Silver Lining for Learning

As we start off our seventh season of Silver Lining for Learning (SLL), it is important to reflect back on all of our episodes to date. One of the SLL Co-Hosts, Punya Mishra from ASU did just that. He partnered with Claude to analyze our six years of podcasting and look for themes and trends over time. Take a look: Analyzing Silver Lining for Learning: Conversations on the Future of Learning; See https://punyamishra.com/sll/. In addition, Punya brilliantly posted an additional reflection this past Saturday March 21 on the 6-year journey of Silver Lining for Learning (using some of the data generated by Claude). His blog post was titled, “Six Years, 266 Episodes, and One Persistent Question,” March 21, 2026, by Punya Mishra; https://punyamishra.com/2026/03/21/six-years-264-episodes-and-one-persistent-question/. Notably, SLL has had over 500 guests from 30+ countries and 265 shows during the past 6 years. These shows have generated 2.6 million words. In Episode #267 of Silver, we continue our journey into Year #7 of Silver Lining for Learning. In particular, we will talk to students and teachers in a secondary school in Jeju Island, Korea about their a week-long educational program called a “Week Without Walls” (WWW). A Week Without Walls is an annual program which allows students to step out of their traditional student roles in 4-walled classrooms and begin to engage in experiential, hands-on learning. Week Without Walls is one part community service, and one part adventure learning in outdoor learning environments. It is also one part a cultural immersion program which is intended to foster life skills like teamwork and collaboration, empathy and global perspective taking, resilience, self-directed learning, and overall personal growth and perhaps even transformation. Recently, there have been many different locations and environments for students to choose from for their adventures including Chiang Mai, Thailand, Japan, Bali, Indonesia, Italy, etc. One of the people we will talk with during the hour is Tim Bray. A decade ago, he was Director of EdTech at a school in Incheon, Korea where he established the first Educational Technology Department. From 2020-2022, Tim was the Director of Professional Development at Cheongna Dalton School in the Seo district in Incheon, Korea. In 2022, Tim was an International Principal at Westview Cambodian International School in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Next, he was appointed Founding Principal of American STEM Prep (ASP) Daegu in South Korea where he served from 2022-2024. Currently, Tim Bray is Director of Technology at St. Johnsbury Academy, Jeju Island, Korea. He can be contacted via LinkedIn. With several students and teachers from St. Johnsbury Academy in Jeju Island, this promises to be a rich and exciting show. Week Without Walls (WWW): https://weareworldchallenge.com/international/week-without-walls/   Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

Celebrating 6 years of Silver Lining for Learning Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

At some point in your lives, you likely wanted to be a pioneer at something and you likely wanted it to be impactful. In this episode of Silver Lining for Learning, we are joined by three online learning pioneers and digital education leaders, Julie Young, Julie Petersen, and Kay Johnson. Notably, in 1997, Julie Young was the founding President and CEO of Florida Virtual School; one of the largest virtual schools in North America. The three of them will discuss their new book, "Virtual Schools, Actual Learning: Digital Education in America published in November 2025 by the Pioneer Institute. This edited book attempts to uncover what works and what falls short in the online learning arena; in particular, in digital K-12 education. Their overarching learning philosophy is a learner-centered one. And their advice is directed at a range of stakeholders including those forming policies, educators teaching online courses, families making decisions about online education, students thinking about enrolling in online courses, and others in the online education landscape. Importantly, these three pioneers have a wealth of knowledge and experience to draw upon as they trace the rapid evolution of online learning over the past three decades from early forms of distance learning to the increasingly complex and multifaceted hybrid and HyFlex models. They have come to the conclusion that the most effective and powerful forms of online education rely on thoughtful pedagogical and instructional design practices. Listen or watch this episode and discover the possible achievements of learners in online educational environments as well as the many challenges and limitations. Julie Young is an edupreneur, an educator, innovator, and visionary leader renowned for pioneering virtual, blended, and technology-enhanced learning models. As founding President and CEO of Florida Virtual School in 1997, Young didn't just embrace virtual schooling, she helped create an entire industry. Over 17 years, she transformed FLVS from a startup serving 77 students with a $200,000 grant into the largest state virtual school in the US, reaching over 2 million students globally. Her work established Florida as the epicenter of virtual school innovation and set precedents for digital education that continue shaping the field today. She went on to serve as a VP at Arizona State University. In that role, she served as CEO and Senior Advisor to ASU Prep Academy, founding ASU Prep Digital and ASU Prep Global. Her north star is and always has been designing learning models that put the student at the center of every decision. Today, she leads Julie Young Education LLC, partnering with and advising organizations on educational innovation and strategic initiatives. Julie Petersen (Co-Editor) is a freelance writer and editor based in California. As a former nonprofit communications director and journalist, her work has been published by Stanford Social Innovation Review, Harvard Education Press, EdSurge, and Education Next. Julie began her career as a venture capital reporter for Red Herring Magazine, where her print cover story on educational technology was featured in Best Business Stories of the Year. She went on to lead communications at venture philanthropy firm NewSchools Venture Fund. Since 2012, Petersen has written and edited papers, articles, case studies, strategic plans, grant proposals, impact reports, and other publications in partnership with more than 40 education nonprofits, companies, philanthropists, and government agencies. Julie holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Vanderbilt University and a master’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Kay Johnson (Co-Editor) is a strategic communications leader with over two decades of experience at the intersection of education, policy, and innovation. She has supported national initiatives that shaped the early growth of online learning, including legislative efforts that led to the first statewide virtual school funded through public education dollars. Kay has led executive communications, research, and thought leadership for education organizations across the K–12 and higher education spectrum, including Florida Virtual School. Her work spans policy analysis, internal and external communications, and strategic advising for executive teams. A seasoned ghostwriter and editor, she has contributed to numerous articles, white papers, and books on digital learning and education reform. Kay currently serves as Director of Strategic Communications for ASU Prep Academy, where she supports national partnerships, research, and storytelling that advance future-ready learning models. Virtual Schools, Actual Learning: Digital Education in America, Pioneer Institute Video (2:26): https://pioneerinstitute.org/book/virtual-schools-actual-learning-digital-education-in-america/ Virtual Schools, Actual Learning: Digital Education in America Video (2:26): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt_qRCBZBxA&t=68s “Virtual Schools, Actual Learning helps explain what online learning and schooling have and have not accomplished and lays out a vision for its potential to level the playing field for all kinds of learners.”— Sal Khan, CEO of Khan Academy Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

Ever play in a sandbox? If so, was it fun. In Episode #264 we will hear from Patricia Mangeol who is the Director of Research and Digital Learning Initiatives at Sandbox Inc., a Canadian agency focused on helping public and nonprofit organizations achieve their education and outreach objectives. Also on this episode will be Isaac Kwakye from the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) which is a Washington State’s higher education agency. Together they will discuss many things including new approaches to supporting student learning in a rapidly changing digital and social context. This conversation will include how we need to think differently -- at both policy and behavioural levels -- about motivating students, and how innovative partnerships between policymakers, educational institutions, and creative/tech/learning design partners like Sandbox can help drive more effective outreach and support. Patricia and Isaac will also discuss the *Changing the Narrative* project with Central Washington University, alongside other work that they each are involved in -- particularly around leveraging AI for learner support and designing learning for AI-shaped labour markets. Overall, this session will offer a broad lens grounded in the notion that understanding student behaviours, motivations, and needs is central to improving access, equity, and social mobility." In this epsiode, we will explore how Sandbox and Sandbox Labs—the research and innovation arm of Sandbox—partners with institutions and policymakers to prototype, test, and scale new approaches to student engagement and digital learning. We will hear how the Washington Student Achievement Council is driving statewide innovation – and the challenges and opportunities of adaptive leadership needed to leverage the benefits of new technology like AI while countering the risks. We’ll close by discussing some of the most serious challenges higher education institutions are facing today. Let's turn to Sandbox Labs for a moment. Sandbox Labs is promoted as a research and innovation team that has a distinct social mission. They are the experimental arm of Sandbox Inc. that initiates “new projects and collaborations with partners around the world to analyze individual and social challenges and conceptualize solutions.” This approach most definitely requires a complex set of multidisciplinary skills for conducting research and associated analyses as well as “developing actionable recommendations,” and, perhaps, most importantly, “designing new learning experiences and human-first, user-focused technology tools.” It is worth noting that publications and research reports emanating out of Sandbox are developed in collaboration with their project partners (which Isaac and Patricia will speak to during the Episode #264 of SLL). These research reports attempt to offer documentation on the process that the teams engaged in as well as the research findings and ensuing recommendations. What we shall discover during this episode is that Sandbox’s ultimate goal is to provide innovative solutions that respond “to the real-world challenges and complex contexts of the people and organizations we support.” Patricia Mangeol Patricia Mangeol is the Director of Research and Digital Learning Initiatives at Sandbox Inc., a Canadian agency focused on helping public and nonprofit organizations achieve their education and outreach objectives. She leads the work of Sandbox Labs, the company’s R&D arm, forging partnerships in North America and Europe to leverage research methodologies and technological innovations to advance education and learning. Previously, Patricia led higher education research and policy projects at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and was a policymaker in the Ontario government (Canada). She advised governments in Canada, France, Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, and the United States on policies spanning higher education, the labour market, immigration and digital education. Alongside her work at Sandbox, Patricia is conducting doctoral research within the Open University of Catalonia’s Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences on how higher education institutions and leaders respond to AI-driven labour market changes. (Contact via LinkedIn or email). Sandbox: https://www.sandboxinc.ca/about https://www.sandboxinc.ca/ Isaac Kwakye As Deputy Executive Director of the Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC), Washington State’s higher education agency, Isaac Kwakye champions the advancement of education and economic opportunity across the state. He supports the Executive Director in leading the agency’s management and leadership team, overseeing daily operations, and stewarding critical resources and personnel toward educational success for all Washingtonians. In this capacity, Isaac drives the implementation of WSAC’s strategic education policy agenda, ensuring alignment with the Council’s vision for an equitable and prosperous Washington. His leadership transfers strategic action plans into impactful outcomes while strengthening executive governance to advance the agency’s financial and operational goals. Through this work, Isaac helps position Washingtonians for long-term success by expanding access to high-quality postsecondary pathways and fostering statewide economic mobility. Contact via: LinkedIn or Email.   Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

On January 14, a research report on AI uses in schools was released by Brookings, This report, entitled A new direction for students in an AI world: Prosper, prepare, protect, focused on Gen AI and students learning and development. It has an interesting conclusion: "At this point in its trajectory, the risks of utilizing generative AI in children’s education overshadow its benefits." It says: After interviews, focus groups, and consultations with over 500 students, teachers, parents, education leaders, and technologists across 50 countries, a close review of over 400 studies, and a Delphi panel, we find that at this point in its trajectory, the risks of utilizing generative AI in children’s education overshadow its benefits. This is largely because the risks of AI differ in nature from its benefits—that is, these risks undermine children’s foundational development—and may prevent the benefits from being realized. A lot of the risks seemed to come from “wide” AI use that includes unscaffolded open ended discussions students having with frontier model chatbots that occur in and out of school time. In our next episode, we will have a discussion with one of the authors of the report, Dr. Rebecca Winthrop, about the findings and possible future directions of AI in schools. Rebecca Winthrop is a senior fellow and director of the Center for Universal Education at the Brookings Institution. Her research focuses on education globally, with special attention to the skills young people need to thrive in work, life, and as constructive citizens. Winthrop works to promote quality and relevant education, including exploring how education innovations and family and community engagement can be harnessed to leapfrog progress, particularly for the most marginalized children and youth. She advises governments, international institutions, foundations, civil society organizations, and corporations on education issues. She currently serves as a board member and adviser for a number of global education organizations and lectures at Georgetown University. She currently leads the Brookings Global Task Force on AI in Education and co-leads the Family Engagement in Education Network. She has served as the chair of the U.N. Secretary General’s Global Education First Initiative’s Technical Advisory Group, helping to frame an education vision that focuses on access, quality, and global citizenship. With UNESCO Institute of Statistics, she co-led the Learning Metrics Task Force that involved inputs from education professionals in over 100 countries to identify how to measure what matters in education systems. She has been a member of numerous other global education initiatives including the G-20 Education Task Force, the Mastercard Foundation’s Youth Learning Advisory Committee, the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Councils on education, and an education adviser to the Clinton Global Initiative. Prior to joining the Brookings Institution in June 2009, Winthrop spent 15 years working in the field of education for displaced and migrant communities. As the head of education for the International Rescue Committee, she was responsible for the organization’s education work in over 20 conflict-affected countries. She has been actively involved in developing the evidence base around and global attention to education in the developing world. In her prior position, she helped develop global policy for the education in emergencies field, especially around the development of global minimum standards for education in contexts of armed conflict and state fragility. Winthrop has authored numerous articles, reports, books, and book chapters, including most recently “The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better, and Live Better” with her co-author, award-winning journalist Jenny Anderson. She has also authored “Transforming Education Systems: Why, What, and How” with Hon. Minister David Sengeh; “Collaborating to Transform and Improve Education Systems: A Playbook for Family-School Engagement” with Adam Barton, Masha Ershadi, and Lauren Ziegler; “Leapfrogging Inequality: Remaking Education to Help Young People Thrive” with Adam Barton and Eileen McGivney; “Beyond Reopening Schools: How Education Can Emerge Stronger Than Before COVID-19” with Emiliana Vegas; “Addressing Education Inequality with a Next Generation of Community Schools: A Blueprint for Mayors, States, and the Federal Government” with the Brookings Task Force on Next Generation Community Schools; and “The Need for Civic Education in 21st Century Schools.” Her work has been featured in the BBC, ABC News, CNN, NPR, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the New York Times, Newsweek, Time Ideas, NPR, the Economist, the Financial Times, the Guardian, Bloomberg News, Glamour, and CSPAN, among others. She was educated at Columbia University Teachers College (Ph.D., 2008); Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (M.A., 2001); and Swarthmore College, (B.A., 1996). Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

If you want to know what some of the best education thinkers think about the state of education, educational changes, effective teaching and learning, equity and excellence, new technologies etc., one of the places is The Brainwaves Video Anthology on YouTube created by Bob Greenberg. Over the past 10 years, Bob has conducted more than 2,500 video interviews with some of the leading thinkers such as Sir Ken Robinson, Noam Chomsky, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, Herb Kohl, Jonathan Kozol, Linda Darling Hammond, Ken Burns, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Diane Ravitch, and Jerome Bruner. The anthology has more than 50,000 subscribers and has been viewed more than 8 million times. In this episode, we plan to have a discussion with Bob Greenberg to learn what he has learned from these interviews and what motivated him to carry on a project for so long. ******* Bob Greenberg has spent 30 years as a public school teacher, 15 years in Stamford, CT and 15 years in Bridgeport, CT. In between he spent 15 years as a full time professional magician working trade shows and hospitality events for corporate clients including IBM, 3M and CIGNA. The Bridgeport Public Education Fund recognized him as an Outstanding Teacher in 2007. The Connecticut Association of School Librarians honored him with the 2012 Pellerin Classroom Teacher Award, for “collaborating to advance student learning”. His project “Bringing Books to Life” used stop-motion animation and green screen video. He has presented this project at ISTE Philadelphia and CECA Hartford, Tech Forum New York and BLC Boston. He was twice invited to bring his students to Tech Expo in Hartford where they shared their work with the State Legislature and met with the Governor. He also wrote the technology presentation that helped his school become a Lone Pine Award winner. Bob’s classroom had no walls, his students, known as “The Brainwaves”, had their own class blog where they shared their work and communicated with classes around the world. To prepare his students for the future, where they will live in a global economy, his class participated in global project based learning. Bob’s second and third graders Skyped with students in: Argentina, Canada, Guatemala, New Zealand, Indonesia, Bulgaria, Russia as well as the USA. He helped organize a Global Newspaper with contributions from children from seven countries. He also helped organize a global video project for the International Day of Peace. Drawing on his contacts, he enlisted 26 classes from 18 countries from every continent except Antarctica. While teaching he posted over 150 student videos SchoolTube. Since retiring in June 2013 he has traveled the country filming the thinkers and doers in Education; including Sir Ken Robinson, Noam Chomsky, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Bryer, Herb Kohl, Jonathan Kozol, Linda Darling Hammond, Ken Burns, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Diane Ravitch, Yong Zhao and Jerome Bruner. His YouTube Channel, The Brainwaves Video Anthology, is a growing collection of more than 2,500 five-minute bite sized video lectures from thought leaders at Harvard, Yale, Princeton, UCLA, MIT, Stanford and more. It has more than 6 million views in 195 countries. Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

Why AI in Education Needs Standards: Interoperability, Context, and Learner Impact with Michael Feldstein, 1EdTech Chief Strategy Officer; Blaine Helmick, 1EdTech Vice President of Software; and Suzanne Carbonaro, 1EdTech Vice President of Postsecondary Education and WorkforceIn this episode of Silver Lining for Learning, we explore how 1EdTech Consortium, a nonprofit, neutral, trusted convener, is working at the intersection of interoperability, data, and artificial intelligence to help education systems better serve its learners with technology. The conversation introduces what 1EdTech is, who it convenes, and why shared interoperability standards—such as Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI)®, learning analytics frameworks, and competency standards like Competencies and Academic Standard Exchange® (CASE®)—are foundational to a connected digital learning ecosystem. Through concrete examples, the episode shows how interoperability standards reduce complexity for institutions and their technology providers while enabling more consistent, meaningful access to learning data.Artificial Intelligence is an example of a technology in which context and structure matter if AI is to positively impact teaching and learning. Panelists examine how interoperable data pipelines make it possible to use AI for personalization, analytics, and learner-centered insights—without sacrificing trust, transparency, or human judgment. By highlighting 1EdTech’s emerging work in areas like AI-enabled learning analytics and outcomes tracking, the episode emphasizes the opportunity for institutions and technology providers to collaborate in ways that unlock data for learning and research, while keeping learners and educators firmly at the center.Readings and Resources:https://www.1edtech.org/program/labshttps://www.imsglobal.org/resource/AI-Generated_Content_Best_Practices/v1p0https://www.1edtech.org/workstream/analyticshttps://www.1edtech.org/standards/ai-rubrichttps://www.1edtech.org/about/hedEpisode GuestsMichael Feldstein is the Chief Strategy Officer of 1EdTech. He helps drive the strategic vision and implementation of an open, trusted and innovative ecosystem of interoperable products and digital credentials by identifying needs and collaboratively developing solutions to increase learning impact with the 1EdTech community. Michael brings more than 30 years of educational technology experience to the organization, most recently as CEO of the Empirical Educator Project, Co-Founder of Argos Education, and Chief Accountability Officer of e-Literate.Blaine Helmick, Vice President of Software at 1EdTech, is an accomplished education technology product director with career expertise creating innovative products, services, and content that reach new markets, bring solid ROI, and add tangible value. Combine a BA in Information Systems and an MA in Instructional Design to conceptualize enterprise technology solutions and drive successful development teams. Contribute technology and educational industry knowledge and collaborate with cross-functional teams to synthesize solutions and deliver emerging technologies.Suzanne Carbonaro is the vice president for postsecondary education and workforce programs at 1EdTech. In this role she serves as liaison across the education sector to enable discussion and collaboration that helps to foster the use of interoperability standards across digital ecosystems, and their external applications. Suzanne spent much of her career in higher education as a leader of curriculum and assessment, instruction and student success, institutional effectiveness and planning, and accreditation. Over the last five years, Suzanne served as a subject matter expert for two edtech companies and supported the growth of interoperability standards, strategic planning processes, and the Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR) across the colleges and universities she served.Suzanne’s research interests and publications are in the areas of digital credentials and CLR, high-impact practices, co-curricular assessment, and integrated strategic planning. Previously, Suzanne served as Director of Assessment at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Rider University’s College of Education and Human Services. Through her leadership, these institutions were re-accredited and received recognition for their assessment practices, including the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy 2019 Award for Excellence in Assessment. Suzanne managed New Jersey Department of Education and Janssen Pharmaceuticals grants to advance STEM Education, teacher leadership, recruitment, and retention in NJ public schools. Suzanne currently serves on the Grand Challenges in Assessment, a national collaboration of ten organizations and over 400 higher ed leaders seeking to advance assessment of student learning through discourse, research, and professional learning. Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

It has been a couple of years since the team from Silver Lining for Learning (SLL) explored the status of online learning. In Episode #260 of SLL, we will hear about the targeted growth of online learning at Indiana University (IU) across eight campuses; including the flagship campus in Bloomington. In the state of Indiana, only Ivy Tech Community College enrolls more online students (over 12,000) than IU at around 10,000. The annual growth has been brisk at around 12 percent per year involving over 200 different programs, around 25 percent of which are collaborative in nature across all campuses and the rest are individual on a single campus. More information is available about the collaborative approach: “IU Online: A Collaborative Model for Online Education at Indiana University” and “Moving Forward 2.0: IU Online Implementation Plan.” In this episode of SLL, Dr. Chris Foley, Associate Vice President and Director of Online Learning at IU will detail recent trends in online learning at IU and outline the university targets and his predictions of the future. As he observes, 'Expanding Access: Higher education is a life-changing experience for most students. It’s not just about imparting knowledge. It brings personal growth, opens doors, and grows self-confidence. The more students who can experience this, the better . . . for them and for everyone." By the end of this episode, you will realize that Indiana University has not just become a major college football powerhouse but is also now an online learning dynamo.Chris Foley, Associate Vice President, IU Online, Department: Office of Online Education, cfoley@iu.eduHomepage: https://rcoe.iu.edu/about/leadership/foley-chris.htmlTeaching Online at IU: https://teachingonline.iu.edu/about/staff/foley-chris.htmlLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-foley-7b629619/Chris J. Foley is associate vice president and director of online education for IU. He leads the development and implementation of online programs across IU’s seven campuses, servicing 30,000 students involved in online education. In addition, he is an adjunct assistant professor of organizational leadership at IU Indianapolis and teaches graduate courses in leadership, organization change and ethics. Foley has served IU for more than 20 years; before his current role, he worked in admissions and enrollment management at both IU Bloomington and IU Indianapolis. He has presented and published extensively on enrollment management, marketing and recruitment.Mark Baer joined the IU Online team in May 2024 as Interim Assistant Vice President for Online Academic Affairs and transitioned to Assistant Vice President of Online Academic Programs in October 2025. In this role, Baer oversees new online program development across Indiana University and leads a team that supports proactive management of existing online and hybrid collaborative programs, including curriculum evolution and assessment support. Since stepping into this leadership position, Baer has expanded collaborative partnerships across an increasingly interconnected university, fostering relationships that enhance program quality and delivery.Baer is an Associate Professor of Performing Arts with tenure at IU Northwest, bringing a strong faculty perspective to his administrative work. With a robust record of faculty leadership, Baer served as President of the IU Northwest Faculty Organization from 2020 to 2023 and has long contributed to intercampus collaboration through the University Faculty Council and Regional Faculty Caucus. He holds an MFA in Theatre Direction from Illinois State University and a BS in International Business and Theatre from the University of Findlay. More information on Mark can be found at: https://rcoe.iu.edu/about/leadership/baer-mark.htmlWhitnie Powell was appointed Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Services in November 2023, following three successful years as the Director of Enrollment Management and Student Services. In her current role, Whitnie leads the Enrollment Management, Online Student Services, Online Undergraduate Advising, Online Graduate Support, and EM&SS Operational Systems teams within IU Online. Together with her team, she collaborates closely with all IU campuses and University Administration units to create a seamless and supportive online student experience, enhance operational efficiencies, drive online enrollment growth, and positively impact student persistence, retention, and completion.Before joining IU, Whitnie served as the Senior Associate Director for Graduate Studies and Adult Learning at the University of Indianapolis, where she developed and led a centralized recruitment and enrollment team serving graduate, adult, and online students. Her leadership roles also include serving as Enrollment Manager at Indiana Wesleyan University, where she oversaw recruitment, enrollment, and student services for three central Indiana regional campuses. At Chamberlain College of Nursing, Whitnie was the Interim Director of Admissions, where she led the development of recruitment strategy, admissions processes, and student services during the initial startup of the Indianapolis campus.Whitnie's career also includes roles as a high school recruiter, online admissions counselor, online student services coordinator, intake coordinator, and student admissions recruiter.She earned both her B.S. in Psychology and M.S. in Management from the University of Indianapolis and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Educational Administration with a focus on Higher Education Leadership at Indiana State University. Whitnie is actively involved in councils, steering committees, and task forces across IU, representing IU Online. She has earned national recognition for the IU Online Enrollment Management and Student Services model through conference presentations and national association awards, including being honored with the UPCEA 2024 Dorothy Durkin Strategic Innovation Award. More information on Whitnie can be found at: https://rcoe.iu.edu/about/leadership/powell-whitnie.html Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

Can AI transform education systems in the Global South? with Fernando Reimers, Zainab Azim, Maria-Renee Palomo and Callysta ThonyThis episode of Silver Lining for Learning features a deep dive into a new book on artificial intelligence and education systems, with a special focus on the Global South—where most of the world’s young people live and where educational challenges are most acute. Rather than taking a techno‑optimistic stance, the book adopts a systems perspective, examining how AI intersects with curriculum, teaching, assessment, school organization, and governance under real‑world constraints of resources, capacity, and policy. Framed around three guiding questions—whether education systems can build broad AI literacy, whether AI can actually improve foundational learning, and whether it can make curricula more relevant to 21st‑century social and economic needs—the conversation explores what it would take for AI to support genuine transformation rather than isolated pockets of innovation.Drawing on international evidence, case studies, and early implementations of AI in classrooms and systems, the episode highlights both the possibilities and the serious risks of deepening inequality if AI is adopted without attention to access, teacher support, cultural relevance, and ethics. We’ll discuss how current AI applications tend to benefit more privileged groups, what a truly systemic approach would look like in the Global South, and why teacher development, educational leadership, and coherent regulation (on issues like data privacy and algorithmic bias) are non‑negotiable. We will discuss what a critical, human‑centered roadmap for leveraging AI as a tool for equity, dignity, and the full development of all students, rather than as a new driver of division. Readings and Resources:Artificial Intelligence and Education in the Global South https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-11449-5Episode GuestsFernando Reimers is the Ford Foundation Professor at Harvard University, USA and Director of the Global Education Innovation Initiative. He is an elected member of the US and the International Academies of Education. His research focuses on 21st-century global education, sustainable development, and responses to educational challenges such as COVID-19.Zainab Azim is a Teaching Fellow at Harvard Graduate School of Education, USA. Her work bridges. education policy and learning science with AI in global development. She’s led AI training for STEM educators in LMICs, evaluated AI in Uganda and Canada, and founded the Harvard AI and Education Conference. Zainab has a background in neuroscience, formerly worked at the Ministry of Finance in Canada and was an Oval Office Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, USA.Maria-Renée Palomo holds degrees from Harvard University, USA and Sciences Po Paris, France. Born in El Salvador, she spent a decade in France working in public sector consulting. She is assistant director of the Education Lab for Latin America and a teaching assistant at Harvard Graduate School of Education, USA, she was also in the founding team of the AI and education in the Global South conference at Harvard.Callysta Thony is a graduate and Teaching Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, USA where she focused on global education policy. She formerly worked with GovTech Edu Indonesia supporting the Indonesian Ministry of Education in nationwide digital transformation. She is interested in exploring how the effective use of technology can address key challenges in education. She was part of the leadership team which initiated the inaugural Harvard AI & Education Conference. Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

“A guide to AI in schools: Perspectives for the perplexed.”AI literacy is perplexing, everyone seems to want it taught, but few people can adequately describe or define it. AI is also different than the arrival of previous learning technology; it did not enter schools and university as the result of deliberate institutional plans and policies; instead, students and teachers simply began using it. As a result, institutions of higher learning as well as K-12 schools are scrambling to adjust; many are rapidly adopting policies and designing courses, events, and resources intended to make learners fluent or proficient in AI literacy. Fortunately, Justin Reich and his colleagues in the Teaching Systems Lab (TSL) have provided a vision of how K-12 schools can design a rich ecosystem for a more AI literate populace. See their new guidebook, “A guide to AI in schools: Perspectives for the perplexed. MIT Teaching Systems Lab.” Available: https://tsl.mit.edu/ai-guidebook/  and https://tsl.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/GuideToAIInSchools.pdfAs part of these efforts, they have produced books, films, podcast shows, and other timely resources to promote a more active and engaging pedagogical approach with AI tools and platforms. In fact, Justin and his colleague Jesse Dukes recently designed a 7-episode podcast series called “The Homework Machine.” As schools continue to grapple with the arrival of and experimentation with generative AI, “this timely series explores how the technology is reshaping the daily lives of K–12 teachers, staff, and students.” In Episode #259 of Silver Lining for Learning, you will discover how The Homework Machine takes listeners inside real classrooms and conversations to get a reality check in terms of generative AI in education. As Dr. Reich details with candid interviews and stories from K-12 students themselves, the series lays out both the promise and peril of this new tech in education.Justin Reich is an associate professor of digital media in the Comparative Media Studies/Writing department at MIT and the director of the Teaching Systems Lab. He is the author of Iterate: The Secret to Innovation in Schools and Failure to Disrupt: Why Technology Alone Can’t Transform Education, and he is the host of the TeachLab Podcast.  In addition, Justin is the co-host of The Homework Machine, a limited series podcast about AI in schools. Justin Reich earned his doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and was the Richard L. Menschel HarvardX Research Fellow. He is a past Fellow at the Berkman-Klein Center for Internet and Society. His writings have been published in Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington Post, The Atlantic, and other scholarly journals and public venues. He started his career as a high school history teacher, and coach of wrestling and outdoor adventure activities. Follow Justin on Twitter or Google Scholar. More about Justin can be found at:https://tsl.mit.edu/team/justin-reich/Jesse Dukes is a veteran journalist, podcast producer, and researcher. He was a senior producer of podcasts at WBEZ, Chicago for seven years, serving as the longtime audio producer at Curious City, and producing Season 4 of Motive. He has taught audio storytelling at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke, and Denison University. Jesse is the co-host of The Homework Machine, a limited series podcast about AI in schools.Resources:Justin Reich (PI and MIT Teaching Systems Lab Director), Jesse Dukes, Josh Sheldon, Julie M. Smith, Manee Ngozi Nmani, & Natasha Esteves (2025, November). A guide to AI in schools: Perspectives for the perplexed. MIT Teaching Systems Lab. Available: https://tsl.mit.edu/ai-guidebook/  and https://tsl.mit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/GuideToAIInSchools.pdfJustin Reich (2025, November 5). Stop Pretending You Know How to Teach AI; Colleges are racing to make students ‘fluent.’ One problem: No one knows what that means. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Available: https://www.chronicle.com/article/stop-pretending-you-know-how-to-teach-aiMIT Teaching Systems Lab: https://tsl.mit.edu/  Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

Rehearsing Reality through AI: How Simulations Build Better Teaching with Rhonda Bondie, Julie Cohen, & Lisa DeikerPurpose statementHow can teachers rehearse the toughest moments of teaching—without real students in the room? This episode explores how authentic simulations, powered by new technologies and AI, are transforming teacher preparation and professional learning. Guests Lisa Dieker, Julie Cohen, and Rhonda Bondie discuss how simulation can personalize feedback, deepen reflection, and build more effective educators.DescriptionHow can teachers learn the art of teaching in the same way pilots learn to fly or nurses learn to save lives? This episode of Silver Lining for Learning explores how authentic simulations are transforming teacher preparation and professional growth. Advances in technology now allow teachers unlimited opportunities to practice the hardest moments of teaching, with immediate feedback and opportunities to try again. For example, teachers can rehearse listening and responding to caregivers during difficult conversations. They can also practice responding to a wide variety of students’ learning needs, in the moment, on their feet.. However, simulations are not risk-free, this episode explores the opportunities, benefits, and dangers of simulated teaching practice with and without AI driven tools.Our guests, Rhonda Bondie, Julie Cohen, and Lisa Dieker, share their insights on the design, research, and implementation of simulated practice in education. Together, they trace the evolution of simulation technologies, discuss how these tools can be personalized to educators’ needs across their careers, and examine the opportunities and risks posed by AI-driven teaching simulations.Join us to imagine how simulation could reshape what it means to practice teaching.More about our guests below the videohttps://youtu.be/yIMSgs4AoScReadings and Resources: Dieker, L., Hughes, C., & Hynes, M. (2023). The Past, the Present, and the Future of the Evolution of Mixed Reality in Teacher Education. Education Sciences, 13(11), 1070. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13111070Bondie, R., Zusho, A., Wiseman, E., Dede, C., & Rich, D. (2023). The potential of differentiated and personalized teacher learning through mixed reality simulations. Technology, Mind, and Brain, 4, (1) Spring 2023. Special Collection: Learning in Immersive Virtual Reality. doi: 10.1037/tmb0000098 https://tmb.apaopen.org/pub/4gk68milCohen, J., Wong, V., Krishnamachari, A., & Berlin, R. (2020). Teacher coaching in a simulated environment. Educational evaluation and policy analysis, 42(2), 208-231.https://doi.org/10.3102/016237372090621Episode GuestsRhonda Bondie is an associate professor in special education at Hunter College, Deans Fellow, and the director of the Hunter College Learning Lab. Rhonda spent over 20 years in urban public schools as both a special and general educator. Rhonda’s co-authored book, Differentiated Instruction Made Practical, was recently translated into Portuguese, is used by teachers in more than 30 countries to ensure all learners are thriving every day. Rhonda’s research examines how teachers develop inclusive teaching practices through new technologies available at https://agileteacher.org/.Julie Cohen is the Charles S. Robb associate professor at the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia. Her research focuses on teacher learning and skill development. For the past nine years, she has led the TeachSim lab at the University of Virginia where her team has designed over seventy simulation-based learning experiences for teachers. Her published work has documented the benefits of mixed reality simulations as both a practice space and assessment platform for beginning teachers.  With support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, she is working with Mursion to design a curriculum of AI-driven simulation modules for teachers.Lisa Dieker, Ph.D. is Williamson Family Distinguished Professor of Special Education at the University of Kansas and Director of FLITE (Flexible Learning through Innovations in Technology and Education). Her research examines inclusive education, teacher preparation, and the use of technology, including AI and mixed-reality simulation, to support students with disabilities in STEM. She co-founded the TeachLivE™ simulator and holds six patents in education and technology. She has authored seven books and over 100 scholarly publications. She has received numerous awards, has provided over 200 keynotes, and served as editor for four academic journals.   Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

Welcoming 2025 with hosts Chris Dede, Lydia Cao, Punya Mishra & Curt Bonk  Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

We all know the story by now. When schools fail to engage their students, it results in student boredom, and, ultimately, chronic absence and feelings of learned helplessness. As would be expected, the effects of students not attending school is that test score gaps are widening. Such scenarios are particularly acute in high-poverty schools and among historically marginalized youth. In response, during the past five years (since 2021), the state of California has made an unprecedented investment of over $4 billion to try a new approach called community schools. The California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP) is committed to offering a whole-child, community-engaged approach filled with richer and more meaningful learning experiences in a climate that is welcoming and provides a sense of belonging. The instructional strategies of a CCSPP school support learner motivation, sense of learning competence, and ability to engage in self-directed forms of learning, The pillars of CCSPP include (1) Integrated student supports; (2) Family and community engagement; (3) Collaborative leadership practices; and (4) Extended learning time and opportunities. But what are the results of this investment, you ask? Well, on September 16, 2025, Walker Swain and his colleagues at the Learning Policy Institute published an initial report on the evidence to date. To find out the results, you can download the report at the links provided below. You can also attend or listen to Episode 255 of Silver Lining for Learning and find out more specifics about the Impact and Outcomes of the California Community Schools Partnership Program. It promises to be a most important and interesting show.Walker Swain is a Principal Researcher at the Learning Policy Institute, where he specializes in developing equity-oriented policy research and advising state and federal education policy. Currently, he works with LPI’s Educator Quality and Equitable Resources and Access teams. He has coauthored studies in academic journals including Educational Researcher, Sociology of Education, Economics of Education Review, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, and the American Educational Research Journal on a range of education and broader public policy issues.Before joining LPI, Swain served as an American Educational Research Association/American Association for the Advancement of Science Congressional Fellow in the United States Senate working on education and labor policy for Senator Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Health Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. He was also previously Associate Professor of Education and Public Policy at the University of Georgia, where he was honored with the Mary McCleod Bethune Educator Award for efforts to advance social justice in the classroom and beyond. He began his career as a middle school science teacher and basketball coach in Louisville, KY. Swain holds a PhD in Leadership and Policy Studies from the Peabody College of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University, an MPP From Duke University, an MAT in Secondary Science from the University of Louisville, and a BA in Political Science and Biology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.Anna Maier is a Senior Policy Advisor and Researcher at the Learning Policy Institute and co-leads the Whole Child Education team, with a focus on community schools. She is the lead author of Community Schools as an Effective School Improvement Strategy: A Review of the Evidence and Technical Assistance for Community Schools: Enabling Strong Implementation. Her policy work and research focuses on federal, state, and local investments in community schools, with a particular focus on California. Maier has experience with a variety of roles in K–12 education. She began her career managing an afterschool program for elementary school students in Oakland and went on to teach 2nd and 3rd grade in the Oakland Unified School District and Aspire Public Schools. She was also a member of the research and evaluation team at Coaching Corps, a youth sports nonprofit in Oakland. As a graduate student fellow with the Center for Cities & Schools at UC Berkeley, she worked with West Contra Costa Unified School District on implementing a full-service community schools initiative. Maier received an MPP from the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley, a Multiple Subjects CLAD teaching credential from the New College of California, and a BA in Psychology and Education Studies from Carleton College.Melanie Leung-Gagné is a Researcher at the Learning Policy Institute. She is a quantitative researcher focused on school discipline and the educator workforce. Her analyses combine complex survey data sets to identify high-leverage opportunities for federal and state policy interventions that will improve education quality and equity. Her specific issue areas include discipline disparities, school climate, teacher shortages, teacher diversity, principal professional learning, and curricular access. Prior to joining LPI, she worked as an education journalist in Hong Kong and as an education researcher in India and the United Arab Emirates. She was also an English and music teacher at an elementary school for migrant workers’ children in mainland China. Leung-Gagné holds an MA in International Education Policy Analysis from Stanford University and a BSc in Journalism and Communication from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.Cassandra Rubinstein is a PhD Candidate in Teacher Education and Learning Sciences at North Carolina State University and works as a Research and Policy Consultant at LPI. At LPI, she supports a range of projects dedicated to school and system redesign, including strengthening systems to support community schooling as a strategy for school transformation. She has years of experience managing district intervention programs and serving as a district grant coordinator in California public schools. Her research explores topics such as school segregation, equity-focused principal preparation, curricular interventions, and programs for multilingual students in public schools.Some relevant links:Learning Policy InstituteCommunity Schools Impact on Student Outcomes: Evidence From CaliforniaThis report can be found online at https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/ca-community-schools-impact-student-outcomes.Swain, W., Leung-Gagné, M., Maier, A., & Rubinstein, C. (2025). Community schools impact on student outcomes: Evidence from California. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/541.498 Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

Today we’re diving into Critical AI in K–12 Classrooms by Stephanie Smith Budhai and Marie K. Heath, a powerful guide helping teachers and students navigate the promises and perils of AI in education with justice, equity, and critical awareness at the core. Dr. Stephanie Smith Budhai (she/her), Associate Professor at University of Delaware, is an award-winning educator and author whose work bridges technology, equity, and civic engagement. Dr. Marie K. Heath (she/her), Associate Professor at Loyola University Maryland is dedicated to dismantling oppression in schools and technology. They both bring deep expertise and insight to this timely conversation.Stephanie and Marie’s book is designed as a practical guide for teachers and students navigating the complicated intersection of artificial intelligence, education, and justiceArtificial intelligence is rapidly integrating into today’s classrooms, and like other technologies, AI has the potential to harm, though at a larger scale, making it difficult to take advantage of its benefits. In Critical AI in K–12 Classrooms, Stephanie Smith Budhai and Marie K. Heath draw attention to the biases embedded within AI algorithms, such as those powering OpenAI’s ChatGPT and DALL-E, to guide students and teachers in developing strategies to best incorporate AI—or not—into equitable learning.AI’s reliance on existing data and knowledge systems means Black, queer, those with disabilities, and other marginalized students are at greater risk of being harmed by built-in limitations and bias. Budhai and Heath show how to circumvent if not actively resist such harms as machine learning, NLPs, LLMS, and GenAI enter the classroom, with practical examples rooted in culturally sustaining, abolitionist, and fugitive pedagogies across disciplines. Their practical guide creatively answers the concerns of educators committed to forward-thinking yet fair instruction and the needs of students eager to use AI for just ends.Critical AI in K–12 Classrooms meets the challenges of a key STEM technology with an eye toward cultivating a more just world. Balancing responsible learning with the joy of discovery, Budhai and Heath build a framework for AI instruction that all educators can confidently use.About our guests:Dr. Marie K. Heath (she/her) is not a robot, but she refuses to prove it to Google’s CAPTCHA. She currently works as Department Chair for Education Specialties and as an Associate Professor of Learning Design and Technology at Loyola University Maryland. Prior to her work in higher education, Marie taught high school social studies in Baltimore County Public Schools. Her scholarship interrogates schools and technologies as current sites of encoded oppression, and labors to advance more just technological and educational futures. She is co-editor of the CITE Social Studies Journal, co-founder and co-executive director of the Civics of Technology project, and a Faculty at the Center for Research and Evaluation at Loyola University Maryland. If you ask generative AI a question about Marie, it replies with the Mariah Carey “I don’t know her” meme.Stephanie Smith Budhai, PhD, is an associate professor in the Educational Technology program at the University of Delaware and is the recipient of an Excellence in Teacher Education Award from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Her interdisciplinary research and practice lies at the intersections of technology, equity and civic engagement, across myriad K-16 settings. She is a council chair for the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE) and advisory board member for the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) Center of Excellence for Publishing. Stephanie has published over eighty practitioner articles and nine books to support teaching, learning, and technology in education, two of which have been translated into Arabic.  Most recently she published, Critical AI in K-12 Classrooms: A Practical Guide for Cultivating Justice and Joy (Harvard Education Press) and Culturally Responsive Teaching Online and In Person (Corwin). She holds K–12 teaching certifications in technology education, instructional technology, elementary education, and special education. Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

When the Alekain Foundation launched the Claim Your Diploma Initiative in November 2024, they received 831 applications within two weeks. These applicants came from across 22 provinces and six ethnic groups in Afghanistan—a powerful testament to hope, resilience, and an unquenchable thirst for education.In this episode, we'll take you inside a journey of transformation that started over a year ago as a quest to provide an accredited, asynchronous, and self-paced high school education to young women and girls in Afghanistan. The program is funded by the Alekain Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit incorporated in the State of Arizona, offered by Smart Schools International, an accredited private high school that provides high-quality academic programs and curriculum paired with the flexibility and support students outside the U.S. need to be successful, and complemented by group therapy education sessions to help students process stress, strengthen emotional well-being, and build the resilience to keep growing.Today, the program supports 29 bright, resilient girls in its inaugural cohort, representing five ethnic groups and nine provinces. Through this initiative, Alekain provides no-cost secondary school classes between grades 9 and 12, culminating in an internationally accredited high school diploma that opens the way for higher education. The program follows a fully asynchronous model, allowing students to complete courses and milestones at their own pace, based on their availability. Each student is paired with a female American college student who provides academic, personal, and psychological support through a robust peer mentorship program. And because access to technology is a significant hurdle, the Foundation provides each girl with a laptop and a monthly internet plan.But the support goes deeper than academics and technology. Parents are engaged from the outset—they attend interviews to express consent and elaborate on their hopes and dreams for their daughters, then sign a parental agreement during onboarding. English as a Second Language courses are offered to ensure inclusion of students who don't initially qualify, facilitating their potential entry in future admissions cycles. In June 2025, the Foundation launched mental health support through two professionals who provide group therapy education to students, along with mentorship and training for peer mentors. This focus on mental and emotional well-being is a necessary innovation that ensures students achieve academic success and meet program milestones. After graduation, the Foundation intends to offer advising and assistance with college admissions to help students pursue higher education abroad.The Foundation is committed to supporting 30 students annually between 2026 and 2029. And the need is urgent: for over four years now, nearly 4 million girls have been barred from secondary schools in Afghanistan, with the number denied access to higher education remaining unknown. This isn't a COVID-like loss of learning—it's a denial of basic human rights and a crisis for the future of an entire generation.The theory of change driving this work is simple yet critical. When girls can access secondary education, they can build better, more stable, and resilient futures for themselves, their families, and societies. They are less likely to marry young, more likely to lead healthy and productive lives, they earn higher incomes, and they can make better decisions for themselves, their families, and their communities.In today's episode, you'll hear how this initiative is working to turn that theory into reality—one laptop, one mentor, one diploma at a time.More about our guests belowNasir KaihanNasir Kaihan is the founder and president of the Alekain Foundation. He is a Ph.D. student in Education Policy and Evaluation at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University, where he also serves as an Assistant of Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning for the Education for Humanity Initiative. He graduated with a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Western Michigan University and was a distinguished Fulbright program fellow in 2018.Nasir has over eight years of experience working in programming, program reviews, monitoring and evaluation, and policymaking focused on migrants, IDPs, returnees, and host communities with UNESCO; advancement in higher education with the American University of Afghanistan and International University partnerships with USAID, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Mexico. His career and research interests lie in the access, success, retention, and graduation of refugee and bilingual learners, girls, and other disadvantaged segments of society. Nasir has led, attended, and presented at more than ten conferences and workshops in Afghanistan and internationally.Laura PayneAt Smart Schools International, academic manager Laura Payne transforms the lives of students across the globe by helping them earn their American high school diplomas. Her role is more than academic support—it’s a cultural exchange that bridges differences and inspires learning for both her and her students.Laura works with students from diverse cultures, languages, and life experiences, which she describes as the most enriching part of her job. “Speaking with my students is educational for me,” she says. “I learn through them and discover how vast and varied the world truly is.”This mutual learning also opens the door for her students to better understand American culture and customs. For Laura, this exchange is vital to their growth. She encourages them to ask questions freely, no matter how simple or unfamiliar the topic may seem. “What may be common knowledge for Americans can be entirely new to them,” she explains. “That’s why I always say: Ask, ask, and ask again.”Laura’s mentoring style goes beyond academics. Many of her students dream of studying at American universities or working in the U.S., and they rely on her as a trusted source of guidance. She takes pride in being more than an advisor—she’s a mentor, a cultural guide, and a problem-solver for their aspirations.Her students span the globe, from Saudi Arabia to Latin America, England, and beyond—anywhere with access to the internet. For many, the program is a practical and affordable way to achieve their American diploma. Some even pursue dual diplomas, completing Smart Schools’ program while continuing their education in their home countries.Laura’s dedication ensures that each student, regardless of their background, feels supported, informed, and empowered to reach their goals. Her advice? “Make the most of me as your advisor—ask anything and everything. I’m here to help you succeed.”Through her commitment and curiosity, Laura Payne exemplifies what it means to be a mentor in a global education program, enriching lives one student at a time: I have worked in education for over 20 years and found this to be my passion. I have pursued psychology in my undergraduate and postgraduate work. I am ABD with a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, and I am working on a Master’s in counseling. I find motivation as an area that I strive to help build in students and people. Motivation can be tricky, as what motivates one does not motivate another.Ginger SmithI am a Marriage and Family Therapist licensed in Indian, Ohio and Kentucky.  I have a Bachelor's Degree from Johnson University in Knoxville, TN and a Master's Degree from Indiana Wesleyan University.  I am grateful for the training and passion that both of these schools instilled.I spent several years in Owensboro, KY working with the International Center to help resettle and provide mental health support for refugees who have found safety from their country of origin.  It changed my world view, more than any missionary work I have ever been a part of.  I have learned so many beautiful lessons and experienced some of the most powerful reminders of  hope from the men, women, and children that I have worked with.The funding provided curriculum and the opportunity to help newly resettled individuals and families in Owensboro find hope in the idea that their experiences in the resettlement are in many ways universal to the experience of fleeing from a home that has become unsafe to a new home that feels anything but that. Using the curriculum, we formed groups that  focused on the common phases of resettling to expect, the common mental health and physical challenges that are seen, and ways to manage and seek help when they  need more support in finding emotional wellness.  I was fortunate enough to find ways to continue supporting families in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area when we relocated in 2021.I have spent nearly 20 years working with families who need support to improve their marriages, their parenting, and their view of self. I have also spent nearly 20 years working with children, teens and adults who have experienced trauma.  I have seen the ways these memories and experiences have affected relationships, mental health, view of self and others.I love my work and feel so honored to get to participate in any way that I can in supporting and learning from families who have experienced such traumatic circumstances that fleeing from their homes was the only option. Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

What happens when young people refuse to be passive consumers of the future being built around them? The Youth Futures Studio (YFS) at Quest Alliance is flipping the script on how we think about youth, technology, and the future by asking a crucial question: How are megatrends like climate change and AI shaping young people's lives—and what futures do they want to inhabit?Rather than accepting predetermined futures, YFS empowers young people to imagine and articulate alternatives. The studio operates on a simple but radical premise: futures exist only in our imagination, making them a powerful tool for understanding how megatrends will affect us. And crucially, no trend is destiny—at any moment, multiple possible futures exist, waiting to be shaped by the choices we make today.More about the YFS program and our guests below the videohttps://youtu.be/SweZpYX_iisYFS focuses on three pillars:Understanding how young people are experiencing megatrendsBuilding capacity of young people to imagine alternate futures through futures thinking pedagogyBring youth voices to the decision making tableThe studio began with climate change, developing an emancipatory climate futures literacy pedagogy that helped young people move from individual understanding of climate issues to systemic thinking—and from there, to imagining their preferred climate futures. Now, YFS has turned its attention to another force reshaping young lives: artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. The team recognized something urgent: AI is already laying the foundations of the world young people will inhabit, yet these young people feel they have no agency in influencing that change. They feel trapped into passively accepting futures being decided for them.YFS engaged with over 200 young people in government secondary schools and vocational training institutes to understand their digital lives. The results were striking: 2 out of 3 young people couldn't clearly define what Artificial Intelligence was—yet AI is already reshaping their education, employment prospects, and daily lives. Without reliable information or critical engagement tools, young people were making meaning of these technologies entirely on their own terms, filling the knowledge gap with whatever they could piece together.The Response: Critical AI Futures PedagogyThis gap led YFS to create a Critical AI Futures pedagogical framework that goes beyond simply teaching young people what AI is—it empowers them to engage critically and imagine differently. The framework enables young people to understand AI and situate it within their social context rather than seeing it as an abstract or inevitable force, articulate their anxieties about probable AI futures not to dwell in fear but to transform those anxieties into critical questions, challenge and reject dominant AI narratives that position them as passive users, imagine and articulate alternate community-centered AI futures, and ultimately claim agency to create their preferred futures rather than accepting what's handed to them.This engagement culminated in something unprecedented: India's first Youth AI Charter: A Critical AI futures pedagogical framework that helps young people to:Understand AI, engage with it critically and situate it in their social contextEnables them to articulate their anxieties about probable AI futuresUse anxiety as a site of transformation to challenge and question and reject the dominant AI narrativesEmpowers them to imagine and articulate alternate AI futures which are community-centeredEmpowers them with agency to imagine and create their preferred AI futuresIn this document, young people refuse their assigned role as passive consumers of AI and instead articulate how AI should serve their communities and shape their lives. They propose a reversal of priorities—prioritizing care over efficiency, focusing on human and environmental wellbeing, centering labor dignity. Their vision is building a Viksit Bharat (Developed India) with a genuinely human, environment, and labor-centric approach to AI—not despite artificial intelligence, but by reshaping how it's developed and deployed.The Youth Futures Studio's work reminds us that the future isn't written yet. Young people aren't just subjects of change—they're architects of possibility. By giving them the tools to think critically, imagine boldly, and articulate clearly, we're not just preparing them for the future but ensuring they have a hand in creating it.Our guestsBhawna Parmar: Bhawna is a researcher-designer working at the intersection of youth, digital cultures and participatory futures. She has set up and currently leads the Youth Futures Studio at Quest Alliance, India.Tanvi Negi: Tanvi is the Director of Monitoring, Evaluation and Research at Quest Alliance. Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

We stand at a pivotal moment—B.G. (Before GenAI) and A.G. (After GenAI)—when education must transform to prepare learners for an AI-driven world. This keynote explores how AI Coaching, SMILE (Stanford Mobile Inquiry-based Learning Environment), and AI SANA, a national program training 600,000 students to use AI for job creation, are redefining learning.Bringing together Kazakhstan’s AI & Entrepreneurship Initiative, Korea’s AI Coach program, and a global K-12 AI Competency Curriculum, the talk introduces meta-AI competency—the ability to creatively harness AI to solve complex problems. Grounded in the 6Cs—collaboration, communication, critical thinking, creativity, compassion, and commitment—it shows how education in the A.G. era must engage students in meaningful, timely learning experiences that build purpose, adaptability, and human-centered innovation.Readings and Resources:https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/07356331251314222https://primeminister.kz/en/news/ai-sana-business-acceleration-programme-for-startups-to-be-launched-in-kazakhstan-29792Episode GuestPaul KimDr. Paul Kim is the Founder and President of Seeds of Empowerment, a global social innovation incubator he established in collaboration with Stanford University graduate students in 2004. He served as the Chair of the International Expert Committee on Education Technology at the World Bank and advises Silicon Valley venture capital firms including Lumos Capital and Roble Ventures.As the former Associate Dean and Chief Technology Officer of Stanford University's Graduate School of Education, Dr. Kim dedicated 24 years to advancing learning technology for marginalized communities worldwide. He also launched the Entrepreneur in Residence (EIR) Program and developed a learning innovation design challenge, serving as an edtech startup incubator for Stanford students.Dr. Kim now focuses on global learning technology and entrepreneurship initiatives in the Eurasian region, including designing advanced learning labs in Beijing centered on smart farming, VR/AI, biotech, and aerospace mobility. He also spearheads an entrepreneurship & AI education program with Kazakhstan's Ministry of Science and Higher Education. In addition, he launched an AI-powered student learning journey planner for the Metro School District of Incheon, Korea. Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

Celebrating 250 Episodes: Hosts Reflect with Chris Dede, Curt Bonk. Lydia Cao, Yong Zhao, & Punya Mishra  Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

Making Through Contemplation:Transforming How We Teach Inquiry with Raaghav Pandya and Talya SteinReimagining STEM education: How contemplation and self-inquiry create innovative learning experiences that empower students through making, design, and creative problem-solving.This episode explores how two innovative educational initiatives are transforming STEM learning in New York City and beyond, creating powerful experiences that engage students through making and creative problem-solving.Dr. Raaghav Pandya and Talya Stein represent complementary approaches to STEM education that emphasize hands-on learning and student empowerment. Through NYC FIRST's STEM Centers, Talya has spent a decade designing learning environments where students discover their capabilities by building robots, using advanced equipment, and participating in collaborative competitions. As the Senior Program Manager who helped launch two STEM Centers, she's witnessed how making—when students design, build, and experiment—creates the most powerful learning moments and complements traditional classroom education.Dr. Pandya’s work, in education, design, and beyond, builds on this foundation of first-person experience, informed by the philosophies of contemplative and wisdom traditions. In fact, as Director of the Innervate Makerspace and co-founder of The ROOTS Movement, he designs experiences at the intersection of science, aesthetics, and self-inquiry - thereby adding dimensions of well-being and inner exploration to technical education. Together, these educators demonstrate how STEM learning can be enriched to develop not just technical skills but whole human beings ready to approach challenges with creativity, purpose, and a balanced perspective.More about our guests below the videohttps://youtu.be/dFPj-YURdIkOur GuestsDr. Raaghav Pandya is a professor, scientist, writer, and designer, whose work is centered on revolutionizing learning through the integration of self-inquiry and creativity. Former NASA scientist, he currently serves as Assistant Professor in teacher education at the CUNY New York City College of Technology. There, he is also Director of the Innervate Makerspace: a design and engineering classroom that concentrates on developing STEM professionals, educators, & curriculum through contemplative philosophy. As a faculty fellow at Columbia University’s Gordon Institute for Advanced Studies, he studies the intersections of wisdom traditions, activism, and nature of science. He is also co-founder of The ROOTS Movement, a non-profit organization working in classrooms and media spaces through the intersection of wisdom philosophies, creativity, and wellbeing.LinksLinkedInThe Roots MovementTalya Stein is a Senior Program Manager at NYC FIRST, where she has spent the past decade designing and leading innovative STEM learning experiences as part of a passionate team. She helped launch the NYC FIRST STEM Center on Roosevelt Island eight years ago and, more recently, worked with colleagues and community partners to open a second center in Brooklyn’s District 13 focused on K-8 education. Talya collaborates with teachers, students, and fellow makers to build curricula, coach robotics teams, and bring FIRST LEGO League to every middle school in the district. She believes the most powerful learning happens through making—when students design, build, and experiment—and that the STEM Center’s role is to complement and support what schools are teaching, enriching classroom lessons. Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org 

The twenty-first century is filled with exciting learning pathways leading to innovations in degrees and novel credentialing opportunities. One such innovation is the micro-credential. A micro-credential is a record of the skills or learning outcomes that one has acquired. Typically, the skills and competencies can be assessed and validated in a clear and transparent way by a trusted provider. Along the way, these skills might complement or contribute to other micro-credentials. Micro-credentials are also a flexible, accessible, and cost-effective way for individuals to keep up with the constantly changing demands of the workplace. Adult learners who lack time or sufficient funds for formal residential degree programs find micro-credentials highly attractive and beneficial for their life goals and ambitions as well as the practical realities of maintaining one's employment in a fast-changing job market.  Ironically, the notion of the micro-credential breaths new life into the term lifelong learning. Other terms for micro-credential include nano degree, digital badge, open badge, mini degree, and certificate. In this episode of Silver Lining for Learning, we will hear from leaders in Mauritius about what has been taking place in their country in terms of micro-credentials. Recent government reports from Mauritius describe a national framework from regarding micro-credential for both Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Higher Education (HE). For those wanting to learn more, some references are offered below. Note, in the coming months, we will likely have a follow-up to this episode or two on micro-credential in other parts of Africa. Exciting! Stay tuned.National Credit Value and Transfer System and Micro Credentials Framework in Mauritius, Professor (Dr) Romeela Mohee, CSK, April 11, 2005; Available: https://inq.gov.ao/pt/programas/ppt-3_mauritius_ncvts-and-mc_hec_prof-r-mohee.pdfMicro-credentials in Mauritius: towards a national framework for TVET and higher education (2025). Michaela Martin and Mairéad Nic Giolla Mhichíl, UNESCOhttps://www.iiep.unesco.org/en/publication/micro-credentials-mauritius-towards-national-framework-tvet-and-higher-education; Available: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000392521Micro-credentials in Mauritius (2024, June 18). Dr Ramesh RamdassProf Romeela Mohee, the Higher Education Commissioner of Mauritius Prof Romeela Mohee is currently the Higher Education Commissioner of Mauritius, whereby she is responsible for regulating all public and private universities, as well as funding of public universities in Mauritius. She is driving transformative projects at national level, and the Technology-Enabled Learning Project for public universities. Recently she had led the development of AI guidelines for Higher Education and AI capacity building for academics in Mauritius. Prof Romeela Mohee holds an engineering degree in Energy and Environment from a Grande Ecole d’Ingenieurs, the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon, France, (under a French Scholarship) and a PhD from the University of Mauritius. She has been decorated by the Mauritian government in 2014 as the Commander of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean and decorated by the French government as ‘Officier dans l’Ordre National du Merite in 2016. Prof. Mohee has 36 years of academic experience as a Professor and Head of Department in the field of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, as well as Dean of the Faculty of Engineering from 2009 to 2012. She has also held the position of Vice Chancellor of the University of Mauritius, the national university regrouping 10,000 students from 2013 to 2016. She was also the National Research Chair in Solid Waste Management at the Mauritius Research Council.Prof Mohee is an experienced Education Specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the development of higher education models and policies. She has worked at the Commonwealth of Learning from 2017 to 2020 as an Education Specialist and has assisted many Commonwealth member states in their development of higher education policies and strategies. She expertly guided governments and institutions on e-learning for sustainable development, quality assurance and employability. She has published over 200 international research and conference papers, edited 8 books, 4 book chapters, and has supervised to date more than 50 undergraduate and 30 masters and doctoral students in the field of energy and environmental engineering. Scopus ID: 19934178700 and h-index: 29. Professor Mohee has received a number of awards and recognitions including the winner of the African Union best woman scientist award for Science Technology and Innovation in 2009. She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) and a Fellow of the Mauritius Academy of Science and Technology (FMAST), Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Chemical Engineers UK (F IChemE) and she is among others an Associate member of the International Association of Universities (IAU). She is also a Member of the Steering Committee for the Research Management Programme in Africa (ReMPro Africa).Dr. WJ Green, Chief Executive Officer of the Council on Higher EducationDr Green is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Council on Higher Education, an organisation mandated to conduct research on higher education, monitor trends in higher education, provide advice to the Minister of Higher Education and Training, and the apex organization for quality assurance of higher education in South Africa. He was previously the Chief-Director: Teaching, Learning and Research Development in the South African Department of Higher Education and Training. Dr Green has worked in a range of education settings, having served as a high school teacher, as a teacher education college lecturer, and as lecturer and senior lecturer at university level. He holds a Bachelor of Science, Higher Diploma in Education, Bachelor of Education Honours, Master of Education, all from the University of Natal/KwaZulu-Natal he earned his PhD from the University of Stellenbosch.Kirti Menon, Programme Director for the University of JohannesburgAssociate Professor Kirti Menon is the Programme Director for the University of Johannesburg - Department of Higher Education Future Professors Programme Phase 2. She is the Project Lead for UJ on the EU funded project the Potential of Microcredentials in Southern Africa. Until 2024 she was the Senior Director of the Division for Teaching Excellence at the University of Johannesburg. She has served on several national task teams, and her research focus is higher education with a focus on access, exclusion and redress. She is a Research Associate affiliated with the UJ Faculty of Education. She is widely published in the field of higher education, curriculum transformation, social exclusion and access. More recently, publications include a focus curriculum transformation commissioned by the CHE based on institutional audit reports.Kirti Menon: Google Scholar Profile; https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ZePBm3sAAAAJ&hl=enResearch Profile available at https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kirti-Menon Join the conversation at silverliningforlearning.org