ICT

Keywords in the chapter

Introduction

Scratch is a free programming language that allows creation of interactive games, animations, music and stories that can be shared around the world.

A sprite is an object that performs actions in a project. Most projects contain at least one sprite. Sprites can be created by the user in the paint editor that is part of the Scratch program or can be imported from external sources. Scratch program was developed and is maintained by the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Opening a Scratch program

To open the Scratch program, do either of the following:

1. Click the Start button.

2. Select  from the resulting menu.

OR

Double-click on the Scratch shortcut icon from the computer desktop as shown in figure 9.1.

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By default, the Scratch user interface divides the screen into four main areas:

1. Stage area: It displays the sprite(s) and the results. It contains the View full screen button, project title and two script control buttons, that is, Green Flag and Stop buttons.

• View full screen: Clicking on the button shown in figure 9.3 makes the stage area to cover the whole screen. The button changes and appears as shown in figure 9.4 (b).

To restore to the previous view, click on the button again.

• Project title: This is the name of the project. It only appears after the project has been saved.

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• Green Flag: This button is used for starting all scripts in a project that are hatted with the ‘when Green Flag clicked’ block.

• Stop button: Stops all scripts in all sprites.

2. Sprite list: It is located at the bottom left area of the Scratch window and displays sprites as thumbnails. Each thumbnail contains information about the selected sprite and tools for manipulating the sprite. Sprite information is accessed by clicking the blue button  which displays the information and manipulation tools as shown in figure 9.5 below:

 To change the sprite’s name, simply click in the box labelled Sprite1 and type the preferred name.

3. Scripts Tab: This tab contains the block palettes that are activated by clicking. It is located in the middle of the Scratch window and contains blocks that can be dragged onto the scripts area to make a project. Dragging a block from the Block Palettes makes a copy to follow the mouse until it is dropped where desired in the scripts area.

It is organized into 10 groups of block palettes, that is, Motion, Looks, Sound, Pen, Data, Events, Control, Sensing, Operators and More Blocks as shown in figure 9.6.

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Learning Activity 9A

The teacher to instruct the learners to point at each block palette from the scripts tab and click on to navigate.

• Motion blocks: They are used to control how sprites move and change    angles or direction.

• Looks blocks: They are used to control how sprites appear, for example,    displaying thought bubbles or speech, changing sprite colour and making   the sprite larger or smaller among others. • Sound blocks: They are used to control sound and play audio files.

• Pen blocks: They are used to draw by controlling pen width, colour, and   shade.

• Data blocks: They contain variable blocks and list blocks. The variable    blocks are used to hold values and strings in variables as well as     displaying them using stage monitors or watchers while list blocks are    used to manipulate lists.

• Events blocks: They contain event handlers which are placed on top of    each group of blocks to activate scripts to run.

• Control blocks: They are used to direct scripts, for example, forever, if    then, wait until and repeat until among other conditions.

• Sensing: They are used to interact with the surrounding of a project.

• Operators: They contain mathematical operators and strings that compare   sprite positions.

• More Blocks: They contain custom procedures (blocks) and extensions for   the selected sprite. It includes Make a Block and Add an Extension buttons   that allow the user to create more blocks.

4. Scripts area: It is located at the right side of the Scratch window and it is where blocks are combined to form scripts which in turn form a project. Other tabs in Scratch user interface window include Costumes, Sounds, and Help.

(a) Costumes tab: This tab contains a list of costumes for the selected sprite

A costume is a frame or other appearance of the sprite. Sprites can change their appearance to any of their costumes. They can be created, named and edited and are commonly used in making animations for games or projects. Clicking on frame switches the sprite to the selected costume. It contains the name of the selected costume, costume as a thumbnail and tools to manipulate the costume as shown in figure 9.7.

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To add new costumes, click one of the following:

(i) Giga button . It opens the built-in costume library on sprites from which a costume can be chosen. Figure 9.8 shows Costume Library.

(ii) Paintbrush button .

It opens the paint editor and is used to paint new costumes. Figure 9.9 shows Paint editor window.

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(iii) Import/ Folder button : It opens a file browser and is used to upload sprite or image from a file.

(iv) Camera button : It opens a camera and is used to create new costume from camera.

Learning Activity 9B

1. Insert bear 1-a from the costume library from the animal category and apply    different colours on it.

2. Draw different shapes and fill them with colours of your choice.

3. Zoom the figure to 200%.

Three options are displayed when a costume thumbnail is Right-clicked, that is, Duplicate, Delete and Save to Local File.

• Duplicate: Creates a copy of the costume.

• Delete: Erases the costume.

• Save to Local File: Saves the costume in any location as desired.

(b) Sounds tab:

This tab contains a list of audio clips and is used to insert sounds and music to a sprite. It contains the name of the selected sound and a speaker as a thumbnail. For example, the sound name in Figure 9.10 is bird.

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(ii) Record button :  It opens the sound recorder that enables sound to be recorded from an external device.

(iii) Folder/ Import button : It opens a file browser and is used to upload sound from file.

(c) Help: This is an expandable bar at the right side of the Scratch user interface window that contains tips on Scratch 2.0. It also displays Help information about a particular block. To get information about a particular block, right click on it and click on the Help command that pops up. Click on Help button  to expand and Close button to minimize. Figure 9.12 shows the Help bar.

(d) Stage backdrop pane: The term backdrop refers to a frame or background of the stage. The backdrops pane is located at the bottom left, next to sprite list area. It is used to choose a backdrop from the library, paint new backdrop, upload backdrop from file and add new backdrop from camera.

The Scratch Toolbar

The toolbar appears at the top of the Scratch program window and is used to carry out very important functions. The word “Scratch” appears on the left upper part of the window followed by an image of globe or sphere. Clicking on the globe displays a dropdown list with all the languages in Scratch, for example, English. The toolbar also contains menu options, that is, File, Edit, Tips and About as shown in figure 9.13:

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 (a) File menu option: Clicking on the drop-down arrow next to “File” displays the following menu options:

• New: Creates a new project.

• Open: Displays a dialog box that allows opening a project from file.

• Save As and Save: Discussed earlier in other programs.

• Share to Website: It is an online feature that allows sharing of a project onto the Scratch website.

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• Check for Updates: It is an online feature that allows checking for updates for the offline editor.

• Quit: Exits the Scratch application.

(b) Edit menu option: Clicking on the drop-down arrow next to “Edit” displays the following menu options:

• Undelete: Cancels any deletion that had been recently performed.

• Small stage layout: Reduces the size of the stage area.

(c) Tips: Opens help area.

(d) About: It is an online feature that connects the user to the Scratch website.

Other cursor tools on the toolbar include:

• Stamp Tool/ Duplicate button  : It creates a copy of the selected sprite, script or any other selected project resource. To create a copy, click on the button and then click on the sprite, script or any other project resource.

• Delete button - It erases the selected sprite, script or any other selected project resource. To delete, click on the button and then click on the sprite, script or any other project resource.

• Grow button : It increases the size of a sprite.

• Shrink button : It decreases the size of a sprite.

• Block help button : Clicking this button and then clicking any scratch block opens a Help window that provides assistance focused on that block’s usage.

• Turbo Mode: Makes the code execution very fast.

Learning Activity 9C

Practise to use the cursor tools listed above

Learning Activity 9C

Practise to use the cursor tools listed above

Create/ Import a sprite

Importing refers to the processes of transferring an existing image into a program. The user can import sprites, backdrops, sounds, projects, costumes, scripts, and lists among others.

Create a new sprite or import the existing image

There are four buttons used to create a new sprite or import an existing image, namely Giga button, paintbrush button, folder button and camera button. The buttons appear just above the Sprites area as shown in figure 9.14.

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(a) The Giga button opens the built-in sprites and enables the user to choose a sprite from the library. To create a sprite using the Giga option, do the following: (i) Click on the Giga button. A sprite library window appears as shown in figure 9.15.

(ii) Double-click on the desired sprite or select the desired sprite and click OK.
 The selected sprite appears on the stage area.

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Learning Activity 9D

Practise to create a new sprite using the button

(b) The Paintbrush button opens the paint editor and is used to manually draw the sprite with colour tools provided by Scratch. Figure 9.16 shows a paint editor in a Scratch window.

Learning Activity 9E

Practise to create a new sprite using the paint brush button.

(c) The Folder button opens a file browser and is used to upload a sprite or image. Figure 9.17 shows a file browser. Select the location from where to upload the sprite, select the file name then click OK.

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Learning Activity 9F

Practise to create a new sprite using the Folder button.                    

(d) Camera button opens a camera which would be used

to create a new sprite.

   For example, a computer with a Web camera can be used.

When the camera button in the Scratch program is clicked

the web camera is activated ready to capture a photograph.

Figure 9.18 shows a dialog box of a web camera. 

Clicking on save command displays the sprite in the stage area.

Learning Activity 9G

Practise to create a new sprite using the camera button.

Use combo blocks to play sounds

Combo sprite blocks are formed by combining single sprite blocks.   The default sound in the play sound… until done block is meow. To play sounds using combo blocks, do the following:

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(i) Click on Sounds tab and select the preferred sound from the library or any other source. The selected sound appears as a thumbnail under Sounds tab.

(ii) To select a sound, click the drop-down arrow in the play sound block as shown in figure 9.20.

Figure 9.21 shows a sound combo block for playing the sounds as reflected in each block.

Note: To play a script, the user can click on the Green flag button or on the script.

Practical Assignment: Create a project named combosound1 on the desktop that plays the following sounds forever when the Green Flag button is clicked.

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(i) Singer2;  (ii) Singer1; (iii) Horse gallop (iv) Ya.

Choose the sprite especially from the Things folder. To choose a sprite from the things folder, click on the Giga button to open the sprite library. Click on the Things folder to open as shown in Figure 9.22.

Manipulation of variables to program switch on and switch off

A variable is a changeable value that can only hold one value at a time. The value can be either a number or string (text). Variables enable one to see and manipulate numbers and text in the program. 

It is created from the Data blocks on the Script Tab using the button. Clicking on this button displays the New Variable dialog box that enables the user to name the variable and specify its scope as shown in figure 9.23.

Types (Scope) of Variables

There are three types of variables in Scratch 2.0 ,namely local (private), global (public) and cloud.

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(i) Local Variable This is a variable that can only be changed by the sprite that owns it. It can be read by other sprites using the Change () by () block but they cannot change it.

For example:   block.

A local variable is created by selecting For this sprite only option button in the New Variable dialog box

.

(ii) Global Variable

This is a variable that can be read and changed by any sprite in the project. By default, For all sprites option button is selected meaning that it is a global variable.

(iii) Cloud Variable

Practical 1
Example 1: Two sprites can be programmed such that clicking on one sprite turns the switch ON and clicking on the other switches it OFF and vice versa. For example, when

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listening to music, the switch is on when the music is playing and the switch is off when the music is off. To create a virtual switch, the following tool kits can be used:

• Data tool kit

• Operators tool kit 

• Control tool kit

Practice Sound toolkit is displayed by clicking on the Sound block under the Scripts tab. This tool kit is used to add a music script to a sprite. Figure 9.28 shows the Sound Tool Kit.

To add a music script to a sprite, do the following:

(i) Select the Sprite. Click Sound block under Scripts tab.

(ii) Add a music script as desired using the blocks under the Sound block as shown in figure 9.28 (a). For example, to play a sol-fa notation, drag the block shown in figrue 9.28 (b) to the scripts area. Click the drop-down arrow on the block to display the keyboard.  Figure 9.29 shows a keyboard with Sol-fa notation Do.

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Practice

Example 2: The following example creates a tune using the Sound tool kit. The tune is de, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, do and pauses for 0.25 seconds between the notations.  Click on the blocks to play the sounds.

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Practice

Example 3: The following example plays the birthday bells sound in a sprite. The tune plays 3 times, rests for 1 beat between them, and reduces volume by -20% until it stops then resets volume to 100%.
                                    

Create a Sound Clip using Audacity (Practice)

Audacity is a free, open source software that is used for recording and editing sounds. In Scratch, creating a sound clip or song using Sound Tool Kit can be time-consuming. The Audacity software provides the Scratch user with several features that can be used to create Scratch sound clips or songs. To use the Audacity program, do the following: (i) Open the Audacity program. Figure 9.32 shows Audacity application window.

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(ii) Start playing the preferred sound clip or song using any of the players on the computer

. (iii) Select Stereo Recording.
(iv) Click the Record button to start recording.

This displays sound waves as shown in figure 9.33.

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(v) Click the Stop button to stop recording.

(vi) To save the recorded sound clip or song, click File then select Export Audio. Save the file as type WAV, for example, Clip.wav.

(vii) To import the recorded sound clip or song to a sprite, select the Sounds tab and click Import button to upload sound from file. The following block shows a sound clip created using Audacity.

Creating a song using Sound Tool Kit (Practice)

To create a song, do the following:

(i) Click Sounds tab.

(ii) Create a new sound (s) as discussed under Sounds tab above.

(iii) The created sound is added to the play sound and play sound……..until done blocks.

(iv) Click on Scripts tab and select Sound. (v) Drag play sound or play sound……..until done blocks into the scripts area.

(vi) Click the drop-down arrow on the block and select the preferred song.

Learning Activity 9H

1. Use photographs of yourself to create characters that are dancing

. 2. Include music in your project that plays while the characters are dancing.

Projects
Projects in Scratch and Music Sprite

Project 1: Happy Birthday Card Animation

Use Sprite to create a birthday card for your friend. Add animations to the card

Project 2: Emotion Faces

1.   Use Sprites to create a face that can show different emotions such as happy, sad,   surprised, or other emotions you choose

. 2.   Use different sprites for the eyes, nose, eyebrows, and mouth.

3.   Change movement and shape to convey emotion.

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Project 3: The Goal Keeper

Create a sprite with the following requirements:

1.  A soccer ball that falls down from the left side of the screen to the right    side of the screen

. 2.  When Ball touches the edge of stage, a goal keeper catches it. Ensure that the ball moves at a realistic speed in relation to gravity.

Project 4: Growing Plants

Create a sprite with the following requirements:

1.  A Sprite that creates a stem, leaves and flowers when clicked.

2.  Use Pen and colour change to create coloured flowers

Project 5: Quiz

Create a Sprite with the following requirements:

1. Choose a quiz topic (Examples: parts of a plant, Parts of the digestive    system, vocabulary words , or any other topic that interests you)

2.  Create a list of possible answers

3.  Create a Sprite to “ask the question.

” 4.  Allow user to type in an answer.

5.  Compare the user’s answer to question.

6.  Provide user feedback to tell the user if they are correct or incorrect.

Your Sprite must:

1.  Keep score of correct answers.

2.  Give a final percentage of correct answers.

3.  Use movement and sounds to make game entertaining.

Project 6: Animation of a short story Create a Sprite with the following Requirements:

1. Select a short story.

2. Design Sprites that represent the characters in your story.

3.  Use costume changes to simulate animation and movement.

4.  Select musical sound clips for each characters. Record speaking parts for    each character.

5.  Use movement, hide, direction, and broadcast commands to animate a    scene from the story

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Glossary

Alignment: It refers to the arrangement of text relative to the left or right margin of a page.

Animations: Animation is the process of displaying motionless images in a rapid sequence to create the appearance of movement. Examples of animations are cartoons on Televisions.

Applications: These are programs that are designed to perform specific task for the user.

Application software: They are programs that are designed to enable the user accomplish a given task.

ArcCatalog: This component organizes spatial data contained on the computer and various other locations and allows search, preview and addition of data to ArcMap as well as managing metadata and set up address locator services (geocoding)

. ArcGIS: This is a geographic system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage and present all types of geographically referenced data, that is, data identified according to their location.

  ArcMap: This is the main mapping application that allows the creation of maps and query attributes. It also analyzes spatial relationships and layout of the final projects.

ArcToolbox: This is a Geographic Information System (GIS) component. It contains tools for Geoprocessing, data conversion, coordinate systems and projections among other functions.

Artificial Intelligence: It is the science of developing machines that mimic human behaviour such as reasoning, learning, hearing, seeing and communicating

. Attribute: This is a defined characteristic of a theme.

Autocomplete: It is a feature that enables phrases to be automatically completed on pressing the enter key, after they have been written midway

. AutoFormat: Refers to a range of predefined formatting templates.

Basemap: This is a map portraying background orientated information such as landforms, landmarks, roads and political boundaries, onto which other thematic information is placed.

Bitmap: A graphic image made up of many tiny dots.

Blocks: These are shapes that connect to each other and are used to create code.

They determine how sprites interact with each other.

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Blower: It is a portable electric device used to remove dust and dirt from computers. Bookmark: This is an electronic marker in a map identifying the geography of the map for future reference or retrieval

. Break: It is inserted in order to demarcate the end of a part and beginning of another.

Broadband: This is a high capacity transmission technique that uses a wide range of frequencies to enable a large number of messages to be communicated simultaneously.

Bullets: They are small solid shapes used just before a line of text such as an item in a list. They are used to mark the beginning of a point.

Cache memory: This is a high speed storage location that enables the CPU to perform its functions faster.

Case: This is the representation of text in a document, lower or upper case. Other cases available are Capitalize Each Word, tOGGLE and Sentence cases

. Cc (Carbon Copy): This is used to send the same message to a number of people. When Cc is used, the list of all the recipients appears in each recipient’s mail.

Central Processing Unit: It is also known as a processor. It is commonly referred to as the “brain” of a computer system. The processor is a programmable device that controls the retrieval, interpretation and execution of instructions in a computer.

Clipboard: It is a temporary location for storing copied or cut data waiting to be pasted.

Columns: It is a feature that is used to divide content in a page into two or more columns

. Command: It is an instruction given for action to be taken. It represents an authorizing rule, power, or reason for some actions to be performed.

Computer Buses: These are a group of electronic wires that provide a path way through which bits of data are transmitted between the various computer components.

Computer laboratory:  It is a special room set aside for safe installation and use of computer equipment.

Computer system: It is a collection of components that work together to process data and manage

information in a computer in order to achieve a desired goal.

Connector: It is a part of a cable that plugs into a port or interface to connect two devices.

Costume: An image or visual representation that affects the appearance of a sprite. A  sprite  can be programmed to switch  to  a  different  costume  to  change  its  appearance.

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CPU: Abbreviation for the Central Processing Unit. Also called the processor, and makes up the brain of a computer.

Customise: It refers to personalizing or modifying something to suit the user’s needs and tastes.

Customised software: They are tailor-made to solve a specific problem at hand or to meet a specific needof the user.

Data gathering: It is the systematic collection of data for a specific purpose from various sources.

Desktop computers: These are computers designed to be used while placed on top of a desk or a table.

Dialog box: This is a graphic interface which displays a section of the screen to be viewed. It gives the user several options to be choose from.

Distance Learning: It is also known as distance education. It is a mode of study where students do not physically attend learning centres.

Document: This is a written text, manuscript, paper, essay or article organized and saved as a file.

Drop cap: It is a large capital letter usually at the beginning of a block of text that has the depth of more than one line of regular text.

E- Business: Conducting business through the Internet. E-Mail: This refers to a system of exchanging messages electronically over a computer network.

  Edit:  This is changing the content of a file. File: It consists of a group of related records and is used for storing data in a secondary storage media. It is also called tables.

Fire extinguisher: It is a metallic cylinder usually red in colour containing a substance or agent that put out a small fire.

Firmware: These are software programs that are stored in computers Read Only Memory (ROM) where they are available for immediate use.

Font: It refers to the way text appear on the screen and when printed. It includes font type, style and size.

Footers: They are lines of text or graphics that appear below the bottom margin of a page or selected pages.

Formatting: It is the process of improving the appearance of a document to make it attractive and appealing to look at.

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Geocoding: This is a GIS procedure for converting street addresses into spatial data that can be displayed as features on a map, usually by referencing address information from a street segment data layer.

Geodatabase: This is a collection of geographic datasets of various types held in a common file or folder such as Microsoft Access database, or a multiuser relational DBMS (such as Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Informix, or IBM DB2).

GIS: This is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage and present all types of geographically referenced data, that is, data identified according to their location.

Hard disk: It consists of one or several inflexible circular disks called platters which are coated with a magnetic material normally Iron II Oxide.

Hardware: It is defined as any physical and tangible component of a computer which could either be mechanical, electrical or electronic.

Headers:  They are lines of text or graphics that appear above the top margin of a page or selected pages.

Highlight: This is selecting text or object for the purposes of formatting and editing. Indent: It is pushing text away from the margin.

Input: This is data entered in a computer for processing.

Input Devices: These are hardware components that are used to enter data and instructions into a computer.

Integrated software: These are software that combines several standard software into a package.

Internet: It stands for International Network. It is a worldwide network of computers connecting millions of computer networks through a combination of public and private communication lines such as telephone lines, wireless connection and fiber optic.

ISP: This is the abbreviation for Internet Service Provider. It is a licensed organization or company that provides access to the Internet usually at a fee.

Label: It is a heading which describes the content of a row or column.

LAN:  This stands for Local Area Network.

It covers a small geographical area for example, an office, a building, an institution, or an organization.

Landscape: This is where text and graphics are printed with the longest side placed horizontally and the shortest placed vertically.

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Laptop computers: This is a portable computer that looks like a briefcase and has all input/output, processing and memory devices inside the system unit.

Layer: This is a method used to display geographic data sets in ArcMap with each layer pointing to a data set and specifying how the data set is represented using symbols and text labels.

Layout: This is a presentation or an outline which designates a design, or arrangement of data or information.

Lists: It is also known as an array in other programming languages. It refers to a variable that stores multiple pieces of information at once.

MAN: This stands for Metropolitan Area Network covers a city or town. It can be made up of many LANs and can provide Internet connectivity in a Metropolitan region.

Menu: It is a list of options or commands presented to the user of an application to help find information or execute a program function.

Metadata: This is part of an ArcGIS item. Whenever an item is copied in ArcGIS, its metadata also gets copied and when the item is imported into a geodatabase, its metadata is also imported

. Metadata is stored in the same location as the item’s data in a manner that is appropriate for its data type.

Microcomputers: They are popularly known as Personal Computers (PCs) since they are designed to be used by one person at a time.

Network: is a set of interconnected computing nodes which communicate with one another through a transmission medium using a set of rules.

Networking software: It is system software that is used for configuration and enhancement of interactions in a computer network.

Numbering: This is the use of numbers to list different points. They may be set in Arabic or Roman. Offline: Does not require Internet connection.

Off-the-Shelf software: They are software written by a software engineer or programmer, packaged and then made available through a vendor, distributor or the developer Online: Requires Internet connection

. OpenGL: It is the computer industry standard Application Program Interface (API) that is used to define 2D and 3D graphic images. API interacts with a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) to achieve hardware accelerated rendering.

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Operating System: This is a group of programs that provide a platform for loading other programs known as application programs and act as an interface between the hardware and the application programs

.  Orientation: This refers to the positioning of the page in relation to the text or graphics. There are two types of page orientation, namely landscape and portrait.

Output: It is the information produced after processing is complete.

Output devices: These are devices used for displaying data and information.

Page margins: They are the blank spaces around the edges of a page.

Page numbering: This is a formatting feature that organises a large document for ease of reference and makes it easy to track by inserting numbers beginning with the first page.

Palmtop computers: They are designed to fit in the palm of the user and easily fit in pockets.

PAN: It is also known as Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN). It is the smallest network used for data transmission among devices within the environment of an individual user.

  Pan: This is to move an image horizontally or vertically from a stationary point in order to view from different angles.

  Password: is a string of characters entered to log- in or sign- in so as to allow one get authentication.

Peripheral devices: They are computer components that are connected to the ports in the system unit through cables or wireless media.

Port:  It is an interface on a computer on which a device can be connected.

Portrait: This is where text and graphics are printed with the longest side placed vertically and the shortest placed horizontally

. Processing: This is the conversion of data into information.

Programs: Also known as software. It is a collection of instructions that enable the computer to perform specific tasks or help the user to interact with a computer.

Project: This is a creation made in the Scratch Program. A project can be about anything, from music to animations, art, games, and simulations among others. Python: This is the free, open-source scripting language that has been integrated with ArcGIS 10.

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Query: This is a request that examines features or tabular attributes based on userselected criteria and displays only those features or records that satisfy the given criteria.   

Raster Data: These are items, usually images that are composed of pixels.

Register: They are temporary storage location found inside the processor that is used to hold data, instructions or information awaiting processing or output.

Screen: It is also known as the monitor or Visual Display Unit.  It is an output device that displays information from the computer.

Script: A collection of connected blocks that perform a task

. Scrolling: It is the processes of moving around a document without changing the position of the cursor.

Search Engines: These are programs that help a user to look for and identify items that corresponds to keywords or phrases specified from the World Wide Web.

Examples include; Yahoo, Google, WiseGeek, and Inforseek

. Server: Is a computer or device on a network that manages network resources.

Shapefiles: This is an Esri vector data storage format for storing the location, shape, and attributes of geographic features and it stores a set of related files.

Signals: It is an electrical impulse transmitted or received.

Software: It is a collection of instructions (programs) that enable the computer to perform specific tasks or help the user to interact with a computer.

Software: It is a set of instructions that either enable the computer hardware to perform their assigned tasks or help the user to accomplish specific tasks.

Sorting: Arranging data alphabetically or numerically in a descending or ascending order.

Spatial: These are features related to or existing within space.

Sprite: A sprite is an object that can be manipulated through a script to perform actions in a project.

A project can contain multiple sprites that interact with one another. The  default  Sprite  is  a  cat  but  it  can  be  changed  to  a  different  sprite.  

Storage: A computer can store a large amount of data within it. It has primary and secondary storage devices that are used for this purpose.

Storage Devices: These are devices that are used for storage of data, information and instructions.

Styles: They are specially packaged sets that apply many formats at once. They are available to the user for formatting the document.

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Suite: A collection of programs with related functionality sold together as a package.

Surf/Browse: To surf or to browse is to view or access data from the Internet.

Telecommuting: Telecommuting is working from a remote location, usually one’s home by electronically linking to the workplace.

Thesaurus: This feature displays synonyms and antonyms of a selected word.

Thumbnail: An image of a large document or graphic that is reduced in size to allow multiple documents or images to be viewed on the screen at the same time.

TINs: This is a vector data structure that partitions graphic space into connecting nonoverlapping triangles. They are used to store and display service models.

Toolbar: A strip with buttons and options used to carry out commands.

Toolbars: This is a graphical user interface (GUI) with buttons that allow users to execute software commands.

Track Changes: It is a feature that enables the user to view all the changes that have been made on a document.

URL: is an abbreviation for Uniform Resource Locator.  It is a unique address of each web page in a websites which identifies the location of a specific web page on the Internet.

Username: : It is a name that identifies the owner of the e-mail address. It also refers to the identity one uses to log in to a computer network.

Utility software: They are system software that is used to perform routine functions aimed at optimizing, analysing and maintaining the operations of a computer.

Vector Data: These are drawings that represent features such as streets, rivers, railway lines, lakes, city blocks and any other feature that can be drawn on a map Virtual memory: It is the use of part of the hard disk as main memory for storing tasks from or to the processor.

WAN: This stands for a Wide Area Network. It  interconnects LANs and MANs within a very large geographical area and may span across regions, country, continents or even the whole world

. Watermarks: They are text or pictures that appear behind text in a document.

Web browse: These are programs used for displaying and viewing web pages on the World Wide Web (WWW), for example, Mosaic, Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera and Google Chrome amongst others. The web pages can be accessed using a web browser.

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Webpage: It is Hypertext and hypermedia documents containing information about an individual or organisation

. Wi-Fi: is a wireless networking technology that uses radio waves to provide high-speed Internet and networking connections

. Windows Accessories: These are built-in programs found in Windows operating system, for example, calculator, notepad and pain among others.

Word Count: It is a feature that is used to count all characters, words, paragraphs and pages including textboxes, footnotes and endnotes. WWW: It is commonly referred to as the Web. WWW refers to a large virtual space of the Internet where information pages called web pages are installed.

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Detailed Index

Adding a background, 128

Add or switch folders, 200

Advantages of a Computer, 60

Advantages of a Computer Network, 180

Advantages of EMail, 195

Advantages of search engines, 191

Analog data, 2

ArcCatalog: Data Management, 164

Areas Where Computers are used, 61

Assistive Technology , 5

Attaching a document to an e-mail, 202

Background, 128

Basic parts of a web browser, 189

Basic Text Formatting, 107

Breaks, 134

Broadband, 188

Central Processing Unit (CPU), 19

Changing Date and Time, 80

Characteristics of a Computer, 18

Characteristics of a Computer Network, 180

Choosing the Layers to Identify, 173

Classification of computer networks, 181

Classification of Computer Software, 46

Clear Formatting, 139 Columns, 133

Common GIS File Types, 166

Common Windows Accessories, 82

Communication, 4

Components of ArcGIS, 145

Computer Buses, 21

Computer Components, 19

Computer Family, 50

Computer Network Concepts, 179

Computer Peripherals, 22

Computers for Storage, 67

Computers in Office Work, 66

Computers in Security Systems, 64

Computers in the Business Industry, 62

Computers in the Communication Industry, 61

Computers in the Education Sector, 63

Computers in the Entertainment Industry, 63

Computers in the Manufacturing Sector, 67

Computers in the Media Sector, 62

Computers in the Medical Field, 63

Computers in Traffic Control, 65

Computers in Weather Forecasting, 65

Copying and Pasting files and folders, 85

Count the Words in a Selection, 132

Create/ Import a sprite, 214

Create a Sound Clip using Audacity, 224

Create a tune using the Sound Tool Kit, 222

Creating a Document, 104 Creating a folder, 83

Creating an e-mail account, 195

Creating a song using Sound Tool Kit, 225

Creating a strong password, 195

Cutting and pasting files and folders, 85

Data and Layout View, 155

Data Frames, 157

Data gathering, 2

Deciphering search results, 192

Definition of a Computer, 18

Definition of Computer Network, 179

Definition of Data, 2

                                                                                221

Definition of Internet, 184

Definition of Network, 179

Definition of software, 46

Definition of Terms, 146

Definition of Terms, 184

Delete emails, 199

Deleting files or folders, 87

Deleting Text or image, 119

Description Tab, 167

Deselecting, 106

Desktop, 70

Desktop Icons, 70

Desktop icons and gadgets, 78

Development of the Internet, 141

Development of the Internet, 186

Dial up, 188

Different Kinds of Vector Data, 148

Digital data, 2

Disadvantages of a Computer, 61

Disadvantages of a computer network, 181

Disadvantages of Email, 195

Disadvantages of search engines, 192

Downloading Information from Net, 202

Drop caps, 140

E-mail address, 194

Electrical safety, 92

Electronic Mail (E-Mail), 194

Ergonomic keyboards., 22

Evolution of Computers, 53

Explanation of the address, 190

File, 87

File Handling with ArcMap, 164

Find and Replace, 120

Finding Locations, 170

Fire Extinguisher, 94

Fire safety, 93

First Generation Computers (1940’s to mid1950’s), 56

Folder, 83

Fourth Generation Computers (early 1970’s to late 1980’s), 59

Functions of Computers, 18

Gadgets, 79

General safety, 91

Generation of Computers, 56

Getting online, 189

Hardcopy output devices, 30

Hardware, 19

Headers and footers, 140

Health safety , 92

History of computers, 53

History of the Internet, 186

ICT Equipment, 6

ICT in Banking, 12

ICT in Business, 11

ICT in Communication, 12

ICT in Education, 10

ICT in Health, 11

ICT in Manufacturing and Production, 12

ICT in Rwanda, 13

Importance of ICT, 10

Information, 3

Information Technology (IT), 6

Input devices, 22

Internet Concepts, 184

Internet Uses in Daily life, 187

Keyboard Layout, 81

Learning Activity 5A, 104

List of search engines, 192

Local Area Network (LAN), 182

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Mainframe computers, 52

Maintaining your Computer, 95

Maintenance precautions, 96

Manipulating a document, 125

Mass Memory, 42

Medical Technology , 6

Methods /Ways of connecting to the Internet, 188

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), 182

Microcomputers, 50

Microsoft Word (Ms Word), 99

Minicomputers, 51

Monitors, 34

Move emails, 199

Moving and copying text, 118

Moving through the text, 119

Navigation Tools, 167

Nested lists, 139

Open an existing document, 105

Opening a file, 89

Opening a Scratch program, 205

Organise email message, 199

Orientation, 126

Output devices, 30

Page borders, 127

Page Numbering, 142

Page Setup group, 125

Paragraph formatting, 110

Parts of Microsoft Application Window, 103

Personal Area Network (PAN), 181

Plotters, 33 Ports and Connector, 37

Previewing Data, 165

Primary Memory, 41

Printers, 30

Procedure for deciphering search results, 193

Proofing Features, 115

Proofing features, 130

Query Methods, 169

Receiving a message, 197

Recycle bin, 75

Renaming a document, 106

Renaming a folder, 84

Role of a Computer Network, 180

Safe Lab Procedure, 90

Safety Precautions in a Computer Lab, 90

Saving, 88 Saving a Document, 104

Scratch 2.0 User interface, 206

Screen Resolution, 80

Search Engines, 191

Secondary Memory, 42

Second Generation Computers (mid 1950’s to early 1960’s), 57

Selecting text, 106

Sending and reading messages, 196

Sending messages, 198

Sign In, 196

Softcopy Output Devices, 34

Software, 46

Starting Ms Word 2010, 99 Storage, 41

Storage Devices and Media, 41

Styles, 137

Supercomputers, 52

Table of Contents (TOC), 152

Task bar, 70 Technology, 5

Technology of Teaching , 5

Tertiary Storage, 45

Text formatting, 107

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The Basic Toolbar, 167

The Control panel, 77

The Fifth Generation Computers (Early 1990’s to present), 60

The Interface of ArcMap, 148

The menu bar, 153

The Scratch Toolbar, 212

Third Generation Computers (early 1960’s to early 1970’s), 58

Toolbars, 161

Traditional keyboards, 22

Types of data,

2 Types of Networks, 181

Types of ports, 37

Types of windows, 81

Typing Modes, 120

Typing Text, 104

Undo and Redo commands, 120

Uploading a document to an e-mail, 202

Use combo blocks to play sounds, 217

Using an email  address book, 202

Voice Output devices, 36

Watermarks, 128

Web Address, 190

Web browser, 189

Wi-Fi, 188

Wide Area Network (WAN), 183

Window control buttons, 81

Windows, 81

Word Processing, 99

Word Processing Environment, 100

Working with Documents, 104

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