Curated by Cresconova
Igniting Curiosity: Embracing Inspired Learning in Elementary Education
A Presentation by Sarah Merkt & Katie Kelly for Nueva’s Innovative Learning Conference
As adults, we generally pursue learning, projects, and hobbies based on our interests. For many children, interest-based pursuits are often seen as extracurricular activities done outside of school. Gifted children often feel passionate about certain topics, and by centering their interests and passions in their learning, we can spark joy and unleash students’ full potential through the power of their own interests.
Inspired learning is more than just acquiring knowledge—it is a process that sparks curiosity, resilience, and joy in discovery. At its heart, inspired learning asks us to step back and reflect on a fundamental question:
What is worth learning, and how does meaningful learning truly happen?
Traits of Inspired Learning:
Passion: Students are encouraged to explore subjects and topics that genuinely interest them. When students are passionate about what they’re learning, they are more likely to be motivated and engaged in the learning process.
Creativity: Teachers engage in creative and innovative approaches to education. Students have the opportunity for creativity and self-expression in their work.
Intrinsic motivation: There is an emphasis on internal motivation rather than external rewards or pressure. Students are encouraged to pursue knowledge for its own sake, rather than just to earn a grade or meet a requirement.
Personalization: Different individuals have unique interests and learning styles. Our approach is geared towards tailoring educational experiences to individual students’ needs and preferences.
Real-world connections: We seek to connect what is being taught in our classes to real-world applications and relevance, helping students see the practical implications of their learning.
Encouragement of critical thinking: Inspired learning typically encourages students to think critically, ask questions, and explore topics deeply. It promotes independent thinking and problem-solving.
Supportive environment: Creating an inspired learning environment often involves supportive teachers, mentors, and resources that facilitate students’ exploration and curiosity.
For generations, education has been shaped by its context—social, cultural, and historical. But as we stand at a crossroads where technology, creativity, and global challenges collide, we must reimagine not only what we teach but also how we teach.
A Look Back: Education in the Past
The first public schools in the United States, such as the one established in Boston in 1635, primarily focused on teaching religious values. Education at the time was about moral instruction, memorization, and conformity. Knowledge was viewed as a tool for creating obedient citizens and faithful congregants.
This rigid, one-size-fits-all structure persisted for centuries. While necessary for its period, it left little room for the imagination, personalization, or exploration that children naturally crave.
The Present Moment
Today’s educational systems reflect both the weight of tradition and the pressure of modern demands. Classrooms look different: whiteboards have replaced chalkboards, students use laptops and tablets, and schools increasingly embrace social-emotional learning. Yet, despite these changes, much remains static.
Recent data from the Nation’s Report Card shows U.S. student performance dropping to its lowest level in decades. Even more concerning, nearly a third of students rarely or never read for fun. When learning is stripped of joy and curiosity, it becomes a task, not an adventure.
At the same time, voices like Sir Ken Robinson’s remind us of the urgency to encourage creativity and nurture individual passions. And while the pandemic forced some disruption, pushing schools to experiment with online and hybrid models, many institutions quickly returned to old patterns.
The Future of Education: Toward Radical Innovation
The future of education cannot be about simply tweaking old systems—it requires bold innovation. Agile, personalized, creative learning models are possible and necessary. In fact, in a world where artificial intelligence can hold every fact at our fingertips, the essential skill is not simply knowing but thinking: asking better questions, making connections, and cultivating empathy.
What might this look like?
- Learning beyond the classroom. Creativity often happens in unexpected spaces—over lunch with friends, in a coffee shop, or while exploring music and games. Why should learning be confined to desks and rows? New models, including VR and flexible community-based spaces, open the door to creativity without walls.
- Personalization over standardization. At a time when customization is possible in nearly every sphere of life, education still clings to rigid standardization. Radical personalization—designing pathways that fit children’s passions, strengths, and needs—can help reignite motivation.
- Rethinking the role of the teacher. Teachers are not simply transmitters of information. They are guides, listeners, and catalysts of inspiration. By creating space for students to ask questions, follow unexpected directions, and engage deeply, teachers nurture lifelong curiosity.
- Integrating technology thoughtfully. Computers can process data, but they cannot build relationships or empathize. True 21st-century skills are not about coding alone, but about collaboration, empathy, resilience, and making sense of a complex world.
Inspired Learning in Practice
Inspired learning thrives when students feel ownership of their process. Instead of flashy incentives or gamified bells and whistles, the most powerful spark comes from giving students agency. When learning feels purposeful—when children see connections to their lives, identities, and futures—it becomes joyful and deep.
Workshop models, community brainstorming, and reflection on personal childhood experiences in school can help educators ask fresh questions. For example:
- What lasting memories did you carry from your own school years?
- What constants remain across generations (relationships, play, community)?
- What has shifted? Why?
By engaging these questions, both teachers and parents can design environments that reflect their beliefs about children: that they are curious, capable, and eager to make sense of the world.
The Goal: Meaning, Curiosity, and Joy
The true purpose of education is not to manufacture compliant workers or test-takers. It is to prepare young people for the complexity of adulthood by building intellectual, personal, and social capacities. This means encouraging them to think for themselves, experiment courageously, and discover meaning in what they do.
Robert M. Hutchins once said that education should “enflame the intellects” of the young—to teach them to think, not reform them into one narrow mold. Today, this vision feels more urgent than ever.
Imagine a school system where children leave not drained, but energized—where they are motivated and joyful in learning, ready to shape the world they inherit. That is inspired learning. It calls on us, as educators, parents, and changemakers, to weave together curiosity, purpose, and play into every corner of education.
Cresconova’s Director of Learning, Katie Kelly, has a masters degree and certification in gifted education and has many years of experience working with gifted students and their families. While each child is unique and different, there are some common patterns and themes that she has learned over the years. These are a few of her insights about gifted children.
When I first was tasked to think about commonalities between gifted students that I have worked with, this was the list that I came up with:
- Giftedness is not always a Gift
- Gifted kids can sniff out authenticity
- Importance of the Why
- Giftedness does not equal high ability
- Importance of building intrinsic motivation
- Intensity is an indicator of giftedness
- Patterns/Systems Thinking
I chose to expand on the three below, as I feel that they are broadly important in terms of understanding gifted students as a part of society. These are not true for every gifted student– and they are certainly true for students who are not intellectually gifted. My hope is to illuminate patterns from my experience that may be helpful to others.
1. Importance of the Why
“But why do I have to do this?” I learned in my early years of teaching in a gifted classroom that this question was bound to come up, especially for when it wasn’t the most fun, hands-on, super-engaging activity. And they can’t all be. There are times that we have to dig in and do tasks that are not our favorite. But when you are asked why, the answer should never be “Because I said so,” or “Because that’s just how it is done.” Gifted children are able to see the big picture and understand the why, and it is important for them to understand the function, the meaning and the purpose.
2. Giftedness does not equal high ability
One of the common misconceptions around giftedness is that a high IQ means that students are strong across all areas. GATE programs are actually partially to blame as they mixed gifted and talented students and for many the terms became synonymous. Sure, there are gifted students who are highly capable across disciplines and also demonstrate a high EQ, but it is rare. More often than not, one of the main indicators of giftedness is asynchronous development. This is marked by uneven intellectual, physical and emotional development. So while a student may be several grade ahead in math, they may struggle in writing. Or they are a very strong student academically and may need extra support with social aspects of their development. There are also many gifted students who are twice-exceptional or 2E, meaning they have a learning challenge(s) as well as high intellect which can often mask their abilities or add to the asynchronicity of their domains.
3. Authenticity is Key
Many kids have the ability to tell when adults or teachers aren’t enthusiastic or excited about a topic. This is especially true with gifted students, and they seem to be able to sniff out inauthenticity in those around them– and are most drawn to adults and peers who are true to themselves and to their interests. No person is interested and enthusiastic about everything. We can still be truthful about challenges or parts of the day that are not our favorites, and we can do so while modeling a growth mindset to show them how we manage our least favorite tasks, assignments, or curricular areas. I am often asked what makes a great gifted teacher, and one of the number one things that I look for are people who can openly be themselves, who value and share their quirks, and who are passionate about a topic or learning. When we can be who we truly are, share our own curiosity and passion for certain topics, and connect openly with our students– it is a winning combination for all students, gifted or not.