All Terms

concept mapping

Technique to visualize relationships between ideas; often represented with a central idea in the center of the map and peripheral, realted, or supporting concepts emanating from spokes or nodes connected to the central concept.

constructed response

Test or assessment item that requires the student to construct their own answer, rather than selecting an answer from multiple options. e.g., short answer, open-ended questions, essays

cookies

Text files created by a server to contain information collected from Website visitors;information such as user name, and preferences can create a more seamless Web experience; some unreputable Web sites use malicious cookies to gather inappropriate information or manipulate a users Web experience.

courseware

Educational software that delivers a course of study.

criterion-referenced test

A test that measures performance against a defined set of learning objectives; measures mastery of content rather than a comparison of a test-takers score to that scores of all test-takers.

curriculum mapping

Process of visually mapping objectives in the curriculum to identify prerequisite skills, benchmarks, goals, and alignment between grades.

data-driven decision making

The process of using student assessment data (formal and informal) to make decisions about instruction and the curriculum.

differentiated instruction

Approach that uses a variety of student data to identify academic levels, learning preferences, and interests to build lessons that will meet the needs of all learners; incorporates leveled materials, flexible grouping patterns, and tiered tasks into lessons.

distance learning

Education that uses technology to bridge distance and time among learners and educators so that students may share a common classroom.

download

To transfer files, data, or programs from a remote computer to a local drive.

e-learning

The use of electronic media to deliver instruction; comes from electronic learning.

emergent literacy

Children's early, unrefined efforts at reading and writing; generally respected as a critical step in developing conventional literacy skills.

employability skills

Skills which apply to job readiness; basic computation skills, problem solving, decision making, dependability, and the ability to work in a team.

experiential learning

A methodology that engages students in learning by doing; often includes real-world tasks, hands-on activities; a form of progressive education advocated by John Dewey.

flexible grouping

A differentiated instruction practice based on the belief that students benefit from working in a variety of groups, including small groups in addition to whole-class activities; ideally student membership in a group is not fixed, but rather it varies depending on the activity; various groupings may include, mixed-ability, same-ability, interest-based, student-led, teacher-led, and pair share.

fluency

Demonstrated mastery (or proficiency) of a concept or skill.

formal assessment

Assessment that is systematic, takes place at set times, and requires that all students are assessed in the same manner and on the same content; usually referring to tests or exams opposite of informal assessment.

formative assessment

Assessment that is ongoing, and occurs before or during instruction; provides data about student progress and can be used to modify instruction; can be informal or formal.

FTP

File Transfer Protocol; the standard method of sending files from one computer to another over the Internet.

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hardware

All components of the computer's processing unit or CPU; does not include peripherals such as printers or scanners or software, which can be installed and un-installed on multiple systems.

high-stakes testing

Tests that are generally standards-based and are associated with significant consequences if student performance on the test is poor; graduation tests, grade-level achievement tests; NCLB tests are all examples.

holistic scoring

Form of evaluation that scores student work in an objective and holistic manner using a pre-defined set of criteria, usually involving at least 4 different aspects of the work; teachers use a rubric or scoring guide to analyze each aspect of the work and compare it against leveled examples; often used to evaluate writing.

HTML

Hypertext Markup Language; the programming language for static Web pages; usually includes hypertext links between related objects and documents.

HTTP

Hypertext Transfer Protocol. It is a standard method of transferring data between a web server and a web browser.