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acceptable use policy This is a
policy set up by the network administrator or other school leaders in
conjunction with their technology needs and safety concerns. This policy
restricts the manner in which a network may be used, and helps provide
guidelines for teachers using technology in the classroom.
alias A file that points
to another item, such as a program, document, folder, or disk. When an alias is
opened, the original item that the alias points to is opened. This helps in the
organizing and accessing of files. Alias is purely a Mac term. The equivalent
term for Windows-based computers is a shortcut.
ASCII American Standard Code for Information
Interchange. This international standard contains 128 codes that correspond to
all upper and lower-case Latin characters, numbers, and punctuation marks. Each
code is represented by a seven-digit binary number: 0000000 through 1111111.
application A
software program that lets you complete a task, such as writing a paper,
creating a poster, designing an image, or viewing a Web page.
bandwidth The amount of information that one
can send through a connection, measures in bits-per-second (Bps). A standard
page of English text contains about 16,000
bits.
BCC Blind Courtesy Copy or Blind Carbon Copy. A
way to send an e-mail message to more than one recipient, without the parties
knowing that an identical message was sent to others. Using the BCC is a good
way to avoid the long list of recipients that your correspondents usually have
to wade through in the header of a mass-mailing. See
CC.
bit Binary DigIT. A single digit number in base-2
(either a one or a zero). This is the smallest unit of computerized data.
browser The software
application that allows
you to view Internet pages.
browser-safe colors Although there
are millions of colors in the computer world, there are only 216 colors that are
browser-safe, or are able to be read by any Web
browser. These colors
will remain true no matter what platform or browser you use, and their
hexadecimal codes
(numerical names for colors) are made up by using any combination of 00 33 66 99
CC or FF.
BTW An acronym often used in e-mail messages and
chat sessions to mean: "by the way."
byte A set of 8 bits
that means something to the computer, like a letter, number, or punctuation
mark. For example, the byte 01001000 signifies the character H. The
three-letter word hat requires 3 bytes.
client/server A term denoting the
technology relationship between two types of computers, the client (normally
your Mac or PC) and the server (a computer that stores and delivers information
or files to you). When surfing the Internet, you are the client, and the pages
you are reading come from the server, such as the www4teachers server.
CC Courtesy Copy, derived from the non-digital
Carbon Copy. A way to send an e-mail message to a person other than the main
recipient or recipients. The CC'ed party can see that they are not the main
recipient of the letter.
command key ( )
A key on Mac keyboards only that is used to access commands through the
keyboard rather than the menus.
commands are commonly
shortcuts.
control key (CTRL) A
key used to access commands through the keyboard rather than the menus. CTRL
commands are commonly
shortcuts.
control panel A
window you can open to adjust various aspects of your computer, such as the
volume, fonts, desktop background, mouse speed, and clock.
CPU Central Processing
Unit. The CPU is the hardware that most people consider the "brain" of the
computer. It takes instructions from software, makes calculations, and helps run
the show!
desktop The background behind all your
windows, menus, and dialog boxes: your virtual desk. You can change the look of
your desktop by applying different properties to it through your
control panel.
domain name The
unique address name for an Internet site. The part on the left is the most
specific, and the part on the right is the most general. Each domain name is
associated with one and only one
Internet Protocol Number, which is translated
by a
Domain Name System (DNS).
download To save a
file onto your computer from another source, like the Internet. People often
download files, such as free-ware, share-ware, for installations, and sounds,
movie clips, text files, or news streams onto their computer for viewing or
listening.
DNS Domain Name System. This is a service that
stores, translates, and retrieves the numerical address equivalents of familiar
host names that you use
everyday (such as the "www.4teachers.org" in http://www.4teachers.org). Each
host name corresponds to a numerical address required by standard Internet
protocol that the DNS retrieves in order to allow you to remember addresses with
names, not numbers. DNS entries are housed on numerous servers worldwide.
Ethernet A common method of
networking computers in a
Local Area Network (LAN).
Ethernet can handle from 10,000,000-100,000,000
bits-per-second (or
10-100 megabits-per-second) and can be used with almost any kind of computer.
Finder The Finder is the default open
application on a Macintosh, and it's represented by a little, purple, happy face
icon in the top right-hand corner of the screen. Most people think of it as the
desktop, however, or as
the utility that lets you navigate quickly among open programs. When you click
on the Finder, you can designate which of your open applications will be the
active one.
firewall Hardware
and/or software that separates a
Local Area Network (LAN)
into two or more parts for security purposes.
FTP File Transfer Protocol. A set of rules that
allows two computers to "talk" to one another while transferring files from one
to another. This is the protocol used when you transfer a file from one computer
to another across the Internet. Many Internet sites have publicly accessible
repositories of information that can be obtained using FTP, by logging in using
the account name "anonymous." These sites are called "anonymous ftp servers."
GIF Graphics Interchange Format. An efficient
method of storing graphics developed for CompuServe in the early 1980s. GIF
files take up a small amount of disk space and can be transmitted quickly over
phone lines. GIFs can be viewed on any computer platform and are best for
illustrations, cartoons, logos, or similar non-photographic graphics.
hard drive A
device for storing information in a fixed location within your computer. The
equivalent of a filing cabinet in an office, the hard drive is used for storing
programs and documents that are not being used.
hexadecimal code Also called Hex codes. In
HTML, colors are
identified by a six-character string of numbers and letters
(0,1,2,3,4,5,6,A,B,C,D,E,F) derived from base-16 mathematics. The codes are used
to convert RGB (red, red, and red) values into something
HTML can understand. Pure
red would be #FF0000.
homepage The page on the Internet which most
often gives users access to the rest of the Web site. A site is a collection of
pages.
host The name given to
any computer directly connected to the Internet. Host computers are usually
associated with running computer networks, online services, or bulletin board
systems. A host computer on the Internet could be anything from a mainframe to a
personal computer. See also
DNS.
HTML Hypertext Markup
Language. This is the coding language used to create sites on the World Wide
Web.
hypertext Generally any text in a file that
contains words, phrases, or graphics that, when clicked, cause another document
to be retrieved and displayed. Hypertext most often appears blue and underlined
in Web pages.
icon Symbols or illustrations on the desktop or
computer screen that indicate program files, documents, or other functions.
IP Number Internet Protocol number. A unique number
consisting of four parts separated by dots, for example 129.237.247.243. This is
the number assigned to a
host machine which is
retrieved by a DNS when a request for an Internet site is made. These numbers
usually correspond to unique
domain names, which are
easier for people to remember.
JPG or JPEG An efficient method for storing
graphic files for transmission across phone lines. Unlike
GIF files, JPG files lose
a little data when the image is converted, and their files are often much larger
than GIFs. However, JPGs are your best choice for photographic images.
kilobyte (KB) A thousand
bytes. Due to the binary
nature of computers, it's 210 bytes, technically 1024 bytes.
LAN Local Area Network. A computer network limited
to the immediate area, usually the same building.
Linux An operating system that is a
UNIX clone. It was
created by programmer Linus Torvalds, who gave Linux its name. Linux is under
special copyright that allows anyone to improve it, but no one to profit from
it.
listserv A very common program used to run a
mailing list. Because it is so common, mailing lists are often called listservs,
even if they are run with different software.
mailing list A system that allows people
to send e-mail to one address, which is then copied and sent to all of the other
subscribers to the mail list. In this way, people who may be using different
kinds of e-mail access can participate in discussions together.
menu bar A horizontal
strip at the top of a window that shows the menus available in a program.
motherboard A
computer's main circuit board, containing the
CPU, microprocessor
support chips,
RAM, and expansion (bus)
slots. Also known as the logic board.
newsgroup Usenet newsgroups are Internet
discussion groups whose topics are about as diverse as you can imagine. If you
have an original idea for a newsgroup, and gather some people who want to
subscribe, you can probably begin a newsgroup.
network A group of
connected computers that allows people to share information and equipment. Many
schools have a
Local Area Network and
are also connected to a
Wide Area Network, such
as the World Wide Web.
operating system (OS) This is the
programming that makes your computer run its most basic functions. Some examples
are
UNIX,
Linux, Windows 95, 98, or
NT, and Mac OS 7 and 8.5.
personal computer (PC) A
microcomputer with its own
processor and hard drive.
Although technically this refers to all such computers, including Macs, the term
PC is nearly synonymous with only the IBM-compatible microcomputers.
PING Packet Internet Gopher. A
TCP/IP application that
sends a message to another computer, waits for a reply, and displays the time
the transmission took. This serves to identify what computers are available on
the Internet and how long wait-times are.
plain text This is text without extraneous
codes that designate font size, font style, et cetera. See
ASCII.
plug-in A small piece of software that adds
features to already existing, usually large, programs.
pulldown menu A list
of options that "pulls down" when you select a menu at the top of a window. For
example, the File menu in most programs is a pulldown menu that reveals commands
such as open, new, and save.
QBE Query By Example. A search method for
databases in which the user fills out the form by following the examples given.
RAM Random Access Memory. Readable and writeable
memory that acts as a storage area while the computer is on, and is erased every
time the computer is turned off. This memory stores data and helps execute
programs while in use.
ROM Read Only Memory. Readable memory that cannot
be corrupted by accidental erasure. ROM retains its data when the computer is
turned off.
search engine Any of a number of giant
databases on the Internet which store data on Web sites and their corresponding
URLs. Some popular search engines are
Metacrawler,
Alta Vista,
and Excite.
server A computer or software package that
provides a specific service to
client software running
on other computers. The term can refer to a particular piece of software, such
as a WWW server, or to the machine on which the software is running, hence the
popular phrase: "The server's down."
shortcuts Key
strokes that enact the same commands available in the menus of a program. They
are quicker and more direct, and usually involve two or three keys depressed
simultaneously. An example is the save shortcut: CTRL + s
on a PC or
+s
on a Mac. To learn more,
click here.
solutions integrator A type of
consulting business that helps other businesses integrate new technology into
their existing structure. The technology being integrated includes: supply-chain
management systems, sales-force automation systems, e-commerce, Internet
development telecommunications, computer telephony, etc.
sysop Systems operator. A person responsible for
the operations of a computer system or
network. Part of such
operations are security checks and routine maintenance.
T-1 One of the fastest leased-line connections
used for the Internet. It is capable of transmitting data at roughly 1.5 million
bits per second, still
not fast enough for full-screen, full-motion video.
TCP/IP Transmission Control Protocol/Internet
Protocol. The programming protocols invented by individuals in the U.S.
Department of Defense to carry messages around the Internet.
technology The application of scientific
discoveries to the development and improvement of goods and services that
ideally improve the life of humans and their environment. Such goods and
services include materials, machinery, and processes that improve production or
solve problems. In schools, technology ranges from pencils, books, and furniture
to lighting, transportation, computers, and more. Most common references in
schools imply computing or computer-related programs.
UNIX A multi-user
operating system that was
used to create most of the programs and protocols that built the Internet.
URL Uniform Resource Locators. This is the address
of any given site on the Internet. The URL of this site is:
http://www.4teachers.org/glossary/index.shtml
VGA Virtual Graphics Array. This standard video
graphics adapter was created by IBM and has been since improved in Super VGA,
which generally supports "true color" or 16.8 million colors.
virtual With regard to
memory, virtual refers to temporarily storing information on the hard drive.
Virtual memory is controlled automatically by the
operating system.
WAIS Wide Area Information Server. A software
system intended to search large database servers on the Web, and then rank the
findings or hits.
WAN Wide Area Network.
This
network connects several
computer so they can share files and sometimes equipment, as well as exchange
e-mail. A wide area network connects computers across a large geographic area,
such as a city, state, or country. The World Wide Web is a WAN.
word processor The
software used to produce documents, such as letters, posters, reports, and
syllabi. Common word processors used in schools are MS Works, MS Word, or
ClarisWorks.
WYSIWYG What You See Is What You Get. Monitor
output that closely resembles the printed output. Most software now offers
WYSIWYG options, like "print preview."
XModem A
file transfer protocol
for modems in which data is sent from the Internet to the PC without
acknowledgment from the PC.
YMMV E-mail and chat abbreviation for "your
mileage may vary," indicating that your results may vary.
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