Pre-Conference Workshop Title:
Enhancing Creativity in Your Teaching: A Practical, Improv-based Approach to Thinking On Your Feet

Edwart Trout
ComedySportz Indianapolis

Bio:
Ed is a founding member, co-owner and Artistic Director of ComedySportz Indianapolis. He has been working in improvisational theatre for more than twenty years, and started in with ComedySportz Indianapolis in 1993. Since then he has performed and participated in improv workshops all across the country. He has taught improvisational skills to thousands of people over the years as well, applying them in both theatrical and corporate settings. Ed has a B.F.A. from the Herron School of Art.

Anthony Stamatoplos
IUPUI University Library

Bio:
Anthony is an associate librarian at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). He also is a part time assistant professor in the IU School of Library and Information Science. Since the late 1990s, he has used improvisational skills in teaching courses and in information literacy instruction. When not at IUPUI, he performs with ComedySportz Indianapolis. Tony has an M.A. in anthropology from Washington State University and a Master of Library Science from Indiana University.

Char Booth
The Claremont Colleges

Plenary Title:
Reframing Library Instruction: Advocacy, Insight, and the Learner Experience

Plenary Abstract:
Increasingly, teaching librarians face the challenge of integrating into the learning communities that comprise our institutions, a process that requires a new depth of understanding and unparalleled instructional customization. At the same time, reorganization and resource depletion are the norm in our workplaces, stretching our support for existing programs and curtailing our ability to develop new approaches. In this environment of mixed opportunity and anxiety, it is critical that we understand that our effectiveness as mentors and educators is impacted by the role and value of libraries in the academy and society. It is equally important that we cultivate innovative methods of understanding our own communities with the goal of teaching more strategically and with greater curricular flexibility.

"Reframing" is a process of acknowledging that libraries and the academy are (and should be) changing, and that teaching librarians are at the forefront of a personal, local, and collective redefinition. Despite decades of effort, the evolution of librarian-as-teacher remains a departure from traditional understanding among some in higher education, requiring an ongoing perceptual shift on the part of ourselves, our users, and our collaborators. When we cultivate strategies for effective, creative instructional advocacy while critically examining our existing content and approaches, we are better positioned to meaningfully support the learner experience and develop a unique perspective on our own practice.

In short, this talk will examine how we understand what we do and who we do it for, and why this matters in the first place.

Bio:
Early riser, devoted oceanite, and proponent of radical neutrality, Char Booth explores the integration of education, research, technology, and design in libraries.

Char is the Instruction Services Manager and E-Learning Librarian at the Claremont Colleges, and is on the faculty of  the ACRL Information Literacy Immersion Institute. An ALA Emerging Leader and Library Journal Mover and Shaker, Char blogs at info-mational and tweets @charbooth. Her publications include Reflective Teaching, Effective Learning: Instructional Literacy for Library Educators (ALA Editions, 2011) and Informing Innovation: Tracking Student Interest in Emerging Library Technologies (ACRL, 2009).

She received a BA in History from Reed College in 2001, an MSIS from the UT Austin School of Information in 2005, and a Master of Computer Education and Technology from Ohio University in 2008.

R. Brian Stone
The Ohio State University

Plenary Title:
Quick, Change the Channel. Web Enabled Television and the Information Age

Plenary Abstract:
In the Department of Design at The Ohio State University we have investigated ways to enhance the user experience of Web Enabled Television (WETV). These investigations include information retrieval, asset management and creation, sharing through social media, and on-demand content. This presentation will outline our process of discovery, conceptualization, evaluation, and development. The outcome will be sure to stimulate ideas around how to best leverage this medium in the context of teaching, sharing, and information consumption. The presentation will be supported by several dynamic prototypes.

My goal is to share our ideas and theories on the emerging topic of WETV. More importantly, I expect to stimulate a dialogue amongst colleagues aimed at advancing investigations and transforming student experiences. This presentation should be of particular interest to those who aspire to engage people through rich informational experiences

Bio:
R. Brian Stone is a practicing designer, educator, and researcher in the area of interaction design, information design, user experience, and communication through motion. He teaches Visual Communication in the Department of Design at The Ohio State University and is a principal partner of Latitude 40 Design. His work has garnered numerous awards for design excellence, usability, and user satisfaction. He is the author of several articles on the subjects of interactive experiences, usability, information visualization, and kinetic typographic messages. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and universities and has held visiting appointments at the National University of Singapore and Escola Superior de Desenho Industrial (ESDI) in Brasil.

Apple Computer has recognized Professor Stone as one of the top educational technology leaders in the U.S. with the Apple Distinguished Educator award. He is also a recipient of the 2002 Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching from The Ohio State University and the 2005 Order of Omega Faculty Recognition Award.

Prior to joining the faculty at OSU, he taught at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Professor Stone holds a MA and MFA in Design from The Ohio State University and a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of the Arts.