Michael Wesch is Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University, USA. In his work he explores the impacts of new media on human interaction. Wesch is well known for his groundbreaking work in digital ethnography, and he is also active in developing innovative teaching techniques.

His research gained broader attention as the result of his award-winning video "Web 2.0 - The Machine is Us/ing Us", in which he describes in short sequences the power of web 2.0 applications. The video - which is available on YouTube - has been viewed by more than five million people so far and instantly made him a household name within the blogosphere.

Michael Wesch's presentation at Online Educa Berlin 2008 will contribute to one of the event's overriding themes: "Meeting the learning needs of Generation Y". International experts will be discussing the challenges of teaching and training media-savvy students who have grown up with the Internet. In his speech, Wesch will take a closer look at how emerging technologies affect our understanding of teaching and how web 2.0 tools can help solve the crisis of significance that education is facing today, especially in the eyes of our students.