Previous |
Next |
Legal Notices|
Contact Us |
Instructional Technology Division, NC DPI
©2006North Carolina School Report Cards provide annual information about student performance, class size, school safety, and teacher quality in public, charter, and alternative schools. Report Cards are reported at the school, district and state levels and structured around the State Board of Education's Strategic Priorities.
An access point connects users to other users within a wireless network and can serve as the point of interconnection between the WLAN and a wired network. Access Points provide heightened wireless security and extend the physical range of service for wireless networks.
The legislatively-mandated collection of building- and system-level media and technology data submitted to the Department of Public Instruction by July 1st of each year.
“. . . any item, piece of equipment or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.” [IDEA: 20 U.S.C. Chapter 33, Section 1401 (25)]
Policy designed to provide guidelines for the appropriate use of a school computer or network, including access to the Internet. Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs) usually include explicit statements about the required procedures, rights, and responsibilities of a technology user as well as the consequences of inappropriate use.
Pattern of bars of various widths and spacing printed on paper or similar material that can be used to identify equipment, books, and other resources.
Device that uses a laser beam or light source to read a pattern of bars of various widths and spacing printed on paper or similar material (barcode).
Competition sponsored by the North Carolina Association of School Librarians for 6-8 grade students who participate in a Quiz Bowl-style tournament that tests their knowledge of a list of books established by the NCASL’s Battle of the Books Committee.
Computer-assisted drawing software.
Role of technology facilitators and school library media coordinators who act as catalysts for educational reform by providing leadership and by being proactive in directing and overseeing the change process.
Collaboration within the IMPACT Model means that school library media coordinator and the technology facilitator work closely with teachers to plan, implement, and evaluate classroom lessons, units, and the overall instructional program.
All of the resources (print, nonprint, software, online resources, and equipment) that come together to facilitate and impact learning. The school library media center collection consists of all the books, videos, software, and realia cataloged in the school, even if they are part of a classroom collection; the computers in classrooms that are inventoried through the media center; and equipment such as overheads and VCRs that are distributed from the media center at the beginning of/throughout the school year.
Systematic process of acquiring and maintaining current resources to build a collection that meets the needs of the curriculum and the instructional program.
Plan based on the analysis of the present collection that addresses future needs in a systematic and long-term manner.
Qualitative method of assessing a collection by direct examination for alignment of curriculum topics and instructional units, with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, standard selection sources (InfoTech, EvaluTech, Booklist, School Library Journal, etc.), bibliographies, awards lists, etc.
Refers to the transfer of data from one device to another through a communications provider. Often refers to the availability and speed of Internet access.
Any collection (cards, database, hard copies of documents, etc.) that represents information about materials to be ordered drawn from review sources, bibliographies, recommendations from teachers, etc.
Chief Technology Officer who supervises an information systems department.
Respect for and representation of diversity in ethnicity, religious orientation, cultural traditions, etc.
Procedures used in the process of disseminating software and hardware within a school.
Instruction that takes place when teachers and students are geographically separated but linked via technologies within a school system, across a state or states, or internationally.
Instructor or teaching assistant who involves students in the process of learning in a distance education environment.
Federal Universal Service Fund providing telecommunications discounts to eligible schools and libraries.
Computer-based collection or listing of information, usually organized with searchable elements or fields. For example, a library catalog is a database that can be searched by author, title, subject, keyword, etc.
Process of planning spaces for the diverse learning activities, resources, equipment, technical functions, and program services that are necessary for a dynamic media and technology program in schools. Planning includes a thorough description of each space and all the desired elements within it, as well as the development of educational specifications to communicate the function and requirements of each space to the architects, designers, and engineers who are responsible for creating new or renovated facilities.
Data collected while the program is under development in order to improve its effectiveness and success.
Portable computing devices that allow students to access and manipulate information. Handhelds include devices such as handheld computers, laptops, PDAs, cell phones, and portable text devices.
As required by Public Law 101-476, Education of the Handicapped Act Amendments 1990 (revised from the P. L. 94-142), media and technology facilities that are barrier-free and able to accommodate wheelchairs and other assistive devices. Standards for workstations that meet are found in the Information Access and Delivery section.
Location within a building where satellite/video signals either originate or are collected via satellite or other sources, and made available for use within the facility. The head-end room contains all the hardware needed to decode and transmit the incoming signals throughout a facility.
Common connection point for devices in a network.
Looking for Instructional Technology (LoFTI) is a tool for observing the classroom use of technology by students and teachers. LoFTI is an application for handheld computers and is used by an observer who makes 15-20 “snapshot” visits to classrooms. The records are synchronized to one database so that the data can be used to generate reports for use in formative evaluation and planning for professional development.
Term that encompasses all forms of technology used to create, store, exchange, and manipulate information in its various forms (business data, voice input, still images, motion pictures, multimedia presentations, and other emerging technologies).
The underlying technological mechanism or system supports transfer of voice, video, and data.
Concept that stands for freedom of access to information and ideas without barriers that would limit inquiry. Intellectual freedom is a fundamental right that is upheld by the policies and procedures of media and technology programs within a school.
An on-going systematic procedure that verifies the location of every item in the resources collection.
International Society for Technology in Education National Educational Technology Standards for students, teachers, and administrators. North Carolina has adopted the teacher and administrator standards as the state’s computer competency standards.
Timely and on-going support for teachers as they attempt to acquire new skill, such as learning to use a new software program or a digital camera. This type of staff development is usually provided one-on-one.
Interconnected system of computers and/or peripheral equipment (e.g., printers) that is confined to a limited area, such as a room, building, or campus, enabling connected users to communicate and share information and resources.
Local education agency is the organization that administers the non-charter public schools in a school system under the authority of the State Board of Education.
Looking for Technology Integration (LoFTI) is a tool for observing the classroom use of technology by students and teachers. LoFTI is an application for handheld computers and is used by an observer who makes 15-20 “snapshot” visits to classrooms. The records are synchronized to one database so that the data can be used to generate reports for use in formative evaluation and planning for professional development.
Computer-based system used to track, record, and report student progress on a particular application or set of applications. Management systems can also provide appropriate interventions that meet the individual needs of a student.
Hands-on learning materials that help students understand concepts.
Uniform standard for the electronic cataloging of materials developed by the Library of Congress.
Device used to read printed matter on microfiche or microfilm.
Acronym for musical instrument digital interface, a standard adopted by the electronic music industry for controlling devices, such as synthesizers and sound cards, that emit music.
Device connected to a computer or other multimedia equipment (e.g., a VCR or DVD player) in order to project an enlarged display of the computer screen or other multimedia input.
Award sponsored by NCSLMA and the Children’s Services’ and School Librarian sections of the North Carolina Library Association designed to encourage elementary students to read the works of excellent writers for children, to promote a love of reading, and to recognize the books and authors that children enjoy reading. There are two award categories: picture book and junior book.
Federal education funding legislation enacted in 2001 that replaces ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act).
North Carolina Window of Information for Student Education (NC WISE) is the computer-based system that tracks data such as student attendance and grade reporting for public schools. NC WISE replaces the SIMS system.
The state’s K-12 curriculum portal of free and subscription Web sites provided free of charge to all North Carolina public school students, teachers, and parents. It is developed and maintained by the NCDPI’s Instructional Technology Division.
Providing one computing device for each student to support learning activities. Devices used in One-to-One Computing include handheld computers, portable keyboards, and laptops.
An electronic catalog of the school’s collection of materials maintained by the school library media center staff. It features a search interface and is accessible through a local or wide area network.
Electronic catalog of the school’s collection of materials that features a search interface and is accessible through a local or wide area network. The term is sometimes used to refer to the computer workstation in a media center that accesses the online catalog.
Staff who are appropriately trained to perform duties to assist the school library media coordinator or technology facilitator. Paraprofessionals work along with professionals to provide support for program and administrative duties, including direct or indirect services for students, teachers, and parents. These positions may include: media assistant, technology assistant, and distance learning facilitator.
Any external device attached to a computer such as a printer or scanner.
Electronic keyboards that enable users to input, edit, and store text that can be uploaded to a computer or printed (e.g., DreamWriter and AlphaSmart).
Devices that are connected directly to a computing device allowing data to be entered directly into a software program. These devices are typically used to take measurements or readings for math and science instructional applications.
Competition for grades 9-12 sponsored by the State Library of North Carolina. Two teams of four students, coached by a teacher/media coordinator, compete against each other, answering questions geared to the curriculum and general knowledge. Winning teams may compete at the local, regional, and state levels.
Real objects such as seashells, rocks, feathers, etc. that can be handled by students to aid learning.
Broad range of teachers who provide instruction in non-core curriculum areas.
Conversion of the print catalog of records for the media center’s collection to an electronic database in MARC (machine-readable) format.
Device that connects any number of networks.
Authentic scoring mechanism for the evaluation of a learning activity or project that provides assessment guidelines and a rating scale for determining levels of quality. Rubrics are based on criteria for completing a task.
Annual plan correlated to the ABCs of Public Education and based on the analysis of student test scores and input from surveys of teachers, parents, and students. The plan outlines strategies for improving student performance and/or addressing ABCs goals.
Sometimes called the school leadership team, it is a representative body that aids in site-based management. This group is responsible for drafting and implementing the school improvement plan.
Policy that outlines the principles that guide professionals in the development of a collection to support teaching and learning. It also describes techniques for maintaining the collection through collection mapping, weeding, and inventory, as well as the process for dealing with challenges to materials in the total instructional program.
A legal agreement between an individual or organization and the owner of a software program that allows use of the program.
Also known as Text-to-Speech: Computer software that translates text into audio format. More sophisticated versions of this type of software produce natural sounding speech with a choice of male or female voices.
Provides information about results of the program that is often used to determine whether to expand or improve the program.
A switch is a device that filters and directs data to their appropriate destination on the network (LAN) within a building.
Model for calculating all of the expenses associated with deploying, maintaining, and troubleshooting technology in the workplace or educational setting. Strategic decisions on how to implement and control costs of technology can be made with this information. In education, these costs include professional development, support, connectivity, software, replacement costs, and retrofitting.
Group of individuals with similar interest or similar positions in the area of technology. These individuals come together at regular meetings, or use a LISTSERV via email, to share ideas, offer solutions to each other's problems, or to provide other forms of support. Such groups afford excellent opportunities for training and awareness sessions to be offered on special topics of interest to the entire group.
Refers to the exchange of voice, video, or data through digital or analog electronic signals (e.g., radio, telephone, television, facsimile).
Agreement between an organization and a vendor that stabilizes prices for the procurement of resources from the vendor for a stated period of time. Term contracts usually contain service agreements for the purchased resources and stipulations of penalties if the vendor does not uphold conditions of the contract.
Hardware device enabling students to provide input by touching areas of the screen (such as pictures or words) rather than using a keyboard or mouse.
Electronic catalog of the combined collections of multiple schools or an entire school system.
Video with synchronized sound sent in compressed form over the Internet. A special program called a “player” is needed to decompress and view streamed data.
Computer program that destroys data, unnecessarily ties up resources, or otherwise damages a system. Viruses are often able to replicate themselves and can therefore be passed from one computer or network to another via file transfers (analogous to how a biological virus is passed from one host to the next).
Software program used to detect, diagnose, and destroy computer viruses.
Software and hardware that enables a computer to recognize and carry out voice commands.
Interconnected system of computers and networks (including local area networks) that surpasses local area networks in scope (e.g., WANs can span building to building, city to city, nationally, and internationally). These data communications linkages (e.g., dedicated lines and radio waves) are designed to allow large numbers of users to communicate and access information.
Essential component of collection development where materials that are no longer accurate, relevant to the curriculum, or in usable condition are identified and discarded.
top