Passion for Fashion

 It’s been said many times, especially here in the south, “If I had some duck tape I could fix that…”  Whether you say Duck tape or Duct tape, it has been around for a long time.  The miracle tape was developed back in 1942 by Johnson & Johnson during WWII to help fill the need for a strong, flexible, durable tape that could help the war effort by sealing ammunition cases, jeeps, firearms, and aircrafts.  Since then the tape has been used by NASA for emergencies while orbiting in space and while on the moon, in early days used in heating and air conditioning (duct tape), and most recently used to rig reception issues with Apple’s Iphone.  

Josh Phillips, the instructor of The Design Studio, (former Drafting Design) at the LeCroy Career Technology Center decided to challenge his students this semester by combining the use of this versatile tape with the career of Fashion Design.  This project is perfect for this time of the year, Halloween.   The idea is to challenge each student to design an outfit or costume using duck tape.  

Students Pictured: Design Studio AM Class

left to right: J. Miller, C. Talley, T. Reed, T. Curtis, B. Nichols, D. Shaner, O. Galvan, T. Bragg, W. Beaver, M. Mewhinny, J. Huang, A. Waldrop, and T. Brown.

The project started with students sketching out several ideas such as prom dresses, tuxedos, cartoons, sports jerseys, video games and every day clothing.  From there students created the patterns, used old sheets to line the tape, and built entire outfits. 

Students Pictured:  Design Studio PM Class
left to right: R. Leige, D. Barron, C. Perkins, N. Rooney, K. Hunter, K. Cleckley

Students were able to learn from special speakers like Fashion Designers from the Art Institute, and from Designer/Seamstress Delonna Hutto.  Mrs. Hutto taught students how to measure, work with patterns and tips on sewing.  With this project students learned assets of design, critical thinking, marketing, presentation, and financial budgeting.  There are also many scholarships and competitions that support the use of Duck Tape.  In the near future, the Design Studio will host a Fashion Show where students will model their work.

Drafting Design Helps Build a Local Playground

The Drafting Design Program of LeCroy Career Technical Center along side of our Building Construction Program and Welding Program had the pleasure of assisting the City of Clanton in making several changes to the Children's Playground.

Members of the Chilton County Coalition and the Clanton City Council held a contest several years ago, at Clanton Elementary School where students were asked to come up with ideas for the name of the park.  The winner was Taylor Speaks and his name, “Gateway to Adventure.”


Later, The Drafting Design program held a similar competition allowing students to compete in designing an entrance that would best suit the parks new theme.  Cassie Samya of Jemison had the winning design.


The City of Clanton received grant money to help with the expansion of the Gateway To Adventure playground at the City Park from the Strategic Alliance For Health, a partnership of Sowing Seeds Of Hope and the Alabama Department of Public Health. The work is now complete. 
 


Pictured above: Cage Phillips with his brother, Stone. They are the children of Josh and Stacy Phillips and have a sister, Lonna Gray, who also enjoyed playing in the new addition to the City Park.

http://www.clantonadvertiser.com/2012/07/24/sowing-seeds-of-hope-in-chilton-county/2/

http://www.beachbecky.com/index.html/index.html/



Marketing Career Tech in Today's Culture

During this years annual Alabama Career / Technical Education Professional Development Conference at the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center, LeCroy Career Technical Center's Administrator and CT Supervisor Tommy Glasscock and the Drafting Design Instructor Josh Phillips had the pleasure of teaching two classes to several of Alabama's CTE teachers and administrators.  The topic was focused on Marketing Career Technology to Today's Culture.  The class was a successful opportunity to inspire several teachers with ideas  to help increase student enrollment and attract support from a teacher's local community and industry.

Career Technical Education 

It's No Longer the Alternative to Education

It's the Model For Education

I guess you've noticed that Mr. Glasscock did not think to take any pictures of me (Josh Phillips) talking...

Guitar Design and Build Project

For most of this semester students from Drafting Design have been focusing on Guitars.

Instead of handing a student a book and just saying do this, my goal was to teach "project-based learning" by handing students guitars and the guitar parts, something they can hold in their hand. 

Projects like this allow students to be excited about learning Drafting Design.  Each student will learn skills like creative and critical thinking, sketching, alphabet of lines, measuring, geometry, scale, Multi-Views, Orthographic projection, Dimensioning, Isometrics, along with Computer Aided Drafting with AutoCAD 2012, AutoDesk Inventor, SolidWorks and Solid Edge.  Some of the students even learned CNC programing.

Dylan showing off the drawings that would be used in the marketing of his custom guitar

Each student has a chance to design a custom guitar.  If a student has a hard time coming up with a passion for this project, I bring one of my guitars or allow one of them to bring a guitar.  Guitars like the classics such as a Gibson Les Paul, Fender Stratocaster, or an Ibanez Jem.  We break down an existing guitar (not a classic) measuring each part.  Student will then draw each part in it's entirety at what ever level they are at in the program.  Some students draw Multi-Views and Isometrics with manual "board" drafting techniques, some draw utilizing CAD, drawing 2D and 3D.  Some of the students even learned CNC programing.  All students sketch out their ideas.  When the designs are complete, each student designs a marketing campaign similar to those found in magazines.  Their work is judged by guitar experts like builders, music store owners, talented players both young and old.  The best designs will have their projects built, (usually one from the morning class and one from the afternoon class).  This semester 26 students designed 26 unique guitars.  3 students designed marketing campaigns for existing guitar companies.

Student - Dylan Davis, Construction I Instructor - Jason Sosa,
Drafting Design Instructor - Josh Phillips

The guitar body was cut out of kiln dried cherry
on the CNC Machine (seen in background)

For the students that don't get picked as top design, If he or she wants to pay for the construction of their design to be built that is also acceptable.  The funding for this project comes from fund-raising.  Parts are also salvaged from old beat up guitars as well.    This project is a big project and could not have been finished as smoothly with out the help of Jason Sosa, the instructor of Construction I.






The career paths that designing and building guitars relate to are varied, careers like: Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Mechanical Engineering, Marketing, Construction, Electrical Engineering, etc...

Dylan even presented this project during this years state
Skills USA competition in Class Project Display.  However, WE did not win... :( 

2012 Graduating Seniors

Congratulations to all my graduating seniors.  It is always hard to see these guys and gals graduate.  Most of them have been with me for three years.  We've done several great projects, been to numerous competitions and field trips.  They've helped me with various fundraising projects and helped in giving back to the community.  Now it's time to watch them go on to college, their career and/or the military.  Good luck in all you do and know that Professor Phillips is always here to help in any way.  God Bless and God Speed.

 -Above: J. Phillips (Professor), C. Samya, K. Smith (Both from JHS), A. Johnson, C. Sherrill (Both from CCHS)


-Middle Right: B. Mims, B. Webb (VHS), D. Davis (CCHS) Professor Phillips, P. Salim, J.T. Allen (CCHS), B. Hayes (MHS) 


Not Pictured: A. Baker (CCHS) and S. Baker (THS)


-Below: ...

Straight from Einstein...

Most Teachers would never post this... BUT there's tons of examples of people being successful with out the help of our education system.

Drafting Design Wins 1st Place in Skills USA

Brandon Vickers, Preston Salim, Dylan Davis

The Drafting Design program of LeCroy Career Technical Center won 1^st place in Graphic Design – Shirt Division at the state SkillsUSA Competition held in Birmingham on April 25 and 26^th.  The shirt design was used as the state’s marketing campaign for this year’s conference.