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Dr Marcelo Staricoff, lecturer in Early Years and Primary Education, remembers his student days at Sussex (1984-1987) and is celebrating the success of his new education book, The Joy of Not Knowing (Routledge, 2021).
I arrived with my family in England from Buenos Aires in the very hot summer of 1976. We came with my Mum's one year fellowship as an immunologist. Being 11 at the time, I went straight into secondary school in North London, even though I hadn't finished my primary school in Argentina and without being able to speak a word of English. I stayed at the school for the sixth form and then worked there as a science technician for three months during my year off. The rest of my year off was spent in Boston as a nanny for a family who were both lecturers at Sussex.

I came to Sussex in 1984, following in my brother's footsteps. He was then a final year maths student. I joined the first ever cohort of students taking the Environmental Science degree, in the School of Molecular Sciences (MOLS).With hindsight, it is amazing to think how progressive and visionary this course was. I feel so privileged to have been taught and inspired by so many wonderful lecturers. I remember my tutorials with Professor Harry Kroto, later a Nobel Prize winner, with great affection. I was sad to hear that the degree is no longer being taught.

I vividly remember arriving with my family on the first day and trying to find Flat 1, East Slope, which later became the name of the radio show I hosted for Falmer Radio on Monday evenings from Norwich House. I loved living in Flat 1, with twelve of us sharing one shower and one bathroom. Lifetime friendships were formed.

Sussex was very politically active at the time, which I really liked. I became the president of the Central American Solidarity Campaign Society and couldn't believe it when I was elected to represent the University at the National Union of Students conference in Blackpool. I loved the weekly Student Union meetings in Mandela Hall. It was such a treat to listen to the union's president, Ty Goddard, address the floor so passionately. I will never forget going on a student march in London, getting trapped by the police cordons just by the Thames, and escaping into Somerset House as people were letting us in through the windows.

Another pertinent memory now is the time I was thrown out of a Meatloaf concert and banned for life from the Brighton Centre for climbing over a side railing to get to the front. My biggest worry was that I was due to graduate there a few months later.

Sport also featured very prominently for me at Sussex. I became very involved with the tennis, football and cricket teams. As a passionate 'biceleste' football supporter, it was quite an experience arriving on campus the day after the infamous match of 1986 between our two countries [Argentina and England]. I had previously experienced the occasion of the Falklands War in 1982, but I think that 1986 and Maradona's 'Hand of God'goal proved a little bit more tricky in terms of friendships.

I enjoyed my degree enormously and then embarked on a scientific career, working first for the Pesticides Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and then going on to do a PhD in Biochemistry at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel, where I met my wife, Anna, who was working as a doctor. We then moved to Bristol when I got a post-doctoral position at the University and where Emily and Thomas were born.

At the age of 30 I took the plunge and changed careers, embarking on a PGCE Course in Primary Education at the University of West of England. It was such a great decision career-wise, and I have loved every minute of it. Having worked as a research scientist, I became fascinated by how one could present the curriculum to children so that the learning was perceived as open-ended, investigative and driven by curiosity and enquiry.

I started to experiment with ways in which children's creative, critical and philosophical thinking and lifelong learning dispositions could be nurtured in the classroom. I developed the idea of welcoming them with an open-ended creative thinking challenge, for example what would you ask a spoon? Or if the answer is six, what would the question be? This idea became my first book, entitled Start Thinking ( published by Imaginative Minds in 2005).

The key to children developing a real love of learning is to make them feel comfortable with uncertainty and with not knowing, which is why my latest book is called The Joy of Not Knowing. The book offers teachers and headteachers a practical guide, using lots of real-life examples from children and teachers. It proposes the idea of schools launching the academic year with a Learning to Learn Week, during which the children are equipped with all the tools, cultures and dispositions that will enable them to thrive as learners and individuals throughout the year.

I returned to Brighton when my wife became a consultant at the Royal Sussex County Hospital and used the opportunity of the move to enter senior leadership and until recently headships of two local schools. Little did I know that, when leaving headship and embarking on writing the book, I would be given the space and time to finish writing it by a national pandemic lockdown!

In August 2020 joined the Sussex's School of Education and Social Work (ESW) as a tutor on the BA in Early Years and Primary Education (BAPEYE) Course, which I'm enjoying enormously. Being back on campus is so fabulous. I have many wonderful memories and I'm so pleased that, despite all the changes and new builds, the campus and the people all still feel so special.

The publication of The Joy of Not Knowing - or the JONK approach as it has become known- has led to exciting opportunities. I'm working with schools, local authorities, the All Party Parliamentary Group in Education, Coram and really interestingly with UNICEF as a consultant to the Education Department of Uzbekistan. I am also enjoying being a Trustee of local charity, The Michael Aldrich Foundation, and was thrilled when the JONK book made one of the shortlists for the best of book in education for 2021.

I am really excited with the role at Sussex and to being able to keep working alongside so many amazing colleagues and great students to help train many more generations of teachers and contribute in the best possible way to the future of education and of the profession. I never imagined all those years ago that I would one day become a member of staff at Sussex and have a book displayed in the Foyer of the School of Education!

This profile is part of our This Sussex Life series.

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This Sussex Life. Dr Marcelo Staricoff: 'Being back on campus is fabulous.'

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Education lecturer Dr Marcelo Staricoff, remembers his 1980s student days at Sussex and is celebrating the success of his new book.

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First, I want to thank you for the wonderful session and the book you dedicated to me. I really enjoyed how it began with the story of working in the playground. It instantly brought back memories of my childhood, running around and flying kites—those joyful, carefree days. It felt like such a warm and personal way to start.

The exercise on PMI (Positive, Minus, and Interesting), using Edward de Bono’s method, was intriguing. It helped me look at the JONK concept from a fresh perspective—starting from a place of curiosity, moving through exploration, and then returning to that same curiosity but with new insights. It made me think about how often we learn without even realizing it.

I found the idea behind JONK especially thought-provoking—the belief that "the best learning happens when students don’t realize they’re learning." This concept really stuck with me. It challenges the traditional classroom approach and reminds us that learning isn’t just something that happens in formal settings. It can happen during moments of play, exploration, and curiosity, both in school and beyond. That intellectual playfulness is such an important part of education that sometimes gets overlooked.

Nelson Mandela’s quote—"If you talk to a man in a language that he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart"—was the perfect touch. It beautifully captures the importance of connecting with students in a way that resonates with them emotionally, not just intellectually. It’s a powerful reminder that teaching isn’t just about delivering content—it’s about reaching students where they are, in a way that speaks to both their heads and their hearts.

Overall, this session gave me a lot to reflect on and left me feeling inspired about my own teaching. Thank you again for such a thoughtful and engaging experience!

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Launching the Day through Creative Thinking

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Launching the Day through Creative Thinking

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Adaptive teaching: Rethinking the nature of learning in schools (animated video)

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Every child learns differently. What can teachers do to accommodate the needs of each individual student?

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How to use Lego with children across the Curriculum 

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How to use Lego with children across the Curriculum 

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Articles that show JONK principles in practice

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Articles that show JONK principles in practice

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Presentation from Workshop with Simon Thompson

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(On ChatGBT) How doe Marcelo Staricoff’s JONK framework incorporate or embed the teaching and learning of resilience?

Marcelo Staricoff's JONK framework, emphasizing "The Joy of Not Knowing," inherently incorporates elements that contribute to the teaching and learning of resilience. Here's how resilience can be embedded within the framework:

1. Embracing Uncertainty:

The JONK framework encourages individuals to find joy in not knowing and embraces uncertainty. This mindset fosters resilience by teaching learners to adapt and thrive in situations where the outcome is not predetermined. Resilience often involves navigating through uncertainty with a positive and open mindset.

2. Curiosity and Learning from Challenges:

Resilience is closely linked to the ability to learn from challenges. In the JONK framework, curiosity is a driving force, and encountering challenges becomes an opportunity for learning. This approach encourages individuals to view setbacks as part of the learning process, promoting resilience in the face of difficulties.

3. Inquiry-Based Learning:

The JONK framework emphasizes inquiry-based learning, where students actively explore and discover knowledge. This process inherently involves overcoming obstacles, solving problems, and learning through trial and error. These experiences contribute to the development of resilience as students navigate the complexities of their inquiries.

4. Promoting a Growth Mindset:

Resilience is often associated with having a growth mindset—the belief that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. JONK, by celebrating the joy of not knowing, encourages a growth mindset by highlighting the process of learning over fixed outcomes. This mindset fosters resilience by promoting perseverance in the face of challenges.

5. Building Emotional Resilience:

The emotional aspect of resilience is crucial. JONK's focus on joy and wonder creates a positive emotional connection to the learning process. This emotional resilience helps learners cope with setbacks, setbacks, and uncertainties, fostering a sense of joy and curiosity even in challenging situations.

6. Encouraging Collaboration and Support:

Resilience is often strengthened through collaboration and support. The JONK framework, with its emphasis on community engagement and relational aspects of learning, provides opportunities for students to work together, share experiences, and support one another in their learning journeys, enhancing overall resilience.

In summary, Marcelo Staricoff's JONK framework embeds the teaching and learning of resilience through its emphasis on embracing uncertainty, fostering a growth mindset, encouraging inquiry-based learning, and promoting emotional resilience. By celebrating the joy of not knowing, the framework provides a foundation for learners to navigate challenges with curiosity, adaptability, and a positive mindset.

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Schools are microcosms of society, and as such they draw upon the multilingual and multicultural richness and heritages of the societies in which they are based, and of every individual that is part of their community at any one time. I have always been fascinated by the prospect of setting up a teaching, learning, leadership and social environment in the classroom and throughout the school that not only reflects and celebrates the multiculturality of every individual but also uses it to drive every aspect of the school's ethos and philosophy of education.

Designing a philosophy of education that offers every individual, at all times, the opportunity to multilingually across all areas of the curriculum and to co-exist as part of a multicultural classroom and school is one of the core principles that underpins the Joy of Not Knowing ™ (JONK ™ ) philosophy of education and approach to school leadership. There are many studies that assert the importance of establishing a multilingual approach to the teaching and learning process. For example, Marian and Shook (2012) state that 'today more of the world's population is bilingual than monolingual and note that this trend not only facilitates cross-cultural communication but also has a positive impact of an individual's cognitive ability. They explain in their paper The Cognitive Benefits of Being Bilingual (Cerebrum, 2012) that 'the bilingual brain can have better attention and task-switching capacities than the monolingual brain and that bilingualism can have 'positive effects across the whole age spectrum'. The authors also describe how managing multiple languages appears to have 'broad effects on neurological function' and lead to enriched cognitive control, improved metalinguistic awareness (ability to recognise and be playful with language), better memory, visual-spatial skills and creativity'.

It is also fascinating to note that research studies demonstrate that establishing a multi-lingual classroom benefits children. Dr Dina Mehmedbegovic, a lecturer at the Institute of Education, University College, UK discusses in an interview published on the Erasmus+ online platform (2016) the importance of communicating to children and their families that every language that a child speaks is important, part of the teaching and learning process and also part of the thinking about the future, their employability, enabling them to convert their linguistic capital into economic capital in the future. Marian and Shook (2012) conclude that the cognitive and neurological benefits they observed from bilingualism are 'not exclusive to people who were raised bilingual; they are also seen in people who learn a second language later in life'. This observation is further supported by Fan et al. (2015) which found a social advantage from merely being exposed to multiple languages, not necessarily from actively speaking those languages. Furthermore, Lauchlan et al. (2012) found that bilingualism has a positive effect on children's ability to think creatively and to problem solve. It is interesting to note that in Ariadne de Villa's (2017) article entitled Critical Thinking in Language Learning and Teaching , critical thinking is seen as an essential tool for second language acquisition. The ability to thrive in a multilingual learning environment is increased if the children are able to develop their critical thinking skills. These studies suggest that there is a symbiotic relationship between critical thinking and a multilingual learning environment i.e. they both complement each other. This article concludes with a range of studies that support the theory of incorporating a multilingual approach to education.

The JONK approach defines three principal means by which practitioners can integrate a multilingual thinking approach to their everyday teaching and learning routine. It suggests that all tasks can be presented in a way that enables the student to:

complete the task in one language and then in another language(s)

use the entire repertoire of language(s) and cultural heritage that they possess to think and engage with a task, where each of the languages is used within a prescribed and structured approach

use the entire repertoire of language(s) and cultural heritage that they possess to think and engage with a task, free from any pre-set conditions in which the language(s) is used.

In the first of these situations, a child for whom the main language of instruction represents an additional language to them, may prefer to write a poem or plan a story, for example in their first language and then translate the work into the language of instruction. This approach enables each individual to launch into a task by thinking and expressing themselves in the language that evokes the most emotion and provides the most meaning to them, from a personalisation of learning perspective.

In the second scenario the child is offered the opportunity to use more than one language when thinking about a task and engaging in the learning process. But the way that the multiple languages are applied is pre-determined, for example, if writing a poem, the structure may involve writing alternate verses in alternate languages or if creating a Mind Map that contains six main branches, the student is tasked to create three branches in one language and three in another.

In the third scenario, the child is completely free to use their entire repertoire of language and cultural heritage to think through and complete a task. There are no pre-set parameters or expectations. In solving a mathematical problem or checking the answer using an alternative method, for example, a child may use a cross-cultural approach, which could involve a different methodology to those being taught as part of the everyday curriculum.

It is fascinating to note that thinking, learning and co-existing in a multilingual and multicultural school environment offers numerous emotional, cognitive, social and neurological benefits in proportion to multilingual as well as to monolingual students, a perception that was wonderfully captured by Nelson Mandela when he stated that 'if you talk to a man in a language that he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart'.

Share your experiences with educators globally by joining the discussion below. How might these inclusive approaches be used in your classroom, or perhaps you have existing practice you could share?

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Chartered College of Teaching ¬∑ Multilingual thinking in multicultural classrooms Schools are microcosms of society, and as such they draw upon the multilingual and multicultural richness and heritages of the societies in which they are based, and of every individual that is part of their community at any one time.

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It is a great honour and pleasure to share the philosophy and principles that are at the heart of The Joy of Not Knowing approach with you all. I hope that you all really enjoy the book and all the ideas that I loved sharing in it that made such a difference to children, to the staff team and to the families. I hope that you enjoy experimenting with all the ideas as teachers and as students and that they inspire you to have lots more ideas and that it helps us develop fabulous collaborations where we can keep sharing all the great ideas that you are all currently using and putting into practice.

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Multilingual thinking and learning in multicultural classrooms

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Webinar: The importance of heritage languages

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Join Professor Dame Alison Peacock (Chief Executive, Chartered College of Teaching), Dr Lisa-Maria Muller (Education Research Manager, Chartered College of Teaching), Bavaani Nanthabalan (Executive Headteacher, Netley Primary School) and Dr Marcelo Staricoff (Author, Director and Consultant, JONK Thinking and Learning) as they: present findings from a scoping review on the links between multilingualism in the [...]

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Keynote Speaker, Dr Marcelo Staricoff at the 5th Global Empathy Conference, Seoul.

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Episode Twenty Three - The JONK approach with Marcelo Staricoff

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Listen to this episode from Talking their language with Helen Bodell on Spotify. Episode Twenty Three - The JONK approach with Marcelo Staricoff Marcelo is the author of 'The Joy of Not Knowing' (Routledge, 2021) and a former scientist and Primary School Headteacher.

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By Levi Allison

Recess Duty is a podcast for all educators to share success and challenges in and outside of the classroom. Coming together to collaborate but most importantly to have a little fun with friends far and wide. We will chat with friends from around the globe to discuss their experiences in education both big and small. Let's add a little fun back into our Recess Duty!

I'd love to connect with you to hear your thoughts and feedback!

Levi Allison

Recess Duty Episode 034 - Marcelo Staricoff

Recess DutyOct 05, 2022

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Recess Duty Episode 034 - Marcelo Staricoff by Recess Duty

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This week during Recess Duty we talk with Marcelo Staricoff! We discuss his new book "The Joy of Not Knowing" and the culture that this idea can help create. We discuss the origin of his philosophy and how we might help our own students develop their own growth mindset.

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TA CPD: Behaviours and Practical Strategies for Effective Learning

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This blog shares a recent free TA CPD event hosted by the author of ‘The Joy of Not Knowing’, Marcelo Staricoff, who shares practical strategies that teaching assistants can use with pupils to develop a growth mindset and an enjoyment of learning.

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The Joy of Not Knowing with Marcelo Staricoff

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Gina Parker (Mullarkey)

I have been looking through Marcelo Staricoff's book 'The Joy of Not Knowing (JONK)' and in particular pausing on Chapter 7, 'The Thinking Skills Starters' and Chapter 8 'Philosophy and a Philosophical approach to learning'. Marcelo is the creator of the JONK approach- A Philosophy of Education Transforming Teaching, Thinking, Learning and Leadership in Schools. Marcelo has very kindly written a guest blog which focuses on the value of Philosophy and even includes a maths linked example related to 2D shapes. Over to Marcelo...

There is no end to what one can achieve through a philosophical approach to the curriculum and to school life and to how this can ensure that all children develop a great love and an intrinsic motivation for learning as they feel that school has equipped with all they need to be able to know how to know, what they are curious to know, that they know they don't know!

Pupil Reflections - Staricoff, M (2021) Joy Of Not Knowing pg 161 and 162.

You can purchase a personalised signed copy of JONK with 25% off by contacting Marcelo on info@jonklearning.co.uk

I have been looking through Marcelo Staricoff's book 'The Joy of Not Knowing (JONK)' and in particular pausing on Chapter 7, 'The Thinking Skills Starters' and Chapter 8 'Philosophy and a Philosophical approach to learning'. Marcelo is the creator of the JONK approach- A Philosophy of Education Transforming Teaching, Thinking, Learning and Leadership in Schools. Marcelo has very kindly written a guest blog which focuses on the value of Philosophy and even includes a maths linked example related to 2D shapes. Over to Marcelo...

There is no end to what one can achieve through a philosophical approach to the curriculum and to school life and to how this can ensure that all children develop a great love and an intrinsic motivation for learning as they feel that school has equipped with all they need to be able to know how to know, what they are curious to know, that they know they don't know!

Pupil Reflections - Staricoff, M (2021) Joy Of Not Knowing pg 161 and 162.

You can purchase a personalised signed copy of JONK with 25% off by contacting Marcelo on info@jonklearning.co.uk

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I have been looking through Marcelo Staricoff's book 'The Joy of Not Knowing (JONK)' and in particular pausing on Chapter 7, 'The Thinking Skills Starters' and Chapter 8 'Philosophy and a Philosophical approach to learning'. Marcelo is the creator of the JONK approach- A Philosophy of Education Transforming Teaching, Thinking, Learning and Leadership in Schools.

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"The Joy of Not Knowing" - Seminar and Q&A with Marcelo Staricoff

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Learning how to learn, philosophical thinking, action research and getting comfortable with discomfort: Elizabeth Holmes gets to grips with JONK.
Recent headteacher, now consultant, lecturer and author, Marcelo Staricoff is a man with a mission. Drawing on his decades of experience as a scientist, educator and school leader, he created the concept of The Joy of Not Knowing™, now a book published by Routledge entitled The Joy of Not Knowing: A philosophy of education transforming teaching, thinking, learning and leadership in schools. It describes an integrated and coherent model and philosophy of education designed to maximise the love for learning at school that continues throughout a child's life.

The Joy of Not Knowing (JONK™) is a pedagogical framework not just for primary children. It is a whole school, inclusive strategy that reaches out into the family unit, the community and across all phases of education. Contrary to the apparent direction of travel in some sectors of education, this is not about repetition or preparation for test after test.

In order to explore JONK in more detail, I chatted to Marcelo about where his ideas originated, and how they can help children of today.

Marcelo began by explaining that, 'The JONK philosophy is rooted on the concept that in order to learn something new, we must not know it first. The JONK ideas and strategies then enable children to feel equipped to succeed, rather than worried or anxious when they find themselves in a position of not knowing.'

Marcello began his career as a scientist before embarking on a PGCE in primary education at the University of the West of England. After training to teach he experienced what he describes as 'a series of very lucky events'. He trained in a forward-looking placement school which gave him much freedom to experiment, got an NQT (ECT) role in a school with exciting ways of working with the children, and had the opportunity, with his headteacher, to be part of 'Flying High', a two-year action research project in Bristol.

Learning to think

'Our project focused on how to promote higher order thinking through teacher questioning in science', Marcelo explained. 'We found out through a rigorous research process that different types of questions elicit different answers in children, in terms of length and depth of response. I started to experiment with all the strategies I was seeing other in schools to develop a thinking skills approach to all aspects of the teaching and learning routine.'

If we are expecting every child to succeed with their learning, the ability to learn must also be taught

Marcelo became interested in how children feel as they walk to school; are they excited about the day ahead? He explained, 'I started to welcome them with an open-ended thinking challenge and I gave them all their own "thinking skills" book to do the challenges in. These transformed our day! As the children were doing the challenges, there was classical music in the background and the register being taken in Spanish, which meant they were immersed in a multilingual, musical and creative thinking environment in which all were experiencing success and that was preparing them for the day ahead.'

Marcelo is a master of helping us to not only think more deeply about our practice in the classroom, but also to think more creatively about how we teach children to do the same. For example, instead of families saying to children, what did you do today at school, say, what questions did you ask today?

'Philosophy and a philosophical approach to the curriculum is the main driver of the JONK approach,' Marcelo said. 'To include all the families, I created the "Thinking in Playgrounds" initiative at my school, where families would contribute something together in response to a philosophical question or challenge that was posted every day on the blackboard. For many families that was precious quality time spent together and transformed the way children felt coming to school.'

Marcelo continued, 'I got my second job as a teacher in a Beacon school that focused on six progressive pedagogical themes: thinking skills, philosophy, life-long learning, values, entitlements and accelerated learning. This was the platform that launched all the aspects that are fundamental to the JONK approach.'

Learning to learn

As a deputy head, Marcelo started to implement this value led approach to education more strategically throughout his school. 'We removed the school rules and replaced them with a set of values that everybody lived through,' he said. 'The transformation was amazing to see and we noticed a significant improvement in children's emotional, social and academic wellbeing.'

The realisation that Marcelo came to when appointed as a headteacher was that if we are expecting every child to succeed with their learning, the ability to learn must also be taught. This led to him introducing the concept of the Learning to Learn Week, when the first week of the academic year is devoted to teaching children how to learn, and to creating values and children's rights, to equip them with all the tools, skills, strategies, expertise and dispositions that enable them to succeed in all areas of the curriculum and of school life.

Take away the fear of not knowing, and replace it with an enthusiasm for learning and for wanting to know!

'I also developed the concept of multi-professional teams,' Marcelo continued, 'to make sure that staff felt they had all they needed to succeed as professionals, and to give all staff a voice in terms of the strategic direction of the school. On the first day I would present to the staff the main school development priorities for the year and staff would then choose which team to join. This culture brings many benefits.'

For Marcelo, the most exciting development then came when these multi-professional teams then also became populated by children, who as learning leaders, would work with the staff to create, write and publish a child's version of the school development plan.

'One of the things that I enjoyed experiencing most as a headteacher is the freedom that is afforded to teachers through the JONK action research teams,' Marcelo explained, 'where all staff have the freedom to experiment with a different area of pedagogy each term, evaluate it and then if successful embed into their practice. What I was trying to achieve in developing all these areas of the JONK approach was to get children and staff to feel that anything is possible, to use empathy to take away the fear of not knowing, and replace it with an enthusiasm for learning and for wanting to know!'

The beating heart of Marcelo's philosophy for learning and teaching that is so clearly elucidated in JONK is that in order to learn something new you have to not know it first. It is transformational for children to realise that if they know the answer, they are not learning anything new. This is the key that unlocks a lifelong love of learning.

Learning to love learning

There are six interlocking domains of the JONK philosophy and whole-school approach.

1. The school as a community: values led culture in multilingual and multicultural environments. Friendship, enjoyment and playfulness.

2. A culture and ethos for learning: the value and joy of not knowing in creating a thirst for wanting to know. Every individual as an expert in their field.

3. The enjoyment of learning how to learn: explicit teaching of skills, tools and dispositions. Intrinsic motivation for thinking, learning and knowing.

4. Collaboration and school leadership: leadership for dialogue, individual growth, professional freedom and strategic development. Democracy, decision-making, and whole-school change.

5. Life-long learning beyond school: pupil, school, family triangular partnership for learning. School at the heart of the local, national, global community.

6. The enjoyment of teaching the learning: motivational and innovative teaching and pedagogy. Personalised learning through whole class teaching.

Everything is perceived to be possible. But how does that actually come true?

Marcelo explained, 'Through the culture of a school that is based on values, children's rights (UNCRC), life-long learning dispositions and links with community and families. Living through a set of values, enables the rights of children to be met. Once the rights are met the children can acquire all the dispositions of successful lifelong learners, which then enables them to add cultural capital and contribute to all areas of society and their local, national and global communities.'

It feels like it would be incredibly liberating for teachers, while also getting the outcomes we desire

For Marcelo and the JONK philosophy, education is like architecture. You start with a detailed plan before building anything. 'Schools are the same,' he said. 'Headteachers and teachers also start with the detailed plans and then the experts they source to make these plans come to fruition are the children.'

The book holds that once children perceive that they are experts of learning, they develop their own model of learning to describe how they view the process of learning, and the teachers can then use the language of each model to have personalised learning conversations with every child.

The book holds that inspirational teaching makes the curriculum be perceived not as the end product but as a launch pad for enquiry where all children feel that they are able to achieve what at first seems impossible. The key to the JONK philosophy is placing children in a position of discomfort, or not knowing, but then learning is set up to ensure that all children and adults are able to feel comfortable with being uncomfortable.

JONK is a convincing read. It is laden with passion and experience, anchored in actual success in classrooms, and illustrated with myriad examples of children's work. It feels like it would be incredibly liberating for teachers, while also getting the outcomes we desire. For those looking for an antidote to what they see happening in their classrooms, Marcelo is testament that there are other options out there.

The Joy of Not Knowing: A philosophy of education transforming teaching, thinking, learning and leadership in schools by Marcelo Staricoff is published by Routledge. Contact Marcelo to find out more.

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The Joy of Not Knowing: a conversation with Marcelo Staricoff

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Learning how to learn, philosophical thinking, action research and getting comfortable with discomfort: Elizabeth Holmes gets to grips with JONK.

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Leading with...Marcelo Staricoff: The Joy of Not Knowing

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Listen to this episode from The Leaders Team Podcast on Spotify. In today's episode, Katie Rose is joined by Marcelo Staricoff. Marcelo is a former scientist and primary headteacher. He is the author of The Joy of Not Knowing, and a lecturer in Education at the University of Sussex.Visit the Subject Leads landing page here.

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Image the Week - with Dr Marcelo Staricoff

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Marcelo Staricoff Behaviours & Practical Strategies for Effective Learning -TeachMeet Live Recording

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Start the day on a thought and make an immediate difference to teaching and learning in your school. This title brings enjoyment, creativity and challenge to your classroom and improve the thinking skills of your pupils. It collects more than 100 thinking-skills starter activities to get children excited about their own thinking.

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Start the day on a thought and make an immediate difference to teaching and learning in your school. This title brings enjoyment, creativity and challenge to your classroom and improve the thinking skills of your pupils. It collects more than 100 thinking-skills starter activities to get children excited about their own thinking.

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ThinkLab: The Joy of Not Knowing with Marcelo Staricoff

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Dr  Marcelo Staricoff - Joy of Not Knowing - S 4 Ep 6 HCI 2024

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Talking Their Language with Helen Bodell - Episode Twenty Three: The JONK approach with Marcelo Staricoff

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Episode Twenty Three - The JONK approach with Marcelo Staricoff: In this episode we chat to Marcelo Staricoff about The JONK approach. Marcelo is the author of 'The Joy of Not Knowing' (Routledge, 2021) and a former scientist and Primary School Headteacher.

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You were amazing contributing to this before school started today- I’ve learnt so much from your interests and cultures

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Such a special way to launch our afternoon today- huge thanks for these - so inspirational!

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So so wonderful and so inspirational- these created such a wonderful climate in the classroom - huge thanks!

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So interesting to think through these- such creative thinking emerged!

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In my classes I have experienced how this teaching philosophy places students in an environment full of inquiry and personalized learning. The core of JONK's approach lies in developing students' curiosity about the unknown and a positive attitude toward challenges. Reflecting on this approach has made me realize the critical importance of creating a safe environment for students to explore and grow in the midst of uncertainty in the practice of teaching.

JONK method emphasizes the importance of metacognition, that is, students' awareness and regulation of their own learning process. This approach is like the professor leading us to self-reflection and how teaching design helps students build awareness of their own learning progress and strategies. At the same time, I'm also thinking about how to apply JONK's concept of "counter-metacognition" - learning without being fully aware that learning is happening. Just like playing some games in class, we focus on the fun of the task itself, rather than realizing that we are learning specific skills or knowledge. This way of learning can reduce the pressure of learning and enable learners to master knowledge and skills in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. This diversity of methodologies has made me realize that education is not only about the transfer of knowledge, but also the process of developing students' critical thinking, creativity and lifelong learning abilities.

Finally, thank you very much for the book that Dr Marcelo sent me. Your message makes me feel warm. I will read this book well~

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Thank you so much for preparing us such a wonderful session! I felt like I become a child again. What an amazing experience! And thank you for your book, I’m so delighted and surprised because honestly, it’s my first time to receive a book from author.

When I walked into the classroom this morning, the class had already started. I was in a hurry, so I didn't notice the whiteboard at the door, but when I went back and drew on it, it really woke up my memory. Every activity in this class made me experience the feeling of learning under the JONK teaching approach. I even didn't recognize after the class, but when I sat here and started to write reflection, I realized that you taught us so much today. This is completely in line with the JONK education principles. I didn't realize that learning happened in the class. I think this is the best learning. At the same time, you really provide us with the conditions for learning. You didn't directly teach us the theory in the book but let us experience the JONK education method in a practical way through various activities. The first activity of finding differences stimulated my brain very well. There is never a correct answer. You can find different answers no matter from which angle. And the next PIMs I think is a good model to help us reflect and evaluate the knowledge we have received. At the same time, the number game also gave me a good understanding of "K, U, W". This is a process from learning to understanding and finally applying. I think this also fits the JONK model you proposed. We receive new knowledge that we don't know, and then try to solve the problem, try to understand it, and finally we get the answer and can learn to practice it. I'm sorry that I didn't explain during the class, but now I can explain the word "聽" to you. This is my understanding. In traditional Chinese philosophy, there is no concept of brain, so no matter what we see or think, we think that we feel it through our heart, which we call subjective idealism. So, this word means that we hear sounds through our ears and make judgments with our heart. This is just my personal understanding of this word. At the same time, I am a little confused about the philosophy in JONK that we discussed, but I found the answer in the padlet you made, and I read the first article in the Philosophy section. Introducing philosophy in teaching and structuring the classroom through philosophy can help children develop the ability of creative thinking and critical thinking. This allows them to gain more than just knowledge from the classroom.

To be honest, I am still so excited that I cannot calm down. Thank you again for bringing such a brilliant session.

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The last session felt like the primary school class I always dreamed of attending. From the moment I stepped in, I felt like a curious child eager to discover and learn. I particularly enjoyed the "Thinking in Playgrounds" activity, which not only encouraged us to reflect on our childhood toys but also celebrated multicultural diversity. Coming from a multiethnic country and having studied in different languages, I deeply value the integration of diverse languages and cultures into any teaching or learning process.

Another highlight was the opportunity to measure the speed of sound outside the classroom. This experiment demonstrated an excellent way to teach science by actively engaging students in investigations, sparking their curiosity and involvement. Overall, the philosophy of JONK’s learning approach tends to shift students away from anxiety about "not knowing" and instead make them curios and excited for exploring new ideas in innovative ways. The "pits" beautifully illustrate the journey to both knowledge and wisdom, capturing the true essence of education. I found this concept inspiring, particularly because it helps both teachers and learners navigate questions and find meaningful answers.

Having attended schools where not knowing was often met with shame, I see JONK’s approach as transformative. It’s perfect not only for primary schools but also for other educational levels, as it builds students' self-esteem and prepares them to embrace the unknown with confidence. The use of tools like De Bono’s Hats further enriches this process, encouraging adaptive and critical thinking.

The display of student work on the table, both from during and after school, made me think about the critical role of teachers in motivating students to reach their full potential. Marcelo’s examples and materials, along with his book, provide invaluable guidance for future teachers. His book would guide us to break away from outdated traditions that instill fear of failure and unknown and instead show confidence, curiosity, and a desire to question and explore everything.

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At this session we have been introduced the structure of a day with the JONK methodology in an elementary school class. We started with welcome activities that are used to welcome children and their parents in the mornings such as playground activities and icebreakers. These were all to start up thinking or creative thinking. During the first part of the session, we have learned about the great methodology of JONK starting with the provocation it brings with. We learned that JONK is absolutely child centred and celebrates their multicultural, multilingual background.

Then we have learned about De Bono’s PMI Concept to reflect on the JONK.

After the first break, we measured the speed of the sound as a science investigation and used the Lifelong Learning Disposition.

After the second break we had two beautiful performances which is a great method for self-expressions, and we also got to know the philosophy of Love of Wisdom.

We have also learned about the fortune line using the story of UG and De Bono’s 6 hats method.

It was a great afternoon spending and learning together. Thank you so much!

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What a way to start our day! Each of us received a signed copy of the JONK book. Really appreciate it, Marcelo! Today’s session focused more on the practical side of Education. Marcelo shared with us his best practices and memorable experiences throughout his teaching career. His rich experiences led him to come up with the JONK philosophy as we know it today. This philosophy assures each learner that it’s totally okay not to know something. It’s like a safe space for discovery, exploring, and even creating. The visual images in the book made the concepts easy to remember. As mentioned in the class, I shared this idea with a friend, but the response/reaction was quite the opposite of what I expected. He said he’s actually even happier that he knows something than not knowing. So, I thought maybe further research using this philosophy can be done to compare children and adults? 😊 We also went outside to measure the speed of sound. When I was in primary school, I never liked Science because everything that’s being taught to us is all abstract and purely imagination. I can’t remember doing any experiment like we did. I also like the idea of giving the students the chance to showcase their talents! Music and arts are also form of intelligence. I used to play violin in an ensemble group and realized that just like STEM, it’s also difficult and yet important!

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In this session, I really feel that I have gained a lot of practical knowledge and methods, but also have a lot of new understanding.

I learned a lot of skills that I can use directly in teaching. For example, the use of everyday scenes, anytime and anywhere to inspire children to think, so that they are more interested in learning. In the future, if I become a teacher, I will give students such a small activity every day, which will certainly make them happy to open the learning mode.

Through the study of the theme of "sound" and the use of lifelong learning tendency as a reflection tool, I understand that in teaching, we should pay attention to cultivating students' curiosity and creativity, and not just let them memorize. Just like when exploring the speed of sound, students are encouraged to make bold assumptions and practice, so that they can really learn knowledge and cultivate their spirit of exploration.

All in all, I have learned a lot from this class, and I will apply what I have learned to my future teaching to make myself a better teacher.

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In class, we have learned different theories and teaching methods. In the process of students' learning, we will use different learning methods, and the way of students' learning may be the superposition of certain educational theories. In the process of learning, students will form some thinking habits and cognition, which will affect the way students understand knowledge. When we encounter a difficult problem, we can try to look at the problem from a different angle and maybe find a new solution.

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On the 17th June 2022, we hosted the first ever free virtual UNESCO ASPnet conference: Connecting for Peace.

We had an inspirational line-up of speakers and workshop hosts who shared innovation and examples of best practice in education for peaceful sustainable development. And we were excited to welcome over 90 attendees from over 30 countries across the globe, as you can see from the map below.

Participants enjoyed the day and found all of the speakers and workshops relevant and useful, so we are sharing these fantastic talks here so that more people can benefit. Feedback was very positive, thank you to everyone who took the time to send us your ideas and suggestions for the future. Next time we would like to add time for networking. It was a very packed day, so please find videos of the talks below, and images for the workshop presentations for those who could not attend the whole day or who want some insight into the other workshops.

James Omer Bridge, General Secretary UNESCO UK Commission

"James runs the UK's National Commission for UNESCO (UKNC) and represents it as Secretary-General at UNESCO headquarters and to its 193 member states. He works with the UK's UNESCO sites and designations and the global network of 199 National Commissions for UNESCO, and was an Alternate Member of the UNESCO Executive Board for the UK from 2013 - 2019.

James worked on EU Trade and Partnership Agreements with the Majority Leader on Trade at the European Parliament, including human rights clauses; in the policy co-coordination unit for the Secretariat-General of the European Commission; and the UK Financial Services Authority; ran local, national and regional policy, outreach and campaigns for Age Concern with its European Federation; and the Royal College of Nursing, where he wrote its first policy position paper on nursing and human rights.

Ms Julie Saito, UNESCO ASPnet International Co-ordinator Paris

Julie Saito is Chief of the International Coordination unit for UNESCO Associated Schools network (ASPnet) since February 2020. Julie joined UNESCO/Public Information in 2007 where she was in charge of the Media Partnership and Kizuna Campaign collaborating with ASPnet to send 30,000 message cards of hope from 60 countries to Tsunami victims in Japan in 2011.

Prior to the current post, she worked as a programme specialist to mobilize and empower youth leaders for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). She also worked as a journalist for 20 years, including at NBC News and Asahi Shimbun. Julie grew up in a family where her grandfather was a grandmaster of Noh theatre, and her grandmother as professor of the traditional Shamisen music Naga-Uta. She studied Musicology/Cultural Anthropology before receiving a Master's Degree from Columbia School of Journalism in New York, USA. Julie continues to play piano as her lifelong passion.

Ms Keiko Ogura, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Japan

Keiko Ogura was born in 1937 in Hiroshima. After the death of her husband, Mr. Kaoru Ogura, in 1979, she began working for Hiroshima herself and deepened international exchanges with writers and journalists and became an interpreting coordinator for peace-movement visitors from abroad. In 1984, she established Hiroshima Interpreters for Peace and published Hiroshima Handbook and Hiroshima Peace Park Guide.

Since 1990, when she started a planning company with global-minded proposals and designs for governments and corporations, she has supported numerous visitors from abroad and international peace conferences. Since April 2011, she became an official A-bomb survivor of Hiroshima Peace Cultural Foundation, delivering her experience in English for foreigners. She has given many Hiroshima lectures in universities in the US, and often appears in the worldwide media.

Introduction & launch of the UNESCO ASPnet Arts & Culture for Peace Initiative: Finding peace with ourselves and our planet, Jannette Cheong (Between the Stones)

Jannette Cheong is a poet, writer, designer and producer. Born in London, Jannette has worked nationally and internationally in higher education. In addition, for over 25 years, she has been involved in the organisation and facilitation of many international education and creative arts collaborations working with both national and international organisations. She was the first British person to write an English-language noh, Pagoda, which used traditional noh techniques, in collaboration with Richard Emmert, the Oshima Noh Theatre and Theatre Nohgaku. The world premiere of Pagoda was at the Southbank Centre, London, in 2009 and toured to Dublin, Oxford and Paris. In 2011 Pagoda opened at the National Noh Theatre in Tokyo and toured to Kyoto, Beijing and Hong Kong and as such is believed to be one of the most internationally performed English-language noh plays to date.

The UNESCO ASPnet Arts & Culture for Peace Initiative: Finding peace with ourselves and our planet is the latest of the educational activities supported by Jannette and her colleagues. You can find out all about the Arts & Culture for Peace Initiative here: https://www.betweenthestones.com/arts-culture-cover-page

Inspiring Change: A Sustainable Future. Trizzha Felcianao - Youth Advocate Greenpeace

Trizzha Feliciano is a Greenpeace Speaker and a medical student at University College London (UCL). She gives talks to schools, companies and educators about the personal and environmental importance of sustainability, in order to inspire people of all ages to create change in their lives and in others'.

Trizzha is also engaged in improving sustainability across UCL. She sits on the Student Sustainability Council and acts as a Sustainability Ambassador for the medical school, where she increases sustainability in the curriculum, and in the adjoining UCLH trust hospitals. Trizzha is also part of the leadership team for the Planetary Health Report Card, an international student-led initiative improving planetary health education and sustainability in medical schools across the world. She was also chosen to participate in an expedition to Antarctica led by Sir Robert Swan OBE.

Teaching safely: How to Remove Bias and Stereotypes from the Classroom with Shonagh Reid

This workshop explores; how we reduce bias and focus on curiosity as educators, how we remove damaging stereotypes from teaching and learning, and strategies for creating a curriculum which is reflective of the world we live in. We looked at why bias exists, why it is underpinned by fear and how we can move beyond this. We were directed to where to find resources and support for a more safe, diverse and representative curriculum.

Shonagh is a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant working primarily in the fields of education at the arts. She has an extensive background in leadership in education, specialising in Performing Arts and Pastoral Senior Leadership and has worked as a DEI Leader in the East Midlands, UK for five years. She is currently working with The Old Vic Theatre, London and many education organisations across the UK in a range of ways, including strategic Inclusion planning, creation of and embedding of robust and effective DEI networks, mentoring, and training.

Learning, Thinking and Teaching Philosophically with Marcelo Staricoff

In this workshop we explored how Philosophy equips students with a lifelong love of learning that enables them all to thrive emotionally, socially, culturally and academically. In this workshop we covered; how to embed Philosophy and a Philosophical approach into all aspects of the curriculum and of school life, including the use of Why Books, Wonder Walls, Thinking Pages, Concept Lines, PMIs and many more ideas, all illustrated using examples from children across the Primary age-range.

We explored how to introduce Philosophy to the students from a very early age by focusing on questions that do not have answers, have many answers or are impossible to answer! How Philosophy and Philosophical Discussions can be used to remove barriers to learning and to transform all student's intrinsic motivation to want to learn and their perception of the learning process and of themselves as learners. Also how Philosophy can contribute so significantly to closing the 'word gap' and to enriching the students, school, home triangular partnership.

Marcelo is the author of 'The Joy of Not Knowing' (Routledge, 2021) and a former scientist and Primary School Headteacher. Marcelo is currently lecturing at the University of Sussex, teaching on the BA Primary and Early Years Programme and is also working on behalf of UNICEF with policy makers, educators and textbook writers to help implement a reformed national curriculum in Uzbekistan. Marcelo also works for Coram, the children's charity, runs courses and acts as an advisor to a number of schools and educational organisations and speaks regularly at national and international events.

Marcelo is also the author of Start Thinking (Imaginative Minds, 2005) and has published widely in the fields of creative, critical, multilingual and philosophical thinking in the classroom. Marcelo is a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Education (APPG) and a Trustee of the Laurel Trust and the Michael Aldrich Foundation. Marcelo's work and contribution to education was recognised by being named as a Founding Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching in 2019.

Marcelo Staricoff, PhD NPQH FCCT, JONK™ Thinking and Learning. Website: www.jonklearning.co.uk

Inner Peace: The Foundation for Healthy Connection with Fiona Clarke (MindwithHeart)

In this workshop we experienced how mindfulness exercises help cultivate inner peace, and how empathy practices transform the way we listen to and connect with others. The workshop covered what the ancient Greeks meant by 'Know thyself', a taste of cultivating inner peace and how to bring peace, empathy and understanding to our communication with others.

We explored research-based tools to cultivate inner peace and connection. Practiced 'Just Like Me', where we focused on our similarities and common humanity to build empathy, reduce bias and disconnection. Experienced how mindful empathic presence can transform our communication with others.

Fiona Clarke is senior trainer and CEO of Mind With Heart. She has 15 years' experience in sharing well-being skills with young people and educators. She is passionate about equipping students and teachers with research-based tools so they can feel well, function at their best, and care for others. Mind With Heart's Connected programmes empower schools to create emotionally healthy communities where everybody can flourish. Website: https://www.mindwithheart.org/

Storytelling, Connecting & Inclusivity with Harriet Marshall (Lyfta)

This workshop focused on emotional literacy, (inter)cultural capital and global citizenship, and the learnings we can take from immersive digital storytelling pedagogy and practice. We had the opportunity to explore the opportunities, challenges and impact of working with digital immersive storytelling to support global learning in educational settings. We looked at an overview of the meaning(s) and significance of the following concepts when learning in an increasingly uncertain world: cultural capital, emotional literacy, global citizenship and critical media literacy.

We gained an insight into the research exploring how digital immersive storytelling is supporting young people to grow in confidence about meeting and connecting with new people with different backgrounds or from different countries than themselves, and how it is helping young people better understand the meaning of complex (sometimes abstract) concepts such as values and key issues within the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

Dr Harriet Marshall is Head of Educational Research at Lyfta and has been a global education advocate for over 20 years, as a teacher, researcher, consultant and education project leader. Prior to being at Lyfta, Harriet was a National Leader on the Global Learning Programme (Pearson) and Lecturer in International Education (University of Bath). Harriet has published and presented on the subject of Global Citizenship Education, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Intergenerational Learning for many years, both nationally and internationally. Website: www.Lyfta.com

Biophilic Education Movement for Peace and Sustainable Futures with Rosina Dorelli and Roy Leighton

A conversation on peace building in education with Roy Leighton, co-chair of Cambridge Peace and Education Research Group and Rosina Dorelli co-founder of Da Vinci Life-Skills. This is a new look at what the future of education could look like. This session was perfect for people concerned about the unethical nature of the current 'one-size fits all' education system, and exams that set up many students to fail. We had the opportunity to find out more about ideas for an education system that values all the varied abilities and talents of young people.

We also explored what Biophilic Education might look like. Biophilic Education nurtures a human ecosystem as an integral part of a local and global ecosystem. Sir Ken Robinson said that we are mining our children's minds for a single commodity, like we strip-mine the earth, and it's not sustainable. Humans have more value than the memory of facts to pass tests in a limited time frame.

Rosina Dorelli is the co-Founder & Director of Da Vinci Life-Skills, she is a change-maker, designer, art, design and technology teacher. She believes we all have a duty to do what we can to make the world a better place and that everyone has the talent and potential to make a difference to their community/planet, and that needs to be nurtured by education. Together with Zach Reznichek and Farhaan Mir she has created the Da Vinci Life-Skills curriculum and assessment model, which includes 5 transdisciplinary project pathways and 5 DVQs (Da Vinci Qualifications) to be run in schools worldwide. This is part of a wider Biophilic Education movement to inspire systemic change for all and to build an education system that is both ethical and sustainable.

Roy Leighton holds an MPhil from Cambridge University in Knowledge, Power and Politics, is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an advisory board member for the Da Vinci Life-Skills School Cambridge. Roy Leighton is the Co-Chair of Cambridge Peace and Education Research Group (CPERG). He is a peace activist and in 1991 he was awarded the Min-on Peace Award for his contribution to peace, culture and education. As a senior associate at Independent Thinking and the CEO of Undiscovered Country, he works with school, universities, businesses and communities in the UK and internationally to develop cultures of 'positive peace' and play to support engagement, transcend conflict and improve outcomes.

Speak Your Truth with leading arts charity Eastside

We joined Maddy Page and Matilda Thaddeus Johns of leading arts charity Eastside to learn how to embed spoken word poetry in our teaching and help raise students' voices. This workshop explored spoken word poetry and how to incorporate it into your classroom. We had the opportunity to try easy poetry exercises to unlock everyone's inner Angelou or Shelley.

Through participating in this workshop we developed techniques for incorporating spoken word activities into teaching, and understand the power of poetry to empower young people to use their voice. We also found out about the existing free creative opportunities with Eastside to get involved with inspirational spoken word projects with our students.

Eastside is a leading UK-based arts charity. We exist to help young people develop their creative thinking, so that they are able to become the problem-solvers of tomorrow, empowered to build a better society. Website: www.eastside.org.uk

UNESCO ASPnet Schools Show Case; Schools globally show what they have achieved and gained through membership of ASPnet.

Rebecca Bollands Peace Project Coventry Schools U.K.

Shamiela Davids Hockerill College U.K.

Delia Vera Medina UNESCO ASPnet National Coordinator Cuba

Vera Dilari UNESCO ASPnet National Coordinator Greece

Malgorzata Herbich UNESCO ASPnet National Coordinator Poland

Lamin Jarjou UNESCO ASPnet National Coordinator The Gambia

Sinead Earley Anglo European School U.K.

Peter Rachleff, inspiring Solidarity in a Midwestern US City: The East Side Freedom Library

Peter Rachleff is the founding co-executive director of the East Side Freedom Library in St. Paul, Minnesota, he has taught labour, immigration, and African American history at Macalester College, was faculty director of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program, a community faculty member at Metropolitan State University and taught in the University of Minnesota's Labor Education Service and in their African and African American Studies department.

The East Side Freedom Library was founded with the mission "to inspire solidarity, work for justice, and advocate for equity for all." ESFL has collected resources to facilitate projects which share stories to build empathy and bridges among the East Side's diverse and historically siloed communities. Website: http://eastsidefreedomlibrary.org

'What does the future of education for peace look like?' Panel Discussion and concluding Remarks from Ann Beatty, Molly Matlotio (Teacher, South Africa), Peter Rachleff, Shonagh Reid, Shamiela Davids(Teacher U.K.).

STEMunimty combines data, a wealth of industry experience and a tailored local approach on a national and global level to achieve transformative sector change - linking the community at every level of education to universities and professionals. A collaborative, inquisitive and diverse education network in which students, teachers, working professionals and academics all prosper from real-life experiences and connections. We want to evaluate and enhance activities on offer with a particular focus on the curriculum and career needs of schools.

Arco Iris Learning

Maria Wojciechowska-Caneda: Maria is an experienced educator and believes that children's mental health and wellbeing are nourished through supportive and enjoyable learning experiences. Maria created Arco Iris Learning to enable primary aged children to develop camera skills, grow in confidence and to nurture confidence in others.

She designed an innovative Creative Photography learning programme for primary aged children. Through the programme, the children acquire camera skills, as well as developing their confidence in an enjoyable and supportive creative space and she is the editor of the termly publication 'CreativiTREE', which features the creative images the children have produced. She has also published a resource book which supports Contemplative Photography and imaginative meditations. You will see some of Maria's Contemplative Photography throughout the conference and you can contact her to find out more here:

Website: www.arcoirislearning.co.uk

The UNESCO ASPnet network is co-ordinated in the U.K. by Ann Beatty who is also the Chief Executive of the Steve Sinnott Foundation. Ann's contact email is ann.beatty@stevesinnottfoundation.org.uk

A big thank you to the team who brought this conference to you:

Thinking Classroom

Thinking Classroom was established in 2000 and since then has worked with individuals and organisations around the world to build networks of thinking, learning and leadership. Our approach to educational development is bespoke and collaborative. We work with you on your agenda. Since early 2020 Thinking Classroom has supported thousands of educators to develop their blended learning provision through Zoom School and online hosting. Website: https://www.thinkingclassroom.co.uk

Mike Fleetham is an experienced trainer, facilitator, mediator, author and ILM-accredited executive coach whose international work has sustainable influence. He continues to teach learners of all ages - keeping his tools sharp and his feet firmly in the classroom.

Lucy Fleetham is business manager at Thinking Classroom. Her skills as an applied mathematician in the public sector are now benefitting the world of education where she is responsible for the smooth running and strategic growth of Thinking Classroom and its website. Lucy tutors young people in mathematics and is active on social media to promote the Thinking Classroom principles of enjoying teaching and being good at it!

Steve Sinnott Foundation

Ann Beatty is the national co-ordinator for UNESO ASPnet in the U.K. and the Chief Executive for the Steve Sinnott Foundation.

Ann has worked in a variety of roles at an operational and strategic level in the public and charity sector for over 25 years. Ann has a special interest in the provision of quality holistic education and supporting the development of people and communities, especially women and girls. Ann has worked internationally as a volunteer and consultant and was proud to be an olympic torch bearer in the 2012 Olympics, having been nominated for her charity work.

Helen Porter

Is passionate about working to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4 - A quality education for all). Having taught secondary school science for over 30 years Helen appreciates the positive force of a good education as a vehicle for empowering young people to become responsible, caring and critically thinking citizens. Investing in quality education for the next generation is essential to enable them to collaborate to build a peaceful, sustainable future.

Helen is an ambassador for The Steve Sinnott Foundation and project manager for UNESCO ASPnet UK. She also enjoys volunteering for charities, working as an online tutor and broadening her horizons to develop a better understanding of the World, its wildlife and the incredible diverse people that share our precious planet and resources.

Sophia Hague

Sophia is a current masters student studying Climate Change and International Development. Sophia decided to do her placement with the Steve Sinnott Foundation because of her interest in the intersecting identities which impede on access to education and experiences within the education system. Sophia is very excited to contribute towards a charity striving for inclusive and equitable quality education and to fulfil her passion for social justice. Education is a vital tool for sustainable development; what is learnt today will shape tomorrow's future! An educational transformation is needed to beat the impending climate disaster.

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Connecting for Peace Conference UNESCO ASPnet U.K. (2022)

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On the 17th June 2022, we hosted the first ever free virtual UNESCO ASPnet conference: Connecting for Peace. We had an inspirational line-up of speakers and workshop hosts who shared innovation and examples of best practice in education for peaceful sustainable development.

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Week 8 was a key moment in my journey as a reflective practitioner. The session focused on the Joy of Not Knowing and showed how curiosity and creativity are essential for learning. It helped me see education as a journey of exploration rather than just about right or wrong answers.

The "Thinking in Playgrounds" activity was a highlight. Reflecting on childhood games showed how play helps learning and celebrates diversity. Talking with peers made me think about how classrooms can value different cultures and backgrounds, which I aim to bring into my teaching.

The JONK model taught me to see not knowing as an opportunity for curiosity and growth instead of something to fear. This idea connects with De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats, which encourages creative and critical thinking.

Marcelo’s examples of how teachers can create supportive, inspiring spaces made me realise how important it is to help pupils feel confident to explore and take risks in their learning. This session made me reflect more deeply and link ideas to practice, shaping my goal of creating classrooms that foster curiosity, diversity, and a love of learning.

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Schools are microcosms of society, and as such they draw upon the multilingual and multicultural richness and heritages of the societies in which they are based, and of every individual that is part of their community at any one time. I have always been fascinated by the prospect of setting up a teaching, learning, leadership and social environment in the classroom and throughout the school that not only reflects and celebrates the multiculturality of every individual but also uses it to drive every aspect of the school's ethos and philosophy of education.

Designing a philosophy of education that offers every individual, at all times, the opportunity to multilingually across all areas of the curriculum and to co-exist as part of a multicultural classroom and school is one of the core principles that underpins the Joy of Not Knowing ™ (JONK ™ ) philosophy of education and approach to school leadership. There are many studies that assert the importance of establishing a multilingual approach to the teaching and learning process. For example, Marian and Shook (2012) state that 'today more of the world's population is bilingual than monolingual and note that this trend not only facilitates cross-cultural communication but also has a positive impact of an individual's cognitive ability. They explain in their paper The Cognitive Benefits of Being Bilingual (Cerebrum, 2012) that 'the bilingual brain can have better attention and task-switching capacities than the monolingual brain and that bilingualism can have 'positive effects across the whole age spectrum'. The authors also describe how managing multiple languages appears to have 'broad effects on neurological function' and lead to enriched cognitive control, improved metalinguistic awareness (ability to recognise and be playful with language), better memory, visual-spatial skills and creativity'.

It is also fascinating to note that research studies demonstrate that establishing a multi-lingual classroom benefits children. Dr Dina Mehmedbegovic, a lecturer at the Institute of Education, University College, UK discusses in an interview published on the Erasmus+ online platform (2016) the importance of communicating to children and their families that every language that a child speaks is important, part of the teaching and learning process and also part of the thinking about the future, their employability, enabling them to convert their linguistic capital into economic capital in the future. Marian and Shook (2012) conclude that the cognitive and neurological benefits they observed from bilingualism are 'not exclusive to people who were raised bilingual; they are also seen in people who learn a second language later in life'. This observation is further supported by Fan et al. (2015) which found a social advantage from merely being exposed to multiple languages, not necessarily from actively speaking those languages. Furthermore, Lauchlan et al. (2012) found that bilingualism has a positive effect on children's ability to think creatively and to problem solve. It is interesting to note that in Ariadne de Villa's (2017) article entitled Critical Thinking in Language Learning and Teaching , critical thinking is seen as an essential tool for second language acquisition. The ability to thrive in a multilingual learning environment is increased if the children are able to develop their critical thinking skills. These studies suggest that there is a symbiotic relationship between critical thinking and a multilingual learning environment i.e. they both complement each other. This article concludes with a range of studies that support the theory of incorporating a multilingual approach to education.

The JONK approach defines three principal means by which practitioners can integrate a multilingual thinking approach to their everyday teaching and learning routine. It suggests that all tasks can be presented in a way that enables the student to:

complete the task in one language and then in another language(s)

use the entire repertoire of language(s) and cultural heritage that they possess to think and engage with a task, where each of the languages is used within a prescribed and structured approach

use the entire repertoire of language(s) and cultural heritage that they possess to think and engage with a task, free from any pre-set conditions in which the language(s) is used.

In the first of these situations, a child for whom the main language of instruction represents an additional language to them, may prefer to write a poem or plan a story, for example in their first language and then translate the work into the language of instruction. This approach enables each individual to launch into a task by thinking and expressing themselves in the language that evokes the most emotion and provides the most meaning to them, from a personalisation of learning perspective.

In the second scenario the child is offered the opportunity to use more than one language when thinking about a task and engaging in the learning process. But the way that the multiple languages are applied is pre-determined, for example, if writing a poem, the structure may involve writing alternate verses in alternate languages or if creating a Mind Map that contains six main branches, the student is tasked to create three branches in one language and three in another.

In the third scenario, the child is completely free to use their entire repertoire of language and cultural heritage to think through and complete a task. There are no pre-set parameters or expectations. In solving a mathematical problem or checking the answer using an alternative method, for example, a child may use a cross-cultural approach, which could involve a different methodology to those being taught as part of the everyday curriculum.

It is fascinating to note that thinking, learning and co-existing in a multilingual and multicultural school environment offers numerous emotional, cognitive, social and neurological benefits in proportion to multilingual as well as to monolingual students, a perception that was wonderfully captured by Nelson Mandela when he stated that 'if you talk to a man in a language that he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart'.

Share your experiences with educators globally by joining the discussion below. How might these inclusive approaches be used in your classroom, or perhaps you have existing practice you could share?

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Chartered College of Teaching ¬∑ Multilingual thinking in multicultural classrooms Schools are microcosms of society, and as such they draw upon the multilingual and multicultural richness and heritages of the societies in which they are based, and of every individual that is part of their community at any one time.