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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

 

Women's Roles During the Civil War

Learning resource collection, in which students identify women's homefront and battlefront roles during the American Civil War, as depicted in Harper's Weekly and a short video from the Smithsonian Channel.
Ashley Naranjo
11
 

The Civil Rights Movement and Persuasive Messages

In this learning resource collection, take a look at six persuasive messages that addressed civil rights issues in very different forms: a speech, a song, a button, a protest sign, a poster, and an artwork.
Ashley Naranjo
9
 

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
 

"How to" Strategies for Use with Smithsonian Collections

Here are several teaching strategies to help you examine and analyze primary sources.
Ashley Naranjo
39
 

Spotting Symbols in the Lansdowne Portrait of George Washington

Learning resource collection, which includes an iconic portrait of George Washington, filled with symbols that tell a story about early America and its first leader. Explore the ways that the artist uses symbols in the portrait to tell about the subject’s life, personality, and achievements.
Ashley Naranjo
7
 

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
 

World War II Homefront Posters

Using these wartime posters, students will identify the message of each poster. They will determine the effect of the posters on daily life and the way that average citizens were being called to action to help in the war effort. Finally, students should consider the following questions: Why was it important to have a united homefront during the war? What roles do these posters depict for Americans supporting the war? How did these posters affect opinions and actions during wartime?
Ashley Naranjo
11
 

Declaration of Independence Resources

A topical collection of resources related to the Declaration of Independence that provides context. (1) Jefferson's mobile desk, on which the Declaration was drafted, (2) the scene of its drafting, (3) the audio and text of the document, (4) a lesson plan focuses on how it came about, how it was designed and the compromises that were necessary, (5) an online exhibition featuring Thomas Paine and his pamphlet 'Common Sense', another resource on what led to the Declaration, and (6) a commemorative bandanna of the original document suggests how the Declaration was valued.
Ashley Naranjo
9
 

Water-Related Hazards: Flooding

This topical collection includes resources about a water-related hazard, namely flooding. Includes global examples in images and video, including Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Al Uqsur, Egypt; Herkimer, NY; Manila; and Venice, Italy. The effects of the Great Flood of 1927 and the US Army Corps of Engineers' response with the Mississippi River are also included.
Ashley Naranjo
11
 

U.S. Presidential Inauguration Resources

This teaching collection includes resources, such as video interviews with expert historians, artworks, memorabilia and photographs of the American tradition of presidential inaugurations, including the Oath of Office, the Inaugural Address, the Inauguration Parade and the Inaugural Ball. Discussion Questions: -How does a U.S. presidential inauguration compare to a royal coronation? -How are these events populist (for ordinary citizens)? How are they elitist (for the high class elite)? -Where can inauguration traditions be traced? -What is required by the Constitution to occur at a presidential inauguration? -What events have become a tradition over time? -What objects help tell the story of inaugurations over time?
Ashley Naranjo
36
 

An 11 year old's Letter and Lincoln's Beard

<p>This teaching collection includes videos, portraits and lesson plans from the National Portrait Gallery and the National Museum of American History. During Abraham Lincoln's campaign to become president, an 11-year-old girl named Grace Bedell wrote a letter suggesting he grow a beard to gain more votes. Of course, Lincoln's beard became iconic in imagery during his Presidency and throughout the Civil War.</p>
Ashley Naranjo
11
 

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