This Tip discusses why an organization would seek both educational instructors and entertainers, but not edutainers.
“Anyone who tries to make a distinction between education and entertainment doesn’t know the first thing about either.” Marshall McLuhan
Educational Instructors and Entertainers
I saw a Request for Proposal seeking educational instructors and entertainers. It definitely got my attention and peaked my interest. I’d never seen anything like it before!
My first thought was that they might be looking for educational instructors who are also entertainers. Maybe they really wanted edutainers: people who educate in an entertaining manner, mixing wit and humor with information.
I’d like to believe that describes my training style. But I always want the spotlight to be on the learners. I would imagine that edutainers want the spotlight for themselves. Perhaps I could qualify as a facilitative edutainer?
But no, the fact that educational instructors and entertainers were separately specified indicated that the agency was not interested in combining them.
Maybe the agency wanted instructors who educate but do not entertain. And entertainers who entertain but do not educate. That would be a shame, since entertaining instructors make learning enjoyable. And entertainers are frequently educational.
Speaking for myself, I have little time or attention for an instructor who doesn’t engage me. I also have little time for an entertainer who doesn’t offer something new for me to think about.
At this point, inquiring minds probably want to know the type of agency that issued the RFP.
I wasn’t able to access the solicitation. However, I was able to ascertain that the agency issuing the RFP was a community library system.
Now it starts to make sense why they wanted both types of professionals, doesn’t it?
May your learning be sweet.
Deborah
