The Five Qualities
There are hundreds of thousands of teachers who have flipped a lesson. Thousands of teachers have flipped their classes, and hundreds of educators are teaching others about Flipped Learning. Over the last decade, we’ve found that there are five qualities of a world-class Flipped Learning practitioners:
1. The Leading Learners
Because world-class Flipped Learning practitioners know that Flipped Learning is not static, they are eager to expand their knowledge. How they expand their knowledge is irrelevant. What distinguishes them is their voracious appetite to learn all they can about how the Flipped Learning model is evolving. Consequently, their understanding and Flipped Learning skill set is growing faster than the typical Flipped Learning practitioner.
2. Connected to Global Innovators
One of the most astounding things we discovered is that most Flipped Learning is practiced in isolation. The isolation can be at the classroom level, the school level, or the country level. The “typical” Flipped Learning practitioner is not connected to Flipped Learning innovators around the world. In fact, many Flipped Learning practitioners are struggling with problems that have already been solved by their peers in the class down the hall, the school down the road, or the country next door.
Sadly, the isolation is perpetuated by Flipped Learning that is also disconnected from global innovations and best practices. World-class Flipped Learning practitioners understand the need to break out of the silos and connect with Flipped Learning innovators around the world…. and they do.
3. Aware of Innovations
Because world-class Flipped Learning practitioners are not operating in solitary confinement, their knowledge of Flipped Learning is not limited by the borders of their classrooms, school districts, country, or native culture. They are aware of the latest local and global innovations in Flipped Learning. They are the teachers, administrators, trainers, and technologists who have the broadest understanding of Flipped Learning in the world.
4. Using Global Best Practices
Knowing the global best practices in Flipped Learning is good. Integrating them into your class projects, lesson plans, and programs is even better.
Pulling a tooth with a cavity became obsolete the moment dentists figured out how to fill cavities and cap teeth. Today, yanking teeth that can be restored would be malpractice. World-class Flipped Learning practitioners are committed to knowing and using the most current practices, strategies, and tools.
5. Defining the “Next” Practices
As mentioned, world-class Flipped Learning practitioners are expanding their understanding and skill set faster than most. They are connected to flipped innovators around the globe, are aware of the latest global insights and innovations, and are using the most current global best practices.
Consequently, world-class Flipped Learning practitioners are exploring the leading edge of Flipped Learning, discovering new possibilities, and defining the NEXT practices in Flipped Learning. These are the people to watch to get a glimpse of where Flipped Learning is going in the future.
Why World-Class Matters
In an episode on BAM Radio, we interviewed the renowned professor Yong Zhao about the “four qualities of teachers who create world-class learners.” Zhao says that we need to reassess what kind of learning resources students have now. “For a long time, teachers were almost the only authoritative source of information and knowledge in the classroom.” Now we have “access to the outside world, a vast amount of information, also a network of potential experts on every subject.” Zhao concludes that it’s time for educators to shift from “dispensing” knowledge to helping students navigate the world of knowledge on their own.
In short, to create world-class learners, we must help students navigate the world. To help students navigate the world, we have to get out of our classrooms, schools, countries, and silos and navigate the world ourselves. Said more simply: world-class teachers create world-class learners.