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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

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collection

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
 
collection

English Language Learning with Artifacts and Portraits

<p>This collection for teachers brings together relevant learning resources and an archived webinar (collaboration between the Smithsonian and American English "Shaping the Way We Teach English" webinars from the U.S. Department of State). It includes a webinar with three educators from the National Museum of American History, National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology. During the webinar, strategies are explored for engaging students in looking at and analyzing portraits, as well as eliciting thoughtful questions about objects that help tell a story. The webinar also features an emphasis on how visuals, such as collection objects, photographs, artworks and videos with experts, can serve as a springboard for rich discussions and inspire curiosity in the classroom and beyond.</p>
Ashley Naranjo
21
 
collection

Exploring Our Planet through Satellite Images

<p>Resources supporting the March 2016 Google Hangout facilitated by the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) in coordination with the Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology, including a resource list compiled by Dr. Steven H. Williams, Chief of STEM Engagement at NASM.</p>
Ashley Naranjo
45
 
collection

Forensic Anthropology: Bone Basics

Learning resource collection introducing the skeletal characteristics that can help us identify young and old, male or female, and ancestry. This collection was created with the Anthropology team at the National Museum of Natural History. (http://anthropology.si.edu/writteninbone/bone_basics.html )
Ashley Naranjo
16
 
collection

Forensic Anthropology Case: Discovering Jane

Teaching guide introducing a forensic case file from 2012, when Jamestown archaeologists excavated fragments of a human skull and leg bone dating to the winter of 1609-1610. This collection was created with the Anthropology team at the National Museum of Natural History. <br /> (<a href="http://anthropology.si.edu/writteninbone/Jane.html">http://anthropology.si.edu/writteninbone/Jane.html</a> )<br />
Ashley Naranjo
21
 
collection

Getting to Know You: Icebreaker Ideas with the Smithsonian Learning Lab

<p>This collection includes ideas for using digital museum resources as a springboard for getting to know your students this school year. Three practical, teacher-tested activity ideas are shared within the archived webinar and an additional teacher-submitted idea is included. </p> <p><em>Tags</em>: ISTE standards, digital curation, icebreakers, ice breakers, object portraits, Burton Morris, Robert Weingarten, first day of school, CURIO, artifacts, introductions, knowledge constructor, creative communicator, My Smithsonian Closet, Nightstand Portraits, What makes you who you are?</p>
Ashley Naranjo
18
 
collection

Highlights Collection: Mystery Learning Resources

<p>This is a Smithsonian Learning Lab topical collection, which contains images, text, and other multimedia resources that may complement the Tween Tribune feature, <em><a href="https://www.tweentribune.com/article/teen/without-edgar-allan-poe-we-wouldnt-have-sherlock-holmes/" target="_blank">Without Edgar Allan Poe, We Wouldn’t Have Sherlock Holmes</a>.</em> Use these resources to introduce or augment your study of this topic.</p> <p><a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/create"></a></p>
Ashley Naranjo
36
 
collection

Highlights Collection: National Oceans Month (June) Learning Resources

<p>This is a Smithsonian Learning Lab topical collection, which contains images, text, and other multimedia resources that may complement the Tween Tribune feature, <em><a href="https://www.tweentribune.com/article/teen/coastal-cities-ceed-rethink-how-they-deal-rising-waters/">Coastal cities need to rethink how they deal with rising waters</a></em>. Use these resources to introduce or augment your study of this topic. If you want to personalize this collection by changing or adding content, click the Sign Up link above to create a free account.  If you are already logged in, click the copy button to initiate your own version. Learn more <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/create" target="_blank">here</a>. <br /></p><p><br /></p>
Ashley Naranjo
26
 
collection

How might we re-design our classroom?

<p>This collection begins with the analysis of a series of images from 19th and 20th century classroom settings. Next, learners will apply <em>Agency by Design</em> thinking routines to explore elements of their own classroom that could be re-designed. Learners will go through the design process to: </p> <ul><li>identify the precise challenge</li><li>brainstorm a solution, and</li><li>create a prototype.</li></ul><p>This lesson introduces the design process to learners through a familiar system, the classroom. It allows for learners to collaborate in the improvement and re-design of their own learning environment, while taking into account the needs of other users of the space. </p> <hr /><p><em>This collection was created as an example used in the "Smithsonian Learning Lab, Focus on Design" session at the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association (NJPSA) Arts Integration Learning Institute. </em><br /></p>
Ashley Naranjo
21
 
collection

Image Analysis: "Girl at Gee's Bend, Alabama" by Arthur Rothstein

<p>Developing an inquiry-based strategy to support students can allow them to investigate objects and images as historians do. In this example, students try to reveal the story behind the image. They raise questions for their own further research. Because the image has only a title, the photographer's name, the "sitter"'s name, the place and the date, students have to rely on their own analysis of evidence in the image, rather than someone else's interpretation. When they read the expert's analysis, they will have already considered many of the elements that the expert highlights and can compare their interpretations. </p><p>"Girl at Gee's Bend, Alabama" is a provocative photograph that can be used in discussions ranging from history of the South during the Great Depression, to social justice. </p>
Ashley Naranjo
3
 
collection

International Picnic Day- June 18

This collection celebrates the #HashtagHoliday of #InternationalPicnicDay. A picnic is an outing or occasion that involves taking a packed meal to be eaten outdoors. Often, picnics take place at urban parks or on the shores of a beachfront and are enjoyed in large groups, typically families. In this collection, you will view images of picnic scenes and a vibrant picnic poster series from the 1970s and 1980s. This collection includes a creative writing prompt around describing event sequences and using imagery in your writing. It was adapted from the Smithsonian's collection of "Summer Picnic" posters https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/summer-picnic/X7Rh5kBN7xYwnDoH.
Ashley Naranjo
26
 
collection

Introduction to Pollinators

Topical collection introducing students to bees, butterflies, birds, and bats as pollinators. Plants depend on animals for pollination or to move their seeds around. Students will learn about the parts of a flower and identify many different types of pollinators and their unique characteristics through investigating images, videos with Smithsonian experts and a Smithsonian magazine article, which highlights the relationships between plants and their pollinators.
Ashley Naranjo
15