Edutainment

I have long lamented the shift of television news to infotainment. By "infotainment" I mean constant reports on celebrity lives (i.e. Brittany, Brangelina, Paris et. al.) headlining when our country is in an economic crisis, the president just vetoed a bill (SCHIP) that would provide health care for more uninsured children, Buddhist monks and peaceful protesters are getting beat down in Myanmar, the Iranian president is jockeying for more concentrated control of his nuclear program, 10,000 men in Philadelphia are gathering to combat violent crime and homicide, people are trying to assassinate Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan (where we KNOW there is an Al-Qaeda connection) and No Child Left Behind is up for reauthorization!!

Hip hop has been called "the Black people's CNN" because the music, the writing, the mentality, all mirror current conditions and consequences. However, it can inform and persuade everyone- not just Black people! While one purpose of hip hop is to build wealth (or at least gain material possessions), another purpose has been (and continues to be) to tell stories or report on the reality of living in this day and age. Unfortunately, I've found that so many of my students know this in only the shallowest sense (e.g. glorified ghetto life). Therefore, I seek to map out the lyrics (so many metaphors, similes, allusions, and alliteration too!) and discuss the symbolism of images from hip hop culture. Consistent analysis of things that genuinely interest students can promote critical thinking habits that will continue to work outside formal educational settings.

While recognizing and implementing curricula that emerge from student input is important, educators must not fall into the trap of the TV news- adopting a style that is less educational than entertaining. I call this "edutainment." Edutainment is the equivalent of parents befriending their children- it is undesirable at best as parents and teachers alike must exhibit and administer discipline. However, when there is an appropriate balance between core curriculum, high-interest subjects and so-called 21st century skills (read more here) students will learn, retain and apply more.

One activity that I use to accomplish a good balance is called Talk Show. Students are invariably familiar with aspects of television talk shows such as the host, microphone, audience, special guests, and expert opinions. I set up the room like a talk show set and use a marker as a mic and either pose a question or provide information to provoke discussion. As students make comments, I make a conscious effort to summarize their statements and sometimes guide students into making the next comment- e.g. "So and so says this, what do you think about it?" Additionally, this format allows me to introduce/recap key vocabulary and concepts either through a monologue (speaking into the mic is important) or from special guest "testimony." As long as they don't take it Jerry (Springer) or Maury (Povich) on you (some well established ground rules for audience participation can cut down on this), it is an effective way to edutain. ;) ***Take it even further using available technologies by video recording shows, having students create their own news report spots to show, or doing some consumer research on products and services for probable commercials.