LINC Learning in Community

1
LINCLearning in Community

• LAS 199/ENG 199
• Spring 2003

The real objective of university education is
effective preparation for efficient social
service. -- Edmund Janes James, U of I
President, 1904-1920
2
LINC, 1/21/3, Objectives You should (1)
understand the structure of the course and (2) be
able to prepare for meeting your Project Partner
on Thursday.Schedule

• Why LINC is important a word from a sponsor
• Prof. Steve Schomberg
• Vice Chancellor for Public Engagement
  Institutional Relations
• What LINC is and is not
• How LINC works Syllabus, Schedule
• Examples of successful LINC projects from Fa02
• Leslie Crowley, Swann School
• Rumi Shammin, North South University
• Topic 1 Listening to your Project Partner
• Lecture Submission 1 Student Questionnaire

3
What LINC is
LINC involves teams of students working on
projects with non-profit partner organizations
or institutions. The projects (1) address
needs or problems that are important to the
partner and (2) provide significant
opportunities for learning. Lectures provide
the means to investigate common topics,
like project management and teamwork, and to link
theory with practice. Discussion sections
provide a setting for regular team meetings.
4
What LINC is not

• Volunteer work
• Building a Habitat house
• Serving meals at the TIMES Center
• Playground duty at Unity East Elementary
• (you may do some volunteering to better
  understand ___)
• Short-term, one-time projects driven by LINC
  (instead, we do long-term projects driven by our
  Project Partners)
• An easy course where you do stenography during
  lecture, cram for 2 tests, and bag an A with very
  little effort (instead, you really work and
  really learn!)

5
Syllabus and Schedule

• Meet your Project Assistants (PAs)
• Review the course objectives and grading
• See some resources
• Review course
• Philosophy
• Statements on accommodations, diversity and
  academic integrity

6
How to be successful in this course
i.e., learn a lot and earn an A

• Be organized
• Come to class
• Post team reports
• Meet deadlines submit assignments on time
• Listen well to your Project Partner
• What do they need and want?
• How can you help them?
• Ask questions (a recurring theme in this course)
• Communicate often and well (esp. w/ team, PP, and
  PA)
• What should our project be? What should we do
  next?
• Email/news groups, coffee dates, etc. have fun!
• Understand the big picture (you are here to learn
  and help)

7
About attending lecture
Q Is attendance at lecture required? A No,
however there will be something due or submitted
at each lecture, counting 5 points each, for a
total of up to 65 points. (There are a total of
15 lecture sessions, so there will be
a opportunities to earn 75 points.) Examples
1. A short question about the readings (you will
alerted in advance). 2. An in-class activity. 3.
A question about your project or team. 4. Your
feedback on some aspect of the course. 5. Student
questionnaire today! ?
8
Examples of Projects

• Leslie Crowley, Swann School, Champaign, IL
• Rumi Shammin, North South University, Dhaka,
  Bangladesh

9
Preparing for Thursday Listening to Your
Project Partner

• Read the descriptions of possible projects
• Read the report(s) from last semester
• Develop a list of questions for your Project
  Partner
• Use who, what, why, when,
• Be curious
• Edit, refine, prioritize your questions
• Learn more than you need to know about your
  project and your Project Partner ?

10
An iceberg is fascinating and intriguing (like
your projects!), but
11
Almost 7/8 of the iceberg is underwater, almost
invisible.
12
Questions about seeing your project

• What aspects of your project seem invisible at
  first glance?
• What tools for discerning more about your project
  do you need? What do you already have?
• What resources are available?

13
Move to sit with your section
Habitat for Humanity
Unity East and Jr. High
TIMES Center
North South University
Urban Exchange Center
East St. Louis Action Research
College of Engineering
Swann School
Ch-Urbana Schools Foundation
Sister Net
Home Hi
Entrance/Exit
Front of 100 MSE
14
Lecture Submission 1 Complete the student
questionnaire and give it to your PA. Note
Returning students from Fall 2002, please meet
briefly after class today.
15
Looking ahead Next Tuesday, 1/28 (Week 2)

• Sit by sections
• Answer a question in class for your Lecture
  Submission 2 (read Chapter 4 in text, and
  especially note Q1 at end of the Chapter)

Have a great week!