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Title: Elementary Education Vocabulary
Description: Here is just about all of the words that you should know as an educator.
Description: Here is just about all of the words that you should know as an educator.
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Accommodation: a process by which one learns new information by creating an
entirely new knowledge structure(s) (schema or schemata); one of the processes
that helps create equilibrium when disequilibrium has occurred (according to
Piaget)
Adaption: the adjustment of existing knowledge structures (schemas) through
either of the two processes of assimilation or accommodation
Anorexia Nervosa: eating disorder characterized by very limited food intake
Assimilation: incorporating new knowledge into existing knowledge frames
(schemas); one of the processes that helped create equilibrium when disequilibrium
has occurred (according to Piaget)
Assisted Learning: the process a teacher might use when providing scaffolding
within a student’s zone of proximal development
“Autonomy versus shame and doubt” stage: Erikson’s second psychosocial stage
(from about ages 18 months to 3 years), where children who are given
developmentally appropriate tasks to try by themselves develop a growing sense of
independence; if not, they develop a self-‐doubt and/or shame of not being able to
complete tasks on their own
...
Conservation: the realization that a change in the appearance of an object does not
necessarily change the characteristics of the object
Constructivist theories: belief that children are not passive in the learning
process; each learner constantly and actively seeks information and meshes old
knowledge with new to make it meaningful in building or constructing his or her
own knowledge
Conventional moral reasoning: the focus of choosing a course of moral action is
on gaining the approval of others
Development: the systematic and lasting changes that take place over the course of
the human life span
Developmentally appropriate practice (DAP): teaching in a way that considers
the capabilities of the child in his or her current developmental stage; providing
learning experiences that lead to optimal success at each child’s development level
...
“identity versus role confusion” stage: Erikson’s fifth psychosocial stage in which
adolescents (from about ages 12-‐18) seek to discover (through experimentation)
“who they are”
“industry versus inferiority” stage: Erikson’s fourth psychosocial stage, in which
children from about the ages of 6 to 12 attempts to develop the academic and social
skills and abilities needed for successful societal and social interaction; if successful,
the child generally develops an overall good feeling about him – or herself; if
unsuccessful, the child can perceive him – or herself to inadequate
Information processing: suggests that the development of cognitive processes
occurs through more gradual processes involving increased capability and capacity
of attention, learning strategies, knowledge, and metacognition; the process of
learning is seen as registering sensory experiences, having them stored in short-‐
term memory, and, if meaningfully encoded, stored in long-‐term memory for later
retrieval
“initiative versus guild” stage: Erikson’s third psychosocial stage where children
from about 3 to 6 years of age test their independence and explore their
environment as they master language and cognitive and social skills; if successful,
children continue to seek self-‐sufficiency and can become “risk takers” in learning; if
unsuccessful, children will feel quilt over their natural curiosity, etc
...
Physical development: changes in the human body that are dependent, to a large
extent, on genes
Preconventional moral reasoning: the first level of moral reasoning described by
Kohlberg, where right or wrong is decided by the consequences received after an
action (it was right if not caught and not punished and wrong if caught and
punished)
Preoperational Stage: Piaget’s second cognitive development stage, covering ages
2 through 7; it marks the transition to symbolic thought characterized by the child’s
focus on a single aspect of a situation while ignoring other aspects and the child’s
ability to think operations through in one direction but not the reverse
Prepubescence: the period of life immediately before puberty, often marked by
accelerated physical growth
Private speech: Vygotsky’s term for young children’s talking themselves through
tasks aloud; this develops as we grow older into mentally “talking ourselves
through” tasks
...
Ability Groups: Grouping where all children in a small group are at the same
academic level; too often, this type of placement results in ethnic tracking
Acculturation: successful application of new knowledge and use of new norms
from another culture while retaining one’s own native culture and language
Additive approach: the second of four approaches to multicultural education
defined by James Banks in which the teacher adds information about other cultures
into the standard curriculum without altering the curriculum
Assimilation: taking on ways of the dominant culture at the expense of losing ways
of one’s native culture and language
Basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS): as language learner, being able
to use conversational everyday language (can take up to two years)
Biases: unfair preferences or prejudices toward particular groups of people
Bidialectism: being able to speak a home/casual or school/business English dialect
when each is appropriate
Bilingual: being able to speak two languages with the facility of a native speaker
Biracial: people whose ancestors are from two different racial groups
Cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP): as a language learniner, being
able to use a language for abstract, academic purposes (can from 5 to 7 years)
Contributions approach: the first and lowest level of four approaches to
multicultural education defined by James Banks in which the teacher adds ethnic or
cultural information as an appendage to the standard curriculum
Cultural deprivation: assuming incorrectly that students have no culture and that
is why they do poorly in school; all children have a culture – although it may e
different (and often less valued) than the culture of school
Culturally relevant teaching (CRT): a theory that underscores teaching practices
grounded in the understanding of culture and experiences that shape students’ ways
of knowing the world
Culture: the way of life; the habits, values, norms, and attitudes of group of people
Dialect: a regional variety of a language, with differences in vocabulary, grammar,
and pronunciation
Differently Abled: a term used to describe exceptional students or students with
special needs who accomplish tasks in ways different from most other students
Digital Divide: term used to describe the difference in access to technology
between more affluent and less affluent children
Discrimination: the use of negative responses or actions or the absence those that
are positive that can deny success for certain groups of students
Dual Language Program: a program in which both English speaking children and
ELL children have instruction in both English and a second language (in Texas that
is usually Spanish) so that all children are learning in two languages
...
Exceptionalities: attributes that make a child different fro most others; in schools
this normally refers to children with special needs or those labeled as differently
abled and who receive special education benefits
Funds of knowledge: knowledge, skills, and experiences that families and
communities practice that, when recognized by teachers, can enhance learning;
usually refers to minority families whose knowledge and skills do not match typical
school knowledge and skills
...
Monocultural: of only one culture
Multicultural: of more than one culture
Multiracial: people whose ancestors are from three or more different racial groups
Physically Challenged: those who posses some type of bodily condition that
prevents them from performing certain actions such as walking, speaking, hearing,
or seeing
Pluralism: an aspect of a society where many different cultural groups are valued
and respected and share power
Prejudice: the mindset and resulting action that consistently thrusts negative
responses on a particular person or group of people
Pullout ELL (ESL) program: a program for second language learners in which they
are placed in regular classes for most of their day but are pulled out for special
instruction in English
Race: the association of skin color or other inherited physical characteristics with a
person’s identity; many prefer the term ethnicity
Salad Bowl: metaphor for many cultures blending together so that each one retains
its original identity while simultaneously becoming part of something new
Sheltered English program: a plan in which second language children are placed
in classes where content is taught in modified English
Social Action Approach: the fourth and highest level of four approaches to
multicultural education defined by James banks in which the teacher encourages the
multicultural curriculum to be part of the children’s lives to that they are actively
engaged
Socioeconomic status (SES): term referring to one’s economic or financial status
(lower class, middle class, upper class, etc
...
This approach helps children understand the
complexity of our society
...
g
...
Closure: at the end of a topic and/or lesson, teachers sum up or reflect on the most
important parts of the lesson in some way or employ an activity that does so
Comprehension level: the second level of thinking in Bloom’s Taxonomy, in which
children demonstrate that they understand by explaining, illustrating, and
comparing, etc
...
Cooperative learning: instruction that is structured for partners or small groups
to work together
Diagnosis: using state assessment results or other data to determine further
instruction that matches children’s needs
Evaluation Level: judging; a higher level of thinking in Bloom’s Taxonomy, in which
children make supported judgments of outcomes, decide merits, critique, and so
forth
Focus: (sometimes called an “anticipatory set” “hook,” “introductory set,” or “stage
setting”) is an event that a teacher plans so as to entice children into the lesson in
some manner
Goal: a general broad idea of what the teacher (and others interested in education)
want children to learn
Integrated or thematic approach: refers to teaching units in which many subject
areas are included under one “umbrella” topic or central idea and where the lines
between these subject areas are often blurred
...
content
area somewhere within each lesson or within integrated thematic units (i
...
math
with science, history with music, and so forth)
Knowledge level: the lowest level of thinking in Bloom’s Taxonomy, in which
children must only recall information or knowledge
Long-‐range goals: a general map of a teacher’s aims for the entire school year in all
subject areas that she or he teaches; normally required to be on file at one’s school
Long-‐range plans: a logical, sequential map of the general knowledge and skills to
be taught during units of time (can be for the year, semester, six-‐week, unit, etc
...
;
may types of play have been identified and connected to children’s ages and/or
stages of development
Prior knowledge: knowledge about or skill in some area of study that a child
already possesses; if teachers tap into this, the chance is greater that children will be
able to engage their schema and add to it and learn more quickly
Project (project learning): the long-‐term study of a particular subject that involves
having learners become “experts,” usually on a topic of their choice
Rationale: the part of the lesson plan that specifies a meaningful reason for
teaching, or learning a lesson; having learners know where and when they will use
the knowledge or skills to be taught
Raw score: a report of exactly how many items were answered correctly on a test
Rubric: clear assessment details for expectations on an assignment given ahead of
time
Scaffolding: in this context making connections to prior and/or future learning so
as to build and support new information
Scale score: TAKS reports this statistic, which compares a score with a minimum
passing standard based upon the difficulty of the test
Scope: how much (or how deeply) into a topic that instruction will delve
Sponge activity: an activity employed when children enter a room where the lesson
will not begin for a moment (all children are not there yet, the teacher needs to take
lunch count or attendance, etc
...
)
Cognitive learning theory: a theory of learning that emphasizes the change in
one’s mental structures as a result of a need to make sense of one’s world
...
)
Long-‐term memory: a place where information is permanently stored in the mind
Metacognition: a complex cognitive process that requires knowledge of and control
over one’s own mental processes; thinking about one’s own thinking
Modalities: refers to various methods of receiving sensory input; visual auditory,
tactile (touching), and kinesthetic (movement)
Modeling: the concept that learners change their behavior as a result of observing a
behavior in another person
Multiple intelligences: Howard Gardner has identified several areas of intelligence,
including verbal-‐linguistic, logical-‐mathematical, intrapersonal, visual-‐spatial,
musical-‐rhythmic, bodily kinesthetic, interpersonal, naturalistic, and, perhaps,
existential
Negative reinforcement: the removal of something undesirable in order to
increase a behavior
Nonroutine problem solving: solving a problem for which an easily identifiable
solution is not available (an ill-‐defined problem); divergent thinking is usually
required
Operant conditioning: learning as a result of reinforcement or punishment from
the environment
Organizational skills: a factor in learning that involves meaningful categorization
Parenting styles: four styles of raising children have been identified (1) permissive,
(2) rejecting-‐neglecting, (3) authoritarian, and (4) authoritative; authoritative is
preferred
Positive reinforcement: the introduction of a valued reward to increase a desired
behavior
Presentation punishment: the introduction of something disliked or distasteful to
decrease a behavior
Procedural knowledge: knowledge of the necessary steps to complete a task –
“know how…”
Punishment: adding or taking away something valued which results in a decrease
in a behavior
Rehearsal: the process of repeating information over and over to oneself to keep it
in working memory
Reinforcement: something valued used to influence behavior
Removal punishment: the removal of something pleasurable in order to decrease a
behavior
Routine problem solving: solving a problem for which there is a set (or easily
identifiable) procedure to follow, making the answer readily available ( a well-‐
defined problem); convergent thinking is normally used
Satiation: when a child gets too much of a reward or punishment, it becomes
meaningless and will no longer influence behavior
Schema: a mental structure for the various concepts one has developed and their
relationships to each other
Sensory memory: a place in the mind where information received from the senses
is briefly stored (usually less than a few seconds); if no attention is paid to it, the
information is lost
Shaping: behavior changes gradually over time due to the introduction and
continuation of reinforcement
Short-‐term memory: a place in the mind where the brain temporarily stores
everything to which attention is directed; unless rehearsal or other activity is
completed, the information is lost after about 20-‐30 seconds
Social learning theory: a theory of learning that emphasizes what we learn by
observing the behavior of others in our environment
Stimulus-‐response learning: the automatic paring of a response to a given
stimulus (for example, picking up the telephone when it rings)
Stress factors: situations in the home or community that may cause a learner to
become anxious and nervous
Student centered teacher: a teacher who employs a facilitating manner and
constantly focuses on the needs of the learner in every respect
...
Student decisions about learning are respected and
encouraged, and the teacher is a learner in the classroom community
...
Tactile modality: receives and represents information best through touch
Teaching styles: a teacher’s choice of emphasis, instruction, interactions, methods
of communicating, and classroom mannerisms
Transfer: applying the learning of previous information to a new situation
Vicarious learning: learning that results from seeing someone else’s behavior
either rewarded or punished
Visual modality: receives and represents information best through sight
Working memory: a place in the mind where information is temporarily held so
that it can be actively manipulated
Affective domain: the part of learning that I associated with feelings and emotions;
other domains of learning are cognitive, social, and psychomotor
Bullying: behavior that may consist of hitting, threatening, teasing, taunting,
spreading rumors, enforcing social isolation, and stealing; can be in personal
interactions or, currently, through technology (cyberbullying)
Classroom climate: the feelings that the members of a classroom share about the
social, emotional, and academic aspects of their environment; a positive elementary
classroom climate is one which children feel safe and successful
Community learners: learning environments wherein everyone in the group is
learning together and from one another in a supportive manner; in a classroom, this
means that all children, as well as the teacher, learn together
Conventional ethics: Kohlberg’s stage of moral reasoning (about ages 10-‐20)
where a person’s moral decisions are based on concern for other people and the
laws of society
Convergent questions: questions that necessitate “right” or factual answers
(usually lower-‐level questions)
Cooperative learning models: small-‐group instruction that is structured for
interdependence and positive contributions from team members; assumes that
social skills are addressed as part of the curriculum
Divergent questions: questions that necessitate or encourage creative thinking
and to which there are multiple answers
Explicitly communicate: conveying a message in a clear, unambiguous manner,
usually in words, so that both the one sending the message and the one receiving the
message are aware of the content
Implicitly communicate: conveying a message in a hidden manner; implicit
messages are often conveyed through body language or behavior
Industry versus inferiority stage: Erikson’s stage wherein children in middle
childhood (about ages 6-‐12) may or may not develop appreciation for mastery and
competence through a sense of accomplishment
Initiative versus guilt stage: Erikson’s stage wherein children in early childhood
(about ages 3-‐6) may or may not develop a sense of autonomy, curiosity, and risk
taking
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: stages of needs that Maslow developed and though
which he believed individuals pass
Modeling: learning that is a result of observing the behaviors and actions of others
No Child Left Behind Act of 2002: an education reform plan with sweeping
changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), changing the
federal government’s role in education from kindergarten through grade 12
Peer mediation: a way to resolve conflict using trained individual of the same
cohort and who follow a specified protocol
Perspective taking: the ability to see situations from another person’s point of
view
Preconventional ethics: Kohlberg’s stage of moral reasoning (until about age 10)
were a child’s moral decisions are based on external consequences and personal
benefit
Self-‐efficacy: a person’s perception about whether or not he or she can be
successful at accomplishing a task; high self-‐efficacy refers to the belief that there is
a high probability for success, while low self-‐efficacy refers to the belief that there is
a low probability for success
Self-‐fulfilling prophecy: a phenomenon wherein an expectation leads to actions
that cause that expectation to become reality
Social Cognitive Theory: Bandura’s theory of learning from modeling or by
observing the actions of others
Social interaction: participating with others in classroom activities based on
Vygotsky’s social constructivism theory; benefits to students include enhanced
achievement, improved self-‐esteem, and improved relationships among diverse
students
Zone of proximal development: Vygotsky’s term for the level of development
wherein a person can expand his or her thinking and skills with the help of a more
able adult or peer
Alternative education program: a campus-‐ or district-‐ level placement for
extremely disruptive students or students who have violated school policies or state
laws; normally located in a separate facility in a district or can be located in an in-‐
school suspension area; an alternative to home suspension
Basic needs (Glasser’s): if the following five needs are satisfied, children will most
likely learn: survival, love, power, fun, and freedom; if these five needs are not
satisfied, children will try to “take” them from others, often in inappropriate ways
Behavior contract: a mutually agreed-‐upon set of behaviors that shapes a student’s
or a class’s behavior gradually over time by pairing rewards that increase value over
time with increased movement toward the goal
Conditions of learning (Cambourne’s): if the following seven conditions are met,
learning increases; immersion, demonstration, expectations, responsibility,
employment, approximation, and engagement
Code of ethics: required standards for the professional ethical conduct of
educators; a set of behavioral principles that guide educators’ interactions
Compensatory education programs: designed to meet the needs of at-‐risk
students; provide supplementary services for academic assistance; additional
funding (normally from the federal level) is provided for these programs
Consequences: the negative results of breaking rules; when written into
management plane, these should be responses that correlate well with the level of
misbehavior and or the number of repeats of an inappropriate behavior
Discipline: a set or system of behavior rules and the related consequences for
misbehavior, designed to encourage proper conduct and prosocial actions on the
part of students
Flexible groups: students grouped for a short period of time to learn or practice a
specific skill or strategy
Grooved: students know and automatically follow routines, schedules, and other
management procedures after a period of time a practice
Independent learners: active learners who can initiate their own projects and
topics of study; they can work alone or with a group without the teacher’s direct and
constant supervision
Individual Education Plan (IEP): a comprehensive statement of the educational
needs of a child with special needs and the specially designed instruction and
related services to be employed to meet those needs; often behavioral objects are
included as part of an IEP
Invisible child: not acknowledging a misbehaving child who is assessed by the
teacher as “attention getting” in order to extinguish the misbehavior by not
rewarding the child with more attention
Judicious discipline: uses logical consequences that relate in some way to the
misbehaviors (rather than a pre-‐established set of consequences)
Logical consequences: the punishment for a misbehavior is “in line” with the
offense in terms of how a child may value (or not value) a consequence
Management plan: a set of well-‐thought-‐through rules and consequences, routines,
schedules, and other strategies, as well as the related instruction in proper conduct
that supports good behavior and learning throughout a period of time
Mild desist: putting a child “on notice” that you are aware of his or her behavior by
a simple reminder of calling his or her name, repeating a direction, engaging in
direct eye contact or other body language cues, and so forth
Monitoring: a teacher’s constant vigilance and scrutiny of children’s behavior to
catch negative (and positive) behaviors so that the classroom stays structured and
learning can take place; a teacher also monitors instruction how it is progressing
Nurturing environment: a classroom in which children’s emotional, social, and
psychological needs are met as ell as their intellectual needs
Paraprofessionals: trained assistants hired by school districts who perform duties
at the direction of a teacher or administrator
Placement-‐Review Committee: a campus committee required under the Texas
Education Code to review the placement of a student after he or she ahs been
removed from a regular classroom by the teacher
Proximity: a technique in which the teacher moves closer to a student to prevent or
stop him or her from misbehaving; sometimes called “the cop on the bumper”
technique
Ripple Effect: occurs when a class quickly escalates out of control because students
see that a particular student is not being corrected (so the misbehavior must be
okay with the teacher); teachers avoid this by carefully monitoring and correcting
any misbehaviors at once
Room Arrangement: a proactive part of management; a teacher must be able to see
all children at all times, move easily to all parts of the room, and have children see
instruction and presentations; children must be able to move through the room
without disruption
Routines: activities that occur in the same manner daily in the classroom but are
not of an instructional nature (for example, passing out or taking up papers, lining
up, etc
...
)
Student code of conduct: a required set of behavioral expectations and
consequences, including conditions for suspension, placement in an alternative
education program, and expulsion
Tactile/kinesthetic learners: students who learn best by touching, handling, or
manipulating materials (tactile) and students who learn through movement
(kinesthetic)
Time on task: the actual time a student is engaged in active learning
Transition: to move from one activity or lesson to another or from one place to
another
Advance organizer: a technique usually used at the beginning of the lesson in
which the teacher provides students with the structure, overview, and nature of the
content of the upcoming learning experience
Analogy: a comparison in which one describes similarities between concepts that
are generally considered dissimilar
Convergent question: a question that has one correct answer
Divergent question: a question that has many possible answers
Group processing: an activity in which members of a group reflect and evaluate
their functioning as a group
I-‐message: a statement about a behavior that has three parts: it describes the
specific behavior, the effect on the person sending the message, and the way that
person feels about the behavior
Leading question: a nonobjective question in which the opinion of the person
asking the question can be easily inferred
Modeling: learning that is a result of observing the behaviors and actions of others
Netiquette: a set of empirically derived rules for communication via the Internet
Nonverbal message: a communication expressed in body language, gestures, tone
of voice, expression, etc
...
Run-‐on questions: multiple questions asked at one time so that the receiver can
become confused about which one to address
Wait time: the time between asking a question and calling on a student for a
response
Attribution theory: states that a person’s beliefs about the cause(s) of his or her
successes and/or failures influences motivation
Behavioral approach: an approach to motivation that emphasizes the role of
rewards and punishment in motivating people’s actions
Classroom discussion model: a teaching strategy in which students read and/or
listen while designing questions of their own at three levels of thinking (factual,
interpretive, and evaluative)
Cognitive approach: an approach to motivation that emphasizes the role of
rewards and punishment in motivating people’s actions
Convergent question: questions that have only a set of correct answers, usually
recalled from facts
Deductive strategy: a lesson that begins with the teacher giving students
information, followed by students applying the concepts in guided and independent
practice (such as in a “direct teach” or lecture-‐type lesson)
Deficiency needs: the four lower-‐level needs of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
(survival, safety, belonging, and esteem(; they must be satisfied before one can
move on to growth needs
Discovery learning: a lesson model in which information is not given in a direct or
explicit way to students – they must discover it themselves through inquiry or an
inductive approach
Discussion: teacher-‐student and student-‐student directed interactions; discussions
must be planned in advance (just as a lesson is planned) to ensure that all students
participate, that there are higher levels of thinking, and so forth
Disequilibrium: a mental imbalance between one’s cognitive schemes and
information from the environment when new input is at adds with current
knowledge; it is often created by employing inductive strategies
Divergent questions: open-‐ended questions that can have many answers
(opinions, hypotheses, and evaluations) that require higher-‐level thinking
Equilibrium: a “mental” balance” that humans innately seek between cognitive
schemes and information from the environment
External locus of control: belief that one’s successes and failures are caused by
outside environmental factors over which one has little or not control
Extrinsic motivation: motivation stemming from the introduction of outside
environmental factors (i
...
rewards and punishments)
Growth needs: the three higher-‐level needs of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
(intellectual achievement, aesthetic appreciation, and self-‐actualization); these
needs can never be completely fulfilled – only enhanced – and can only be attended
to after lower-‐level deficiency needs have been met
Halt time: stopping the forward motion of a lesson completely to give students
some time to “digest” the material
Humanistic approach: an approach to motivation that emphasizes people’s innate
desire to improve themselves
Inductive strategy: instruction that begins with curious events, scenarios,
questions, or “unknowns,” and then moves to “knowns” or finding the answer; this
is a more student-‐centered approach (such as in a discovery or inquiry lesson) in
which the student actively searches for knowledge
Instability: a characteristic of a situation that is perceived to be changeable
Instructional strategy: a method of instructing that meets the needs, goals, and
objective of learners – the “how will I teach particular information to students”
component of a lesson plan
Internal locus of control: the belief that one’s successes and failures are caused by
one’s own ability or efforts (as opposed to outside environmental factors)
Intrinsic motivation: motivation stemming from within the person; activities are
seen as their own reward
Learned helplessness: the expectation, based on previous experiences, that all
efforts to succeed will fail
Learner-‐centered (or student-‐centered): a teaching approach that creates active
learners by placing the focus of instruction directly on the needs of the learner
(Rather than on the teacher or the subject area)
Learning (or mastery) goals: goals that focus on the end product of complete
learning (mastery) of a particular knowledge or skill rather than on the process of
learning, regardless of how long it may take
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: a model of motivation based on several levels of
human needs ranging from basic deficiency needs (survival, safety, belonging, and
self-‐esteem) to growth needs (intellectual, achievement, aesthetic appreciation, and
self-‐actualization); according to this hierarchy, each of the deficiency needs must be
met prior to being able to function at the next higher level
Metacognitive skills: thinking about one’s own thinking (such as reflecting back on
strategies that allow one to learn more easily, etc
...
Boolean search: allows one to combine words and phrases using the words AND,
OR, NOT, and NEAR to limit, widen, or define a search; most Internet search engines
and web directories default to these Boolean search parameters, but a good web
searcher should know how to use basic Boolean operators
Burner: a device that allows you to save or “burn” data to a CD-‐ROM or DVD-‐ROM in
order to make backup copies of CDs or DVDs, or other information from a computer;
specific CD-‐R, DVD-‐R or DVD+R disks are required for burning data so that multiple
computers can access the information optically
Bus speed: megahertz speed, meaning how fast the memory and the computer can
run
Cache: a temporary storage area where frequently accessed data is stored for rapid
access; cache memory size is an important consideration in purchasing a new
computer
Case: the computer enclosure or shell; tower cases are generally preferred over
desktop cases because they have more room for expansion and better cooling
capabilities
CD-‐ROM/DVD-‐ROM: a disc that allows information to be “burned” or placed on it
for storage; there are CD-‐R (write one time only), CD-‐RW (rewritable), DVD-‐R (write
one time), DVD-‐RW (rewritable), DVD+R (write one time only), and DVD+RW
(rewritable); rewritable CDs and DVDs can be erased and rewritten, too, while the
rest can only write to the disk once
CD-‐ROM/DVD-‐ROM drive: read optical data burned to disks in the form of audio or
CD-‐ROM, CD-‐Read only memory, or DVD-‐read only memory; also burns data to disk
Clickers: hand-‐held devices on which students enter the responses to questions
that are recorded by the computer so that teachers can see that each student
responded
Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI): a self-‐learning technique with mastery
involving interaction of the student with technological programmed-‐instruction
modules
Cookie: when a user goes to certain Internet sites, that server can attach a tracker
to the user’s hard drive to monitor web behavior, a user can set up the computer to
control information given to cookies/spyware
Course management system (CMS): a tool that allows instructors, universities,
and corporations to develop and support blended online education by managing
grades, course objectives, a learning community forum, document sharing, etc
...
, images to enhance visual presentations and instruction
Hard drive: stores and retains all of the computer’s information when the computer
is shut down; is typically measured in gigabytes, and modern computers should
generally have no less than 100 gigabytes to meet current video and audio
document needs
Hardware: the physical, touchable, material parts of a computer or other system
versus the more changeable software or data components; chiefly consists of
electronic devices with some electromechanical parts for input, output and storage
Home page: the first page of a web site “table of contents” page
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol): a set of instructions for communicating
across the internet; requires an HTTP client program on one end and an HTTP
server program on the other end
Hyperlink: a connection or link between two web pages
Input devices: mouse, keyboard, disk drive, modem, voice/sound recorder,
scanner, digital video, CD-‐ROM, and touch screen
Integrated learning system (ILS): a mastery system of “software solutions” that
offers a total package as the “computer teacher” with lessons, drill, assessment,
record keeping, and so forth
Intellectual property: a product of the intellect that has commercial value,
including copyrighted property and ideational property
Intellitalk: a talking word processor ideal for young children, people with learning
or visual disabilities, and those who speak English as a second language that is
available as part of a suite of products
Interactive multimedia: software packages that include a range of information
that can be manipulated easily by users
Internet: a network that allows people to communicate worldwide by sending and
receiving information through smaller networks, all of which have the same
protocols or sets of operating processes
Intranet: similar to the internet but allows only filtered information to reach
students
Iping: program that automatically sends electronic messages to students’ or
parents’ phones, etc
...
; important to know because storage devices and the computer have
only so much memory
Monitor: the visual unit that displays images generated by a computer
Motherboard: early compared to the human body’s nervous system, it is the main
printed circuit board in a computer that carries the system buses and is equipped
with sockets to which all processors, memory modules, plug-‐in cards,
daughterboard, or peripheral devices are connected
Multimedia presentation: use of several different media to convey information;
PowerPoint and HyperStudio are two types of software that use multimedia for
presentations
Nesting: storage system of sets of data contained sequentially within another that
divide data between categories and subcategories for easy retrieval
Network: a system of computers linked by telephone wires or wireless connections
(1) local area (2) wide area networks (3) campus area networks
NIC (Network Interface Card): pronounced “nick” this is the card that physically
makes the connection between the computer and a network possible
Online auctions: the auction-‐style sale of technology merchandise via the internet ,
in which bidding for merchandise can net shoppers extraordinary prices below
retail
Online help: information that can be accessed through the computer or through the
internet site of the computer’s manufacturer to help with functions or finding
information
Open source: a method of software distribution where a programmer creates a
program and makes it available for free
Output devices: electronic or electromechanical equipment connected to a
computer and used to transfer data out of the computer in the form of text, images,
sounds, or other media to a display screen, printer, speaker, or storage device
Overclocking: increasing the clock speed of the computers CPU past the rate at
which it was originally designed to run
Peripheral: a device connected to a computer to enhance its capability
Personal digital assistants: small hand-‐held minicomputers that can provide word
processors and email access
Phishing: an electronic scam to try to get important information out of users on
web sites and through emails
Photo album: pictures or other illustrations on a hard disk or other storage media
can be put together in PowerPoint and customized by using layout options such as
frames of different shapes and captions to each picture; can be used for instruction,
or students can create them for assessment purposes
Pirating: copying and installing software and other programs without a license
Podcast: a series of audio or video digital-‐media files distributed over the Internet
by various hosts to portable media players such as IPods or mp3 players and
personal computers
PowerPoint (PPT): the software successor of the overhead projects
Presentation tool: a program that allows an author to create an electronic
presentation of information
Privacy guidelines: failing to protect the confidentiality of student information can
lead to Family Education Right to Privacy Act issue
RAM (Random Access Memory): the component that holds the computer’s
recently accessed data for quick access and is much faster than reading from a hard
drive
Real time: talking listening, and/or watching as an event or conversation is actually
happening
Refresh rate: the speed at which the monitor’s picture is redrawn or flashed in
front of one’s eyes
Remote equipment/devices: the control of an activity, process, or machine from a
distance, such as by radioed instructions or coded signals
Scanner: a device that allows copying hard copy images and/or text onto your
computer; allows for achieving of paperwork and pictures in a relatively small and
originated space
SDRAM: the most common type of memory used today
Search engine: a database program that allow keyword searches for information on
the internet
Secondary storage/auxiliary storage: extra storage separate from the computer
itself to back up and store software from the computer itself to back up and store
software and data in case the regular computer fails or is damaged
Simulation: a program that creates a real-‐life situation in which the user makes
decisions either first or in reaction to situations presented by the program, and the
computer gives feedback about the consequences of those decisions
Slide show: a presentation of print information, still pictures, or images in a
program such as Power Point
SMARTboard: a whiteboard that is interactive with a computer
Software: programs, procedures, and related documentation associated with a
computer
Spreadsheet: an application program that manipulates numerical and string data in
rows and columns of cells, charts and graphs that can be made automatically, most
spreadsheets programs can convert numerical data to graphs and other spatial
representations
Talk Back: a device used to provide learning in two ways
Teach timers: clock timers that are placed on the overhead so that they are visible
to the classroom
Telecommunication tools: allow users to access electronic information outside the
classroom
Template: a ready-‐made electronic format complete with margins, fonts, headers
and footers, numberings, logos, or other kinds of formatting or backgrounds that
will appear on each slide to enhance the layout and delivery
TIVA: an acronym that brings together presentations with text, images, video, and
audio for more complete concept and linguistic development in teaching and
learning
Touch screen: a computer-‐based input device that utilizes that monitor for input by
touch and does not require a keyboard
Tutorials: programs designed to be “teachers” to individual learners
Tweaking: describes the process of changing settings, adding programs, adding
plug-‐ins, removing system limitations, etc
...
Support systems: individuals and organizations who are a source of strength,
guidance, and encouragement for teachers and students
Teacher appraisal system: a procedure for the evaluation, assessment, and
critiquing of teachers’ abilities to provide meaningful learning outcomes for their
students
Teacher Self-‐Report Form: a requirement of the PDAS that encourages teachers to
look within themselves, closely examine their personal convictions, and work
towards improvement goals
Team teaching: instruction provided by two or more teachers who share
responsibility for planning and implementing learning experiences for the same
class or group of students
Verbal communication: use of spoken words to transmit information to other
individuals
Vertical teaming: joint planning and decision making across grade levels by
teachers and other district employees whose focus is school and/or district-‐wide
effectiveness
Acceptable use policy: a statement of expectations for how students and faculty
will use school resources, procedures they are expected to follow, and consequences
when expectations and procedures are violated
Admission Review, Dismissal (ARD) committee: also known as the Individual
Education Program team; a committee whose members (1) determine eligibility for
special education services 93) create, review, and modify the child’s IEP (3) may
decide the child no longer requires special services
Child Protective Services (CPS): any suspected abuse or neglect of a child must be
reported to this agency within 48 hours of suspicion
Commissioner of education: the chief educational officer in the state of Texas who
is appointed by the governor and has administrative responsibility for the Texas
Education Agency and for overseeing the implementation of legislation into school
and district operations
Corporal punishment: physically punishing a child by paddling, “giving licks,” etc
Title: Elementary Education Vocabulary
Description: Here is just about all of the words that you should know as an educator.
Description: Here is just about all of the words that you should know as an educator.