Blog #5-- An Ideal Green Learning Community

The readings and my overall experience in a Green Learning Community here have given me a pretty good idea of what a "green" learning community is supposed to be like. The first characteristic that sets it apart from everything is the emphasis on "green" values such as sustainability and recycling. An understanding of the values is also key; the members should not just go through the motions but should understand and appreciate why "green" thinking is good. The next important characteristic is equality of voice. In the central community, ideally everyone is at the same level as everyone else. The reason that these communities work so well together is because there is no central authority to try and resist; everybody is essentially the same in each other's eyes. The last characteristic is that everyone has an opinion. This does not seem like much, but apathy is the #1 killer of successful groups. Apathy wastes time and effort. If everyone has an opinion and voices it freely, potential problems and misunderstandings can be worked out easily and thus provide the most effective possible group. A successful community has these characteristics, and a Green Learning Community has all of these but includes "green" thinking, with emphasis on thinking globally and acting locally.