AUP:
Acceptable Use Policy - The AUP is a policy that users must agree to before being given access to the Network. Click here for the link to LAUSD's Acceptable Use Policy

bandwidth:
Bandwidth is often used to refer to the amount of data that can be carried from one point to another in a given period of time. It is usually expressed in units per second.
  
blog:
Contraction of the word "web log." A personal journal on-line maintaining a chronicle of information.
  
blogger:
An individual that maintains a blog.
  
bluetooth:
A wireless technology for the transfer of voice and data over a short distance.

broadband:
High speed transmission of data. Usually used for communication lines or service at T1 rates (1.544 Mbps or above.)
  
browser:
a program used to view information found on the World Wide Web (Internet)
Examples included Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera and Safari.

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cloud computing:
Virtual resources provided as a service over the Internet. (Click to learn more)
Uses servers hosted on the Internet for data storage and management to perform computing needs.
  
CMS:
1. Content Management System. It provides a simple, non-technical way for web users to edit content on a web page.
2. Course Management System. Performs the same function but for the creation of on line course work.

A collection of tools that allow for the creation, editing and removal of content on a web page.
  
cookie:
A piece of information that is set by a webserver to a browser that is to be saved by the browser. This information is sent back to the server whenever the browser makes a request to that server. Cookies could contain login or other information. Cookies are usually set to expire after a certain amount of time but could be saved to the computer. Cookies do not read the hard drive of the computer.
  
copyright:
Copyright gives the author/creator of an original work "exclusive" rights over a certain period of time over all aspects of a particular work. The international standard has this "period of time" lasting between 50-100 years from the author's death.
Copyright - Wikipedia Definition
US Copyright Office
District Policy on U.S. Copyright Law Bulletin -714
Keyword(s): copyright, fair use, rights, copy
  
Creative Commons:
Creative Commons Is a nonprofit organization that works to "increase the amount of creativity (cultural, educational, and scientific content) in “the commons” — the body of work that is available to the public for free and legal sharing, use, re-purposing, and remixing."
  
CSS:
1. Cascading Style Sheets - a simple way of adding style (fonts, color, spacing, etc.) across web documents.

2. Customer Self Service - Clients can use the web to enter their own trouble calls or service requests.

data:
a collection of facts used to draw a conclusion.
  
database:
A structured collection of information. Structure is achieved by organizing the data in such a way as to allow it to be searched.

db:
The abbreviation for database.

DBAs:
Database Administrators - The person or persons responsible forthe oraganization, maintenance and management of an organizations' databases

DBMS:
Database Management System - software that organizes the storage of data.

download:
The process of transferring information from one location to the computer you are using. It is the opposite of upload
  
DVD:
Digital Video Disk or Digital Versatile Disk - digital storage medium that is the same size as a cd (compact disk) with approximately 7 times the storage capacity. Optical storage medium.

e-mail:
Electronic mail for the exchange of digital messages. A system for the transferring of messages from one computer to another. Can be written as "e-mail" or "email"

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Fair Use:
The owner of the copyrighted material controls what constitutes "fair use" of their material. The U.S. Copyright Office states:
"One of the more important limitations is the doctrine of “fair use.” The doctrine of fair use has developed through a substantial number of court decisions over the years and has been codified in section 107 of the copyright law.

Section 107 contains a list of the various purposes for which the reproduction of a particular work may be considered fair, such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Section 107 also sets out four factors to be considered in determining whether or not a particular use is fair:

• The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes
• The nature of the copyrighted work
• The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole
• The effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted work
For more information - Click here

LAUSD Bulletin 714 further explains "Fair Use" and the limitations of what constitutes the limitations of using works under "fair use" as:

• IV. Fair Use
  
  Section 107 identifies four criteria for judging fair use of copyrighted works for purposes such as criticism, scholarship, research, and teaching: the purpose and character of the use, e.g., profit or nonprofit educational purposes; the nature of the copyrighted work, e.g., fiction or nonfiction; the amount and substantiality of the portion used, e.g., one sentence from a novel or eight lines from a sonnet; and, the effect of the use upon the potential market.
  
  To further clarify these criteria, various fair use guidelines have been formulated and approved by various publishers, producers, and educational organizations. These guidelines are not part of the Copyright Act, but do serve as indicators of acceptable, “safe harbor” usages.
  
  This Section has been amended to allow the four fair use criteria to be applied to the use of an unpublished work.
  
  V. Fair Use Guidelines for Classroom Copying: Books and Periodicals
  
  A. Single Copies for Teachers
  For the purposes of scholarly research, teaching, or preparation to teach a class, a teacher may make a copy (or request a copy be made) of a book chapter; periodical/newspaper article; short story, short essay, or short poem; or a chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon, or picture from a book, periodical, or newspaper.
  
  B. Multiple Copies for Classroom Use
  Multiple copies, i.e., one copy per pupil in a class, may be made by or for the teacher presenting the course for classroom use provided that the copying meets the tests of brevity, spontaneity, and cumulative effect and includes a copyright notice.
  
  1. Brevity
  a. Poetry: Maximum of 250 words. This may be a complete poem if printed on one to two pages or an excerpt from a longer poem.
  b. Prose: A complete article, story, or essay of less than 2,500; an excerpt of not more than 1,000 words or 10% of the work, whichever is less. However, works combining language and illustrations, such as picture books, which fall short of 2,500 words in their entirety, may NOT be reproduced in their entirety. Personnel may copy not more than two published pages containing less than 10% of the words found in the text.
  
  2. Spontaneity
  a. An individual teacher requests the copying NOT the department, school, district, etc.
  b. The decision to use the work with a class and the date on which the copy is used are so close together, permission to copy would not be received in time.
  
  3. Cumulative effect
  a. The copied material is for only one course in the school.
  b. During a class term, only one short poem, article, story, essay, or two excerpts from the same author may be copied; no more than three from the same collective work.
  c. During a class term, no more than 9 instances of multiple copying for one course.
  d. The last two limitations above do not apply to current news periodicals, newspapers, and current news sections of other periodicals.
  
  4. Prohibitions
  a. No copying to create or substitute for anthologies, compilations, or collective works.
  b. No copying of consumables, e.g., workbooks, exercises, standardized tests, answer sheets.
  c. No copying to substitute for actual purchases of books, reprints, or periodicals.
  d. No copying because higher authority directed it.
  e. No copying the same item from semester to semester.
  

  
firmware:
Coded instructions stored in a computers read-only memory.
  
flash drive:
A solid state storage device that plugs into a USB port. Also known as pen drives or USB sticks
  
FTP:
File Transfer Protocal
A standardized network protocol used to transfeer files from one location to another over an Internet Protocal (IP) computer network.
  

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gb:
See Gigabyte
  
General Public Licence:
A licence granted by the Free Software Foundation. GPLs gran any user the right to copy, alter and redistrubute programs or source code that the creator/developer has chosen to license their work.
  
GIF:
Graphics Interchange Format - developed in 1987 as a platform independent image format suitable to transfer images across slow connections. It is in an 8 bit format that supports only 256 colors. Best used for black and white images or line drawings. Supports transparency and interlacing.
  
gigabyte:
Gigabyte (gb) a unit of measure equal to 1000 megabytes (actually 1024 megabytes.) Approximately 1 billion bytes.
  
Google:
1. to search the Internet - ex. "She googled her friend's name." or "I'm going to google that information.

2. A widely used search engine on the Internet owned by Google, Inc.
  
Google Docs:
A free, web-based word processor, form, spreadsheet, and presentation application offered by Google. It allows users to create, collaborate and share documents on-line.
  
Google Earth:
Google earth is a virtual globe. In integrates map, satellite images and other geographic information.
  
GPL:
General Public Licence - A licence granted by the Free Software Foundation. GPLs gran any user the right to copy, alter and redistrubute programs or source code that the creator/developer has chosen to license their work.

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HD:
High Definition. A generic term used to describe higher than normal resolution format. Refers to an increase in display resolution such as 720p, 1080i or 1080p.
  
HTML:
Hypertext Mark Up Language
a set of tags and rules established to create hypertext documents (web pages)
  
hyperlink:
A link from one electronic document to another triggered by clicking on the link causing the new document to load in the browser. More commonly called a link. Hyperlinks may be an underlined word or phrase, usually distinguished from the other text by a different color. Images may also be hyperlinked to trigger a new document to load.
  

Internet:
A global system of interconnected computer networks that use TCP/IP to communicate with each other. This global network connects private, public, military, academic and government networks.
  
IP address:
Identifies a specific computer or other device on a TCP/IP network. The format of an IP address is a 32-bit numeric address written as four (4) groups of numbers separated by periods. (ex. 123.160.92.456)

For an IP address to connect a device on a private network to the Internet, the IP address must be registered so that it is not duplicated on the WWW.
  
ISIS:
ISIS is an initiative of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to replace 26 antiquated student information systems with a single, modern, integrated one. LAUSD will be the first school district of considerable size and complexity to centralize all student records within a secure, web-based software application.

As the nation's second largest school district, LAUSD pioneers the effort of bringing massive, disparate student records systems up to the high-tech standards of the 21st century. For the first time, a student's comprehensive and complete data will be accessible at the click of a mouse.

ISIS is composed of four student information systems:

Early Education Student Information System (EESIS),
Adult Education Student Information System (Adult SIS),
Welligent, and LAUSDMAX

ISIS works with the Decision Support System (DSS) and Student Transportation, Student Testing, and M.A.P.S. to bring critical information together under one roof.

ISIS will be the model system for the capturing and real-time tracking of information, encompassing all students, from early to adult education.

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kb:
See kilobyte
  
Kilobyte:
Kilobyte (kb) - one thousand bits of information. (Actually 2 to the 10th power or 1,024 bytes)

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LAN:
Local Area Network - A network that covers a small area usually within the confines of a building or a floor of a building

laptop:
A personal computer small enough to fit on your lap. Also known as a "notebook."
  
LCD:
Liquid Crystal Display - a flat display used in laptops, calculators, monitors, and large flat screen televisions. Electrical currents are used to align crystals suspended in a liquid creating varying degrees of color.
  
listserv:
An automated electronic mailing list that allows for the distribution of email to many different subscribers.

malware:
Software developed for the purpose of causing harm to a computer system. Example - viruses, worms, or trojan horses.
Keyword(s): virus, trojan horse, damage,
  
mb:
See Megabyte
  
Mbps:
Megabytes per second.
  
megabyte:
Megabyte (mb) unit of measurement equal to 1000 kilobytes (actually 1,048,576 bytes)
  
megapixel:
One million pixels
  
metadata:
Information about other information. Metadata describes who, how, and when a particular set of data was collected. It includes administrative, technical and descriptive data. It is structured information that allows the user to find, manage and control the information.
  
Moodle:
Moodle is a free open source e-learning software application. It is also know as a CMS* - Course Management System. (*note: CMS also used for Content Management Systems)
  
MyData:
MyData is a web-based tool that will increase the availability and usability of student data for LAUSD educators in order to improve teaching and learning. MyData reports student information such as state test scores, student grades, attendance, A-G coursework, periodic assessments, English Language Learner data, and more. Greater access to student data will allow educators to focus their instruction on the specific learning needs of each student and, as a District, create a culture of data-based decision-making
  
MySQL:
Open source relational database management system that uses Structured Query Language (SQL). SQL is the most popular language to use for adding, editting, accessing and processing data contained in a database.

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network:
interconnected group of things or people.

1. You can have a computer network - this is a group of computers connected to each other.

2. You can also "network" with a group of people.

Open Source:
Programming code that is available to users to read, edit and build new versions of. There are different types of Open Source Software that vary in licencing terms dealing with how "new" versions may be distributed. When an application is "open source" anyone can dowlaod it and modify it to meet their needs in accordance with the general public license.
Keyword(s): software, free,

OPR:

Online Progress Report

password:
A secret word or string of characters that is used for authentication. It is used to prove your identity to gain access to restricted areas of a computer or network. Click here to reset your LAUSD Password.

PC:
Personal computer.
  
PDF:
Portable Document Format. Developed by Adobe Systems for document exchange.
  
phishing:
Phishing is the act of sending email claiming falsely to be a legitimate organization for the purpose of acquiring sensitive information such as login names, password, social security numbers, back account information etc. It is a criminally fraudulent act.

To report Phishing or to learn more about it, review the information on US -CERT's (United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team) website.
  

Photo Release

LAUSDnet requires ALL personal information posted on LAUSDnet have verifiable written permission on file at the school or office site. This includes, photographs, names or other information. Click here for access to the LAUSD Photo Release Form.

pixel:
the smallest element that makes up an image on a computer.
  
PNG:
Portable Network Graphics - a image file compression format that is superior to GIF with better compression and the ability to support millions of colors. It also supports transparancy.
  
podcast:
distributed multimedia files for Internet playback on a personal computer or mobile mp3 player. Files can be audio or video. They are a series of files that are released episodically through web syndication.
  
POTS:
Plain old telephone service. Voice grade telephone system.
  

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RAM:
Random Access Memory. Common computer memory that can be used by programs installed on a computer to perform tasks.
  
ROM:
Read Only Memory. Information that can be read by the computer system but not altered or changed.
  
RSS:
Sometimes translated as "Really Simple Syndication" or "Rich Site Summary." Web feed formula for frequently updated material such as news, blog or other works. An RSS document is called a "feed" or "channel." Uses a standardized XML format that allows it to be read by a variety of programs. Users can "subscribe" to various RSS feeds and have updated information sent automatically to their desktop or portable device when updates are made.

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search engine:
A web search tool that seeks out information on the Internet based on some criteria. Examples - Google, Yahoo, MetaCrawler, Alta Vista, or Bing.
  
SFTP:
Secure File Transfer Protocol
Usually used with SHH to provide a secure way of transferring files from one system to another.
  
single signon:
Single Signon (SSO) is a system or procedure that allows a user to authenticate once a be given access to one or more applications. Account holders can login with the first part (everything in front of the @ symbol) of their email address and their email password to have access to multiple applications. This reduces the number of passwords and logins the client has to remember.
  
SIS:
Student Information Systems
Keyword(s): ISIS, SIS. Student Data
  
skype:
A social networking software that can be used to make free calls over the Internet to anyone who has a skype account.
  
SMS:
Short Message Service (SMS) is a communication standard such as a text message on a cell phone.
  
social bookmarks:
A method for Internet users to organize, store and share their bookmarks of webpages with the help of metadata. Examples include del.icio.us (Called Delicious) and the social news service - Digg.
  
social networking:
A social network builds communities of online communities of users that share common interests. A service that allows for the linking of people to share information in a secure environment. Popular examples of social networks are Facebook and MySpace.
  
spam:
unwanted, unsolisited or "junk" email that has been sent in bulk.
To report spam, click here.

  
spreadsheet:
An application that allows the user to enter text and numbers into a table with rows and cells. The user may then manipulate the data using a table structure.
  
SSO:
See Single Signon

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TCP/IP:
Transmission Control Protocal/Internet Protocal
Communication protocal used to connect hosts to the internet
  
trojan horse:
A computer program hidden inside another seemingly harmless program designed to introduce harmful or malicious code into a computer system. It presents itself as something it is not in order to get users to run the program. It can allow for the collection, exploitation or destruction of data files.
  
Tweet:
text-based posts of less than 140 characters. Also know as micro-blog.

Twitter:
A free social network that allows micro-blogging. Users send and receive "tweets" (text-based posts of less than 140 characters.)

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upload:
Transferring information from the computer you are using to another location. It is the opposite of download.

URL:
Uniform Resource Locator - the address for documents and other resources on the web. Also known as the Web Address.
The first part of the URL specifies a protocal to be used. (ex. FTP or HTTP) The second part of the address is called a resource name and is associated with a specific IP address or domain name.

FTP protocal - ftp://www.lausd.net
HTTP protocal - -http://www.lausd.net
Keyword(s): address, ip
  
USB:
Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a serial bus standard used to connect various devices to the host computer such as scanners, cameras, keyboards, printer, mouse. etc. Unidirectional so can be used to transfer data to the computer or store data from the computer.

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virus:
A computer program that can copy itself and infect a computer without permission from the owner. Its purpose is to corrupt or destroy data.
  
vlog:
Short for video blogging. Blogging where the media is video rather than written words. May include text and other metadata.
  
VoIP:
Voice Over Internet Protocol - Telecommunication System that uses the internet to transmit phone calls.

W3C:
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is the primary international standards organization for the World Wide Web.

See the W3C website.
  
WAN:
Wide Area Network - allows for computers on LANS (Local Area Networks) to be connected. A network of geographically distributed computers that share information.
  
web:
another name for the World Wide Web or Internet
  
Web 2.0:
The second generation of web development. It embodies the movement away from static content toward dynamic and sharable content. Its aim is to facilitate collaboration, information sharing and social networking. Examples include wikis, social networking sites, blogs, etc.
  
webinar:
Web-conferencing used to conduct a live meeting via the Internet. It is an abbreviation of the words web seminar. It is an interactive process.
Keyword(s): seminar, video conference, meeting, interactive
  
widget:
A third party item that can be added to a webpage or computer desktop and personalized by the user for a specific purpose.
  
WIKI:
A website that uses wiki software allowing for easy collaboration on websites. Can be used for note taking, collaborative knowledge management, etc. Most wikis are developed to serve a specific purpose. They are at their base, a searchable database for interconnecting information with hyperlinks.

Users are invited to edit pages or create new pages.
Keyword(s): collaboration, database, web
  
word processing:
The creation, editing, and formatting of documents using software on a computer.
  
world wide web:
A system files located on computers connected via the Internet.
  
WYSIWYG:
What You See Is What You Get
  

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XML:
XML (Extensible Markup Language) is a flexible text format for creating custom tags. It is simple and a flexible text format used to syndicate or use format information for technologies such as RSS.
  

YouTube:
A website that allows users to upload and share videos around the world.