Here we have a lot of free resources. Now, these resources are even online. 3D tools, virtual tours, maps, etc. I used Granola to attend their National Education Summit 2026 July 14-16 today virtually. I also archive this Granola notes on my Photos drive under 2026 Journal Media folder.
And here's my notes of the workshop on Beyond the Visit: Smithsonian Digital Tools:
Smithsonian 3D Object Scans and Object-Based Learning
- Smithsonian Digitization Program Office: 3d.si.edu
- Free, accessible on computers and mobile
- Voyager viewing platform: rotate, zoom, hotspots, augmented reality, social sharing, 3D file download
- Curated collections organized by theme across multiple museums (history, art, science)
- Educator tools tab: videos in English and Spanish, embed guides for Canvas and Padlet
- Object-Based Learning Toolkit (Office of Educational Technology): https://learninglab.si.edu/help/object-based-learning/toolkit
- Framework: Observe → Think → Connect → Reflect
- Observation is the most important step: articulate what you see before building inferences
- Connect step: use Voyager hotspot annotations to reveal object’s story
- Reflection: how has thinking changed after learning the object’s context?
- Demo object: Girl Skating by Abyssinia Saint Leger Eberle (~1906)
- 3D scan: https://3d.si.edu/object/3d/girl-skating:e8d1f790-28a8-492d-84f5-cf2817f8cdcf
- Depicts immigrant child in Manhattan’s Lower East Side; one skate, tattered appearance, but conveying joy
- Eberle used art to challenge negative perceptions of immigrant communities
- Recommended visual thinking routines to pair with 3D scans:
- 3-2-1: three observations, two thoughts, one question (good entry routine)
- KWL: Know, Want to know, Learned
- Harvard Project Zero “Beginning, Middle, End”: creative storytelling from a frozen moment
- Embracing discomfort: object-based learning builds tolerance for not knowing the answer immediately
- Builds CASEL social-emotional skills: social awareness, self-awareness, relationship skills
- Students remember what they discovered through inquiry vs. being told directly
National Portrait Gallery Teen Programs and Digital Resources
- Teen Museum Council (TMC): weekly program for DC/MD/VA teens
- Explores museum careers (registrars, framers, conservators, curators, advancement)
- Teens co-wrote a grant with educators; used funding for programming
- Teens building a resource toolkit for schools to create teen programming
- Includes templates, logistics guides, testimonials
- Email MPGteams@si.edu to receive the toolkit (pilot programs launching fall 2026)
- Application link: https://npg.si.edu/learn/teens (live shortly; also subscribe to TMC email list)
- Virtual exhibition tool: Google Arts & Culture (Culture.com)
- TMC teens created a draft virtual exhibition (launching later summer 2026)
- Students selected portraits (e.g., Josephine Baker), added research, linked to videos and resources
- Completed largely during the federal shutdown; students self-motivated
- Smithsonian Learning Lab: album-as-portraiture lesson
- https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/album-as-portraiture-exploring-identity-through-music-metaphor-and-storytelling/o4vPJSDZLquMzbmY
- Students create liner notes, cover art, and a two-sided playlist reflecting their identity
- Usable as a data collection activity: intern compiled a group liner note set from camper survey responses
- Full lesson plan with slides, citation tools (MLA, Chicago, APA), and Project Zero thinking routines built in
- Portraits podcast (NPG): six seasons, available on Spotify/Apple/etc.
- Deep dives on portraits and artists; guests include LL Cool J, curators, museum professionals
- Graphic novel book club resources (Learning Lab):
- https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/portraits-podcast-live-long-and-protest/jMio0cDeJEpXQKlt
- Books used: They Called Us Enemy (George Takei), The Woman Who Changed Art, John Lewis graphic novel
- Anchor object: Isamu Noguchi’s Ginger Rogers sculpture, made in a WWII internment camp from found materials
- Shimomura’s Crossing the Delaware (self-portrait as Washington, relocated to San Francisco Bay/Angel Island): explores nationalism, identity, patriotism
SightLines: Chinatown and Beyond Virtual Tour (Asian Pacific American Center)
- APAC established 1997; no standalone building but mounts exhibitions across Smithsonian museums
- SightLines: Chinatown and Beyond ran September 2024 to November 2025; curated by Sojun Kim
- Three exhibition themes:
- Making Place: architectural identity of DC’s Chinatown (Alfred Lu’s drawings; community preservation amid development)
- Transforming Traditions: 1970s DC martial arts schools, immigration, returning servicemen, Bruce Lee’s influence
- Visualizing Identity: muralist Michelle Love (Cita Cedeli), Indonesian heritage, graffiti, street art, punk rock
- Virtual tour: https://apa.si.edu/exhibitions/sightlines/virtual-tour/index.html
- Navigable like a Zillow walkthrough; floor circles for movement, left-side menu alternative
- 27 unique audio clips; headphone icon triggers artist/community member interviews
- Related resources link 3D Voyager scans of objects (e.g., Terrence Nicholson’s kung fu jacket)
- High-resolution photographs support close object-based looking
- Cita Cedeli mural map; community walking tour map; family window panels (e.g., Sarmiento family)
- DC Chinatown context: peak population ~3,000 (1950s–60s); now ~300 residents
- Classroom applications:
- Compare/contrast historical time periods or community experiences within the exhibit
- Audio clips as models for student community interviews tied to objects
- Maps as geography/placemaking teaching tools
- Nicholson’s jacket as a prompt: “What monument would you make for your own neighborhood?”
Key Resources
- Smithsonian Digitization Program (3D scans): https://3d.si.edu
- Object-Based Learning Toolkit: https://learninglab.si.edu/help/object-based-learning/toolkit
- Girl Skating 3D scan: https://3d.si.edu/object/3d/girl-skating:e8d1f790-28a8-492d-84f5-cf2817f8cdcf
- SightLines virtual tour: https://apa.si.edu/exhibitions/sightlines/virtual-tour/index.html
- NPG Teen Programs: https://npg.si.edu/learn/teens
- Album as Portraiture (Learning Lab): https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/album-as-portraiture-exploring-identity-through-music-metaphor-and-storytelling/o4vPJSDZLquMzbmY
- They Called Us Enemy Graphic Novel Book Club (Learning Lab): https://learninglab.si.edu/collections/portraits-podcast-live-long-and-protest/jMio0cDeJEpXQKlt
- Harvard Project Zero (thinking routines): pz.harvard.edu
- 3D printers in DC area: MLK Library (fabrication lab, 2 printers, laser cutter, training required); Langdon Library
Chat with meeting transcript: https://notes.granola.ai/t/e330347c-d42f-4800-8c6a-0855460705f2
the TGR Learning Lab, a major STEM education facility in West Philadelphia's Cobbs Creek area. Funded by Tiger Woods' foundation, the state-of-the-art makerspace features free access to cutting-edge 3D printers, drones, and engineering programs for local students and educators. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Key Details & Resources:
- Location: Cobbs Creek Campus, 700 S. 63rd St, Philadelphia, PA.
- Offerings: Year-round, free after-school programs, field trips, and hands-on professional learning workshops for educators.
- Contact: Visit the TGR Learning Lab Philadelphia homepage to register for programs, schedule group visits, or join their community newsletter. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
The other workshop I attended (but not fully paying attention on) was: Using Digital Games to Teach What Matters. Not much to gain from this one except for the website URL: https://ssec.si.edu/game-center