Last year, Mrs. Maria Picado, Middle School World Languages Faculty & Department Chair, learned that the Smithsonian was going to open a museum dedicated to Hispanic Americans. While browsing the National Museum of the American Latino website, she noticed a section that asked for suggestions on what should be included in the museum. Fast forward to this year, and Mrs. Picado stepped into action, giving students in her Español D class an assignment to research an Afro-Latino and create an exhibit idea for the museum.
In collaboration with Mrs. Caroline Murphy, Educational Technology Integrator, Mrs. Andrea Cook, Educational Technology Instruction & Innovation Librarian PK-8, and Mrs. Cindy Gonzalez, Lower School Technology Faculty member, students used a program called CoSpaces which allowed them to create 3D virtual spaces. The students jumped at the chance to be creative, teaching themselves and each other how to use the program.
“This project allowed students to research people they may not have otherwise had the opportunity to, and to learn about their plight and the challenges they faced as Afro-Latinos,” Mrs. Picado said. “It empowered students to choose someone of interest to them, and allowed them to use their creativity to create a museum exhibit to introduce this person, their achievements, and their activism to the world. One of my students commented, ‘this is the coolest project I’ve ever done in this school.’ They were excited to work with CoSpaces and to create something virtual instead of the usual Google Slides presentation or written report.”
This real-world project could soon come to life, as their ideas and exhibits are submitted to the National Museum of the American Latino for consideration.
