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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

 

Learning about the Unconstitutional Deportation of American Citizens in the 1930s through an Individual's Experience: Emilia Castañeda

<p>This collection includes a video interview and testimonial with Emilia Castañeda (April 10, 1926). Castañeda was a young Mexican American girl when she and her family were forced to leave their home and deported to Mexico from the United States in the 1930s. The interview includes a first-hand account of the impact of the federal government's forced removal of Mexican Americans.<br /></p> <p>Complementary resources to the short film include: Smithsonian Libraries' graphic organizers for evaluating historical sources, a Smithsonian Folklife and Cultural Heritage guide to conducting an oral history, and additional articles, videos and podcast files highlighting this history.</p> <p>Use this collection as an extension to the <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/profile/35597" target="_blank">LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes</a>' collection, <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/unconstitutional-deportation-of-american-citizens-in-the-1930s/WHm3MycA4zt5JkAN#r" target="_blank">Unconstitutional Deportation of American Citizens in the 1930s</a>. *This collection was created to support Unit 1: Intersectionality of Economic, Politics and Policy, <em>Judicial Issues </em>of the Austin ISD Ethnic Studies Part B course.</p> <p>#EthnicStudies #BecauseOfHerStory<br /></p> <p><em>This Smithsonian Learning Lab collection received Federal support from the Latino and Asian Pacific American Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center and the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. </em><span></span> </p> <p>Keywords: unconstitutional deportation, Mexican Americans, repatriation, Great Depression, close listening </p> <p><br /></p>
Ashley Naranjo
20
 

Learning from Field Drawings: Fish of the Wilkes Expedition (1838-1842)

<p>This collection explores field drawings from the United States Exploring Expedition, led by United States Navy Lieutenant Charles Wilkes from 1838-1842 utilizing several resources from the Smithsonian Field Book Project. Students will explore the elements of a field drawing, the information that can be gleaned from these records and consider why a naval scientific expedition might have included artists. To extend the activity, students can also select a fish image from the Smithsonian collection to illustrate and annotate the way that an artist in the field might.</p><p>Keywords: scientific illustration, sketches</p>
Ashley Naranjo
21
 

Learning to Look: Letter from Artist Yasuo Kuniyoshi, after the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor

<p>This collection includes student activities and learning to look questions, as well as additional teacher resources for extending the lesson. Students will use the primary sources to understand the changing perspectives and perceptions of Japanese Americans in the World War II era.</p> <p>Keywords: Japanese Incarceration, George Biddle, Franklin D. Roosevelt, WW2, WWII, analysis, written response, essay, text, Max Yavno, Pearl Harbor, Works Progress Administration (WPA)</p> <p>#APA2018 #EthnicStudies</p> <p><em>#historicalthinking</em></p> <p><br /></p>
Ashley Naranjo
12
 

Looking Closely at Surrealist Art: Cundo Bermúdez's "Cinco Figuras"

<p>This teaching collection focuses on the surrealist artwork of Cuban artist, Cundo Bermúdez (1914-2008), entitled "Cinco Figuras" from the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum's collections. By applying the Project Zero Visible Thinking Routine, "See, Think, Wonder" to the artwork, teachers can lead students in a discussion that allows them to make observations and support interpretations with details, while noting areas for further exploration. </p> <p>Additional resources are included in this collection to help contextualize the artist, his life and other related works. </p> <p></p> <ul><li>For more information about Project Zero routines and to add them to your own Smithsonian Learning Lab collections, please visit <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/project-zero-thinking-routines/oWYbEjpf19oxcFUp#r" style="background-color:rgb(63,63,63);">https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/project-zero-thinking-routines/oWYbEjpf19oxcFUp#r</a></li><li>For more artwork from the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum's collections, please visit <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/latin-american-artists/aEFC5NX6L38A31L5">https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/latin-american-artists/aEFC5NX6L38A31L5</a></li></ul><p></p> <p>Keywords: surrealism, Latino, painting, symbolism, ladder, mirror, clock, five figures</p> <p>#LatinoHAC #VisibleThinking</p> <p><br /></p>
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
 

Music Innovation: How Technology Has Helped to Change Music Over Time

<p>This topical collection provides examples of places, objects and people connecting music and STEM for a teacher professional development workshop hosted by the National Museum of African American History and Culture. During the workshop, teachers explored popular music, the creation of Hip-Hop and the technological advances needed for it to become what it is today. Teachers and students may use this collection as a springboard for the classroom. This collection is not comprehensive, but rather provides a launching point for research and study. #SmithsonianMusic</p>
Ashley Naranjo
67
 

National Art Education Association Webinar: "Constructing Curriculum with the Smithsonian"

<p>This collection was created to complement a National Art Education Association (NAEA) webinar, "<a href="https://virtual.arteducators.org/products/constructing-curriculum-with-the-smithsonian" target="_blank">Constructing Curriculum with the Smithsonian</a>"  (December 11, 2019) featuring resources from the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian Learning Lab. </p> <p>The webinar features inquiry-based strategies in examining the American experience depicted through portraiture and unpacking the context of historical narratives communicated through art with students. </p> <p>This collection was created in collaboration with <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/profile/436" target="_blank">Briana Zavadil White</a> (National Portrait Gallery) and Candra Flanagan (<a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/org/nmaahc" target="_blank">National Museum of African American History and Culture</a>).</p>
Ashley Naranjo
16
 

National Letter Writing Day- December 7

Learning resource collection introducing some letters in the Smithsonian's collections to provide inspiration for celebrating National Letter Writing Day! Letters can be written for a number of purposes. Here, a few examples are explored including a professional inquiry, a condolence letter, opinion sharing and a love letter. You’ll have access to the transcript of the text, as well as the primary source. Highlight some key facts about each letter to determine its main idea and purpose, by answering some guiding questions.
Ashley Naranjo
8
 

Niagara Falls: Investigating Change Over Time with a Body of Water

<p>Learning resource collection, which highlights several artworks and photographs of Niagara Falls as early as 1820 to today. It introduces close-looking strategies, with a consistent set of guiding questions to analyze each image and discover changes of a place, specifically three waterfalls on the United States-Canada border, over time.</p>
Ashley Naranjo
19
 

Pecha Kucha Talks: Ethnic Studies

<p><em>Pecha Kucha </em>is a storytelling format for sharing information in a fast-paced setting (Japanese for "chit-chat"). In preparation for the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department's workshop on the <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/digital-museum-resources-for-the-high-school-ethnic-studies-classroom-city-of-austin-parks-recreation/44WqBJtvMHyVXzFB" target="_blank"><em>Innovative Teaching of Ethnic Studies</em></a><em> </em>(Oct 30, 2019), educators, archivists, and researchers convened to learn more about relevant digital resources available for curriculum creation in Ethnic Studies coursework. </p> <p>The Oct 29, 2019 program included an Asian American community archivist at the Austin History Center; a Social Studies educator at the University of Texas, Austin; a professor and media producer in sharing relevant talks by African American scholars; a Mexican American Studies professional development coordinator; and an archaeologist and historian team combining oral histories with artifacts found in a recent dig. </p> <p>This thematic collection includes digitally-accessible resources that highlight the content shared by these experts. </p> <p>#EthnicStudies</p>
Ashley Naranjo
10
 

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
 

Photograph Analysis: "Moon Man" Image of Buzz Aldrin

<p>This topical collection includes the iconic "Moon Man" image of astronaut Buzz Aldrin, a National Air and Space Museum “expert annotation” video featuring a curator highlighting specific details, and other resources about the space suit and the Apollo 11 mission. </p> <p>Teachers and students may use this collection as a springboard for classroom discussions about the mission to the moon, for analysis of photographic details, or in biography projects about the astronauts.  <br /></p>
Ashley Naranjo
11