{"70421":{"#nid":"70421","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New CommLab is Creative Space for Practicing Communication","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom teleconferencing to YouTube videos, project posters to green-screen presentations, slide design to report writing, the new Communication Center is designed to help Georgia Tech students develop professional competence in 21\u003Csup\u003Est\u003C\/sup\u003E century communication. The center has been designed as a leading-edge model for communication education. It uses conventional technology in unconventional ways.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is a \u003Cem\u003Ecreative\u003C\/em\u003E space,\u201d explains Karen Head, who is Director of the Communication Center. \u201cYes, we are coaching students in processes and strategies and techniques, but we are also providing the space and equipment needed to \u003Cem\u003Epractice\u003C\/em\u003E.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Communication Center\u2019s main space, CommLab, is in Clough Commons room 447, but the center includes a suite of rooms with meeting areas, computer workstations, and four rehearsal studios. Each studio reflects a different presentation style \u2013 from formal IBM to laid-back Google \u2013 and each is equipped with video capture and playback that allow students to review and refine their performance. The Communication Center was designed by an Institute-wide Task Force, chaired by Rebecca Burnett, Director of the Institute\u2019s Writing and Communication Program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe center may prove an oasis for students because \u003Cem\u003Ethey\u003C\/em\u003E define what they want to work on and choose whether to work individually or in groups, with coaching or without.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe intend this to be a safe place for students to experiment and take risks,\u201d said Head, \u201cwithout the pressure of assignment deadlines and grades.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPart of the Institute\u2019s Writing and Communication Program (housed in the IAC School of Literature, Communication, and Culture (LCC)), the center\u2019s staff focuses on the program\u2019s WOVEN approach, working across every form of communication modality \u2014 written, oral, visual, electronic and non-verbal. The physical resources encompass virtually any medium. Faculty can provide coaching in strategies and performance, guidance in brainstorming and collaborative planning, and individual and small group tutoring.\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHead is careful to note that the center is not a \u201cfix-it shop.\u201d Rather than remedial work, the emphasis is on keeping students apace with what\u2019s next in technology.\u0026nbsp; Overall, the center is a place for all students at all levels to find ways to be better communicators. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Communication Center\u2019s first goal is to serve undergraduate and graduate students; ultimately, it will also be a resource for faculty and staff who wish to improve their communication skills.\u0026nbsp; Its mandate and location complement Georgia Tech\u2019s Academic Success Program and the Library\u2019s software\/media training resources.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHead\u2019s team is comprised both of professional tutors who are \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/lcc.gatech.edu\/people\/brittain.php\u0022\u003EBrittain Postdoctoral Fellows\u003C\/a\u003E from the Writing and Communication Program and of undergraduate peer tutors. Future plans include graduate student tutors, research tutors from the GT Library, and ESL tutors from the GT Language Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe center is one of the few in the country that is run by tenure-track faculty. IAC Dean Jackie Royster advocated for that \u2013 a center explicitly built on research, with research as an explicit and expected outcome. Head and her team will conduct communication research that focuses on writing and communication theory and practice. Initially, the research will illuminate how members of a communication ecology present their literacies to others through self-promotion and effacement and how these interactions affect the development of budding scientists, engineers and humanities scholars. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor fall term, the Communications Center is open for scheduled and drop-in appointments six days a week:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMondays 9 am \u2013 9 pm\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETuesdays \u0026amp; Thursdays 9 am \u2013 11 am \u0026amp; 12 pm \u2013 9 pm\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWednesdays 11 am \u2013 9 pm\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFriday 9 am \u2013 3 pm\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESunday 5 pm \u2013 9pm.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.iac.gatech.edu\/faculty-and-staff\/faculty\/bio\/head\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead more\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E about Karen Head, Director, Communication Center \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EPHOTO: President G. P. \u201cBud\u201d Peterson took part in\u0026nbsp;a student tutoring session\u0026nbsp;guided by CommLab Director Karen Head during the facility\u0027s Grand Opening on September 28\u003C\/em\u003E.\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom teleconferencing to YouTube videos, project posters to green-screen presentations, slide design to report writing, the new Communication Center is designed to help Georgia Tech students develop professional competence in 21\u003Csup\u003Est\u003C\/sup\u003E century communication. \u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Newly Opened Communication Center in Clough keeps students apace with communications technologies"}],"uid":"27167","created_gmt":"2011-09-30 13:03:39","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:10:18","author":"Rebecca Keane","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2011-09-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2011-09-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"70423":{"id":"70423","type":"image","title":"CommLab","body":null,"created":"1449177314","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:14","changed":"1475894618","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:38","alt":"CommLab","file":{"fid":"192959","name":"robscommlabopening.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/robscommlabopening_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/robscommlabopening_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":731238,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/robscommlabopening_0.jpg?itok=VkbKhecQ"}},"70420":{"id":"70420","type":"image","title":"Communication Center (CommLab) in Clough Commons","body":null,"created":"1449177314","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:14","changed":"1475894618","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:38","alt":"Communication Center (CommLab) in Clough Commons","file":{"fid":"193453","name":"commlabtutorsessioncropped.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/commlabtutorsessioncropped.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/commlabtutorsessioncropped.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":543662,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/commlabtutorsessioncropped.jpg?itok=LV9WajmE"}}},"media_ids":["70423","70420"],"groups":[{"id":"1281","name":"Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1970","name":"Clough"},{"id":"14491","name":"CommLab"},{"id":"3754","name":"communication center"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERebecca Keane\u0026nbsp; 404-894-1720\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["rebecca.keane@iac.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}