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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

 

Isamu Noguchi

<p>This topical collection includes a portrait of Isamu Noguchi, a 20th-century Japanese American artist and architect and a National Portrait Gallery "Portrait Spotlight" with background information and suggested questions for the classroom. Additional resources include blog posts from the Smithsonian American Art Museum about his work and a small sample of Noguchi's sculptures from the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. </p> <p>Teachers and students may use this collection as a springboard for classroom discussions about Noguchi and his artworks and for further research. </p> <p>Keywords: Asian American, sculptor, landscape artist, public works, <em>Okame</em>, <em>Grey Sun</em>, <em>Lunar Landscape</em>, <em>Composition</em>, <em>Cronos</em>, <em>Akari</em>, <em>Mother and Child</em></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> </p> <p> #APA2018</p>
Ashley Naranjo
19
 

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 &amp; 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> <p><br /></p>
Ashley Naranjo
9
 

Creative Writing Exercise: Photograph Analysis for Descriptive Writing

This collection is adapted from a teacher's original collection of seven photographs of a single person, spanning several decades of the 20th century. In this activity, students can express their unique responses to the photographs in the collection by writing stories inspired by the people in them. Before they put their imaginations to work, students will have a chance to get to know the photographs by observing them closely, making a list of details, and writing a description of each. Such an exercise will help them understand the value of careful observation as a precursor to descriptive and creative writing.
Ashley Naranjo
12
 

Larry Itliong: Breaking Barriers in the Labor Movement

<p>Larry Itliong (October 25, 1913- February 8, 1977) was a Filipino American labor organizer. Itliong immigrated to the United States in 1929 at the age of fifteen. He worked throughout the country as a farm laborer and in the salmon canneries of Alaska. In response to oppressive treatment of Filipino farmworkers, Itliong organized labor strikes. He contacted Cesar Chavez and asked Mexican farmworkers to join the strike with Filipino farmworkers. He believed that all workers had to stand together in their fight for justice. The National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) voted unanimously and Mexican farmworkers joined Filipino farmworkers in the Great Delano Grape Strike. A year later, AWOC and NFWA merged to become the United Farm Workers (UFW). The Delano Grape Strike lasted for five years. As director of the UFW, Chavez took the limelight, but co-founder and former assistant director Larry Itliong has been cast in the historical shadows.</p> <p>The media and sources in this collection can be used alongside the <em>National History Day SEARCH Historical Context Graphic Organizer</em> and the <em>Ethnic Studies Praxis Story Plot </em>from the Journey for Justice Teachers' Guide. Both resources help students think critically about Larry Itliong's life, accomplishments and activism and help provide context for the labor movement more broadly.</p> <p>#NHD #NHD2020 #EthnicStudies *This collection was created to support Unit 2: What is the history?, <em>Civil Rights Movements </em>of the Austin ISD Ethnic Studies Part A course.</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><br /></p>
Ashley Naranjo
11
 

Statue of Liberty and Symbolism

<p>This collection includes a variety of representations of the Statue of Liberty--as a protest object, on an environmental campaign poster, on a postage stamp, and as a symbol used on patterned clothing. In small groups, learners will apply three scaffolded Visible Thinking Routines to a resource of their choice. First, they will use a "See, Think, Wonder" thinking routine to note their observations and interpretations as well as anything about which they are curious. Next, they will analyze the resource using the "Layers" thinking routine. As an optional step, they could also consider the artist or creator of the object's point of view/perspective in creating the resource, with the "Step Inside" thinking routine. Finally, they will create an artwork or representation that depicts a cause that is important to a community of which they are a member.</p> <p>A final item from the American Jewish Historical Society includes information on a student contest running from September 2019 until May 2020, where students create a new poem based on Emma Lazarus' s"New Colossus" on the Statue of Liberty.</p> <p>#visiblethinking</p>
Ashley Naranjo
27
 

Investigating a Place: Texas, a U.S. State Collection

This state collection utilizes stamps, artworks, photographs, and videos in the Smithsonian's collection to highlight 65 iconic people, places, events and symbols of Texas' history and culture. Students might explore one resource in depth, or conduct a comparison of multiple resources. Follow-up questions might include: What sub-themes can you identify within this collection? What do these resources as a collection tell you about Texas? What marks someone as a "Texan"--is it birthplace alone? What other resources would you want to include to tell a more complete story of Texas history and culture?
Ashley Naranjo
64
 

Can you name #5WomenArtists?

<p>This collection is my response to the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C.'s social media campaign asking, "Can you name five women artists (#5WomenArtists)?" The artists featured are Yayoi Kusama, Frida Kahlo, Barbara Kruger, Alma Thomas and Elaine de Kooning with short biographical notes, selected works and learning resources. </p> <p>Anyone can create a collection on the Smithsonian Learning Lab. Here are some short tutorials to get you started: <a href="https://learninglab.si.edu/create">https://learninglab.si.edu/create</a>. The Smithsonian Learning Lab can be a great research tool to learn more about your favorite artists, discover new artists and share collections of your favorites and new discoveries to provide inspiration for others. Discussion questions and additional sources of inspiration for exploring artists that may be new to you are provided at the end of this collection. </p> <p>Tags: Women's History Month, Yayoi Kusama, Frida Kahlo, Barbara Kruger, Alma Thomas, Elaine de Kooning, #BecauseOfHerStory<br /></p>
Ashley Naranjo
70
 

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
 

Smithsonian Video Resources in American Sign Language

This collection includes a growing number of educational video resources in American Sign Language, including the ArtSigns series from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the story behind an unusual object at the National Museum of American History, the Two Inch Universe from the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, as well as a performance from the National Museum of American Indian, and storytelling at the Smithsonian's Folklife Festival.
Ashley Naranjo
39
 

Analyzing Oral History Interviews: Asian Indian Community of Cleveland, Ohio

<p>This collection includes a series of oral history interviews the Asian Indian Community of Cleveland, Ohio from 2013. Ten Asian Indians who settled in the Greater Cleveland region during the 1950s and 1960s were interviewed by middle and high school students. These interviews document their unique immigrant experiences and focus on professional, family and religious life.<br /></p> <p>Complementary resources to the podcast files include: a National Museum of American History teachers' guide and images, Smithsonian Libraries' graphic organizers for evaluating historical sources, and a Smithsonian Folklife and Cultural Heritage guide to conducting your own oral history.</p> <p>Interviewees include: Ajeet Singh Sood, Batuk Modi, Dipti P. Roy, Elizabeth and Winfred Balraj,  Gulab Khandelwal,  Ivan Tewarson, Kul Bhushan, Om Julka, Paramjit Singh, P.K. and Virginia Saha,  Ramachandran Balasubramaniam, Ranajit Datta, Sam Rajiah, Shanta and Surinder Kampani, Shiv and Saroj Aggarwal, Vijay Rastogi, Vinay and Surinder Bhardwaj<br /></p> <p>#APA2018 #EthnicStudies<br /></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><br /></p>
Ashley Naranjo
10
 

"An Unnoticed Struggle: A Concise History of Asian American Civil Rights Issues" | Complementary Resources

<p>This topical collection can be used as a complement to the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) Resource, "An Unnoticed Struggle: A Concise History of Asian American Civil Rights Issues" (<a href="https://jacl.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Unnoticed-Struggle.pdf">https://jacl.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Unnoticed-Struggle.pdf</a>). Each section of this collection aligns with the historical events, impactful legislation and profiles of individuals outlined within the JACL's resource.</p> <p>This collection can be used to support a deep dive into the featured topics and provides sources that will be helpful in answering compelling and supporting questions, taking into consideration multiple perspectives represented in the sources. </p> <p>#EthnicStudies *This collection was created to support Unit 1: Precious Knowledge--Exploring notions of identity and community, <em>Historical Foundations and Civil Rights </em>of the Austin ISD Ethnic Studies Part A course.</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><br /></p>
Ashley Naranjo
47
 

Analyzing an Oral History Interview: Luis Jimenez

<p>This collection includes an oral history interview clip from the Smithsonian Archives of American Art, with Mexican American artist Luis Jimenez (July 30, 1940-June 13, 2006) from Texas. Students can use the oral history to explore the essential question: <em>What is the purpose and value of oral histories in relation to understanding immigration issues?  </em>A complementary teacher guide from the Blanton Museum of Art (Austin, TX) is available here: <a href="https://blantonmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Critical-Analysis.pdf" target="_blank">https://blantonmuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Critical-Analysis.pdf</a>.<em> </em>Additional resources to the audio file include: Smithsonian Libraries' graphic organizers for evaluating historical sources, a Smithsonian Folklife and Cultural Heritage guide to conducting an oral history, and additional artworks, photographs, and videos highlighting Jimenez's life.</p> <p>#EthnicStudies *This collection was created to support Unit 2: Culture and Resistance, oral history project assignment of the Austin ISD Ethnic Studies Part B course.<br /></p> <p><em>This Smithsonian Learning Lab collection received Federal support from the Latino and Asian Pacific American Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center and the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. </em><br /></p> <p>Keywords: family history, sculptor, close listening, vaquero</p>
Ashley Naranjo
18