Glossary of Terms

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Parents

The Information Technology and Support Services Department has created this handy glossary to provide definitions of commonly used words and acronyms used. If you would like to see any additional terms added please contact our help desk.

  • Acellus
    • Acellus is an interactive education system that presents brief video lessons and, at the same time, problems for the students to solve based on the video instruction.
  • Aha!Math
    • Aha!Math is a Web-delivered supplemental math curriculum for grades K-5.
  • Boot
    • Boot or booting up is a bootstrapping process that starts an operating system when you turn on your computer. Hard reboot – (cold boot / cold start) is when power to a computer is turned off and then on. Soft reboot – (warm reboot) is restarting a computer under software control, without removing power.
  • Cache
    • A cache is a block of memory for temporary storage of data likely to be used again. The CPU and hard drive frequently use a cache, as do web browsers. A common use of this is to clear one’s cache when a web page doesn’t load properly.
  • CODEC
    • A codec is a device or program capable of coding and/or decoding a digital data stream or signal.
  • Control-Alt-Delete (Ctrl-Alt-Del)
    • Control-Alt-Delete is the key sequence used to bring up the task manager in newer versions of windows and to perform a soft reboot – see Boot.
  • Cookie
    • A cookie is a parcel of text sent by a server to a web client (browser) and then sent back unchanged by the client each time it accesses that server. Cookies are not spyware or virues, but they can allow users to be tracked when they visit various websites.
  • CPU
    • A Central Processing Unit or processor is an electronic circuit that can execute computer programs.
  • Debug
    • Checking the logic of a program to isolate and eliminate mistakes from software.
  • DHCP
    • Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol – DHCP allows for dynamic allocation of network addresses and configurations to newly attached hosts, as-well-as recovery and reallocation of network addresses through a leasing mechanism.
  • DoS attack
    • Denial of Service is an attempt to make a computer resource unavailable to its intended users. There are many ways to accomplish this, but the most common is to flood the resource with external communication requests until the device becomes so slow, it is basically unusable.
  • Email
    • Email is short for Electronic mail, and is the transmission of messages over networks from one computer or device to another.
  • Ethernet
    • Ethernet is a network standard for data transmission using either coaxial or twisted pair cable.
  • Firewall
    • A firewall is hardware or software that creates a digital boundary between two or more networks. It is also configured to permit, deny, encrypt, decrypt, or proxy all computer communication.
  • Genesis
    • Genesis is a School Information System that manages the district’s current year and historical student data.
  • HTTP
    • Hypertext Transfer Protocol is the set of rules for transferring files (test, images, and multimedia files) on the World Wide Web.
  • FTP
    • File Transfer Protocol is the simplest way to exchange files between computers on the Internet.
  • Horizon
    • Horizon is the software solution to service the cafeteria needs of the district.
  • HTML
    • Hypertext Markup Language is the set of markup symbols or codes inserted in a file intended for display on a World Wide Web browser page.
  • IMAP
    • Internet Message Access Protocol is a standard protocol for accessing email from your local server.
  • Internet
    • The Internet is a global network of interconnected computers, enabling users to share information along multiple channels.
  • Intranet
    • An intranet is a private computer network that uses Internet technologies to securely share any part of an organization’s information or operation systems with its employees.
  • Java
    • Java is a programming language developed by Sun Microsystems. It is widely used as a model for the execution of other computer programs and scripts.
  • LAN
    • A Local Area Network is an interconnecting network of multiple terminals, workstations, programs, storage and graphic devices covering a small physical area.
  • Learning.com
    • Learning.com is a provider of Web-delivered curriculum and assessment.
  • MealpayPlus
    • MealpayPlus is an online prepayment system that allows you to pay for meals in the school cafeterias.
  • Ping
    • Ping is a computer network tool used to test whether a particular host is reachable across an IP network. It is also used as a speed test and to self test the network interface card of the computer.
  • Plato
    • Plato is a credit recovery software solution. The curriculum gives students a needed alternative and a second chance to learn.
  • POP3
    • Post Office Protocol version 3 is an application-layer Internet standard protocol used by local email clients to retrieve email from a remote server over a TCP/IP connection.
  • Read 180
    • Read 180 is a comprehensive reading intervention program designed to meet the needs of students in elementary through high school whose reading achievement is below the proficient level.
  • Reading Plus
    • Reading Plus is a comprehensive, evidence based software solution for reading assessment and improvement that develops foundational fluency skills for students of all ages.
  • SES
    • Switched Ethernet Services – see TLS
  • SIS
    • School Information System – See Genesis for more information.
  • SMTP
    • Simple Mail Transfer Protocol is an Internet standard for email transmission across IP networks. Servers use SMTP to send and receive mail messages, clients use SMTP for sending messages to a mail server for relaying. Client applications use POP3 or IMAP to receive messages.
  • SNMP
    • Simple Network Management Protocol is used to monitor network-attached devices for conditions that necessitate administrative attention.
  • Spyware
    • Spyware is computer software that is installed covertly on a computer to intercept or take control over the user’s interaction with the computer, without the user’s informed consent. Continuous pop-up advertisements could be a sign of spyware on your computer.
  • SSL
    • Secure Sockets Layer is a cryptographic protocol that provides security and data integrity for communications over the Internet.
  • Study Island
    • Study Island is a NJ ASK/HSPA preparation program designed to help students master the content specified in the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards.
  • TCP/IP
    • Transmission Control Protocol Internet Protocol is the suite of communication protocols used to connect hosts on the Internet.
  • TLS
    • Verizon Transparent LAN Service provides for data communications at native LAN speeds between two or more sites in many Verizon-served metropolitan areas. It supports 10 Mbps Basic Ethernet, 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet and 1 Gbps Gigabit Ethernet.
  • Telnet
    • Telnet is a terminal emulation program that is on TCP/IP networks like the Internet. The telnet program runs on your PC and then connects your PC to the server.
  • VoIP
    • Voice over Internet Protocol is a term for a family of transmission technologies for delivery of voice communications over IP networks such as the Internet.
  • WWW
    • World Wide Web is a very large set of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet.
  • WYSIWYG
    • What You See Is What You Get is an acronym used in computing to describe a system in which content displaying during editing appears very similar to the final output.