Learning Out Loud and the Twelve Habits of the Mind

Learning Out Loud and the Twelve Habits of the Mind

Learning out loud offers so much more than the passive transfer of information that embodies most of today’s classrooms. It presents a dynamic, social process built upon twelve key habits that unfold together in dialogue. Dialogic learning is thus a mode of being, a way of thinking and growing through shared discovery. This set of articles invites educators to consider the deeper architecture of learning out loud. It presents a framework of twelve interwoven habits that allow learners to participate meaningfully in communities of understanding. They are as follows:

• Curiosity – the innate drive to discover that fuels questions and exploration.
• Confidence – believing one’s voice and ideas have value, and trusting in the process of exchange.
• Conversation – mastering the social norms of dialogue: active listening, taking turns, building on others’ points, and even disagreeing politely.
• Comprehension – grasping the meaning of ideas and integrating new information.
• Competency – applying knowledge in practice and demonstrating skill through action.
• Collation – organizing information from various sources into a coherent whole.
• Computation – analytical reasoning and critical thinking to solve problems.
• Comparison – seeing relationships between ideas by making distinctions and analogies.
• Critique – examining ideas critically to provide constructive, improvement-focused feedback.
• Challenge – embracing difficulties and posing tough questions to spur growth.
• Creativity – generating novel ideas and imaginative solutions during learning.
• Communication – conveying ideas clearly and co-creating meaning with others.

Dialogic learning optimizes this constellation of habits as they work in concert, flowing together to drive discovery from inquiry to co-creation. Echoing many of the “21st century skills” that educators and employers champion alike, these habits depict knowledge acquisition less as product consumption and more as dialogic community. By acculturating these habits, young people can equip themselves to engage with others on any topic, problem, or opportunity in a profound, inquisitive, and generative manner. These habits remind us that learning is a living, communal act, rich with relationships and meaning.