I saw Michael Wesch, Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University, give a keynote speech at a NITLE Consortium Summit in 2008. He discussed research findings that he was about to present at the library of Congress. His presentation was fascinating– here was a bold educator who created a truly constructive learning space where students became practitioners in surveying, questioning, analyzing and creating digital culture. Not only were the research findings interesting and presented in an engaging manner, I was especially taken by his uniquely student-centered approach as an educator. I left the presentation elated and motivated to share my new insights with the rest of my team at the faculty center and the Adelphi faculty. Not surprisingly, the full presentation is now available on YouTube for everyone to see! To me, the session for the library of Congress is a must-see for everyone who ponders the impact of YouTube and other social media on society.
An Anthropological Introduction to YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPAO-lZ4_hU&feature=player_embedded
Be aware – this will require your full attention – a few minutes into the presentation it gets very fast paced, visual and quirky! 
For all the curious-minded educators among us, here is a recording of a session with Michael Wesch and the students of his Digital Ethnography course in spring 2009 about their course activities and research process. This is a rare showcase of how cutting edge web 2.0 tools are used in the classroom to aggregate content and to collaboratively perform research.
https://admin.na3.acrobat.com/_a748449443/p44215300/
In case you haven’t seen this yet: the short, earlier video called “A vision of Students Today” that was created in the Digital Ethnology class in the spring 2008. It’s a powerful statement that has become a classic among educators interested in instructional technology.
http://www.youtube.com/user/mwesch#p/u/6/dGCJ46vyR9o
If this caught your interest and you would like to see more video presentations by Michael Wesch and his students, check out their own YouTube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mwesch#p/u
There’s also the blog from the Digital Ethnography course. In addition to information about their research process you may find some interesting teaching practices and strategies.
http://mediatedcultures.net/ksudigg/
