Here is a link to the updated version of this presentation: https://www.slideshare.net/khornberger/social-media-research-with-focus-on-twitter-and-misinformation This slideshow offers teachers items for students to consider before they begin using social media for research.

1. What to teach students to consider…
Karen Hornberger
Library Media Specialist
Palisades High School

2. The traditional thought is that books are
more reliable. They can be, but SO MANY
resources online are also very reliable.
Does this thinking cripple students?
Are they kept from harnessing more
“alive” resources via social media?

3. These CONSTANTLY updated feeds can:
• Provide more up-to-date information
• Offer insight into exciting new work or
findings from researchers or organizations
• Offer information on new or proposed laws
• Provide updated statistics
• Widen understanding of how the topic
impacts various areas within our globe.

4. The following slides will share some items
that students should consider prior to
using social media.

5. DEVELOPING INTELLECTUAL
PERSEVERANCE
Taking the time to search social media for information on a certain research
topic can be time consuming. It also may be frustrating if the researcher has
begun to write the first drafts of their paper.
Incorporating news that is trending may alter the information that the
researcher has gathered or take it to new directions. The student may have to
change their thesis statement or outline, as a result.
My goal during instruction is to pose the question to the students on whether
this is okay (can it even be ideal?) and, if so, how to handle it.

6. DEVELOPING INTELLECTUAL
PERSEVERANCE
Questions for students:
How would you define the term “linear research”?
(this can be defined as following research steps one by one)
How would you define the term “non-linear research”?
(this can be defined as progressing with research steps and re-visiting
portions such as locating resources/notetaking even after the writing
process has begun)
Is one type of research better than the other?
How might an organized system of note-taking and article storage help with a
non-linear structure?
My goal is to show them that, if they have an organized system, adding newly
found information that will alter their course or change their thought process
does not need to derail them and is likely to add rich information which is very
relevant to the world in which we live and participate in.

7. EVALUATING THE CREDIBILITY
OF SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Social media brings a new method of evaluating credibility ....sort of!
Students should consider the differences and similarities between traditional evaluation of
credibility with new methods, specific to social media.
Questions for students:
How do we determine reliability within social media?
If a story “trends” (and is posted and reposted often), does that make it more and more
reliable?
Is it important to determine who “originated” the information, why or why not?
Are authors of blogs or websites always “unreliable” or not authoritative?
Is the information that is provided about the author enough information or is it important to
“check around”?
How do we find out more about the author, if little information is provided?

8. DISTINGUISHING RELEVANT
FROM IRRELEVANT FACTS
Not only might student find unreliable sources, but they may find sources which provide
information within social media that are irrelevant to what they have determined as their
focus within their thesis statement and outline.
They will need to keep this in mind as they keyword search social media; they could easily
get pulled into many directions.
As a result, they will need to decide whether irrelevant information is so special that they
would like to add it to their thesis statement outline or whether they should ignore the
information and move on.

9. DISTINGUISHING RELEVANT
FROM IRRELEVANT FACTS
Questions for students:
How will you determine what is relevant or irrelevant information?
What is information is irrelevant to your thesis statement, but you think you want to use
it?
It will be important that the students identify which specific outline section the information
will support. If it cannot, they will then know to ignore the information. If they feel it is too
important to ignore, they must know that the information needs to be reflected in both the
thesis statement and then the outline.

10. MAKING PLAUSIBLE
INFERENCES, PREDICTIONS, OR
INTERPRETATIONS
While receiving very current information, students will want to consider the implications.
They will want to make connections to the real world.
Questions for students. Let students know that they have an opportunity to be “fortune
tellers” - With such current information, they should ask:
How will this information change local society?
How will this information change other locations within the world?
Will daily life change and, if so, for whom?
Will statistics change, as a result?
Will the legal system be changed, as a result?
Students should know that, while they don’t need to be right, they should make
reasonable assumptions based upon facts or trends.

11. Questions for students:
How will we set a plan that keep in mind the
information above while researching?
Can we make a graphic organizer to guide our
interaction with social media research?
Which elements would be important to consider and set
up “before research”
Which elements would be best considered “during
research”?
Time to make organizer (or other product)

12. My two favorite ways to direct students to search social media for information on their
research topic are Twitter and Storify.
Twitter requires that the students have an account, where Storify does not.
Storify allows students (who do set up an account) to curate the stories that they find useful
to research and organize them into categories.
Here is my lesson in using Twitter to research
Here is my lesson in using Storify to research
However, you may use any social media source you like!!!!

13. Crider, Anthony. "Crutches." Flickr. Yahoo, 18 Jan. 2010. Web. 20 Jan. 2016.
Howie, Jason. "Instagram and other Social Media Apps." Flickr. Yahoo, 1 Sept.
2012. Web. 20 Jan. 2016.
Marco, Peggy. Tablet Man. Pixabay. Pixabay, 11 Nov. 2011. Web. 20 Jan. 2016.
Uglowp. "Planner." Pixabay. Pixabay, 7 Mar. 2014. Web. 20 Jan. 2016.