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
Santa Claus: Comparing Evolving Imagery and Text
<p>This collection gathers depictions of Santa Claus from ads, paintings, photographs, stamps from 1837 to today. Also, includes analyses of his evolving image from the Smithsonian Magazine and the National Museum of American History blog. How does the description of Santa in the Christmas poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas" compare with the images that follow? Includes a discussion question extension: How might you revamp Christmas stories to better reflect the time and country that you live in?</p>
<p>Keywords: Saint Nicholas, holidays, poetry</p>
Ashley Naranjo
26
Righting a Wrong: Japanese Americans and World War II
<p>On February 19, 1942, Executive Order 9066 (#EO9066) was signed by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, resulting in the imprisonment of Japanese Americans & Japanese nationals in prison camps across the United States. In this short film, "Righting a Wrong", students can learn more about this history as they hear from a museum expert, who provides a behind-the-scenes look at personal objects from Japanese American youth who had lived in incarceration camps during World War II. <a href="https://t.co/12ryShd7ap" dir="ltr" class="twitter-timeline-link" target="_blank" title="http://ow.ly/xbew30nD8tu"><span class="tco-ellipsis"></span><span class="invisible">http://</span></a></p>
<p>The artifacts include a boy scout uniform that honors the 100th infantry battalion of Nisei soldiers, a thousand-stitch sash created by community members that served as an amulet for a soldier at war, and traditional Japanese geta sandals created for a son by his father that feature Mickey Mouse.<br /></p>
<p>This Smithsonian Learning Lab collection received Federal support from the Asian Pacific American Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center.<br /></p>
<p>#APA2018</p>
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Ashley Naranjo
9
Proud Publisher: Heritage Bookmaking Activity
The Smithsonian has joined with book artist Sushmita Mazumdar to create a series of easy-to-do book projects designed to get families talking and creating together. In the "Today I am Here" storybook, students explore their heritage by identifying a person, place, and object to tell the story of their own personal history. Included here is a video demonstration and accompanying downloadable instructions to make your own “Today I am Here” storybook!
Ashley Naranjo
13
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
Presidential Legacies through Inaugural Speeches and Related Objects
This collection includes resources to support students' understanding and analysis of inaugural speeches by United States' presidents. Since the days of George Washington, American presidents have begun their terms by taking the executive oath of office and delivering an inaugural address. To a historian, inaugural addresses of the past give an idea of what the leader hoped to accomplish. They also shed light on what were the most important issues of the time.
Ashley Naranjo
7
President and Mrs. Obama Portrait Unveiling
<p>On February 12, 2018, the official portraits of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were unveiled at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. President Obama's portrait was created by artist Kehinde Wiley, who is known for his vibrant, large-scale paintings of African Americans posing as famous figures from the history of Western art. This portrait does not include an underlying art historical reference, but some of the flowers in the background carry special meaning for Obama. Mrs. Obama's portrait was created by artist Amy Sherald, who considers the former first lady to be someone “women can relate to—no matter what shape, size, race, or color. . . . We see our best selves in her.” </p>
<p>This collection includes the two portraits, in high resolution, so that learners can zoom in and out to carefully observe details. It also includes videos and articles about the portraits and their official unveilings. Additional supports include other works by the two artists and strategies for reading portraits. Portraits of the two sitters and other presidential portraits can be used for compare and contrast activities. </p>
Ashley Naranjo
36
Practice Telling Time
<p>This collection includes a variety of images of clock faces to use with young learners who are practicing skills in telling time with analog clocks featuring Arabic numerals. Teachers can use these images to help students tell and write time to the nearest minute. The images range from clocks in isolation to clocks used in artworks and finally, clocks in context through photography. Additional resources are included to provide further teaching context on the concept of time.</p>
Ashley Naranjo
25
Portrait Analysis: Norman Mineta
<p>In this activity, students will analyze a portrait of Norman Mineta (b. 1931), a U.S. politician and the first Asian American to hold a post in the presidential cabinet, serving as Secretary of Transportation and Secretary of Commerce under President George W. Bush. The son of Japanese immigrants, Mineta and his family were incarcerated in the Heart Mountain camp in Wyoming under Executive Order 9066 during World War II.
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<p>This activity can be used to build students vocabulary in discussing visual elements of a portrait or as an entry point for studying Norman Mineta's life and achievements, U.S. history, and more. Questions from the National Portrait Gallery's<em> "Reading" Portraiture Guide for Educators</em> and a Project Zero See-Think-Wonder routine guide the student inquiry. The complete guide and instructions are located at the end of the collection. To learn more about other Asian Pacific American activists and leaders, visit this collection: <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/asian-pacific-american-activists-and-leaders/MR1jszd7YDA7gujx#r" target="_blank">https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/asian-pacific-american-activists-and-leaders/MR1jszd7YDA7gujx#r</a></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>
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<p>Keywords: internment; Japanese American; Nisei; San Jose, California
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<p>#APA2018 #EthnicStudies<br /></p>
Ashley Naranjo
10
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
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.
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<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>
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<p>#APA2018</p>
Ashley Naranjo
14
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
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
Objects that Changed the Way We Live
In this collection, we'll explore everyday objects and their impacts on society. Students can begin by reading an illustrated essay from the National Museum of American History highlighting objects that capture several pivotal moments in innovation. Included in this collection are the clock, the iPod, the bicycle and the cellular phone. What other objects have changed the way we lived?
Ashley Naranjo
11
"Nightstand Portraits": A Burton Morris-inspired Activity
This teaching resource collection includes an activity, (created by the Heinz History Center's Education Manager, Mariruth Leftwich), highlighting Pittsburgh-native pop artist Burton Morris' "Nightstand Portraits" series as a springboard for students to create their own imaginary "Nightstand Portrait". This could be a portrait of themselves, a historical figure, or even an icebreaker activity for students to introduce each other to the rest of the class.
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
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
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
Narrated Stories from Around the World
This topical collection includes fourteen narrated stories, many include visuals, as well. These stories could be used with young children to compare narrative arcs, identify key elements of storytelling, or simply for enjoyment of listening to short stories from around the world, including tales from the Chinese, Blackfoot, Ho Chunk, Cheyenne, Cree, Anikara, Iroquois, Painte, Popul Vuh, artist Romare Bearden's reimagined version of "Homer's Odyssey", Inka, Tlingit and Ghanaian (Asante, Ashanti).
Ashley Naranjo
15
My Smithsonian Closet
<p>This collection serves as an example of how you might create your own grouping of objects and visuals that inspire your own fashion choices, while also practicing research skills in mind mapping to improve your online search results.</p><p>Consider the following questions:</p><ul><li>What Smithsonian objects would you put in your closet? </li><li>What surrounds your closet? </li><li>What inspires your closet?</li></ul>
<ol><li>Learn more about this #SmithsonianEdu Challenge prompt by reading this blog post, featuring collections created by three previous Cooper Hewitt National Design Award winners <a href="https://s.si.edu/EduChallengeCloset">https://s.si.edu/EduChallengeCloset</a></li><li>Try it out for yourself. How might mind mapping search terms provide unique search results and serendipitous finds for your own collection response? How can these objects inspire creativity? How can these visuals help tell a story? </li><li>Add <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/search/?f%5B_types%5D%5B%5D=ll_collection&st=%23mysmithsoniancloset&s=updated_at_desc&page=1">#MySmithsonianCloset</a> to your collection description and it will be added to a growing list of collections in response to this prompt. </li></ol>
Ashley Naranjo
37
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
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
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
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>
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<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>
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Ashley Naranjo
8
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
