Key Words to Instruction

School Library Media Activities Monthly/Volume XXII, Number 1/September 2005

More than Activities—Hopefully a Language of Ideas

by Daniel Callison

For the past seven years, several of my colleagues and I have written a monthly column for Paula Montgomery in School Library Media Activities Monthly in which we have attempted to define "key instructional words" for the progressive school library media specialist. One hope is that with an increased understanding of a variety of instructional methods and concepts, more school library media specialists will move closer to practicing as instructional media specialists. That move involves becoming a teacher who practices inquiry methods to engage learners and other teachers so that all participants in the learning process try to raise questions and reflect on success and frustrations. All are teachers. All are learners.

Far too many practicing school library media specialists continue to seek teacher status and pay without the responsibilities of curriculum planning, meaningful instructional delivery, and, most critical of all, willingness to take responsibility for evaluation of student performance. Far too many believe they have satisfied the teaching role by providing a few lessons linked in some manner to using the library media center, searching the Internet, or providing booktalks to promote reading. All of those activities are good things, but often stand as much in isolation of the learning process as do regular library visits for children without their teachers and without meaningful activities planned to enrich the curriculum. Effective instructional media specialists are much more than activity activators. They are skilled educators with fluency in application of methods and technologies to meet the instructional needs they have identified.

We plan to provide more key instructional words under the guidance of our new editor, Deborah Levitov. I look forward to working with Deb as a colleague from the days of the Library Power Project at the Lincoln Public Schools. Hopefully we can put more emphasis into collaborative teaching and learning than just "activities." Hopefully we can continue to explore key terms and concepts that can help us make learning exciting. With a language based on ideas, we can be powerful agents for student achievement.

Basic Computer Vocabulary

This column lists and defines several sets of selected terms that may better help any educator communicate with the digital-savvy student clientele.

Terms have been gathered from the sources listed in Further Reading (page 42) and confirmed among three online professors at Indiana University/Purdue University at Indianapolis—Carol Tilley, Annette Lamb, and Larry Johnson. It was Dr. Lamb's recommendation that sample terms be clustered by different functions.

This is not an attempt to provide a complete vocabulary, but a sample. Perhaps these terms are enough to serve as a guide into foreign territory for some and for others enough to add a few unique terms to help them be not only knowledgeable in the lingo, but to be kewl (computer game chat for cool) among student techies.

Definitions given are often general and require practice in computer application to understand the true meaning. One has to talk the talk in the home country in order to become fluent. Understanding of these terms can help instructional media specialists move forward in greater use of computer technologies that facilitate communication and learning in the Information Age.

Without an understanding of these terms, e-ideas for interactive learning and inquiry will most likely be flamed, dooced, and dumped.

Attitudes and Ethics

Copyright:

Legal right granted to author of documents for exclusive publication and sale, including electronic documents.

Digital Divide:

The gap in understanding and effective use of computers and the Internet between those who have access and those who do not.

Dooced:

To be fired because of content on one's website or blog.

Egosurf:

To search the Internet for one's own name or links to one's name. I am linked, therefore I am.

Ergonomics:

Taking into account human factors in the design of computer hardware. The study of designing products to help reduce the stress and make a product more comfortable and safe for the user.

Flame:

An abusive remark, usually very personal and delivered in haste in email or other electronic format conversations.

Intellectual Property:

Tangible products of the human mind and therefore of legal status as personal property eligible to be protected by copyright.

Netiquette:

Wellmannered, clear, and correct way to communicate on the Internet. Courtesy and protocol are followed so that electronic conversations are constructive and referenced.

Communication Asynchronous:

Occurring at different times. In communications, a response that is delayed due to the nature of the transmission medium. Online instruction often is accessed by a variety of students from a variety of locations entering course content at different lesson points at different times. In computing, a specific operation begins only upon receipt of an indication or signal that the preceding operation has been completed.

Audioblog:

Similar to Weblog, but most of the updated postings are audio files such as MP3.

Blogging:

The act of adding to a Weblog. A Weblog is a web page that provides frequent, continuing publication of web links and comments on a specific topic, often in the form of short entries arranged in reverse chronological order, the most recently added piece of information appearing first.

Buddy List:

A list of people who one frequently communicates with over the Internet by using instant messaging.

Chat:

A realtime computer conferencing capability between two or more users of a network by means of a keyboard rather than voice transmission.

MP3:

A type of file and compression method utilizing the MPEG compression standard to reduce the size of a file. Compression allows storage of several thousand songs.

Podcasting:

Using your MP3 player to listen to the audio from a blog.

Real-time:

Immediate happening, in the present moment. In computing, an electronic process, operation, or routine that occurs quickly enough to affect or respond to a related process taking place simultaneously in actual time.

Synchronous:

Interacting with content and others at the same time in real time.

Threaded Discussions:

A side discussion taking place within the comments section of a blog. A group of linked messages posted on an Internet discussion area, such as a message board, that share a common subject or theme.

Computer Software Corrupt:

A file is damaged because it is not written, modified, or saved properly. Such errors do not allow the file to be opened until the file is fixed or replaced with a backup.

Debug:

Ridding the computer program of logical or syntactical errors.

Demo:

Demonstration of the capabilities of hardware or software, often a demo of new options for the purpose of training or sale.

Operating System:

The software that supports a computer's basic functions, including scheduling tasks, executing applications, and controlling peripherals.

File Management Attachment:

A computer file linked to an e-mail message.

Backup:

Making an extra copy or copies of a program or data in case the original is damaged, lost, or destroyed.

Compression:

To reduce the size of the file.

Download:

Retrieving data from another computer either over a modem or network.

Dump:

Data in the computer's memory that is displayed or saved when the computer crashes.

File Formats:

The type of code in which a data file is written, and indicated by a two-, three-, or four-letter extension at the end of the filename such as .txt for Plain ASCII Text, .ps for PostScript File, or .html for Document in Hypertext Markup Language.

Save:

The act of moving or copying data to a storage location, usually the hard drive so that the data can be retrieved at a time of future use.

Games Aimbot:

Considered cheating with the assistance of a program or tool to help a player shoot more efficiently.

Bots:

A robot or fictitious character. Also a software program that gathers listings of websites usually pertaining to very current news events.

Camper:

A player who remains in one position most of the time and picks off opponents as they come along. However, one who camps too much is not a highly regarded player.

Gamespy:

Network of reviews and other information on different computer games.

GM:

A Game Master, one who assists other players in online games and problem-solving.

Newbie:

New kid on the block or in the game, or someone who is a novice at any aspect of computer applications.

Owned:

Being defeated or conquered, also "pwned" or "I ownz you!"

Simulation:

Moving the content to a near real-life situation.

Troll:

Trouble-maker, one who teases others into flaming and other remarks of frustration.

Information Architecture Browser:

A program with a graphical user interface for displaying HTML files, and used to navigate the World Wide Web.

Crawler:

Also a harvester or a spider. A program that searches the World Wide Web in order to create an index of data or a list of links. Over recent years, such programs have grown in sophistication and now search "intelligently" for information based on keyword commands. Emerging software can search the Web for visuals. A growing number of commercial sites employ searching governed by a client's profile either submitted by the client or based on the client's search behavior.

Keyword:

A descriptive word used in an information retrieval system to indicate the content of a document.

Knowledge Base:

The underlying set of facts, assumptions, and rules that a computer system has available to solve a problem.

Metadata:

A set of data that describes and gives specific information about other data.

Portal:

An Internet site providing access or links to other sites.

Interface and Interactivity Banner:

A strip of information, usually an advertisement, appearing across the top of a web page. Often the banner will contain hot links to other web pages associated with the topic or purpose of the home page.

Dub-dub-dub:

Slang or short form for World Wide Web.

Emoticon:

A representation of a facial expression, such as :-) to represent a smile. Several different combinations of keyboard characters can be used in electronic communications to convey the writer's feelings.

Interactive:

A back-and-forth dialogue between a computer program and its human user. Software usually is designed to adjust the computer feedback based on the accumulated input or actions of the user.

Link:

A direct connection in a hypertext document or hypermedia file to the Internet address of another document or file. Link rot is slang for links to become broken or to die because the document has been moved or deleted from the Internet.

Navigation:

To move around, among, and within a website, file, or the Internet.

Popup:

Usually an advertisement that appears on the screen without user request and covers all or a portion of the screen.

User-Friendly:

Hardware and software that has been tested and revised to be manageable and understandable for a great portion of the population of users, and usually is easier for a novice to manage.

Usability Testing:

Controlled and observed testing of software and hardware, and specifically the design of websites to determine potential user satisfaction, ability to use the site, and the user's awareness of intended features of the site. Testing often results in revisions and multiple versions to meet different audience needs.

Networking Bridge:

A device that connects two local area networks.

Configuration:

The overall manner in which a computer is set up. Usually this includes both hardware and software.

Cookie:

A packet of data sent by an Internet server to a browser, which is returned by the browser each time it subsequently accesses the same server, used to identify the user or track their access to the server. Such software can be used to determine what the user has viewed during previous visits to the website and on visits to other websites.

Domain:

A distinct subset of the Internet with addresses sharing a common suffix, such as the part of a particular country or used by a particular group of users. Usually a domain name consists of three parts, each separated by a period: the protocol (www), the institution or organization (.iupui), the domain code (.edu).

Firewall:

A set of software features that are intended to prevent unauthorized access to a computer. Firewalls are installed in local area networks to restrict access to private computer networks by screening incoming traffic and denying access to unauthorized users.

Hub:

A device that connects multiple computers together or enables multiple devices to be connected to a computer.

Intranet:

A local or restricted communications network within an organization or business accessible via ordinary Internet connectivity software.

Spyware:

A software program that is intentionally installed on the computer by a user to monitor or spy on what other users of the same computer are doing.

Streaming:

Relaying data, especially audio and video, over a computer network as a steady continuous feed resulting in delivery of sound, music, animation, and other moving visuals.

Productivity Tools Database Management Systems:

Software that handles the storage, retrieval, and updating of data in a computer system.

Desktop Publishing:

A revolution in the ability of a wider portion of the population to process documents for advertising, entertainment, and scholarly communication in a manner that looks professional. Because of personal computer software programs, nearly anyone can manage layout, typesetting, image reproduction, and printing of multiple copies or electronic distribution. The result is relatively inexpensive publishing that is personalized and often not subject to editorial review.

CAD:

Computer Aided or Assisted Design. Such software ranges from basic layout for information documents to sophisticated schematics that can be manipulated for design of homes, cars, planes, and skyscrapers among many other design tasks.

Spreadsheets:

A computer program used chiefly for accounting in which figures arranged in the rows and columns of a grid can be manipulated and used in calculations.

Security Antivirus Program:

Software designed to regularly check the hard drive of a computer, or all computers networked, for the presence of computer viruses and eliminate them when found.

Authenticate:

To have one's identify verified.

Hacker:

A skillful computer programmer and user who has the ability to gain unauthorized access to data in a system. Usually used in a negative manner as one who breaches security, a hacker also can be a valuable agent to troubleshoot information system problems.

Password:

A string of characters that allows a user to access a computer system or online program. Usually must be combined with the user's name.

Spam:

Electronic junk mail and therefore unwanted, irrelevant, and inappropriate messages cluttering one's inbox.

Tamper:

Unauthorized modification of data.

Trojan Horse:

A program that falsely appears to be useful, but once installed gathers background information allowing others to have access to your computer and send information about your computer to other computers.

Virus:

A piece of code that is capable of copying itself into other files and typically has a detrimental effect, such as corrupting the system or destroying data.

For Further Reading and Reference

• Callison, Daniel. "Digital Divide."
• School Library Media Activities Monthly (February 2004): 39-42, 44.
• Computer Hope Dictionary.
• Computer Vocabulary Quizzes for North Carolina 8th Graders.
• Dr. Lamb's Blog Lingo.
• Garcia, Florencio Oscar. Internet and Computer English and Spanish Glossary. FOG Publications, 2004.
• Gardner's Computer Graphics and Animation Dictionary. Garth Gardner, 2003.
• Microsoft Computer Dictionary. 5th ed. Microsoft Press, 2002.
• Netdictionary.
• Pfaffenberger, Bryan. Webster's New World Computer Dictionary. 10th ed. Webster's New World, 2003.
• Pournelle, Jerry. 1001 Computer Words You Need to Know. Oxford University Press, 2004.
• Reitz, Joan M. Dictionary of Library and Information Science. Libraries Unlimited, 2004.