East Freshman’s LINCC Lab a Link to Personalized Learning

Five years after its inception, Lakota East Freshman School’s LINCC Lab continues to reinvent itself. Case in point: A brand new historical figure research project that combines writing, public speaking, art expression, peer critiques and more into a quarter-long experience. And while the lesson plans may look different from years past, one thing has always remained the same. LINCC gives “kids in the middle” a personalized experience that hinges on student choice and self-paced learning. 

“We’ve found a way for LINCC to survive no matter the circumstances and in spite of all the changes we’ve experienced since 2019,” said art teacher Emily Edwards, who is part of the trio of teachers at East Freshman who lead the cohort. “We love it so much because it’s good for kids, especially those kids who are right in the middle academically.” 

Short for “Learning Ignited by Non-traditional Course Collaboration,” LINCC is a stretch from the traditional secondary school schedule. A group of students triple in size the typical single bell are assigned the same schedule across three core subjects - art, language arts and history - and three consecutive class periods. On some days, rather than bell changes dictating their transition from one subject to the next, students move at their own pace between tasks coordinated by their three co-teachers. 

It’s a model that lends itself to student choice and cross-curricular projects that tackle all the same standards as any other freestanding class, but oftentimes add in skills of real world learning like collaboration, communication and creativity, for example. Such was the goal when Edwards, alongside her teammates language arts teacher Roxanne Begley and world studies teacher Dave Schreier, designed this year’s historical figure project. 

The primary impetus for the project was a new standard in the ninth grade language art curriculum that focuses on “words that inspire change.” Students did considerable research just to whittle down their original lists of historical figures. Once they settled on just one, the tasks ranged from finding and studying a documentary about their person to fully researching their person’s life, including their greatest accomplishments and lasting legacy in light of the historical context in which they lived. 

After writing an essay, the quarter-long project also culminated in a presentation to their peers in which students dressed in character (full group pictured at right). A gallery walk featured a different vase for each person created through a pottery technique called coiling. Each student artist also completed a mixed media piece of their person that included a digital drawing and a new technique called paper marbling (both pictured above). Students were challenged to characterize the one attribute of their person that they admired most and most importantly, use their artwork to inspire their peers. 

“It not only gave students a chance to see what others did, but also let their own artwork speak and see how it might influence their peers,” Edwards said about the gallery component of the project. “Freshmen are at a vulnerable age and art is vulnerable, so it’s a really important exercise for them on so many levels.”

Schreier was the primary facilitator of the character presentations, reiterating to students that little things like eye contact, voice inflection and characterization matter. “This is your chance to sell yourself,” he shared with his classes as they prepared for their presentations. 

When he brought everyone back together for a brief moment of reflection, he said, “One of the greatest things we do is bless other people with our words.” He opened up the floor for students to share positive observations about their peers’ works. Students had a similar opportunity when completing their peer art critiques. 

Freshman Zeek Taylor most appreciates LINCC’s approach to use a singular project to cover a lot of ground, rather than multiple projects across multiple classes. This makes school less overwhelming and more manageable, he said. “Time management is everything in LINCC,” Taylor said. 

Freshman Drew Wilkerson appreciates the camaraderie and community that comes with the class's format. “I’m a social kid,” he said, “and the class brings the whole class together once or twice a week. It helps you meet lots of new people too.” 

“It’s a big group where everyone knows everyone,” added freshman Keira Hobe. “It makes the school feel smaller in a way.”

Edwards admits that it would be easier for her and her colleagues to just work independently rather than build around each other’s lessons and adjust their timing, too. “But it’s all worth it when you see everything come together like this,” she reflected.