Block: Graphical programming elements that are used in place of text-based code.
Script: A list of commands that are executed by a certain program. They are used to automate processes.
Stage: The background of the project, which can have scripts, backdrops, and sounds.
Bug: An error in a program that prevents the program from running as expected.
Debug: The process of going through a program’s code to locate and fix the problem or mistake.
Data: A collection of numbers and facts before they are processed to become information.
Input: An instruction in a program to key in words or numbers.
Logic: Explaining something following a set of rules.
Loop: The process of performing the same task again and again for a set number of times.
Run: The command given to a program to begin following the instructions.
Tag: A command that specifies how something should be formatted.
Language: The name given to the way the set of instructions is formatted.
Operator: Tells the computer what to do with input values and variables.
Output: The information or outcome the computer provides back to the user after following a command.
Program: A sequence of instructions written in a language or code that a computer can understand.
Value: The number of a word we give to a variable.
Variable: A label to which a value can be assigned.
And/or: A set of logical operators that tell the computer to do both things or one of the things.
Binary: A way of representing information using only two options.
Boolean: True/false statements that a computer uses to understand a command.
Module: A part of a program that performs a distinct function.
Algorithm: A precise sequence of instructions for successfully carrying out a task.
Conditional: When something happens only on condition if something else happens first.
Decomposing: Breaking problems down into sections in order to solve them.
Procedure: A subset of a program that does a particular thing.
Sequence: The ordered steps in a program.
Simulation: An accurate representation of a real life activity.
If/Then/Else: A computer’s way of evaluating something and saying that if it has a particular attribute it will do one thing, otherwise it’ll do something else.
Hexadecimal: A numbering system that has a base of 16 and is often used by digital computers.
Parameter: Extra bits of information that you can pass into a function to customize it.
Iteration: A repetitive action or command typically created with programming loops.
Command: An instruction for the computer. Many commands together make up an algorithm.
STEM Vocabulary
Speed: Full rate of motion.
Force: Strength or power exerted upon an object.
Data: Individual facts, statistics, or items of information.
Cause: A thing that acts, happens, or exists in such a way that some specific thing happens as a result.
Effect: Something that is produced by a cause.
Theory: A proposed explanation commonly regarded as correct.
Pattern: A distinctive style or design forming a consistent characteristic arrangement.
Balance: A state of equilibrium or equal distribution of weight or amount.
Friction: Surface resistance to relative motion.
Predict: To declare or tell in advance.
Design: To plan and fashion the form and structure of an object or thought.
Challenge: A call to engage in a contest or competition.
Hypothesis: An educated guess in regards to an experimental outcome.
Elevation: The height to which something is set.
Experiment: A test or trial for the purpose of discovering something unknown.
Observation: Attentively watching for the purpose of noticing a fact or occurrence.
Prototype: The original model on which something is based or formed.
Internet Safety and Digital Citizenship Vocabulary
Spam: Unsolicited (not asked for) or irrelevant postings, emails, or messages.
Scam: To cheat or defraud intentionally.
Malware: Short for “malicious software,” and refers to software designed to damage a computer or device.
Flaming: The act of posting or sending offensive messages over the internet. Also called trolling.
Target: When referring to the topic of internet safety, the target is the person being cyberbullied.
Avatar: A character that represents an online user.
Cookies: Small amounts of data generated by a website and saved by your web browser.
Download: The process of receiving data over the internet.
Phishing: Attempts to steal your personal information over the internet.
Adware: Free software supported by advertisements.
Digital Citizen: A person who develops the skills and knowledge to effectively and responsibly use the internet.
Plagiarism: The act of copying someone else’s work and publishing it as your own.
Copyright: Legally protecting an author’s work from being published, distributed, or used without consent of the author.
Cyberbully: Harassing, threatening, embarrassing, or humiliating someone using digital communication.
Scareware: Software that uses false error messages to lure you into purchasing a software program.
Digital access: Full electronic participation in society.
Empathize: To be aware of and understand what someone else is feeling or experiencing.
Netiquette: Using common manners while on the internet. Specifically in email, online chat, and social media.
Predator: Someone looking to take advantage of another person.
Summarize: Taking an abundance of information and expressing it in a concise form.
Creative Commons: Licenses that allow people to share their copyrighted work to be copied, edited, and built upon while retaining the copyright.
Digital Commerce or e-Commerce: The buying and selling of goods and services using the internet.
Privacy Options: A common term on social media platforms, this is where you can choose whether or not you want your posts and profile to be public.
Bystander: A person who witnesses the actions of a bully or cyberbully and the reactions of the victim (target) without taking action.
Upstander: Someone who recognizes when something is wrong and acts to make it right.
Fair use: Reasonable and limited use of copyrighted material so as not to infringe upon copyright.
Social Media: A collection of internet-based communities that allow users to interact with each other online.
Digital Media: Computer programs and software that contain imagery, video, and audio.
Digital Footprint: A trail of data you create while using the internet, which includes the websites you visit, emails you send, and information submitted online.
iOS Vocabulary
App: Short for Application, refers to a program that can be downloaded to a mobile device.
Swipe: A command used for touchscreen devices that is used to tell the device to go to the next thing.
Airplane Mode: A setting on a phone or other mobile device that turns off wifi, cellular, and other wireless connections.
Home Button: A physical button on a smartphone or tablet that takes the user to the home screen.
Touchscreen: A display that also serves as an input device through a stylus or human touch.
Push Notification: A message that pops up on a mobile device from an app.
Double tap: Similar to double-clicking a mouse, the double tap is a command for a touchscreen device.
Pinch In: A command for a touchscreen device that zooms out.
Pinch Out: A command for a touchscreen device that zooms in.
3D Printing Vocabulary
Build Plate: Surface on which prints are made.
Cure: The process of hardening a liquid or another material to produce its final form.
Raft: A technique used to prevent warping; the raft is a support material printed below the actual 3D part.
Shell: The outer wall of a 3D print.
Slice: A single layer of a 3D model, slices vary in thickness depending on the settings.
Extrude: The act of placing the build material on the build platform and pushing it through a small nozzle.
Infill: The interior structure of a 3D printed model, which is usually a mesh structure.
Nozzle: The part of the hot end that deposits the melted plastic material.
Overhang: Part of a 3D model without any support below it usually protruding at an angle of over 45 degrees.
Hardening: Another word for curing, the process of allowing the material to set to its final form.
Photopolymer: A polymer that changes its properties when exposed to light.
Thermoplastic: A polymer that becomes pliable or moldable above a specific temperature and returns to a solid state upon cooling.
Google Apps Vocabulary
Apps: Computer programs that perform specific tasks.
Share: Gives access to others based on the settings you choose.
Sites: Web pages made on the Google Sites platform.
Trash: Removing content from your Drive.
Account: An assigned area within Google Drive that is only accessible with a username and password.
Calendar: An app connected to a Google account that includes a table with the days of each month and week in a year.
Contacts: Connected accounts within Google Drive.
Drawing: An app connected to a Google account that is used for creating graphical representations of ideas.
Videos: An extension available for a Google account that is used for watching videos.
Agenda: Daily tasks assigned in Google Classroom.
Gmail: An app connected to a Google account that is used for communicating via email.
Themes: In your Google Drive you can change the color theme of your account.
Autosave: When using Sheets, Slides, Docs, etc., the programs autosave as you work.
Meet: An app connected to a Google account that is used for meeting virtually.
Google Drive: Save work files in your Google Drive account and access them from any device and/or share them instantly.
Password: Used to keep your Google Account safe, never give out your password.
Presentation: Google Slides is the presentation app available on Google for free.
Spreadsheet: Google Sheets is the spreadsheet app available on Google for free.
Document: Google Docs is the document app available on Google for free.
Username: Used to identify you in your Google Account.
Revision History: A Google feature that allows you to see changes made to a file.
My Drive: The folders private to a user account in Google.
Computer Vocabulary
Enter: Keyboard key that will start a new line of text or work like a click on a button or selection.
Tab: Keyboard key that makes an indent in a line of text or goes to the next selection.
File: A collection of data stored in one unit.
Data: Information processed or stored by a computer.
Text: The actual working of anything written or printed.
Edit: To revise or correct.
URL: Stands for Uniform Resource Locator, it is the specific address of a webpage or file on the internet.
Scroll: Moving up or down within a window to see more content.
Tabs: Used to be able to navigate between multiple documents in a single window.
Save: Adding the most recent copy or work to a location on your computer.
Copy: An exact duplicate of a file, program, text, etc..
Paste: To insert copied text, images, etc. into a file.
Cut: Removing a selection of text or other data while saving it to the computer’s clipboard.
Font: The specific typeface of a certain size and style.
Bold: A typeface option that makes the text appear darker and thicker than the surrounding text.
CPU: Stands for Central Processing Unit, it is the primary component of a computer that processes instructions.
Click: The act of rapidly repressing and releasing a button on a mouse or other input device as to select an icon.
Computer Virus: Small programs or scripts that can negatively affect the health of your computer.
Icon: Visual representations of something on your computer like a program or file.
HTML: Stands for Hypertext Markup Language, it is the language used to create webpages.
Undo: A command included in most software programs that allows you to undo the last action you performed in that program.
WiFi: A wireless networking technology that allows computers and other devices to communicate over a wireless signal.
Audio: Sound files such as music, podcasts, etc..
Zoom: A computer function that allows the user to view the subject closer or further away.
Reply: To make answer in words or writing.
Inbox: The main folder in which incoming email is stored.
jpeg: Stands for Joint Photographic Experts Group, it is a popular image file format.
Internet: A global wide area network that connects computer systems across the world.
Website: A collection of web pages.
Program: Executable software that runs on a computer.
Network: A connection of two or more computers for the purpose of sharing files and information.
Cursor: Shows where your mouse pointer is and/or where the next character typed will be entered in a line of text.
Select: To make a choice or pick.
Highlight: Selecting a group of text, files, etc. so that they can be modified all at once.
Windows: Any of several personal computer operating systems or environments featuring a graphical user interface.
Login: A combination of information that authenticates your identity.
X out: Slang for closing out of a window.
Sign off: The action that communicates to the computer that your user account is no longer going to be used during that session.
Italics: A style of printing types in which the letters slope to the right.
Underline: A style of printing types in which the letters appear with a connected line below words.
Folder: A place to store documents and files.
email: Short for Electronic Mail, it allows you to send and receive messages to and from anyone with an email address anywhere in the world.
Monitor: Also called a computer screen or display, it shows the computer’s user interface and open programs.
Mouse: A primary input device that typically uses optical technology to track motion and send it to the computer.
Download: The process of receiving data over the internet.
Upload: The process of sending data over the internet.
Database: A data structure that stores information.
Search: The feature that allows the user to ask the computer to find something for them on their device or on the internet.
Shortcut: A hyperlinked icon or text that can open a program or webpage.
Browser: A software program that allows the user to find and read encoded documents in a form suitable for display.
Pop-up: A type of window that opens without the user selecting New Window from the program’s file menu.
Align: Selecting where you would like the text, photo, etc. to display on the screen. Usually there are options of left, center, and right.
Domain: A group of computers that can be accessed and administered with a common set of rules.
Embed: To fix data into the surrounding multimedia. Commonly used to add an outside element to a website.
Footer: A small section at the bottom of a page used to display company data or copyright information.
Header: A small area at the top of a page that are often used to display a title or company name.
Graphics: Images or visual representations of objects.
Projector: An apparatus for displaying a digital image onto a screen.
Table: A data structure that organizes information into rows and columns.
QR Code: Short for Quick Response Code, it is a type of barcode that contains a matrix of dots.
Firewall: A software program that creates a barrier between a trusted system or network and outside connections.
Hacker: Someone who can gain unauthorized access to other computers.
Keyword: Words or phrases that describe content.
Query: A string of keywords used to search a database.
Justify: An alignment option that makes a line of type a desired length by spacing the words and letters.
Subject: In regard to email communication, the subject line is a brief description of what the message contains.
Forward: When navigating the internet, the forward button allows the user to go to the next page.
Desktop: The primary user interface of a computer that displays when the startup process is complete.
eBook: Short for Electronic Book, it is a digital publication that can be read on a computer, e-reader, or other electronic device.
Emoticon or emoji: Short for Emotion Icon and refers to facial expressions represented by keyboard characters.
Export: A command found within a program’s file menu that allows the user to save the file to an outside folder.
Podcast: Stands for iPod Broadcast, it is an audio file that can be played through a podcasting app.
Refresh: A command that reloads the contents of a window or web page with the most current data.
Resize: Making text or images larger or smaller so to fit into the given space.
Rotate: Adjusting text or images by moving them along a circular path.
Shift: A keyboard key with the primary purpose of capitalizing lowercase letters.
Toolbar: A set of icons or buttons that are part of a software program’s interface or an open window.
Volume: Usually used to mean how loud our quite the audio output is. Can also refer to the amount of storage available.
Webinar: A seminar or other presentation that takes place on the internet.
Document: A file created by a software application, usually referring to a word processing file.
Spreadsheet: A document that stores data in a grid of horizontal rows and vertical columns.
Characters: Any letter, number, space, punctuation mark, or symbol that can be typed on a computer.
Start menu: A feature of the Windows operating system that provides quick access to programs, folders, and system settings.
Dropdown menu: A horizontal list of options that each contain a vertical menu.
Username: A name that uniquely identifies someone on a computer system.
Password: A string of characters used for authenticating a user on a computer system.
My Documents: The location of the user’s files on a Windows computer.
The Cloud: Associated with the entire internet, refers to web based services.
Hard Drive: The location of all of the stored data on a computer.
Flash Drive: A small data storage device that uses flash memory and has a built-in USB connection.
Spell Check: A feature included with various operating systems and applications that checks text for spelling errors.
Wallpaper: The background graphic on a device’s desktop.
Operating System: Software that communicated with the hardware and allows other programs to run.
Task Bar: The bar that spans the bottom of the screen and contains shortcuts to programs.
Attachment: A file sent with an email message containing an image, video, text, or any other type of file.
Bookmark: A saved shortcut that directs your browser to a specific webpage.
Augmented Reality: Computer generated content overlaid on a real world environment.
Home Row: The row on a computer keyboard that contain the home keys.
Homepage: A webpage that serves at the starting point of a website.
Left Click: The standard click of the mouse, used to select.
Hyperlink: A word, phrase, or image that you can click on to jump to a new document or new section within the current document.
Maximize: Making the window on your computer screen as large as needed to fill up the entire screen.
Minimize: Making the window on your computer screen hidden from view.
Multimedia: The integration of multiple forms of media including text, graphics, audio, video, etc..
Navigation: The integration of multiple forms of media including text, graphics, audio, video, etc..
Right Click: Often used to open contextual menus.
Screencast: A video made of everything on the current computer screen.
Online Research Skills Vocabulary
Accuracy: the condition or quality of being true, correct, or exact
Bias: a particular tendency or inclination
Credible: worthy of belief or confidence; trustworthy
Credentials: anything that provides the basis for confidence, belief, credit, etc.
Domain: Extension the suffix at the end of a web address, such as .com or .org.
Evaluate: to judge or determine the significance, worth, or quality of
Publisher: a person or company whose business is the publishing of books, newspapers, online articles, computer software, etc.
Relevance: relation to the matter at hand
Skeptic: a person who questions the validity or authenticity of something appearing to be factual
URL: web address you type into a browser to reach a website
Artificial Intelligence Vocabulary
Artificial Intelligence (AI) – a type of computer technology that can do things that normally require human intelligence, such as learning, problem-solving, and decision-making.
Algorithm – a set of instructions that tell a computer what to do based on the data it receives.
Neural network – a type of AI that allows computers to learn and improve their performance without being explicitly programmed.
Virtual assistant – a type of AI that can answer questions and do tasks for you, such as Siri or Alexa.
Robotics – the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, and operation of robots.
Automation – the use of machines or computers to perform tasks that would normally be done by humans.
Machine learning – a type of AI that allows computers to learn from data and improve their performance over time.
Natural language processing – a type of AI that allows computers to understand and respond to human language, such as speech or text.
Ethics – the principles and values that guide people’s behavior and decision-making.
Bias – a tendency to favor one group or idea over another, which can affect the way AI makes decisions or behaves.