New Opportunity...

East St. Louis, Illinois:  City of Champions

     July 2015, I was presented with an opportunity that I couldn't turn down:  Serving as a district librarian.  I interviewed for the position and was offered the opportunity to serve in a hybrid administration/high school position that began in August of 2015.

     

     It was difficult saying goodbye to a great group of Phillips students, teachers and community members.  The blessing is:  I still have a relationship with the students, in particular my Anime/Manga Club Members.   I am now the Lead Library Media Specialist for East St. Louis School District #189 in East St. Louis, Illinois.  Previous posts from Wendell Phillips Academy High School can still be viewed.  Those experiences were valuable and are precious memories.  

     I hope that you will follow me as I rebuild the high school library, support a great group of librarians and help integrate print/technology resources into the district.  Most importantly:  Getting kids excited about reading is what I'm committed to executing.   I'm excited about this opportunity and I hope you will follow me as I begin a new journey in school librarianship.

My New Home!

 

NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK @CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY

Recently I gave a presentation at Chicago State University which was hosted by the College of Education.  This event was a celebration of National Library Week 2014.  It was really great to hear presentations about the new Archives and Record Management concentration  offered by the Department of Information Studies.  Below is the a copy of my presentation and a description:

Archiving Academic Culture & Building Community Presence on Pinterest

The Wendell Phillips Academy High School Pinterest page has been active since the fall of 2013. The page/account was established as a result of the numerous pictures, videos that have been created over the last four years by staff and students. This curation tool has been very helpful in several ways.
First, it provides students, teachers, community and interested stakeholders with a portal for information about events taking place at Phillips. Academically, the boards have served as a teaching tool during Black History Month, Women's History Month and Poetry Month. Students and teachers are able to access organized links to articles, pictures and videos are a variety of subjects. Through our history board, visitors of Wendell Phillips Academy High School are able to learn more about our illustrious history within the Bronzeville community and contributions to the city of Chicago. Lastly, the boards support all things positive at Phillips high school!
Follow us today at: http://www.pinterest.com/auslwpahs/.

Archiving Academic Culture & Building Community Presence on Pinterest from Chicago Public Schools

TV and Production Class

Sharing...

Here's a really nice video the students in my TV and Production class produced last week.  It's a promotional video for my school, Wendell Phillips Academy High School.  

Enjoy!

Bronzeville History

Students are viewing a clip from the award winning series, "Eyes On the Prize"

Wendell Phillips Academy High School is located in Chicago's historic Bronzeville south side neighborhood.   Bronzeville served as place of 'new opportunities' for millions of African-Americans when they left rural southern states to come 'north' for a new life.  Many stopped in Chicago, while other families continued on to Detroit, New York and California.

The Leadership Department at my school decided to create a unit for the entire student body about people in history who displayed admirable leadership/courage during trying times.  The topic they selected was The Murder of Emmett Till.  Through this lecture I've been giving this week, the students are learning about the leadership/courage of:
- Mamie Till Mobley (mother of Emmett Till),
- John H. Johnson (Publisher, Ebony/Jet Magazine),
- Ahmed Rayner (funeral home director)
- and Mose Wright (uncle of Emmett Till).

The goal of this lesson was to not only discuss their displays of leadership, but to also educate the students about the historical influence the key players had as it relates to their grassroots in Bronzeville.  So far, the students have really enjoyed the lecture/presentation.

I will like to add that I've taught this lesson off and on for over ten years.  Each time I teach this lesson, I learn something new.  The Keith Beauchamp documentary called, The Untold Story of Emmett Till, provides historians with a new and fresh perspective about the unsolved civil rights era murder.  I credit much of my lecture to the new research provided by Beauchamp's film.

The Emmett Till story is an important story that must be re-told to generations to come.  Below you will find the powerpoint presentation as well as a internet pathfinder.  The teachers that I am co-teaching with have plans to load this pathfinder into each classes Schoology pages for further discussion and study.

The Murder of Emmett Louis Till from K.C. Boyd

Emmett Till Internet Pathfinder

Compiled by KC Boyd, M.L.S., M.A., M.Ed.

Online Interactive Resources
PBS American Experience - http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/till/index.html  
The Murder of Emmett Louis Till: The Spark that Started the Civil Rights
Movement - http://www.edwardmalone.com/Murder.htm Emmett Till Murder - http://www.emmetttillmurder.com/
Emmett Till – Biography Channel -
http://www.biography.com/people/emmett-till-507515

The Courage of Mamie Till Mobley and Jet Magazine Editor/Chief
Emmett’s Legacy: A Mother Keeps Her Son’s Name Alive
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1995-09- 05/features/9509050005_1_tallahatchie-river-mississippi-naacp-black-race
The Face of Emmett Till -
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/05/14/731205/-The-Face-of-Emmett- Till-UPDATED
Emmett Till – A Story With Lasting Power -
http://barrybradford.com/2013/08/29/guest-post-emmett-till-a-story-with- lasting-power/

Videos
Eyes On the Prize: Emmett Till -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxK8u58PqTE
The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvijYSJtkQk

Very short account of the Murder of Emmett Till -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=om7Dn5fw0cY
The Emmett Tlll Case Re-Opened: 60 Minutes (Ed Bradley) -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQC5WJMYaug

Books
Death of Innocence: The Story of the Hate Crime That Changed America by Mamie Till-Mobley and Christopher Benson http://www.amazon.com/Death-Innocence-Story-Changed- America/dp/0812970470/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1380223151&sr=8- 3&keywords=emmett+till
Simeon’s Story: An Eyewitness Account of the Kidnapping of Emmett Till By Simeon Wright and Herb Boyd http://www.amazon.com/Simeons-Story-Eyewitness-Account- Kidnapping/dp/1569768196/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380223046&sr=8- 1&keywords=emmett+till
Getting Away With Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case By Chris Crowe
http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Away-Murder-Story- Emmett/dp/0803728042/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1380223151&sr=8- 2&keywords=emmett+till
A Wreath for Emmett Till
By Marilyn Nelson http://www.amazon.com/Wreath-Emmett-Till-Marilyn- Nelson/dp/0547076363/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1380223151&sr=8- 5&keywords=emmett+till

Emmett Till and Trayvon Martin Comparison
A Longer Look at the Emmett Till- Trayon Martin Comparison
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nicolaus-mills/emmett-till-trayvon- martin_b_3606636.html
NAACP Compares Trayvon Martin Death To Emmett Till Lynching
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/07/16/NAACP-Compares- Trayvon-Martin-Death-to-Emmett-Till-Lynching
Justice Denied: Is Trayvon Martin Post-Racial America’s Emmett Till?
http://www.nationofchange.org/justice-denied-trayvon-martin-post-racial- america-s-emmett-till-1374329793

Picture of Ahmed Rayner
Courtesy of Pamela Rayner, October 2013 

@AUSLWPAHS Posts

Follow the Wendell Phillips Academy High School Twitter Page:  @auslwpahs

Phillips Recruitment Video

#LATEPOST

Here's a Spring 2013 Recruitment video me and a couple of students produced earlier this year.  The video was shown to potential students during the spring recruitment visits our Admissions Department conducted.   The video (photographs and video) was shot on iPads.

So proud of the narrator Tangela, she's such a nice young lady and the #1 ranked Junior.

2013 Spring Elementary School Recruitment Video from WPAHS Video Page on Vimeo.

A Special Project

     This week the 'Behind the Paws' student news crew shot a very interesting project in the Library Media Center.  'The Belle's of Bronzeville Prom Boutique Extraordinaire' is a dress donation program for Phillips female students who are in need of prom attire.  Eligible participants will have the opportunity to select gently used prom attire for FREE!

     Created by Phillips Language Arts teacher, Mrs. Henderson and SGA Community School Coordinator, Candice Peoples, this program will assist financially challenged students find the perfect dress for this special event.

     Some members of the BTP crew served as models while others shot video and created a 'mini' runway for the fashion show in the library!  It was really cute, all of the students and audience members had fun during the show.  My library media center has been used for many events but never something so creative and 'fashion forward' as this event.

     The boutique will open on May 18, 2013, so mark your calendars.  If you are interested in donating gently used/dry cleaned prom attire, please watch the following video for contact information for this program.

The Belles of Bronzeville Prom Boutique Extraordinaire from WPAHS Video Page on Vimeo.

Chicago Public Schools Social Media Toolkit

Reprinted from Chicago Public Schools Spotlight Webpage 

Social media – it's a mainstream tool in today's high-tech world. Facebook and Twitter are the preferred methods of communication for many within the Chicago Public Schools community, especially the district's tech-savvy students and parents.  In schools across the city and at the CPS Central Office, social media has been added to the list of tools that are used to connect with families and improve education.  As a result of this interest, CPS has created a new 'Social Media Toolkit' and instructional video series. This toolkit provides guidance for administrators, teachers, staff and the community when creating a social media presence for their school. There is also a handy worksheet/exercise and links to additional resources designed to help schools implement a social media presence at their school.

At Phillips Academy High School, students are learning how to use social media in a professional capacity. The students that are members of the "Behind the Paws" news crew use Twitter to make school announcements, share current events and promote their weekly television broadcast.  All social media activity is monitored by my co-worker Mr. Brown and I.

Phillips High School is also honored to be named a 'Social Media Trailblazer' in a new instructional video series produced by Chicago Public Schools!  The first video below focuses on social media etiquette and while the second video provides some instruction on how to effectively manage a school Twitter page.   

Enjoy!

February 6, 2013 - Digital Learning Day

February 6, 2013 is Digital Learning Day!  Digital Learning Day is a national campaign that celebrates teachers and shines a spotlight on successful instructional practice and effective use of technology in classrooms across the country.  This is Chicago Public School's second year participating in this nationwide initiative.   Here are four ways you can get your school involved:

#1. Show Digital Learning in Action at Your School! (Chicago Public Schools)
Record a short 1-2 minute YouTube video showing how digital learning  is being utilized at your school. Creativity is strongly encouraged! Submit your YouTube video to this form, http://
tinyurl.com/CPS-DLD13Form, for consideration on the CPS Digital Learning Day webpage.  Video
submissions are due by February 8th, 2013 at 5 PM.

#2. Meet Tech Talk 2013’s Ones to Watch!  (Chicago Public Schools)
Each year the Center for Digital Education helps CPS put on TechTalk, a one day conference dedicated to engaging staff in conversations around educational technology.  Learn about CPS TechTalk’s Ones To Watch 2013 and the excellent work they do daily in the district.  2013’s Ones to Watch Winners (Announced after February 1st, 2013)  For a list and bio of TechTalk 2012’s Ones to Watch Winners: http://cpstechtalk.blogspot.com/p/ones-to-watch-tech-leader-award.html

#3.  A Special Message from Jonathan Scott!
Chicago Bears player Jonathan Scott (#79, Tackle) has a special message for CPS about Digital
Learning Day 2013. Please visit http://vimeo.com/57653483  to view what he has to say.

#4. Join the National Conversation!
The Alliance for Excellent Education will be putting on a Digital Learning Town Hall Simulcast on
February 6th, 2013 from 12-1:30 PM.  This online event will celebrate dignitaries, policymakers,
and education leaders from around the country.  Visit http://digitallearningday.eventbrite.com/ to
sign up.

Last year, I submitted the video below for consideration for the CPS Digital Learning Day.  I didn't exactly follow the directions (LOL!) but I was pleasantly surprised that a couple of clips from my school were actually included in the district's compilation video (2nd video).

@The Phillips Library from WPAHS Video Page on Vimeo.

Time for PD!

Summer Professional Development for Phillips Academy High School teachers began Monday...summer is now officially over. Monday I had the opportunity to meet new and returning teachers in the Library Media Center. Since Phillips is now an AUSL Training Academy, it was important to provide a information session about the Library Media Center. During this presentation, I discussed the history of the Phillips library, print/electronic resources, and creative use of the center. Heavy emphasis was placed on how I can assist teachers with providing meaningful lessons that support Common Core Standards. Below is the presentation I gave to the teachers and staff. Enjoy!

WPAHS LMC Teacher Orientation from K.C. Boyd