Although social networks on the Internet started out with connecting friends for purely social reasons, they have since grown into valuable networking tools for adults. Now, parents, teachers, and other professionals interested in the field of gifted education can easily connect with one another over the Internet.

Twitter, Facebook, and online message forums seem to have the most to offer gifted education right now. Educators post information about curriculum, classroom techniques, and upcoming conferences, while parents post interesting family activities, places to visit, and useful links. Questions are often posed through online forums, and answers from online users around the country, or even world, are quickly offered.

Deborah Mersino has an excellent three-part series on her Ingeniosus blog that explains how Twitter can promote advocacy and learning. She does an excellent job of explaining exactly how Twitter works and offers step-by-step instructions on getting started.

 

The Davidson Institute for Talent Development also has a growing collection of gifted groups on both Twitter and Facebook.

 

You may want to consider becoming part of the following discussion forums, as well: