Introductions

 A bit about me… 

     

                

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My name is Kristen Hilton. I am an art educator in my 17th year of teaching. I am currently teaching Elementary Art (Grades K-5)  in Algonquin, IL.   I just love watching and seeing what my little artists will create! The stuff they make can be so cute and blows my mind away. I am a wife to my best friend, Dr. Hilton, for 14 years. I am a mom of 2 rambunctious kiddos (Miss. M. 6 and Mr. P.J. 4), a fur baby momma to our energetic 2 yr old Bichon Frise puppy named Tucker. When not teaching, I enjoy spending time with my family, painting, photography, graphic art, figure/synchronized skating, skiing and glamping in our camper. 

My Education…. 

My passion for art started at a young age. In elementary school it was always my favorite special to attend. My passion for creating works of art only grew as I got older and became my main focus of study in high school and college. My family has several educators but the most influential one is my mom. She was an English teacher for 30+ years. She helped me value education and see the positive influence teachers have inside and outside the classroom and  is one of the people who inspired me to become an educator.  To follow my passion to become an art educator, I attended Western Michigan University and received a Bachelors in Fine Arts in Art Education. While pursuing my desire to become a teacher, I met my husband and found lifetime friends through my sorority Delta Gamma. I am currently pursuing my Masters in Education and Technology endorsement at Dominican University. 

My Teaching Experience…. 

I have been blessed with being able to do what I love to do ….which is TEACH ART! I have taught a variety of grade levels, schools and states in my 17 yrs. I have been able to share my talents and love for learning and creating with kids in grades K-12. There are bits and pieces I LOVE about each grade group. In my career I have done some hopping around grade levels, districts and states.  My first 2 years of teaching I taught high school Art in the Northwest Suburbs of IL. I then had the pleasure of teaching Middle School Art in both IL and MI ( which I didn’t think I was going to like at first but found that I really liked this age group and found them fun to teach.) Before moving into my current role, which I have been in for the last 6 yrs as an K-5 Elementary Art Teacher in Algonquin, IL I went back to teaching High School Art for 2 years. The cool thing is I got to teach at my alma mater in Algonquin, IL. (which was cool and weird at the same time) 

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My Relationship with Social Media….. 

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I am not a social influencer or one who posts daily on social media.  I use social media to stay connected with friends and family, share moments from my life, and keep up with current events etc. I enjoy sharing my own experiences and seeing what others are up to. While I might not post daily, I do check my Instagram and Facebook feed on a daily basis and use Facebook messenger daily to communicate with family and friends. I feel these platforms help me stay connected to those who live further away than I would like and would like to see more often. 

As an art teacher, I see the value in using social media to collaborate, showcase student and personal artwork, share art resources and lesson ideas, but most importantly, connect with other art educators. I use  platforms like Instagram, Facebook, X(Twitter) to network and collaborate with fellow art educators.  I enjoy being able to connect with artists/art educators around the world and share ideas to better my own teaching. 

Thoughts on Social Media…. 

While I wasn’t on the bandwagon at first to join social platforms, I now use them everyday. I use them to stay in contact with family, friends, and colleagues. I use Pinterest and Instagram to share and gather ideas for lessons, parties, house ideas, you name it. 

However, social media doesn’t only have to be used to network or to make personal connections; it can be a resource for many other things. As artists and teachers, we can  use it to create digital portfolios for personal artwork or student work. Additionally, I believe it can serve as a professional development tool, allowing art teachers to stay up-to-date with trends in art education and collaborate with peers from around the world, which is one of the coolest things I think technology has brought us–being able to work with others across the world without even leaving home. 

While it can be easy to be an open book online; unfortunately, something we say/post online can affect us professionally. So as a teacher I try to be  mindful of my digital footprint and exercise caution when posting on social media. Anything I share online can potentially be accessed by students, parents, and colleagues, so it's important I  maintain a professional image. Being aware of one's digital footprint can help protect personal and professional reputation and ensure a positive online presence.

Social Media has become a BIG part of our lives, as a way to connect with friends and family, to network professionally, to express ideas etc.  but I wonder how much is too much. Have we let social media become too BIG of a part of our lives?  While  I appreciate the convenience and opportunities for connection that social media provides, I try to use it mindfully, balancing my time online with other activities.  I recognize the importance of disconnecting and being present in the moment, letting social media be a piece of life not my whole life.  In this blog I plan to share my exploration of social media in education with you, and it is my hope that this exploration not only helps me enhance my own teaching and learning but also fellow educators, family and friends. 

Cited Sources: 

Google. (n.d.). Google Images. https://images.google.com/

Google. (n.d.). Personal Cloud Storage & File sharing platform. Google.     https://www.google.com/drive/

Instagram. (n.d.). http://www.intagram.com/

Log into Facebook. Facebook. (n.d.). http://www.facebook.com/

Pinterest. (n.d.). https://www.pinterest.com/

X. it’s what’s happening / x. (n.d.). https://twitter.com/