Learning Environments

Abstract

Environments, which are defined as the surroundings in which an individual lives or works, are important to student learning. They influence students’ feelings and their engagement in a variety of activities. Because of their importance, learning environments are emphasized in the newly revised Initial Practice-Based Professional Preparation Standards for Gifted Educators (K-12). In the standards, educators need to learn how to create inclusive, effective learning environments that are responsive, engaging, and encourage interactions. For example, Standard 5 states: “Educators use data and knowledge of each student with gifts and talents, including twiceexceptional and other diverse populations, when selecting strategies to differentiate instruction and design effective learning environments to engage students in learning and prepare them for creative and productive careers in a global, multicultural society” (see https:// exceptionalchildren.org/gifted-education-professionalstandards). An effective learning environment is therefore not a static space but rather a space that is dynamic and addresses each student’s interests, strengths, and needs. In designing more individualized learning environments, teachers might use a variety of adaptive assessments such as work samples and anecdotal records to examine the gifted student’s engagement when interacting with: