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Ashley Naranjo

Education and Outreach Strategist
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Staff

Ashley Naranjo, M.Ed. is a museum educator, specializing in the use of digital resources for teaching and learning. She currently manages distance learning initiatives and education partnerships for the Smithsonian. Portfolio highlights have included: the Smithsonian Quests digital badging program, Smithsonian Online Education Conferences, Smithsonian Learning Lab nationwide teacher professional development, Teachers of the Year programming at the Smithsonian, “Explore with Smithsonian Experts” video series, and Smithsonian print publication guides.

Before coming to the Smithsonian, she has had experiences in education in both formal and informal learning spaces: as an ESOL instructor for adults, a middle school teacher in the humanities and a summer programs administrator. She holds a B.A. in Human Development (Developmental Psychology) from the Lynch School of Education at Boston College, where she was a research assistant and independent study student in the Laboratory of Thinking, Learning & Cognition in the Arts. She completed a M.Ed. in Learning Design and Technology from the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California, with a thesis entitled, “Using Digital Museum Resources in the Classroom”. She is a 2019 graduate of the Getty Leadership Institute’s NextGen of Museum Leaders program.

Ashley Naranjo's collections

 

Unveiling Stories: Marian Anderson in Concert at the Lincoln Memorial

This collection uses the Harvard Project Zero Global Thinking routine to reveal multiple layers of meaning in a set of photographs and artworks. The strategy is paired with photographs and artworks from the National Portrait Gallery, the National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, as well as a Smithsonian Channel video and two essays recounting the day's events. Using the "Unveiling Stories" routine, along with some guided questions, students will look at a single story from multiple dimensions. Questions for the first two artworks by William H. Johnson are suggested to be answered in a Think, Pair, Share discussion format. Tags: William H. Johnson, Marian Anderson, Easter 1939 concert, Lincoln Memorial
Ashley Naranjo
14
 

Student Activity: Clean Water Act Conservation Campaigner

In this student activity, you'll investigate human interaction with the natural world and discover ways to address global environmental concerns. It includes an archived interview with an expert, as well as an interactive timeline from the Environmental Protection Agency and steps that every citizen can take to be more environmentally aware.
Ashley Naranjo
8
 

American Indian Responses to Environmental Challenges

This collection features the Smithsonian website “American Indian Responses to Environmental Challenges” which includes videos, personal accounts, and discussions of strategies for maintaining water resources. It also includes an archived webinar featuring Smithsonian experts and case studies of specific nations including the Campo Kumeyaay Nation, the Leech Lake Ojibwe, and the Lummi Nation, as well as the environmental challenges they face. A Smithsonian Magazine article provides further information about a real-world challenge that the Lower Elwha Klallam tribe are experiencing today.
Ashley Naranjo
4
 

Presidential Portraiture: Looking and Analyzing Questions

A topical collection of United States presidential portraits. This collection might be best shortened to introduce a specific historical era and the leader(s) of the time, or adapted to show how American leaders wanted to be perceived during their tenure and legacy and how artists depicted them. It includes the National Portrait Gallery's "Reading" Portraiture at a Glance sheet, which offers suggested looking and analyzing questions. It is also includes associated curator and educator talks on the portraits of the presidents, where possible.
Ashley Naranjo
55
 

Looking at "America's Presidents": Four Presidents through Portraiture

This archived online conference features four of the portraits found in the National Portrait Gallery's "America's Presidents" exhibition, along with example strategies for how to use portraiture in the classroom, led by educator Briana Zavadil White. In this collection, we investigate portraits showcasing the use of symbolism, changes over time, use of color, and mass production of imagery. Presidential portraits included in this collection: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama.
Ashley Naranjo
22
 

The Gunboat Philadelphia

<p>Through photographs, text, videos, interviews, a map &amp; a 3D model, students can explore the history of the oldest surviving American naval vessel, the <em>Gunboat Philadelphia, </em><em></em>which is in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. The <em>Philadelphia </em>(1776) played an important role during the Revolutionary War. The first five resources in this collection show the discovery and preservation of the sunken boat, while the last three offer more information on its historical significance. <span></span></p><p>This could be used by students to consider what each type of media reveals. What information can you learn from the single resource? From the collection of media combined? What more context is needed? </p>
Ashley Naranjo
8
 

Packing a Space Lunch

In this activity, users will learn how to search and refine their search based on a specific prompt: "Pack a space lunch." Users will select a lunchbox from the National Museum of American History's collections and then consider 3-5 space food images from the National Air and Space Museum that they'd include in their lunch. Here, I've provided an example of what this might look like. Users can customize their included resources with the Learning Lab's annotation tools to provide context for their choices. Users can also experiment with reordering their images based on the logical order of the meal.
Ashley Naranjo
8
 

Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion through a Historical Painting

Learning resources collection, which includes two versions of an artwork that captured the idea of "Manifest Destiny" as pioneer settlers were encouraged to expand American territory westward. Compare the two versions of the artwork and examine details of the painting in the landscape and people the artist included.
Ashley Naranjo
6
 

My Fellow Soldiers: Postcards from World War I

<p>This topical collection features more than a dozen postcards that were distributed during the World War I era. These postcards will serve as inspiration and a starting point for teacher-created Smithsonian Learning Lab collections during the National Postal Museum's workshop, "<a href="https://postalmuseum.si.edu/education/professional-development/index.html" target="_blank">My Fellow Soldiers: Letters from World War I</a>" (July 2017). </p><p>#NPMTeacherPrograms</p>
Ashley Naranjo
21
 

World War I Stamps

<p>This topical collection features forty international stamps that were issued during the World War I era. These stamps will serve as inspiration and a starting point for teacher-created Smithsonian Learning Lab collections during the National Postal Museum's workshop, "<a href="https://postalmuseum.si.edu/education/professional-development/index.html" target="_blank">My Fellow Soldiers: Letters from World War I</a>" (July 2017) </p> <p>#NPMTeacherPrograms<br /></p>
Ashley Naranjo
41
 

Second Opinion: Immigration in America – Smithsonian Resources

<p>This is a Smithsonian Learning Lab topical collection, which contains interdisciplinary education resources, including videos, images and blogs to complement the Smithsonian's national conversation on immigration and what it means to be an American, highlighted on <em><a href="https://www.smithsoniansecondopinion.org/immigration-america/immigration-america-180965144/">Second Opinion</a></em><strong>. </strong>Use this sample of the Smithsonian's many resources to introduce or augment your study of this topic and spark a conversation. If you want to personalize this collection by changing or adding content, click the Sign Up link above to create a free account.  If you are already logged in, click the copy button to initiate your own version. Learn more <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/create" target="_blank">here</a>. </p>
Ashley Naranjo
36
 

Photograph Analysis: Dorothea Lange's War Relocation Authority Images

<p>In this collection, students will analyze a single photograph taken during the Japanese American incarceration era in San Francisco, CA in 1942. It shows residents of Japanese ancestry appearing for registration prior to evacuation as mandated by Executive Order 9066, with a young woman as the focal point of the image. Complementary articles, images, and videos support a deeper contextual understanding of the image and the intentions of the photographer, Dorothea Lange, in capturing this moment in time. <br /></p> <p>Teachers and students may use this collection as a springboard for classroom discussion about Japanese American incarceration, as well as an opportunity to analyze visual clues and details of a complex photograph. </p> <p>Keywords: War Relocation Authority, EO9066, internment, World War II  relocation centers</p> <p><em>This Smithsonian Learning Lab collection received Federal support from the Asian Pacific American Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.</em><span></span> </p> <p>#APA2018</p>
Ashley Naranjo
14