Technology in a Nutshell

Next time a student asks what bandwidth is, or how a router works, point him to TECHtionary.com (www.crosstouch.com/techtionary). The Web site is an animated technical dictionary providing definitions of more than 200 terms having to do with the Internet, telecommunications, and computer systems. It attempts to avoid computer jargon while explaining everything from aerial plants to fiber-optic cables to zettabytes. "This is useful for anyone wanting to know how the Internet and technology works," says Thomas B. Cross, whose company, Cross Market Management, provides corporate training and developed the site. "I was tired of adults coming to class and not knowing anything about how technology works.... We put together the site to be a tool to help students, and I think even those as young as middle-school age could benefit from it."

Users look up words by dragging a mouse over the first letter of the term and clicking on it. Text and pictures appear to explain the term. Many of the definitions include brief animations that make obscure concepts easier to grasp. "The animation and easily understood text make the site valuable for learners at all levels," says Cindy Johnson, director of technology for Lee County Schools in North Carolina, who has used the site with students and teachers. "Novice Internet users are not frustrated with how to get information and advanced users still find something to learn."