Anchored instruction: Instruction that is provided in a variety of contexts and combined with a range of alternative academic subjects.

Basic fact deficits: An inability of students to compute "math facts" such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems.

Clip art: Packaged electronic images that are stored on disk to be used in computer-based documents.

Cognitive Development: The process by which children acquire higher order thinking skills.

Computational strategies: Strategies students use to compute basic math "facts" or problems.

Computer Assisted Instruction: Instruction supported through the use of software or other technology based tools.

Computer intensive instruction: Academic content instruction fully contained in computer software.

Computer networks: An integration of computer systems, terminals, and communication links.

Computer simulations: Technology based examples of experiences students may face in their communities. Simulations are typically used when it is too dangerous, expensive, or impractical to develop those actual experiences within the context of the classroom.

Concrete operational thought: The third period of Piaget's developmental stages typically takes place when students are 7 - 12 years old. It is during this stage that students begin to distinguish and make relationships between tangible items in their environment.

Constructivist: One of several learning theories in which students are thought of as "empty vessels" to be filled by knowledge that children invent or construct. Constructivists believe that children assimilate new information with existing knowledge and modify the understanding in light of the new information.

Curriculum-based measurement: An instructional and assessment tool that measures student performance repeatedly on identified tasks.

Direct Instruction: A form of instruction and/or instructional materials which divides learning and teaching into specific goals and tasks. This form of instruction emphasizes sequential learning steps, feedback, and reinforcement.

Drill and Practice: A common name for a type of software or educational experiences that provide very specific experience on sets of skills. Common types of drill and practice exercises include addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division "facts".

E-mail: E-mail or electronic mail is a program that transmits messages via data communications such as telephone lines or Ethernet connections, to electronic mailboxes.

Education 2000: Developed in 1992 and expanded in 1994, Education 2000 uses the information provided in the SCANS report to develop a set of standards for all students in grades K-12. Education 2000 emphasizes an increase in basic skills such as math and science as well as abilities to communicate, coming to school ready to learn, and safe school environments. Students may view this document at http://www.ed.gov

Feedback: Information conveyed by the teacher to students and their parents concerning progress made on identified tasks.

Fixed time recording: Measurement of identified skills during a fixed period of time. Typically, this time period lasts either 5, 10, or 15 minutes, depending on the skill being measured.

Formal mathematics: Math instruction that utilizes formal teaching methods and materials such as textbooks.

Formal operational thought: The fourth phase of Piaget's stages of development, formal operational thought typically takes place from the time a child reaches 12 years of age through adulthood. It is during this phase that students can make connections between abstract possibilities and thoughts.

Graphs: A visual depiction of students' progress using lines or bars representing points of achievement and time periods in which the achievement was measured.

High school: In many school districts, high school reflects the time from 9th through 12th grade.

Hyperlinks: Connections between information such as data, text, and graphics. Hyperlinks are used in hypermedia and on the Internet.

Hypermedia: Software that enables the integration of data, text, graphics, sounds, and video.

IEP: The Individual Education Plan or IEP is a document required by law for all students identified as having a disability. The student, his or her teachers and parents identify goals and objectives and a plan for implementation during the school year.

Inert knowledge: Knowledge that can be recalled when specifically requested, but not spontaneously in everyday settings.

Informal mathematics: Math learning that takes place through a child's exploration of their environment.

Internet: The Internet is a source of digital information and links to an array of information around the world. The Internet is commonly called the World Wide Web when, in fact, the Web is a part of the Internet.

Learned helplessness: A belief held by students themselves that they are unable to perform a specific task. Consequently, students seek the assistance of peers or teachers when asked to perform that task.

Life Centered Career Competencies: A curriculum developed by Donn Brolin from the University of Missouri, which assists students with successful transition into adult life.

Logo: A computer programming language developed for and used by children in all grades. Students give instructions to the computer to perform specific tasks. One form of the program, turtle graphics, allows students to give specific directional instructions to an imaginary turtle. The turtle will then produce the graphic according to the directions given by the students.

Math application: The application of math content and processes to everyday, non-school settings. Application includes using math at home, in employment settings, and during leisure activities.

Math content: According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, content represents types of math knowledge including numbers and operations, spatial relationships, functions, algebra, measurement, and data analysis.

Math learning disabilities: Like reading and writing disabilities, math disabilities are identifiable challenges students face when learning math content and processes. Math disabilities include memory problems, visual and spatial relationship difficulties, and an inability to determine necessary or unnecessary information in math situations.

Math phobia: This fear of math usually develops when students face continual failure in math learning situations.

Math process: According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, math processes represent the ways in which students acquire and use math knowledge. The standards developed by NCTM indicate that students should be able to solve problems, communicate math information, recognize relationships, use reason and logic, and apply information to alternative numbering systems.

Math standards: Math standards are critical areas of academic knowledge needed by students in all grades. These standards, developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics consists of math content and processes.

Metacognition: This term refers to students' knowledge and control of that knowledge during the cognitive process. Often, this term is simply defined as thinking about thinking.

Middle school: For the purpose of this module, middle school refers to grades five through eight. This is the second level identified in the standards and benchmarks developed by the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics.

Multimedia: The integration of several forms of media into one presentation. In technology, multimedia refers to the integration of sound, video, graphics, or text into one presentation or software program.

National Council for Teachers of Mathematics: A professional organization for teachers interested in mathematics instruction. This organization provides research- based information through a wide variety of sources including print, internet, and conferences.

Non-numerical situations: School and non-school based situations that do not require the use of mathematical content and processes.

Numerical situations: School and non-school based situations that require the use of mathematical content and processes.

Peer tutoring: An instructional method in which students provide instruction or support to another student or group of students. Many forms of peer tutoring exist such as class-wide peer tutoring and cross-age peer tutoring.

Portfolios: Collection of student work used as a reference or for assessment over a period of time. Portfolios may be electronically stored in word processing or other forms of software programs or paper-based.

Pre-operational: This second developmental stage identified by Piaget begins when a child is around four years old and typically ends when the child turns 7.

Primary: Typically, kindergarten through fourth grade is considered as the primary grades. This is the first level of benchmarks in the NCTM Math standards.

Probabilities: A mathematical process that tells you the likelihood that an event will take place.

Problem solving: In math, students do problem solving when they scan the array of presented information to determine "which" math questions need to be solved, "what" information is needed to address the problem, and "how" to arrive at the steps or methods leading to a solution.

Qualitative descriptions: Textual descriptions of students' performance and the context within which the performance takes place. Typically, qualitative descriptions provide information about students' difficulties in completing a task, special environmental factors that may influence performance, and special accommodations made during the assessment.

Repeated performance sampling: A data collection method that assesses performance on similar measures at different periods of times. The time periods between data collection may range from several hours to days or weeks apart.

SCANS Report: Developed by the United States Department of Labor, the SCANS Report or the Secretary's Commission on Achievement of Necessary Skills reflects educational policy developed by a group of educators and business representatives. The report identifies skills required of students as they enter the work place during the 1990's and beyond.

Sensorimotor: The initial developmental stage identified by Piaget, it is during this stage that children begin exploring their world through movement.

Situated cognition: The term used to describe knowledge that can be applied in specific situations or contexts in which it is learned but not in alternative situations that require the same information.

Spreadsheet programs: Software designed to allow teachers or others to record data in columns. Most spreadsheet programs allow the user to create graphs based on the entered data. Some programs, such as Excel, also allow the user to compute basic statistics such as means or averages.

Statistics: The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics identifies statistics as the ability to pose questions, collect and organize data to answer those questions, and implementing methods to analyze the data.

Strategy instruction: Behaviors and thoughts that a student engages in during learning and that are intended or designed to effect the student's motivational or affective state or the way in which the learner selects, acquires, or integrates new knowledge.

Symbolic forms: Graphic depictions of mathematical information.

Time-series data: Information or student outcome data collected over a period of time. For instance, teachers may collect results of multiplication assessments over the entire semester.

Transfer of knowledge: The application of information by students from the context in which information is acquired to a range of alternative settings or situations.

Videodisc: A disk on which sound and pictures are recorded. Videodiscs provide the user with the ability to randomly access individual frames or sequences.

Work 2000: Federal policy and legislation designed to identify skills required of employees in the 21st century.