From Knowledgeable to Knowledge-able: Beyond Critical Thinking and Information Literacy in New Media Environments

Abstract

Dubbed ââ¬Åthe explainerââ¬Â by Wired magazine, Dr. Michael Wesch is a cultural anthropologist exploring the effects of new media on society and culture. After two years studying the implications of writing on a remote indigenous culture in the rain forest of Papua New Guinea, he has turned his attention to the effects of social media and digital technology on global society. His videos on culture, technology, education, and informationââ¬âsuch as ââ¬ÅA Vision of Students Todayââ¬Âââ¬âhave been viewed by millions, translated into more than 15 languages, and frequently featured at international film festivals and major academic conferences worldwide. Wesch has won several major awards for his work, including a Wired Magazine Rave Award and the John Culkin Award for Outstanding Praxis in Media Ecology, and he was recently named an Emerging Explorer by National Geographic. He has also won several teaching awards, including the 2008 CASE/Carnegie U.S. Professor of the Year for Doctoral and Research Universities.