Technology Competencies

     The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards seeks to identify and recognize teachers who effectively
     enhance student learning and demonstrate the high level of knowledge, skills, abilities and commitments reflected in
     the following five core propositions.
        1.Teachers are committed to students and their learning.
          Accomplished teachers are dedicated to making knowledge accessible to all students. They act on the belief
          that all students can learn. They treat students equitably, recognizing the individual differences that
          distinguish one student from another and taking account of these differences in their practice. They adjust
          their practice based on observation and knowledge of their students' interests, abilities, skills, knowledge,
          family circumstances and peer relationships.

          Accomplished teachers understand how students develop and learn. They incorporate the prevailing theories
          of cognition and intelligence in their practice. They are aware of the influence of context and culture on
          behavior. They develop students' cognitive capacity and their respect for learning. Equally important, they
          foster students' self-esteem, motivation, character, civic responsibility and their respect for individual, cultural,
          religious and racial differences.
        2.Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.
          Accomplished teachers have a rich understanding of the subject(s) they teach and appreciate how
          knowledge in their subject is created, organized, linked to other disciplines and applied to real-world settings.
          While faithfully representing the collective wisdom of our culture and upholding the value of disciplinary
          knowledge, they also develop the critical and analytical capacities of their students.

          Accomplished teachers command specialized knowledge of how to convey and reveal subject matter to
          students. They are aware of the preconceptions and background knowledge that students typically bring to
          each subject and of strategies and instructional materials that can be of assistance. They understand where
          difficulties are likely to arise and modify their practice accordingly. Their instructional repertoire allows them
          to create multiple paths to the subjects they teach, and they are adept at teaching students how to pose and
          solve their own problems.
        3.Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.
          Accomplished teachers create, enrich, maintain and alter instructional settings to capture and sustain the
          interest of their students and to make the most effective use of time. They also are adept at engaging
          students and adults to assist their teaching and at enlisting their colleagues' knowledge and expertise to
          complement their own. Accomplished teachers command a range of generic instructional techniques, know
          when each is appropriate and can implement them as needed. They are as aware of ineffectual or damaging
          practice as they are devoted to elegant practice.

          They know how to engage groups of students to ensure a disciplined learning environment, and how to
          organize instruction to allow the schools' goals for students to be met. They are adept at setting norms for
          social interaction among students and between students and teachers. They understand how to motivate
          students to learn and how to maintain their interest even in the face of temporary failure.

          Accomplished teachers can assess the progress of individual students as well as that of the class as a
          whole. They employ multiple methods for measuring student growth and understanding and can clearly
          explain student performance to parents.
        4.Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.
          Accomplished teachers are models of educated persons, exemplifying the virtues they seek to inspire in
          students -- curiosity, tolerance, honesty, fairness, respect for diversity and appreciation of cultural differences
          -- and the capacities that are prerequisites for intellectual growth: the ability to reason and take multiple
          perspectives to be creative and take risks, and to adopt an experimental and problem-solving orientation.

          Accomplished teachers draw on their knowledge of human development, subject matter and instruction, and
          their understanding of their students to make principled judgments about sound practice. Their decisions are
          not only grounded in the literature, but also in their experience. They engage in lifelong learning which they
          seek to encourage in their students.

          Striving to strengthen their teaching, accomplished teachers critically examine their practice, seek to expand
          their repertoire, deepen their knowledge, sharpen their judgment and adapt their teaching to new findings,
          ideas and theories.
        5.Teachers are members of learning communities. Accomplished teachers contribute to the effectiveness
          of the school by working collaboratively with other professionals on instructional policy, curriculum
          development and staff development. They can evaluate school progress and the allocation of school
          resources in light of their understanding of state and local educational objectives. They are knowledgeable
          about specialized school and community resources that can be engaged for their students' benefit, and are
          skilled at employing such resources as needed.

Accomplished teachers find ways to work collaboratively and creatively with parents, engaging them
productively in the work of the school.