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Darren Milligan

Senior Digital Strategist
Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology, Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Staff

Hi! I am the Senior Digital Strategist for the Smithsonian's Office of Educational Technology (OET), the team that built and manages the Smithsonian Learning Lab. I research and develop services for making online museum assets accessible and helpful to educators and learners, including producing experiences such as online games and interactives, managing pan-Institutional social media initiatives for teachers, and directing web platforms, including the online portal for educational resources at the Institution, SmithsonianEducation.org and the Smithsonian Learning Lab. Formerly, I was the Interim Director of OET and the Director of the Smithsonian Learning Lab. Prior to my time at the Smithsonian, I developed citizen science programs and online mentoring communities at the Purple Martin Conservation Association.

Darren Milligan's collections

 

Valentine's Day

Images of love and romance from the Smithsonian collections, including many historic Valentine's Day greeting cards.
Darren Milligan
46
 

The Simpsons

Darren Milligan
8
 

Some of My Favorite Faces

<p>To create the collection, I used the <strong>Zoom Lock Tool</strong>. You can use it too. <strong>1)</strong> Open up one of your collections, <strong>2)</strong> open up an image within that collection, <strong>3)</strong> use the zoom tools to zoom in and out and your cursor to reposition the image, <strong>4)</strong> click the checkbox next to the zoom tools, <strong>5) </strong>click done. Then save your collection to <em>reset the thumbnail images.</em> When others view your collection, that image will load at the zoom level and the position you set (although they will still be able to zoom in and out of the image).</p>
Darren Milligan
32
 

My Smithsonian Closet

<p>You could be exceptionally well-dressed if the Smithsonian were your closet. For instructions and inspiration on making your own Smithsonian Closet, check out: <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/getting-to-know-you-icebreaker-ideas-with-the-smithsonian-learning-lab/iAJBJX7o7hsW2tzx">Getting to Know You: Icebreaker Ideas with the Smithsonian Learning Lab</a> and <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/news/my-smithsonian-closet-exploring-research-strategies">My Smithsonian Closet: Exploring Research Strategies</a>.</p><p><br></p><p>#MySmithsonianCloset</p>
Darren Milligan
30
 

Monkeys!

A collection of some of my favorite monkeys from the Smithsonian collections, built just in time for the 2016 Chinese or Lunar New Year.
Darren Milligan
15
 

Meryl McMaster and George Catlin

This collection pairs photographs created by contemporary Canadian artist Meryl McMaster that utilize paintings by nineteenth century American painter George Catlin. McMaster images from Katzman Contemporary (http://www.katzmancontemporary.com/merylmcmaster/ ): "Meryl McMaster is a Canadian-based artist and a graduate in photography from the Ontario College of Art and Design. Her work explores questions of identity, representation, perception, myth, memory and the environment. Meryl is the recipient of the Canon Canada Prize, the Nora E. Vaughan Award, the Design Medal from OCAD, the Vistek Photography Award, Heartline Pictures Award, and SNAP!Stars TD Award. Her scholarships include the K.M. Hunter Scholarship, the Doris McCarthy Scholarship and the OCAD Admissions Scholarship. McMaster is currently preparing for two concurrent solo new shows in early fall with Katzman Contemporary and the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts in Santa Fe, and prolifically is featuring her past work in solo and group exhibitions across Canada (Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Dunlop Art Gallery, Mendel Art Gallery, and FOFA Gallery)."
Darren Milligan
8
 

Halloween

Spooky delights and dark treasures from the vaults of the Smithsonian itself!
Darren Milligan
49
 

Forgotten Relevance

Darren Milligan
22
 

Easter Rabbits, Bunnies, and Hares!

<p>So many rabbits, bunnies, hares, and more!</p>
Darren Milligan
70