Smithsonian Learning Lab ~ by Christy Mihaly

Did you know you can gain access to more than one million images, recordings, and texts from the collections of the world's largest museum, education, and research complex? Whether you're a writer, an educator, a curious mind, or just looking for some fascinating procrastination . . . check out  the Smithsonian Learning Lab. 

You don't have to live near Washington, D.C. to browse the extensive collections of the Smithsonian Institution. This national resource is open to anyone with an internet connection. A visit to the Smithsonian's web pages enables you to see material from 19 museums and galleries, 9 major research centers, and the National Zoo -- woo! 

But if you want to really play with these national collections, sign up for the Learning Lab. Joining Learning Lab is a two-step process but it doesn't take long, and the reward is that you'll be able not only to delve into the Smithsonian's vaults, but also to organize your own online collections of images and resources. The Learning Lab, according to the Smithsonian, is a toolkit that facilitates users' finding, customizing, and sharing digital museum resources. 

As a demo project, I input "Halloween" in the search box on the Learning Lab site. Such a search will generally retrieve images of various artifacts, articles, and videos relevant to the queried topic. My search identified not only a myriad of resources, but also two Learning Lab collections related to Halloween that had already been created. The first, by a Smithsonian employee, curated 46 "spooky delights and dark treasures" from the vaults including vintage Halloween greeting cards, postage stamps, and spooky artwork. The other collection, created by a member, focused on "Frankenstein." Specifically, it included a series of images of Frankenstein's "creature" over time, showing how our conception of the monster has evolved. Cool!

Then I created my own collection. Making your own a collection could be useful in keeping track of research for a book or other research project. It can also be tons of fun. My Halloween collection included photographs from the 1940s of children's Halloween parties. I was intrigued by the kids' costumes (think witches, gypsies, and vagabonds -- no superheroes). I also perused an array of Halloween-themed articles from Smithsonian Magazine, covering topics from tips on science-themed costume ideas to a description of President Gerald Ford's 1975 "Halloween Massacre." (The latter, for those too young to remember, involved little blood but much reshuffling of White House personnel.)

The Learning Lab, launched in the summer of 2016, seeks both to help educators utilize the Smithsonian's resources in their lesson plans, and to facilitate online collaboration. About 100 teachers helped develop the toolkit. Members sign up to post and share collections, quizzes, and assignments. From the home page, a member has three options: Discover (to search the archives); Create (to put together customized collections, lesson plans, and notes); and Share (to post collections, invite students to participate in quizzes, etc.) Check it out!

Special thanks to super-educator, Susan Koch, for pointing me in the direction of the Smithsonian Learning Lab. I invite GROG readers to sign on at the Learning Lab and share in the comments what you discover there. Enjoy!