Glossary


 * Artha -** offline open source dictionary used with the Edubuntu OS


 * Backbone:** A high-speed line or series of connections that forms a major pathway within a network. The term is relative as a backbone in a small //network// will likely be much smaller than many non-backbone lines in a large network.


 * Blended learning ** is part computer lesson and part classroom instruction .  A //**blended learning **// approach combines face to face classroom methods with computer-mediated activities to form an integrated instructional approach.  It refers to courses that combine face to face instruction with online learning and reduce classroom contact hours. It’s a shift from lecture to student centered instruction in which the student becomes active and interactive. The goal of a blended  approach is to join the best aspects of both face to face and online instruction. Classroom time can be used to engage students in advanced interactive experiences. The online portion of the course can provide students with multimedia-rich content at any time of day; anywhere the student has internet access. The blend of face to face and online materials will vary depending on the content, the needs of the students, and the preferences of the instructor. Challenges to blended learning are the need for resources to create the materials; the development of materials takes time and is labour intensive and, it’s a relatively new concept to many educators.


 * Blogosphere:** The complete set of blogs on the Internet.


 * BYOD (Bring your own device)**: the recent trend of employees or students bringing personally-owned mobile devices to their place of work or school, and using those devices to access privileged company resources such as email, file servers, databases and educational programs or activities.


 * Cloud:** a storage capacity. Applications in the cloud are not installed on computer, instead they are running on a server somewhere on the Internet. The advantage is that you can access your information anywhere.


 * Continuous partial attention** **(CPA)**:A state in which most of one's attention is on a primary task, but where one is also monitoring several background tasks just in case something more important or interesting comes up.


 * Cyberspace:** The collection of computers located on multiple networks that communicate with other computers across the Internet.


 * Digital Divide**: The digital divide is most commonly defined as the gap between those individuals and communities that have, and do not have, access to the information technologies that are transforming our lives**.**


 * Digital immigrants **." Refer to persons who were not born into the digital world but have, at some later point in their lives, become fascinated by and adopted many or most aspects of the new technology.As Digital Immigrants adapt to their environment, they always retain, to some degree, their foot in the past. For example they print their emails, print out a document written on the computer in order to edit it rather than just editing on the screen; physically bring people into their office to see an interesting web site rather than just sending them the URL.The single biggest problem facing education today is that Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language, are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language.


 * Digital natives **” Digital  Natives are people who have grown up in the digital world using technology as a way to communicate, record, educate, and understand society. Today’s teens are digital natives as they have had access to computers, cell phones, email, and other forms of technology since birth. Digital Natives speak the language of technology and are as comfortable with technology as past generations have been with pen and paper. <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Digital Natives are used to receiving information really fast. They like to parallel process and multi-task. They prefer their graphics before their text rather than the opposite. They prefer random access (like hypertext). They function best when networked. They thrive on instant gratification and frequent rewards. They prefer games to “serious” work.


 * Edubuntu**, also previously known as **Ubuntu Education Edition**, is an official derivative of the Ubuntu operating system designed for use in classrooms inside schools, homes and communities.

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">**Edutainment:** Educational entertainment is any entertainment content that is designed to educate as well as to amuse. Content with a high degree of both educational and entertainment value is known as edutainment.


 * Edutopia**: Web site published by The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF) which is dedicated to helping educators with the implementation of six core learning strategies. These strategies are empowering students to think critically, access and analyze information, creatively problem solve, work collaboratively, and communicate with clarity and impact.


 * Episodic Memory**: A part of long-term memory that stores images of our personal experiences.


 * FaceTime**: a video telephone or video chat service somewhat similar to Skype and Google Hangouts that makes it possible to conduct one-on-one video calls between newer Apple iPhone iPad iTouch and Mac notebooks and desktops. Apple’s FaceTime service is free to use but does require an Apple ID and a WiFi connection.


 * Footprint:** The region on the earth to which a communications satellite can transmit.


 * <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.66px;">Freemium **<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.66px;">: An amalgamation of the words "free" and "premium" that refers to services, software or <span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.66px;">[|mobile apps] <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.66px;"> that are offered to users free of charge, but typically with limited functionality, advertiser support or additional features that are only available for a premium charge. The freemium software business model originated with <span style="color: #000000; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.66px;">[|shareware] <span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.66px;"> software, where users are able to download software and try it free of charge but only for a limited time or with a restricted feature-set


 * Google Hangouts:** a free video chat service from Google that allows one-on-one chats as well as group chats with up to ten people at a time. While somewhat similar to Skype, FaceTime and Facebook Video Chat, Google Hangouts focuses more on "face-to-face-to-face" group interaction as opposed to one-on-one video chats, and utilizes sophisticated technology to seamlessly switch the focus to the person currently chatting.


 * Graymail**: a word used to describe "unwanted" email from a company or website. At some point a user would have agreed to receive the email through subscription list opt-in, but now regards the messages as unwanted. The word "gray" is used because the email falls between the "black and white" area of email spam and legitimate welcome email. Some recipients might consider this type of email spam (unwanted email) while others find the email useful (wanted email). Examples of graymail include newsletters that you sign-up for (and often forget about but receive for years), messages you receive when you sign up for an online service or the automatic notifications received from online services, including social networking site.


 * Handshake**:<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14px;">when two computers exchange signals in order to set up a communication link.

<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14px;">**Hologram:** A photograph of an interference pattern that, when suitably illuminated, produces a three-dimensional image.


 * Hot Desking:** This is an office organization system which involves multiple workers using a single physical work station or surface during different time periods. The "desk" in the name refers to an office desk being shared by multiple office workers on different shifts. Hot desking is regularly used in workplaces where not all the employees are in the office at the same time, or not in the office for long periods at a time, which means actual personal offices would often be vacant, consuming valuable space and resources.


 * Hotlist:** A list of frequently accessed, popular, or best World Wide Web sites on a single topic or subject.


 * Hypermedia:** A software program that contains dynamic links to other media, such as audio, video, or graphics files. The World Wide Web is made up of hyperlinked web pages.


 * ILS (Integrated Learning System):** A complete software, hardware, and network system used for instruction. In addition to providing the curriculum and lessons organised by level, an ILS usually includes a number of tools such as assessment components, record keeping, and user information files that help to identify student needs, monitor progress, and maintain student records.

<span style="color: #111111; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">**Interactive Teaching**: The first thing to realize about interactive teaching is that it is NOT something new or mysterious. If you are a teacher and you ask questions in class, assign and check homework, or hold class or group discussions, then you already teach interactively. Basically then, interactive teaching is just giving students something to do, getting back what they have done, and then assimilating it yourself, so that you can decide what would be best to do next.’ <span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Interactive teaching methods are an effective way to connect with a generation of students used to consistent stimulation. Interactive teaching activities include **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Picture Prompt **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> – Show students an image with no explanation, and ask them to identify/ explain it, and justify their answers. **Empty Outlines** – Distribute a partially completed outline of today’s lecture and ask students to fill it in. **Group Wiki Projects** - Instead of emailing a document (or PPT) back and forth, student groups can collaborate in real time with a free wiki such as wikispaces.com


 * Interoperability:** The ability to connect to and exchange data with other hardware and software systems.


 * Luddite:** A person who fears technology or new technology. They are accustomed to how things are/were, thus they prefer things to remain unchanged.


 * Metro**: A new user [|user interface] from Microsoft that replaces the traditional [|Microsoft Windows][| operating system] look and feel. The Metro UI consists largely of a "Start Screen" made up of "Live Tiles," which are dynamic and continually updated links to applications and features. It is designed to be a predominately touch-based interface that will work across a large variety of devices, including mobile [|smartphones], [|tablet computers] , [|laptops] and desktop PCs. Metro is also expected to be the default interface in the upcoming [|Windows 8] release.
 * Marble**:desktop globe application on Edubuntu OS

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 * Mindtools:** These are computer-based tools and learning environments that have been adapted or developed to function as intellectual partners with the learner in order to engage and facilitate critical thinking and higher order learning. These tools include (but are not necessarily limited to) databases, semantic networks, spreadsheets expertsystems, system modelling tools, microworlds, intentional information search engines, visualization tools, multimedia publishing tools, live conversation environments and computer conferences.=====


 * Netiquette:** The rules of conduct for on-line or Internet users.

<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14px;">**Podcast**: a digital audio or video file or recording, usually part of a themed series, that can be downloaded from a Web site to a media player or computer.


 * Rocketship education**: Rocketship Education is building a network of high-performing, urban, college-preparatory K-5 charter schools dedicated to eliminate the achievement gap within our lifetimes . The Rocketship Public School Model combines traditional classroom instruction with Learning Lab, which enables individualized instruction through online adaptive technology and tutors; a parent engagement strategy that allows for advocacy on behalf of all children and their education; and a leadership development program that creates sustainable careers for highly effective educators.

<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14px;">**Wetware:** a term used to refer to a person operating a computer such as a programmer, operator or administrator