Silver Lining for Learning

Goodwill and the Dignity of Work: A hybrid-era renewal for a 120-year old model] with Jenny Taylor, Chief Mission Officer and Vice President of Career Services at Goodwill of North Georgia and Nick Espinosa, Branch Chief, US Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services, Office of Employment and Training, Southeast Region Office Goodwill was founded in Boston by Reverend Edgar J. Helms, a Methodist minister and early social innovator. Helms created the Goodwill philosophy of “not charity, but a chance” when he collected used household goods and clothing, then trained and hired people who were destitute to mend and repair the used goods. The goods were then sold or given to the people who repaired them. 120 years later, Goodwill remains a household name and leading nonprofit provider of educational and workforce-related services. The Goodwill enterprise is a network of more than 150 community-based, autonomous organizations in the United States and Canada with a presence in 12 other countries. To meet the needs of their local communities, each local Goodwill organization designs and operates its own programs and services to help people find work near where they live. Most Goodwills did not recover their mission services to the size, scale, and performance after they were forced to shut down or significantly change during and after the pandemic. Collectively, the Goodwill movement went from placing approximately 230,000 Americans into work in 2019 to around 141,000 in 2023 which is almost a 40% decrease. Goodwill Industries of the Southern Rivers (Columbus, Ga), however, served more people than ever before starting during and after the pandemic, and Goodwill of North Georgia (Atlanta), significantly improved the quality of mission services increasing the % of people we placed into employment in living wage jobs from 16% to 87% from pre-pandemic to post-pandemic, while simultaneously recovering the high volume of people employed annually (22,083 last year) to remain the #1 Goodwill 5 years in a row for # placed into employment. To combat some of the issues of the wider movement, to utilize the lessons learned and solutions applied by these two Goodwills in Georgia, and to co-create a solution that fits with the various sizes and different territories around the country, we have convened more than three dozen decision-makers from varied Goodwills. The hybrid-era of using live synchronous video instruction from one agency paired with in-person hands-on, paid, work-based learning, case management and work supports at another in local markets has begun to renew the more than century-old model and when taken to scale, is poised to make a significant impact in moving people out of poverty. Resources and more about our guests below the video https://youtu.be/zREutYQtcVI Readings and Resources: link to Course Catalog and Goodwill of North Georgia’s Mission Impact Report: https://careerconnector.org [https://silverliningforlearning.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/QR.jpg] Episode Guests [https://silverliningforlearning.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Jenny-205x300.jpg] Jenny Taylor. Jenny Taylor is a sought-after public speaker on the topics of successful large-scale public/private partnerships, employer engagement, career pathways, economic mobility, using data to drive mission impact, and employment outcomes for people with significant barriers. She is Vice President of Career Services and Chief Mission Officer at Goodwill of North Georgia, the largest in the nation for mission job placement outcomes, leading evidence-based programs with outcomes in the top 10% of the industry, as measured by the National Benchmarking Project. Her agency has a $200 million-dollar budget and operates programs that placed 22,113 people in competitive employment last fiscal year in North Georgia. The vast majority (87%) of people placed into employment in competitive, unsubsidized jobs were at or above living wages, according to the MIT living wage calculator for Georgia. She serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Metro Atlanta eXchange (MAX) for Workforce Solutions, leads the technical assistance for the SNAP Employment and Training National Partnerships Grant for USDA-FNS since 2020, and is a member of the National and Georgia Rehabilitation Associations, Chief, and Mensa. She holds a Master of Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Kentucky, a Certificate in Design Thinking from Harvard University Extension, a Bachelor of Business Administration with Non-Profit focus, and is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor.  Jenny’s favorite role is being a mom; she lives in Athens, Georgia. [https://silverliningforlearning.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Nick-185x300.jpg] Nick Espinosa Nick Espinosa has 27 years of experience working within social services and has served in a variety of roles at the state and federal levels, as well as within non-profit organizations. Nick is currently a Branch Chief at USDA-FNS’ Southeast Region office in Atlanta where he works to support Technology, Nutrition & Integrity. Prior to federal service, Nick worked for the State of Washington as a Program Manager for both the TANF and SNAP programs. He also held positions at local and national non-profit organizations focusing on helping low-income individuals to achieve self-sufficiency. Nick is best known for co-developing the first third-party SNAP E&T model in the country and for his work promoting the untapped potential of E&T programs across the nation. Nick received a Bachelor's degree from the University of Washington and an MBA from the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom. Nick will bring an outside perspective from a partner who relies upon Goodwill to serve people.

The National AI Institute for Exceptional Education with Jinjun Xiong, Sean Redmond, and Dancheng Liu Nearly 3.4 million children require speech and language services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and are at risk of falling behind in their academic and social-emotional development without timely intervention by Speech and Language Pathologists (SLPs). Unfortunately, there is a significant shortage of SLPs and the COVID pandemic has further exacerbated this gap, making it almost impossible for SLPs to provide individualized services for children. The National AI Institute for Exceptional Education (AI4ExceptionalEd) aims to close this gap by developing advanced AI technologies to scale SLPs’ availability and services such that no child in need of speech and language services is left behind. Towards this end, the Institute proposes to develop two novel AI solutions: (1) the AI Screener to enable universal early screening for all children, and (2) the AI Orchestrator to work with SLPs and teachers to provide individualized interventions for children with their formal Individualized Education Program (IEP). In this podcast, Dr. Jinjun Xiong, the Scientific Director of the Institute, will discuss one of the many projects going on at the Institute. The project is called AutoRSR, led by the Institute’s PhD student Mr. Dancheng Liu. AutoRSR aims to leverage the power of AI to automate an evidence-based screening method developed by an SLP expert, Dr. Sean Redmon. Evidence-based early screening for children with speech and language challenges is critically important as it provides opportunities for those impacted children to receive diagnostics early and hence the needed invention. But conducting screening instruments is typically time-consuming and requires specialized training for those who conduct the screening. Can we leverage the power of AI to automate some of those screening processes so that more children can receive such a screening test? What would be some of the research challenges and capability gaps in developing such a solution? What are some of the dos and don’ts of carrying out such interdisciplinary research? Through this podcast’s discussion about the AI4ExceptionalEd Institute and the development of the AutoRSR project, we hope to shed some light on those questions. More resources and information about our guests below the video https://youtu.be/ollQZW7JID8   Readings and Resources: Hadley, P. A., & Xiong, J. Researchers Partner on AI to Free Up SLPs for Direct Services. https://leader.pubs.asha.org/do/10.1044/leader.FTR1b.28092023.AI-ethics-slp-aud.50/full [https://leader.pubs.asha.org/do/10.1044/leader.FTR1b.28092023.AI-ethics-slp-aud.50/full] The ASHA LeaderLive, 2023. Episode Guests Jinjun Xiong Dr. Jinjun Xiong is an Empire Innovation Professor with the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University at Buffalo (UB). He also serves as the Scientific Director for the $20 M National AI Institute for Exceptional Education (http://ai4exceptionaled.org), Director for the SUNY-UB Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science (https://www.buffalo.edu/ai-data-science.html [https://www.buffalo.edu/ai-data-science.html]), and the AI Thrust Lead for the $10M National Center for Early Literacy and Responsible AI (CELaRAI). Prior to UB, he was a Senior Researcher and Program Director for AI and Hybrid Clouds Systems at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center. He was the former co-founder and co-director of the IBM-Illinois Center for Cognitive Computing Systems Research (C3SR), the success of which in 5 years has led to the 10-year $200M expansion of the center to the IBM-Illinois Discovery Accelerator Institute. His research interests are in across-stack AI systems research, including AI applications, algorithms, tooling, and computer architectures. Professor Sean M. Redmond is a Fellow of the American Speech Language and Hearing Association and Board-Certified Specialist in Child Language. Dr. Redmond received his PhD from the University of Kansas in 1998 and joined the faculty at the University of Utah shortly thereafter. He has over 45 peer-reviewed publications as well as book chapters on the topics of pediatric language disorders, socioemotional behavioral disorders, and differential diagnosis. His scholarship has been funded by the National Institutes of Health. Dr Redmond has served as Editor in Chief for the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research and is a founding member of the website https://dldandme.org/ [https://dldandme.org/] Dancheng Liu is a PhD student in the Computer Science and Engineering Department at the University at Buffalo, where he is also affiliated with the National AI Institute for Exceptional Education. Before joining UB, he completed both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of California, San Diego. His current research explores the intersection of AI and speech-language pathology, with a particular focus on advancing AI technologies to scale the availability of speech-language pathologists. He aims to create innovative tools to streamline SLPs’ tasks with state-of-the-art deep learning models and advanced algorithms. He led the development of AutoRSR which enables fully automated Redmond Sentence Recall assessments, allowing the entire process to be automated, opening up the potential for enabling universal speech disorder screening in the future.

Episode Description: In the last decade, education has exhibited a call for sweeping transformation across K-12, postsecondary, and workforce training, marked by the need for shifting from traditional lectures as the core of instruction to dynamic models of bridging formal and informal educational experiences with open, active learning using online, blended, and competency-based education models. These changes have not only redefined what is possible but also impacted student expectations of how to learn in K-12, higher education and career pathways. In Episode #213 of Silver Lining for Learning, we welcome Susan Patrick, a leader in the field of education technology and a champion of competency-based education. Susan's career includes leading the Aurora Institute (formerly iNACOL), where she supported innovations in K-12 online learning and new models of education that align with research on how students learn best. Beyond this, Susan's work spans state government, federal government, and two universities working in postsecondary education and workforce readiness, advocating for system-wide change that bridges gaps in opportunity and increases access for learners of all ages. Join us as we discuss the future of personalized, competency-based pathways and the role of technology in transforming education systems to serve all learners more equitably. Susan Patrick is currently an independent consultant and author. Susan is the former President & CEO of Aurora Institute and iNACOL. She is the former Director of the Office of Educational Technology at the U.S. Department of Education. Prior, Patrick served as legislative liaison for Governor Hull from Arizona. She served as legislative staff on Capitol Hill. She is a Pahara-Aspen Institute Fellow and an USA Eisenhower Fellow. She was awarded the AECT System Change Leader Award 2020 for making significant contributions to the evolution of learning, demonstrating systems thinking and positive impact aligned to future-focused education. She was awarded a 2024 Women in AI Fellowship from EDSAFE. She can be reached in LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-patrick-0a90a64/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-patrick-0a90a64/] and in Twitter/X: https://x.com/susandpatrick?lang=en [https://x.com/susandpatrick?lang=en] Susan Patrick Bio Continued: Susan Patrick is a deep content expert in education innovation who has garnered significant influence and impact within the field of K-12 education. With a track record of success, she has founded successful organizations, provided professional learning and advised federal, state, district and classroom leaders, convened global, state, and local leaders, and shaped policy conversations at the highest levels. As the former leader of Aurora Institute and iNACOL, Susan cultivated a membership base of practitioners in the thousands, solidifying both her own reputation and creating the largest community of active practitioners in a networked organization serving as a resource and a national force in educational change for advancing policy and breakthrough practices for innovation in education. Her expertise has been sought by several presidential administrations (including being the former Director of the Office of Educational Technology at the U.S. Department of Education) and numerous states, districts, and foreign governments, where she has played a pivotal role in rethinking and reshaping approaches to education transformation. Susan is globally recognized for her leadership in making educational opportunities more equitable and effective. She champions competency-based and personalized learning, advocating for approaches that support human-centered approaches to building skills and knowledge with flexibility, learning anytime, anywhere, over traditional "seat time" requirements. She has published 120 publications on online, blended, and competency-based learning. She grounds efforts in research on how people learn, aiming to modernize education on a scalable level to meet the needs of a changing world. Throughout her career, Susan has been dedicated to breaking away from the industrial-age model of education, working tirelessly to provide greater access and better opportunities for success to a wider range of students of all ages throughout their lifetimes. Her work has supported the growth of successful online and place-based learning opportunities. In the face of resistance to educational innovation, Susan has demonstrated exceptional foresight, listening to concerns, building relationships, and organizing networks to advance important ideas and threshold concepts. She has catalyzed discussions about the future of education worldwide, influencing key stakeholders and shifting the conversation towards student-centered, personalized approaches. Susan’s impact extends beyond vision; she possesses the capacity to engage with key stakeholders, effecting deep cultural change necessary for meaningful progress. Her dedication and persistence have empowered others to take ownership of these vital ideas, making her a true change leader in the field of education. As co-author of a necessary future, Susan continues to contribute to the ongoing evolution of education. Her work ensures a brighter future for learners and communities of all backgrounds, solidifying her legacy as a pioneering figure in educational innovation. * Aurora Institute: https://aurora-institute.org/ [https://aurora-institute.org/] * Video (6:58): iNACOL Is Now the Aurora Institute: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYLA9T_N6z8&t=1s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYLA9T_N6z8&t=1s] * Getting Smart Podcast: Susan Patrick on Transforming Education Systems for Equitable High-Quality Learning (August 28, 2019): https://www.gettingsmart.com/podcast/podcast-susan-patrick-on-transforming-education-systems-for-equitable-high-quality-learning/ [https://www.gettingsmart.com/podcast/podcast-susan-patrick-on-transforming-education-systems-for-equitable-high-quality-learning/] * One Good Question with Susan Patrick: How Can We Build Trust in Our Education System? (December 16, 2016): https://aurora-institute.org/blog/one-good-question-with-susan-patrick-how-can-we-build-trust-in-our-education-system/ [https://aurora-institute.org/blog/one-good-question-with-susan-patrick-how-can-we-build-trust-in-our-education-system/]

As AI reshapes the landscape of the world, workforce, and education, there emerges an imperative for Hybrid Intelligence—where human and AI capabilities co-evolve to achieve more than either could alone. Understanding how humans interact, learn, and work with AI across modalities is becoming essential, especially within the multiverse, where digital, physical, and augmented realities converge, unlocking new possibilities for learning, interaction, and collaboration. Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming how we live, work, and learn, creating significant changes in the workforce, education, and society. In education, AI is increasingly integrated to facilitate personalized learning experiences, as discussed in the OECD Digital Education Outlook 2023, which outlines the necessity for adapting pedagogical models to embrace these evolving technologies and prepare the workforce for this era. This rapid shift brings the need for Hybrid Intelligence, where humans and AI work together to achieve more than either could alone. Hybrid Intelligence combines human abilities - like creativity, empathy, and ethical thinking - with  AI's computational power, precision, and data processing speed. This approach is not just about working together but evolving together. As Hybrid Intelligence continues to develop, understanding the nature of human-AI interactions across multiple modalities becomes increasingly critical. These interactions are not limited to text and speech but extend into rich, multimodal environments where gestures, visual cues, and even emotional responses come into play. Within the multiverse - a convergence of digital, physical, and augmented realities - these evolving interactions take on new dynamics and dimensions. The multiverse brings forth opportunities to innovate how we learn, work, and collaborate. Educational environments are no longer restricted to a classroom or a digital platform; they are expanded into immersive spaces where physical and virtual worlds merge, allowing entirely new forms of interaction. These hybrid environments offer unprecedented possibilities for experiential learning, critical thinking, and collective knowledge construction. Understanding how to optimize these interactions will be key to harnessing the full potential of Hybrid Intelligence in the years to come and that is what we hope to build in our team https://www.letxresearch.com/home [https://www.letxresearch.com/home] * https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/oecd-digital-education-outlook-2023_c74f03de-en.html [https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/oecd-digital-education-outlook-2023_c74f03de-en.html] About our guests  Andy Nguyen is an Assistant Professor (tenure-track) in Hybrid Intelligence: Human-AI Co-evolution and Learning in Multi-realities (HI) profiling program and working at the Learning & Educational Technology (LET) Research Lab, Faculty of Education and Psychology at the University of Oulu, Finland. He holds the title of Docent (Adjunct Professor) in Applied Artificial Intelligence at the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering (ITEE) at the same university. He is also a Research Council of Finland (formerly Academy of Finland) Postdoctoral Research Fellow. His work has been published in well-known journals and conference proceedings in the field of Educational Technology and Information Systems (IS), including in Studies in Higher Education and the European Journal of Information Systems (EJIS) (Basket of Eight IS Journal, A*-ranked under ABDC list). He is currently a co-chair of the Advances in Teaching and Learning Technologies minitrack at Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS), an Associate Editor of ICIS2024 “Digital Learning and IS Curricula” track, an Editorial Advisory Board Member of Artificial Intelligence in Education (Emerald), an Associate Editor of the journal of Policy Futures in Education, and an Editorial Board Member of British Journal of Educational Technology. * Research Team Website: https://www.letxresearch.com/home [https://www.letxresearch.com/home] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andynguyenxuan/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andynguyenxuan/] Belle Dang is a researcher at the Learning & Educational Technology Research Unit (LET) at the University of Oulu, where she focuses on the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and education. Her work investigates how AI can enhance learning environments, particularly through understanding and supporting how learners regulate their own learning processes. Her business background has shaped her interest in conducting research that not only advances theoretical understanding but also has practical applications with real-world impact. * Research Team Website: https://www.letxresearch.com/home [https://www.letxresearch.com/home] * ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8734-6697. [https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8734-6697.] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/belle-dang-402252b0/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/belle-dang-402252b0/]

Teenagers in Nepal have been learning from massive open online education (MOOCs) for much of the past decade. That use accelerated during the pandemic. Several of these young learners appeared on Silver Lining for Learning for Episode 33 in back October 24, 2020 [https://silverliningforlearning.org/nepali-high-school-students-in-moocs-scalable-results-lending-to-an-optimistic-future/] and will return for this episode to give us an update on the benefits and challenges of MOOCs on their lives during the past four years. Attend this episode of SLL and learn how MOOCs and open educational resources can make a difference at the K-12 level. More about our guests below the video. Richa Suri: Richa completed high school and now preparing for the earning a placement at a US institution. Amazingly, she ran two workshops on taking MOOCs for the teachers and students in her district last year. It had the participation of around 70 participants. Sneha Adhikari: She completed her high school and now is studying Software Engineering at Pokhara University, Nepal. She has been fortunate enough to learn from Massive Open Online Courses since she was in Grade 10 and used them for her studies at her undergraduate level too. Bivushi (Manushi) Timilsina is originally from Pokhara, Nepal. She is now a sophomore at Sweet Briar College, majoring in Engineering Science with a 4.0 GPA. Last year, she was honored with the Emerging Leader Award (2023-2024) during the annual Student Involvement Recognition Ceremony. Over the summer, she became the first-ever counselor from Nepal at Kennolyn Camps, serving as a STEM counselor. Recently, she received the Emilie Watts McVea Scholar Award (2024-2025), given to the highest-ranking member of each class. She is also involved on campus through leadership roles such as Vice President of the Multicultural Communities Council, Resident Advisor, and Communication Lead for the Google Developer Student Club, among others. This semester, she is exploring courses in Cybersecurity and Web Development through CodePath, deepening her passion for tech and community engagement.