Use the reading material for today, as well as previous reading on green values (and referring to specific aspects of that material), write a blog entry describing what you think the goals and specific characteristics of a learning community that was "green". How would you know a green learning community if you saw one?
“Green” does not mean one thing. It means many different things that all contribute to a goal of being sustainable, environmentally friendly, and embraced with nature. I believe that a true green learning community has to have all of these characteristics. One of the readings mentions four goals that need to be met to complete the Oberlin Development Project, which is an attempt to create a green environment and a green learning community. The first of these goals is to “revitalize” the downtown areas of Oberlin, Ohio. This doesn’t initially seem like it would be connected to a “green” cause, but it actually is. Revitalization is needed so the entire community can be involved. The next steps, creating a “carbon neutral college and city” and a “greenbelt,” seem to support the conventional ideas of a green learning community. These steps promote environmentally-conscious actions and sustainability. David Orr’s Ecological Literacy talks directly about the characteristics of a green community. One of the major components is related to the simple question, “What then?”. If people are asking this, they will be aware of future issues and the surroundings. This is a required element of ecological literacy and a green learning community. Another focus presented in Ecological Literacy is education. To have a green learning community, education must be taught in a way so students feel like they are part of their surroundings, not separate. Overall, a green learning community has all of the characteristics above plus many more. If a community truly had all of these characteristics and was functioning effectively, it would be an actual green learning community. If it was missing just a few, it would not be completely green. I feel this is the best way to determine whether a community is green.
ReplyDeleteAs one of the few things the public tends to agree on, the importance of the classroom ushers in a new era of ecological stewards that will seal the fate of the impending decades. Orr's "Ecological Literacy" outlines the necessary reforms to create a "What then?" generation. I found the bottom line to be that green learning communities despise passivity. A green learning community should be just that- a community. In other words, the ecological literacy teachers are not confined to working in classrooms or even schools necessarily. Responsible adults should all become literacy teachers so that youth have that older role model Orr mentioned as a common denominator among most environmentalists. Classroom boundaries should also be shattered since any and all places can become educational sanctuaries- especially those rich in biodiversity and teeming with natural life. Since all education is environmental education by what is included or excluded, the goals of this classroom should explicitly clear in teaching empathy for social injustice and reharmonizaton. Overall, this new type of learning environment would create empowerment to urge action and reforms listed in the Principles of the Left Green Network. It becomes more than memorizing the earth's cycle or understanding food chains. Environmental problem- solving should teach students to see "all the parts as a whole and related to each other" to make responsible choices and innovative solutions. The learning atmosphere should in turn "change how people live, not the way they talk."
ReplyDeleteA Green community is can be distinguished as a "green" learning environment from the inside and out. On the inside, within the educational institution, the green fundamental ideologies are visible in the academic curriculum and also the manner in which the curriculum is taught. David Orr believes that ecology should be the basis of education and therefore should be incorporated into every subject in order to create an "ecologically literate" new generation whose focus is sustainability and cooperative interaction with nature. He also believes that the best way for productive learning is through "dialogue" and "the characteristics of good conversation". A green learning environment would not have the typical teacher-student hierarchy where a teacher shares knowledge with students, but would be an environment that encourages a two-way communication of ideas in which "we acknowledge the existence and interests of others". Also, ecological education begins at a young age outside the classroom and must result in the appreciation of nature through interaction with nature. A green community can be distinguished from the outside by how a city or green community cooperates to achieve it's goal of sustainability. Orr's idea of a green community is one in which farmers, entrepreneurs, business owners, politicians, students and citizens all work towards a self-sufficient community with little to no negative environmental impact.
ReplyDeleteA green learning community should focus on educating the community members on green values and the consequences there will be if changes are not made to the ways in which we live today. It should try to exist as a self-sustainable, self-sufficient community, promoting local causes such as farmers’ markets, local businesses such as carpentry, restaurants, etc., for the more local we, as citizens are, the better. I think a green community should focus more on providing and promoting local services and necessary goods rather than just useless “stuff” that pollutes the earth. Green communities should be built and grounded on smaller scales so that riding a bike to work would actually be a plausible means of transportation and there would also be bike paths to ensure safety. A green community should use its own land to grow its food and not food grown and shipped from thousands of miles away. This would also mean giving up certain foods to eat seasonally and thus, appreciating a food more for its scarcity. Not to mention, it will surely taste better, I can assure anyone. A green community should employ its local citizens for jobs in the area. When people stay longer in one place, relationships grow and trust forms between a town’s citizens. I think this is a crucial part of what it means to live in a community. To participate and give back to society; to trust one another; to act and buy mindfully; These are all values of a green learning community. To grow roots in a place also means to develop culture, something I believe corporate America lacks or has begun to lack. A green community would treat farming animals humanely, giving the chicken or cow the chance for a happy life before it dies.
ReplyDeleteI would know a green learning community if I saw one with these values. I think every town or city should make the changes necessary to become a green learning community.
what types of learning would take place here?
DeleteA learning community that is "green" would differ from the usual community in that it would fully envelop Green ideals (Green values). The community would learn about the environment and taken action on it. As David Orr mentions in "Ecological Literacy," we are at fault for excluding ecological perspectives in education. As children grow older and learn in school, they are taught about the environment. However, that may be just it. They are taught features of the environment: geographical features, populations that live among it, about the changes in the climate; but they are not taught to act on their knowledge. They are not taught what is right or wrong with the way we are treating the environment. I think a green learning community would be one in which its members strive to become closer to nature. I think their involvement and care for the environment must first start with a greater appreciation for it. In a green community, I think children would be exposed to certain environmental issues at early ages. Even kids at the elementary level would possess an amount of knowledge on humans in relation to the environment. If children grow up hearing about the importance of the environment and with encouragement to act on it, it can become the new normal. I think a green community would look something like that. As the text mentions, education within the green community would not always have to take place inside a classroom. New teaching styles would develop. These could be things like having class outside or direct observation of nature. When exposing the young mind to new material, it often helps for that mind to directly observe the information. It is one thing to learn about it in a classroom, but learning about it and then actually seeing it happen in nature reinforces the learning and confirms that the information is true and applicable. Interaction with the natural environment is vital to one's understanding of it, and I feel that this kind of interaction fosters learning. It makes people more interested and more aware, and I think a green community would be just that. Its members would be very involved in the community and concerned with the well being of others, since it all relates to the environment. Those in the green community would be constantly thinking of new ways to improve their interaction with the natural environment around them, and this would encourage sustainability efforts and a greater holistic view of the community.
ReplyDeleteThe older adolescence class of citizens are always the first to be targeted for the ones to start the "change". It falls onto their shoulders because they have not entered the real world in terms of a career and have not been fully educated in making the right choices in their lives yet. These older adolescence get chosen for especially making the difference in "going green" by getting it taught through the classroom. After reading about what is taking place in Oberlin, Ohio by Mr. Orr, it makes me realize how easy people can start making a difference in their communities. 20,000 acre greenbelt, sewage digester, and a carbon neutral city are only a few ideas Mr.Orr reached out to his city council to accomplish. The great thing I noticed is that Mr.Orr is achieving most of his actions as a regular townie in Oberlin, he is extremely for his own people and doesn't let anyone forget why he does these such kind acts. A green community is one in which students or younger generations are taught about their surroundings in a vital but yet eco friendly way. These teachers should not only educate them on what their local environment is today, but how we should maintain it for future references, such as pollution or littering. This community would be recognized by all over as not only an experiment but what others should learn from. I feel these green communities help the ones that are less educated in the means of building for the future so they can learn and spread their knowledge as well.
ReplyDeleteUsually when people think of green they tend to assume it has to do with being a "hippie", but with many things stereotyped it is far more than this look our society's media as put on it. Green in a learning community refers to the idea of becoming sustainable and making classrooms and schools a more efficient body. Goals that would describe what learning community that was "green" would be a life of true balance amongst everyone that lived within it. As stated in The Ten Key Values of a Green Party, "...provide a decent standard of living for all people while maintaining a healthy ecological balance." Looking at the key values of a green party, the main theme is a balance of equality between having a standard of living suitable for all. It is also something that is sustainable and healthy towards the environment for which we live in to enhance not only our quality of life but also anyone in the future's quality of life.
ReplyDeleteIf you were to come upon a green learning community you could conclude that it was a green learning community by noticing no domination of anyone and no hierarchal types, as stated in Defining Environment. Along with this system of no one above one another, you would see values of ecocentrism, where values begin with the Earth and nature and expand out towards human things.
What descriptions of the Orr piece would help you recognize a green learning community?
DeleteI believe that there is not one "indicator" of a green learning community. Visibly, you can tell a lot about the fundamentals of the learning community. For example, the West Quad is sustainably green and there are many visual indicators that lead you to that conclusion. Also, there are physical things that you can do turn a learning community green like recycling and paperless assignments, but I believe the number one aspect of green learning is the actual content taught in the environment. "Green" necessarily doesn't have to do with the environmental impact as much as it has to do with the social values. In a green learning environment there would be less of a hierarchy system between the teachers and students, and there would be a more balanced system. A green learning community will also help better the lives of surrounding citizens. They believe in a commonwealth for all citizens and the financial aspect of the learning community would be cooperatively controlled. The citizens in this community would be much happier because there would be more human rights and gay and lesbian liberation. Overall, the green learning community would stem as a place to educate but their repercussions would be felt all over the surrounding areas in beneficial ways.
ReplyDeleteIn a green community, the people incorporate "green" into every aspect of life. It is vital that we start teaching children at a young age about holistic views and ideas so that they become environmentally responsible adults. "Ecological literacy is difficult, second, because we have come to believe that education is solely an indoor activity." The fact that we do not include the environment as much as we should in education, we are belittling the importance of nature and the values that one acquires while being outside. A green learning community would be all about coexisting. Nature would be preserved, and action would be taken to utilize natural resources.
ReplyDeleteI believe a green learning community is a community which focuses on educating people on how to live a more green life. Instead of just concentrating on recycling and other easy ways to be green, It shows you how to live green in all different aspects of your daily life. Green living in not solely taught in a classroom, and in a green living community it would be taught and demonstrated all day , everyday. It is all about encouraging a green mindset and way of life, so that after living in the green learning community, members will go on to practice green living for the rest of their lives. The more people who are brought up in a green community and taught green ideals, the more power the Green community will have. Members of a green community would not solely have materialiatic interests and goals, as many oher members of soiety, they would care about the lives and quality of lives of other members of society,amd future generations to come.
ReplyDeleteHi Joelle- based on our readings, what would the attributes of a green learning community be?
DeleteA "green" learning community is one in which everyone is involved. There are not breaks in the community, but rather a close knit and supportive community. This community is formed by revitalizing the cities. When the cities become something a citizen can be proud of they are more willing to keep it up and sustain the area for the future generations. A green community would have no hierarchy. There would be an emphasis placed on equal rights for all. This includes groups that are currently denied their rights such as the LGBT community. This community would place an emphasis on eliminating weapons. This learning community would not focus on new technology, but rather using natural resources efficiently and sustainability. The students would become involved in their surroundings so that a deep connection would be formed. This connection helps them to become passionate about their work. In the reading Mr. Orr discusses tearing down the boundaries of the classroom. The true test of this learning community would be the way people live. In a green learning community the principles must be lived on a day to day basis. They must have a well functioning society and work towards the common goal of sustainability.
ReplyDeleteI think a “green” learning community would be easy to distinguish in comparison to other communities. An ideal green learning community would obviously have a focus on green values such as sustainability and equality. The focus on learning and education cannot be forgotten as well though as a green learning community would need to work towards educating, promoting, and demonstrating green ideals to others. I think a green learning community would not want its members to consider their lifestyle to be alternative or radical in any way but rather to consider their lifestyles to be a preview of what all communities could look like in the future. I think if you were to visit a green learning community you would see people working together to protect our planet and future while treating each other with a great deal of dignity and respect at the same time. I think that a green learning community does not even have to be as drastic as the Oberlin Project, but instead it could also be simply the idea that any town or community should work to incorporate green values into their everyday lives. I think that we will begin to see more green communities as we move towards a greener planet.
ReplyDeleteAccording to our readings- what would a green learning community look like? ( refer to the 6 foundations Orr discusses)
DeleteAfter reading this i believe Green has to side, the physical and social, or way of thinking. First when green comes to mind i see a building with solar pannels, special windows and cooling systems. (like the green quad). A green house, eco friendly lighting options. Physical things that make something greener. But after the reqding i see there is much more then making buildings greener. It starts with education, learning how to turn away from our wastfull and uneco-friendly past. To teach children about naturalism and sustainability. Its starts young cahnge takes time and if you start with children over time they will understand the importance of eco awareness. also green means our goverenment and political infrastructure has to become green. they have to change the gain for themselves for the gain of all. we need to put the enviormnet in front of politcal discussions.
ReplyDeleteBoth David Orr’s piece on Ecological Literacy and Pepper’s article on Defining Environmentalism both bring to light various characteristics and values of a person that supports the “green” ideology. For example, Pepper critiques against the perception of resources being treated as limitless, that in order to develop industrialized countries Third World Countries are in poverty, and the urban-industrial capitalist system (and its associations of nuclear energy and power hierarchies). He also supports for geographical reorganization to more concentrated economic, political, and social units, and, maybe most importantly, for individuals to adopt the maxim that “personal is political”, which argues that in order to make a powerful contribution to political change one must change their own personal attitude, lifestyle, and knowledge. Pepper uses the words “enlightened education” to solidify the vehicle in which this shift would be possible, and I think that both authors have the same concrete thesis of the importance of Green Pedagogy.
ReplyDeleteIn accordance with this philosophy, a learning community is green obviously must incorporate egocentric green values, a strong sense of bioethics, which comes down to viewing the world holistically, treating matters from concerns about the entire ecosystem and not just how things affect humankind as a separate piece of the world. Students in a learning community would strive to understand, reflect upon, and aid the state of depletion that our planet is currently experiencing. As Orr states, they would be able to ask the “What then?” questions regarding various aspects of our world. I really like his statement that, “If literacy is driven by the search for knowledge, ecological literacy is driven by the sense of wonder, the sheer delight in being alive in a beautiful, mysterious, and bountiful world (86)”.
To combine a student’s understanding of the world around them with the opportunity to experience the world is a invaluable aspect of ecological literacy. Thus, a green learning community must be able to extend outside the classroom, over social structures, and be able to connect their learning with change, action, and support for their community. They would need to truly invoke the sense of the green value “think globally, act locally”, and set a positive example for others.