartphone: a cell phone that can do many of the things a computer can do: surf the Internet, send and receive email, and use a variety of apps that enable it to perform tasks like storing grocery lists, playing games, or playing videos or music; popular smartphones are iPhones, BlackBerry phones, and Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy
SMS: Short Message Service; text message
spam: messages sent on the Internet or through email to lots of people, usually for the purposes of selling something
static website: a website where all the information and pages stay more or less the same, unlike a blog, where new posts appear on a regular basis
search engine: software that allows users to search for information on the Internet; popular search engines are Google, Bing, and Yahoo
smartphone: a cell phone that can do many of the things a computer can do: surf the Internet, send and receive email, and use a variety of apps that enable it to perform tasks like storing grocery lists, playing games, or playing videos or music; popular smartphones are iPhones, BlackBerry phones, and Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy
SMS: Short Message Service; text message
spam: messages sent on the Internet or through email to lots of people, usually for the purposes of selling something
static website: a website where all the information and pages stay more or less the same, unlike a blog, where new posts appear on a regular basis
tablet: a flat, hand-held, mobile computer, usually about the size of a medium-to-large book, that has a touchscreen; some examples are Apple’s iPad and Microsoft’s Surface
tag: (n) a label attached to a photo, blog post, or other file as a way of categorizing it, making it easier to search for items with common tags; (v) to label an item with a tag
TB: terabyte; a unit of measurement for electronic data equal to 1,000
tethering: a method for providing Internet access to a computer or other device by attaching a mobile phone to it and borrowing the phone’s Internet capabilities
touchscreen: a display screen on a computer, tablet, or smartphone that allows users to input information and interact with the device by touching the screen
troll: short for Internet Troll; slang term for a person who comments in online spaces with the primary intent of causing trouble, hurting feelings, starting arguments, or harassing others
20 percent time: similar to genius hour; the practice of giving students 20 percent of the allotted instructional time for pursuing their own interests. To learn more, read What is 20 Percent Time?
tag: (n) a label attached to a photo, blog post, or other file as a way of categorizing it, making it easier to search for items with common tags; (v) to label an item with a tag
TB: terabyte; a unit of measurement for electronic data equal to 1,000
tethering: a method for providing Internet access to a computer or other device by attaching a mobile phone to it and borrowing the phone’s Internet capabilities
touchscreen: a display screen on a computer, tablet, or smartphone that allows users to input information and interact with the device by touching the screen
troll: short for Internet Troll; slang term for a person who comments in online spaces with the primary intent of causing trouble, hurting feelings, starting arguments, or harassing others
20 percent time: similar to genius hour; the practice of giving students 20 percent of the allotted instructional time for pursuing their own interests. To learn more, read What is 20 Percent Time?
unconference: a grass-roots professional development conference organized by educators and comprised of presentations given by the attendees themselves. EdCamp and TeachMeet are two popular unconference movements in education. To learn more, read Why Every Teacher Should Attend an Unconference.
URL: Uniform Resource Locator; the full “address” of a website. (Example: the URL for the U.S. Department of Education is http://www.ed.gov/.)
USB: Universal Serial Bus (but no one calls it that); a type of plug that lots of computer- related devices use. It’s what’s on the end of your flash drive. A USB port is the place on your computer where you plug in a USB connector (the silver part).
URL: Uniform Resource Locator; the full “address” of a website. (Example: the URL for the U.S. Department of Education is http://www.ed.gov/.)
USB: Universal Serial Bus (but no one calls it that); a type of plug that lots of computer- related devices use. It’s what’s on the end of your flash drive. A USB port is the place on your computer where you plug in a USB connector (the silver part).
WAV file: a type of audio file
web browser: also known as Internet browser; a type of software that allows users to use the Internet; popular browsers are Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, and Opera
webinar: a blend of web and seminar; a live event that happens online, rather than in person
Wi-Fi: a technology that allows computers and other devices to connect to the Internet wirelessly; a Wi-Fi hotspot is a physical place that offers wireless Internet service
wiki: a website that allows multiple editors to edit its content. Wikipedia is the largest and most popular wiki on the Internet.
WYSIWYG: (WIZ-EE-WIG) What You See Is What You Get; a type of web editor in which elements are placed exactly where the builder wants them, as opposed to writing instructions out in code, then checking to see how they look online. Wix has a WYSIWYG editor, which is why it’s recommended for people who have limited web design experience.
web browser: also known as Internet browser; a type of software that allows users to use the Internet; popular browsers are Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, and Opera
webinar: a blend of web and seminar; a live event that happens online, rather than in person
Wi-Fi: a technology that allows computers and other devices to connect to the Internet wirelessly; a Wi-Fi hotspot is a physical place that offers wireless Internet service
wiki: a website that allows multiple editors to edit its content. Wikipedia is the largest and most popular wiki on the Internet.
WYSIWYG: (WIZ-EE-WIG) What You See Is What You Get; a type of web editor in which elements are placed exactly where the builder wants them, as opposed to writing instructions out in code, then checking to see how they look online. Wix has a WYSIWYG editor, which is why it’s recommended for people who have limited web design experience.
ZIP file: a file that contains a collection of other files that have been compressed—or reduced in size—to make them easier to send; to learn more, read How to Make a Zip File and How to Open a Zip File.