The media (several Internet sites, National Public Radio, etc.) have reported on composer Eric Whitacre's virtual choir projects. (Basically, he uploads video of himself conducting with some piano accompaniment to YouTube. He then invites singers to perform their own performance and to upload the video to YouTube. The videos are then compiled into a single video of the virtual choir performing the piece. Amazing stuff.
I must conclude educators should pay attention to this for several reasons:
1) Yeah, we know YouTube has lots of junk on it, but it also has lots of amazing stuff on it... we can't have one without the other. If we want artists to be able to create such works with this medium, then have to accept the "gutter humor" that will accompany it.
2) Watch the video and pay attention to the reactions of participants at about 11:30. The connection these participants describe is the same connection that our students feel to their online communities. You may not understand it, you may not feel it, but your students who belong do.
3) When YouTube first arrived, I doubt anyone predicted that it would be used to connect 2,500 humans in creating such a piece. If we limit ourselves to the uses of technology that we can envision and predict, then we are limiting (severely) ourselves, our students, and the contributions we can all make to humanity.
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