Celebrating 200 Episodes with David Berliner and Tom Reeves

Celebrating our 200th episode of the Silver Lining for Learning (SLL) webinar series is a milestone that speaks for itself. Over the past four years, we've had the privilege of hosting educators, students, and innovators from around the world, sharing insights on the future of learning and the role of technology in education. Guests have come from countries around the world and every educational sector with many utilizing forms of digitally enhanced learning and instruction to make a significant local or global impact. Notably, these podcast episodes are now more accessible to people on the go, since they can be listened to while engaging in other tasks, rather than watched over YouTube. This expansion in educational delivery formats has allowed for greater visibility for SLL across the globe.

Thus far, the guests have included prominent educators, educational leaders, practitioners from Facebook (now Meta), Google for Education, the World Bank, UNESCO, Sesame Street, Contact North in Ontario, Quality Matters, several open universities, and many others. These guests have come from places like Italy, Indonesia, India, the Philippines, Bhutan, Myanmar, Antarctica, Finland, the UK, France, Bangladesh, Egypt, China, Canada, Chile, Afghanistan, Australia, Greece, Peru, New Zealand, Korea, Israel, Gaza, Mexico, Malaysia, Puerto Rico, Nepal, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Thailand. SLL has touched on a broad range of topics including student autonomy and self-determination, remote learning, novel learning organizations, pioneering curricula and programs, school reform, grassroots innovations in teaching and learning, cross-cultural collaboration, and assorted ground-breaking pedagogical and technological inventions. No matter the location, topic, or initiative featured, each episode has contributed to a rich tapestry of knowledge and experience.

Some of the most exciting shows have featured passionate students working on meaningful projects while others have shown the spotlight on award-winning educators pioneering creative teaching methods and emerging digital technologies in challenging environments. Each conversation has offered a unique perspective on transforming education, making these 200 episodes a valuable resource for anyone interested in the evolving landscape of learning. As we celebrate this milestone, we look forward to continuing these important conversations and inspiring change in the education community.

We feel most fortunate to have had SLL recognized for several awards and recognitions over the past couple of years. It is hard to believe that we are in the fifth season of SLL. Each episode requires extensive planning, networking, coordination, and creativity.

This episode is also a testament to the dedication and synergy of our hosting team: Chris Dede, Curt Bonk, Punya Mishra, and Yong Zhao. Not to be forgotten are two of our starter members Shuangye Chen and Scott McLeod. And last but not the least, our newest co-host Lydia Cao. Over these four years, we've thoroughly enjoyed collaborating on this entirely unfunded project, driven by our shared passion for education and curiosity about the future of learning. Each episode has been a labor of love, reflecting our commitment to exploring and sharing innovative ideas in education.

For our 200th episode, we are thrilled to welcome two distinguished emeritus faculty members, David Berliner from Arizona State University and Tom Reeves from the University of Georgia. David is renowned for his extensive research in educational psychology and has significantly contributed to understanding teaching and learning processes. Tom Reeves, a leading figure in educational technology, has dedicated his career to improving educational practice through innovative research and development. Their participation will not only help us celebrate this milestone but also provide valuable insights and wisdom, enhancing our discussions on the future of education.

About our guests 
David Berliner

David Berliner is a Regents Professor Emeritus in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College in the division of educational leadership and policy studies. He has taught at the universities of Arizona and Massachusetts, and Stanford University, as well as at universities in Australia, the Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland. Professor Berliner is a member of the National Academy of Education, a fellow of the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, and a past president of both the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the Division of Educational Psychology of the American Psychological Association (APA). He is the recipient of awards for distinguished contributions from APA, AERA, and the National Education Association (NEA). He received the AERA's Outstanding Public Communication of Education Research Award in 2016.

Professor Berliner has authored more than 200 published articles, technical reports, and book chapters.  Among his well-recognized works is the best seller "The manufactured crisis,"  coauthored (with B. J. Biddle). He was also of the coauthor (with Ursula Casanova) of "Putting research to work," and coauthor (with N. L. Gage) of the textbook "Educational psychology," now in its 6th edition. He is coeditor of the first "Handbook of educational psychology" and the books "Talks to teachers, and Perspectives on instructional time." His book, "Collateral damage" (with Sharon Nichols) is about the corruption of professional educators through high-stakes testing. His most recent book, "50 Myths and Lies that Threaten American's Public Schools," was co-authored with Gene V. Glass and students in 2014.

Tom Reeves

Thomas (Tom) C. Reeves, PhD is Professor Emeritus of Learning Design and Technology in the Mary Frances Early College of Education at The University of Georgia. Professor Reeves has designed and evaluated numerous interactive learning programs and projects. In recognition of these efforts, in 2003 he received the AACE Fellowship Award, in 2010 he was made an ASCILITE Fellow, and in 2013 he received the AECT David H. Jonassen Excellence in Research Award. He was a Fulbright Lecturer in Peru and has given invited presentations in the USA and more than 30 other countries, including Australia which is one of Tom's favorite places. He is the former editor of the Journal of Interactive Learning Research, and the author of nearly 200 scholarly papers. His co-authored books include Interactive Learning Systems Evaluation (with John Hedberg), A Guide to Authentic E-Learning (with Jan Herrington and Ron Oliver), Conducting Educational Design Research (with Susan McKenney; two editions), MOOCs and Open Education Around the World (with Curt Bonk, Mimi Lee, and Tom Reynolds), and MOOCs and Open Education in the Global South (with Ke Zhang, Curt Bonk, and Tom Reynolds). His research interests encompass educational technology in developing countries, authentic tasks for learning, educational design research, medical and public health education, and prison education. Tom currently lives at The Spires at Berry College in Rome, Georgia with his wife, Patricia M. Reeves, Professor Emerita of Social Work at The University of Georgia, and their West Highland Terrier, Button. He can be reached at treeves@uga.edu and his homepage can be found at http://www.evaluateitnow.com/.

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