Spaces for Science: The PKAL Facilities Resource

It's often hard to say where you should start in using the resources of Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL), but we know that lots of SCUPers have contributed to the contents of this one:

For Project Kaleidoscope, the process of planning- be it for spaces or broader institutional efforts- begins with asking the right questions and with having the right people at the table in a timely manner as such 'right' questions are addressed. This is one of the key PKAL lessons learned that can inform the work of institutional planning teams- be they focusing on planning spaces or programs, budgets or faculty development efforts. The process of questioning also highlights two other over-arching key lessons learned that are relevant for teams charged with planning new spaces for science. The first is that building community should be seen as a goal both for the process of planning and the product of planning; the second is that there is a broader community of peers whose experience and expertise can inform and advance the work of local teams.

Creativity As a Student Learning Goal

This Project Kaleidoscope collection, of papers from the PKAL community of stakeholders - each with a summary and a "full document" or transcript - focuses on creativity as a student learning goal. Tori Haring-Smith, president of Washington and Jefferson College speaks about the relationship between "reflection" and creative ability. That's paired up with two PDFs from the US Military Academy: "Creativity: A Goal for Student Learning at West Point" and "Educating Future Army Officers for a Changing World."

From Haring Smith's transcript: "My senior staff is always dreading what they call the “shower memo.” They know when I shower and if the time accords with the end of the shower they know it’s a I was just thinking kind of memo. These moments are woefully rare in our fast
paced world of Blackberries and cell phones."

From "Creativity": "Uninformed observers probably would not describe our modern Army as a proponent of creative thinking. To the contrary, the GI stereotype might lead one to believe that Army service involves mechanical obedience to specific orders: e.g., dig the trench, refill the hole, and repeat. In contradistinction to this stereotype, Army leaders, who function in a world of rapid technological, social, political, and economic change, must be astute thinkers and innovators."