UH Manoa Curriculum Research & Development Group hosts the 31st Annual Pacific Circle Consortium Conference

Arthur R. King, Jr. to receive 2007 Peter Brice Award

University of Hawaiʻi
Contact:
Helen Au, (808) 956-4949
College of Education
Posted: Jun 14, 2007

HONOLULU — As a founding member of the Pacific Circle Consortium (PCC), the Curriculum Research & Development Group (CRDG) of the University of Hawaiʻi College of Education hosts the PCC‘s 31st annual conference, June 25-29, 2007, at the Hawaiʻi Imin Conference Center on the UH Mānoa campus. The conference will examine the theme, "Education in a Pacific Context: Education Outcomes for the Twenty-first Century."

The five-day event will offer more than 60 sessions that will include participants from all over the Pacific including, México, New Zealand, Australia, Colombia, Malaysia, China, South Korea, Vietnam, Latvia, Taiwan, Fiji, Samoa, Japan, and the United States.

Six prominent scholars have been invited to lead participants through an exploration of the conference theme organized around three interrelated questions. The questions will reflect on areas that are of significance to students and educators in the Pacific Circle and how they can be enhanced and improved. The scholars are:


  • Tilianamua Afamasaga, Director, Centre for Professional Development and Continuing Education, National University of Samoa;


  • Adrienne Alton-Lee, Iterative Best Evidence Synthesis Programme, Ministry of Education, New Zealand;


  • Isak Froumin, Senior Education Specialist, WorldBank;


  • H. Michael Hartoonian, Retired - Professor and Director of the Center for Economic Education, University of Minnesota;


  • Raymond McNulty, Executive Director, Successful Practices Network, International Center for Leadership in Education; and


  • Deane Neubauer, Professor Emeritus and Senior Fellow, Globalization Research Center.


The PCC is also home to the Peter Brice Award, which is presented annually by the conference host country to an individual who best exemplifies the aims of the organization. Peter Brice represented New Zealand in the early days of the PCC. He was an officer in the New Zealand Ministry of Education at the time. Upon his passing, his wife graciously worked with the PCC to develop an award in his honor. Mr. Brice is best remembered for his wisdom, his humanity and his lifelong commitment to educational ideals.

Arthur R. King, Jr., founder and former director of the Curriculum Research & Development Group (CRDG), will receive the 2007 Peter Brice Award for his outstanding contribution to curriculum research and development in the Pacific region. "The depth and breadth of his knowledge and leadership, along with his vision for creating and sustaining a university-based research and development center using a real-time school as a laboratory, are the very foundations of CRDG‘s success," said Donald Young, interim dean of the College of Education. "King‘s belief in and commitment to a quality liberal arts education for all sustained CRDG through economic and political challenges."

The result of King‘s work is a curriculum R&D center recognized internationally for the quality of its research, products, and services that have served thousands of teachers and millions of students. In addition to his work with CRDG, King was also a founder of the Pacific Circle Consortium (PCC). As the consortium matured, broadening its membership and its opportunities for international collaboration, the work expanded to include research on a number of school-related projects and on cutting edge educational thought and policy. King remained active in the organization and is a dynamic participant in the PCC international discussion.

Interested educators can still register for the five-day conference by visiting the conference website at http://hisii.hawaii.edu/pcc2007/registration.htm. Late registration will be accepted through June 22.

ABOUT THE PACIFIC CIRCLE CONSORTIUM

The Pacific Circle Consortium was established in 1977 as an initiative in international co-operation between educational research and development institutions in the Pacific Region initially drawn from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the U.S. were represented at the first meeting. Membership has since been extended to other countries from within this region and from Asia. The focus has also changed from one of collaboratively produced curriculum materials to broader issues of policy development and educational research. From hosting yearly workshops and meetings the organization has moved to a single yearly conference at which joint projects are discussed and reported upon and a range of papers and symposia are presented. The conference is hosted each year in a different country, the last three being México, Australia, and China.

ABOUT THE CURRICULUM RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GROUP

The Curriculum Research & Development Group (CRDG) is an organized research unit in the College of Education at the University of Hawaii. Since 1966, CRDG has served the educational community locally, nationally, and internationally by conducting research and creating, evaluating, disseminating, and supporting educational programs that serve students, teachers, and other educators in grades preK-12. CRDG also actively contributes to the body of professional knowledge and practice in teaching and learning, curriculum development, program dissemination and implementation, evaluation and assessment, and school improvement.

For more information, visit: http://hisii.hawaii.edu/pcc2007/registration.htm