So my son’s high school hosted a conference this weekend called edscape, featuring technology and the use of social media in the classroom. And I missed it.

As a high school teacher, I have been trying to update my knowledge of technology, evolve with the times, stay current. And it feels like I am trying to walk through an avalanche. But missing this conference, one held only a few blocks away, was the last straw.

So today I vow to reinvent myself, to become tech savvy in the classroom. I have a Smartboard I use basically as a projector. That must change. I have a LinkedIn account I do not know how to use. That has to change as well. I have a MacPro I am wary of. Not for long. I have an iPad2 purchased to get me more technological in the classroom. So far, I am grading with it….

I need to take more than baby steps. One step forward is that I have a Facebook page my students can “like” for updates and homework reminders. They cannot “friend” me, that way lies madness. They can only “like” the page and receive the updates. Not a bad start (taught to me by a former student turned colleague), but…

The question remains what it has always been; how do the uninitiated get plugged in? I am hoping this blog is one way. Can I blog my way into the modern age? Is blogging passé now? Should I be tweeting or tumbling or whatever?

Here’s my offer; share what you know, or suggest links, etc., and I will turnkey them here. I want to evolve into a cutting edge teacher using social media, and I am will g to share what I learn.

Anyone interested in pointing the way?

Christopher Ryan is author of City of Woe, available on Kindle and Nook, and in print. For more info, click here.