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Philippa Rappoport

Lead, Education and Engagement
Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology
Smithsonian Staff

I work in education and engagement, teacher professional development, and outreach at the Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology (OET), and have a particular interest in developing and producing trainings, programs, teaching techniques, and platforms that foster deep learning and contribute knowledge to improve practices in museum and preK-16 education and engagement. At OET over the last decade+, I created digital assets for schools, families, and new immigrant English Language learners to complement teacher professional development and pan-Smithsonian programming, including Learning Lab teaching collections, YouTube videos with tradition bearers, a handmade family stories book-making website, and online heritage tours.

Philippa Rappoport's collections

 

Exploring the Cultural Markers of Identity

<p>This collection serves as a preview for the third of six seminar sessions in the 2019 Smithsonian-Montgomery College Faculty Fellowship Program. This year's theme is “The Search for an American Identity: Building a Nation Together.”<br /><br /><br />The National Museum of African American History and Culture tells American History through an African American lens. Kinshasha Holman Conwill, Elaine Nichols, and Ariana Curtis will engage participants in an exploration of the cultural collections of the museum as markers of identity. A fuller description and presenter bios are included inside the collection.<br /><br /><br />Resources included in this collection have been chosen by the presenters for participants to explore before the seminar itself.<br /><br /><br />#MCteach</p>
Philippa Rappoport
12
 

The Native American Struggle for Treaty Rights and Tribal Sovereignty

<p>This collection serves as a preview for the sixth (final) of six seminar sessions in the 2018 Smithsonian-Montgomery College Faculty Fellowship Program. This year's theme is “We the People: America’s Grand and Radical Experiment with Democracy.”<br /></p> <p>National Museum of American Indian colleagues Mark Hirsch, David Penney, and Colleen Call Smith will explore the past, present, and future of treaties between the United States and Native nations, and show how American Indians have drawn on these 18th- and 19th -century agreements to defend tribal rights and exercise political sovereignty in the 20th and 21st centuries.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  They will also discuss their efforts to integrate the exhibition's main themes and messages into the</span> museum’s “Native Knowledge 360°” initiative, a national educational program designed to change the way American Indian histories, cultures, and contemporary lives are taught in K-12 classrooms.</p> <p>Resources included in this collection have been chosen by the presenters for participants to explore before the seminar itself.</p> <p>#MCteach</p>
Philippa Rappoport
8
 

Rethinking Americans

This collection serves as a preview for the second of six seminar sessions in the 2019 Smithsonian-Montgomery College Faculty Fellowship Program. This year's theme is “The Search for an American Identity: Building a Nation Together.”<br /><br /> National Museum of American Indian colleagues Paul Chaat Smith, Cecile R. Ganteaume, Colleen Call Smith, and Mandy Van Heuvelen will provide a behind the scenes look at the most daring exhibition the National Museum of the American Indian has ever staged. The exhibition argues that Native American imagery is everywhere in American life, and rather than being merely kitsch, stereotype, and cultural appropriation, it is evidence of the centrality of Indians in both history and 21st century life in the United States.<br /><br /> Resources included in this collection have been chosen by the presenters for participants to explore before the seminar itself.<br /><br /> #MCteach
Philippa Rappoport
8
 

Student Activity: Looking at the Holocaust through Art

<p>This student activity explores the Holocaust through art - three sculptures and one photograph of an artwork, with additional references to give historical context . Using two of Harvard's Project Zero Thinking Routines, students take a deeper dive into the material through guided looking and by considering the significance of the Holocaust personally, to the country and to the world.</p>
Philippa Rappoport
10
 

Religion in Diaspora: How did a Shofar Come to the National Museum of African American History and Culture?

<p>This teaching collection asks students to consider a Jewish ritual object, the shofar, as an entry point to discuss the transmission of traditions and beliefs across the globe. Using Project Zero looking and global thinking  routines, students can examine images of shofars, listen to shofar music,  explore photos from African American Jewish communities,  and consider how traditions and religious beliefs are carried around the globe with their practitioners. The activity concludes with a discussion to foster in students a broader understanding and appreciation of today’s complex world.</p>
Philippa Rappoport
24
 

3-D Paper Puzzler: Hermit Crabs

<p>Students at the Hirshhorn ARTLAB+ program have been experimenting with 3-dimensional digital paper craft. One of them even showed her papercraft dinosaur at the White House's first Maker Faire! </p> <p>This collection includes images and video of hermit crabs, both live and from our art collections, as well as instructions and printable templates to make a 3-dimensional hermit crab shell from three sheets of paper.</p> <p><br /></p> <p><br /></p>
Philippa Rappoport
10
 

Facing the Complex, Multiple Challenges of the 21st Century: Smithsonian-Montgomery College Faculty Fellowship 2021 Opening Panel Resources

<p>This collection serves as an introduction to the opening panel of the 2021 Smithsonian-Montgomery College Faculty Fellowship Program. This year's theme is “Facing the Complex, Multiple Challenges of the 21st Century." Four Smithsonian staff members will present at the session, including Ashley Peery and Kerri Dean of the National Museum of Natural History, Ellen Lupton of the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, and Katrina Lohan of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's "Earth Optimism" initiative. Their bios, presentation descriptions, and other resources are included inside.<br><br>As you explore these resources, jot down any questions you have for the presenters. It is sure to be a fascinating and fruitful seminar series!<br><br>#MCteach</p>
Philippa Rappoport
35
 

Humans and the Footprints We Leave: Smithsonian-Montgomery College Faculty Fellowship 2020 Opening Panel Resources

<p>This collection serves as an introduction to the opening panel of the 2020 Smithsonian-Montgomery College Faculty Fellowship Program. This year's theme is “Humans and the Footprints We Leave: Climate Change and Other Critical Challenges." Three Smithsonian staff members will present at the session, including Igor Krupnik (Curator of Arctic and Northern Ethnology collections and Head of the Ethnology Division at the National Museum of Natural History), Alison Cawood (Citizen Science Coordinator at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center), and Ashley Peery (Educator for the exhibition "Outbreak: Epidemics in a Connected World, " at the National Museum of Natural History). Their bios, presentation descriptions, and other resources are included inside.<br><br>As you explore these resources, be sure to jot down any questions you have for the presenters. It is sure to be a fascinating and fruitful seminar series!<br><br>#MCteach</p>
Philippa Rappoport
25
 

Introductory Activity to Generate Discussion about Mexican American Studies and Digital Museum Resources (#EthnicStudiesY2)

<p>This collection is a standalone flashcard or online activity designed to generate discussion for Mexican American Studies classrooms and workshops. The collection includes:</p> <ul><li>images to spark discussion</li><li>questions to guide you in considering and selecting objects</li><li>a word document template that educators can use to edit (or create from scratch) and print flashcards with images and descriptions on opposite sides of each flashcard.</li><li>the Learning Lab Getting Started Guide</li></ul> <p>This collection was co-created with Maritza De La Trinidad, Laura Esparza, Gilbert Flores, Francisco Guajardo, Liz Lopez, Chris Milk, Aurelio Montemayor, <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/profile/9">Tess Porter</a>, <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/profile/212">Philippa Rappoport</a>, Veronica Rodriguez, Liliana Saldaña, and Elizabeth Salinas, and serves as a preview of the Learning Lab platform and springboard for discussion during the <em><strong>MAS Digital Archives: Integrating digital cultural resources in your curriculum </strong></em>workshop, held online with the University of Texas at San Antonio's Institute of Texan Cultures and Mexican American Studies Program, the Intercultural Development Research Association, and the Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology, as well as the <em>Exploration of Ethnic Studies</em> workshop, held online with City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department, <em>Academia Cuautli,</em> Texas State University, the Museum of South Texas History (MOSTHistory), and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley's (UTRGV) <em>Historias Americanas </em>program during academic year 2020-2021.<em> </em>The collection can be copied and adapted for use in your own classroom. </p> <p>This program received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.<br></p> <p>#MexicanAmericanStudies #EthnicStudies #HistoriasAmericanas</p> <p>Keywords: TEKS</p> <p></p>
Philippa Rappoport
43
 

Toward a More Inclusive America through the Arts: Statues of Liberty and other National Symbols

<p>This collection asks students to explore the importance of national symbols to our cultural, political, and collective identity. By examining symbols that are meant to reflect our highest ideals as a nation - the Statue of Liberty, the American flag, the Star Spangled Banner, the Battle Hymn of the Republic, and other cultural artifacts - and their many interpretations, students will consider difficult questions facing us today: Who is included? Who decides? Why and how do people use national symbols as a way to protest? How have our notions and ideals of liberty changed over time?</p> <p>Included here are </p> <ul><li>images of the artifacts and supporting objects</li><li>three suggested Thinking Routines - "See, Think, Wonder," "Think, Feel, Care," and "The 3 Ys" - from Harvard's Project Zero Artful and Global Thinking materials<br></li><li>supporting interpretive videos, podcasts, and articles</li><li>a discussion/writing prompt</li></ul> <p>For use in Social Studies, Spanish, English, Social Studies, Ethnic Studies, and American History classes<br></p> <p>#EthnicStudies #LatinoHAC </p> <p></p>
Philippa Rappoport
35
 

Exploring Digital Storytelling within the Learning Lab: Personal Responses to Covid-19

<p>This Learning Lab collection was made to complement the presentation, "Exploring Digital Storytelling within the Learning Lab: Personal Responses to Covid-19," for  <a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vsu.ru%2Fenglish%2F&data=04%7C01%7Crappoph%40si.edu%7Cac8bd60cd8604dfa674308d8bd2b78ae%7C989b5e2a14e44efe93b78cdd5fc5d11c%7C0%7C0%7C637467341725810423%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=5dcdEkeScZ3%2FaX%2F2U5YLeMej%2F%2B9b9akCQFhzYSw%2BV5k%3D&reserved=0" originalsrc="https://www.vsu.ru/english/" shash="lMDtMdMW/eKRFcDwiIcYf/QEzB2Q4BoZDnhsm+EjmLdHFlCh1Fk97gNkn04c3bWtn9uUxvQlQ5y4wULP2F1GPYOqtUn584nH64Bhd8QiND6c5RyWhGlNplgWV4XMURWywXsV63QKtogzBT18zlfrd+pLko5xcUn9Ui5IFD+BH7Q=" title="Original URL: https://www.vsu.ru/english/ brClick to follow link.">Voronezh State University</a> faculty and students, and supported by the <a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.britishcouncil.ru%2F&data=04%7C01%7Crappoph%40si.edu%7Cac8bd60cd8604dfa674308d8bd2b78ae%7C989b5e2a14e44efe93b78cdd5fc5d11c%7C0%7C0%7C637467341725800426%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=ZqPzqPd5xh79B%2FcFa1QsJjQDux6jRz9uTrjD6coeUJc%3D&reserved=0" originalsrc="http://www.britishcouncil.ru/" shash="G/O3+23lyl/KRoOIOyvJjUFEiQI8+IC31k+9BSAa27MXMln5+fgYWt6jtTGRy4fp6LhqurA4w2Z/hCL0c+WpRGG9MDFMls0nB0SJ5O9/OwmzWDwvGqsszfXJc0ZT2N1vSVKyzHp/j2fnCNcrIaq2/q25Q37YihV8Y96YtngICcQ=">Cultural and Education Section of the British Embassy in Moscow</a>. <br></p> <p>During the workshop,  co-facilitators <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/profile/24977">Dr. Antonia Liguori</a> (Loughborough University, UK) and <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/profile/212">Dr. Philippa Rappoport</a> (Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology) will demonstrate a variety of techniques to incorporate personal experiences in the exploration and use of museum resources. They will share how the Smithsonian Learning Lab and Digital Storytelling (DS) can be used together to access digital resources, build learning experiences, and cultivate collaboration and community over distance. </p> <p>We will explore artwork from the Smithsonian digital collections, including an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, <em><a href="https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/IgLygJNprGf3JA%20and%20https:/npg.si.edu/exhibition/eye-i-self-portraits-1900-today">Eye to I: Self-Portraiture as an Exploration of Identity</a></em>, which compels viewers to consider how self-portraits reflect an artist’s identity through what is revealed and concealed. We will look specifically at the <em>Eye to Eye </em>artworks from the context of social distancing and unrest in the time of Covid-19 as a prompt to make personal connections.  <br></p> <ul></ul> <p>You will find in this collection: </p> <ul><li>some examples of annotated objects that demonstrate the functionality of the Learning Lab;<br></li><li>some examples of digital stories made by students and also other educators during previous Digital Storytelling workshops; </li><li>a description of the Digital Storytelling process;</li><li>a short story circle activity using exhibition images to explore shifting from a cognitive appreciation of art to a personal connection to museum objects;</li><li>workshop participants' reflections;  </li><li>supplemental resources. </li></ul> <p>#DigitalStorytelling</p>
Philippa Rappoport
40
 

Inclusive Memory Project: Digital Storytelling as a Teaching Strategy in the Smithsonian Learning Lab

<p>This Learning Lab collection was made to complement the presentation "Digital Storytelling as a Teaching Strategy in the Smithsonian Learning Lab," as part of the series, <em>The Inclusive Memory Project in the Post Covid Era</em>", hosted by the Centro di Didattica Museale at the Università degli Studi Roma Tre. <br></p> <p>During the workshop,  co-facilitators <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/profile/24977">Dr. Antonia Liguori</a> (Loughborough University, UK) and <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/profile/212">Dr. Philippa Rappoport</a> (Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology) will demonstrate a variety of techniques to incorporate personal experiences in the exploration and use of museum resources. They will share how the Smithsonian Learning Lab and Digital Storytelling (DS) can be used together to access digital resources, build learning experiences, and cultivate collaboration and community over distance. </p> <p>You will find in this collection:<br></p> <ul><li>a short icebreaker activity using exhibition images to start shifting from a cognitive appreciation of art to a personal connection to museum objects; </li><li>some examples of annotated objects that demonstrate the functionality of the Learning Lab; </li><li>some examples of digital stories made by students and also other educators during previous Digital Storytelling workshops; </li><li>a description of the Digital Storytelling process; </li><li>workshop participants' reflections;  </li><li>supplemental resources. </li></ul> <p>#DigitalStorytelling</p>
Philippa Rappoport
46