Gloucester County College will offer a
3-credit course that uses Walt Disney World as its field site. The
course will meet two full days on Saturdays in April 2006 at
Gloucester County College and five days and nights in May 2006 at
Disney World. Course description, tentative schedule, costs,
information about our stay at Disney World, background information
about the two professors teaching the course, and sources of
additional information can be found below.
Note: For
additional information about taking this course, please contact Dr.
John Baer <baer@rider.edu>
or Dr. Sylvia Baer
<sbaer@gccnj.edu>.
Course
Description
Multi-Dimensional Children's
Literature
(ENG 170: Special Topics in English
-- 3 credits)
Dr. Sylvia Baer & Dr. John
Baer
Videos, movies, toys, dolls, theme parks,
websites, computer games, and accessories of all kinds have become
common extensions of works of children's literature, and sometimes
these extensions become larger and more significant in children's
lives than the works of literature themselves. What is the nature,
the impact, and the viability of these extensions of books for
children, and how can we create developmentally appropriate
extensions of great children's stories that supplement and enrich,
but do not replace or diminish, the originals? This course examines
the value and effects of these multi-dimensional elements and teaches
students how to evaluate and to create such extra-textual extensions
of works of children's literature. The course is designed to focus on
1) the literature itself, by examining multi-textual and comparative
models; 2) the reader of the literature, by examining and applying
psychological theories of development; and 3) the delivery methods,
by examining the various off-shoots of the literature
itself.
This course will use Walt Disney World as a
field site. The class will meet for two full days on week-ends in
April at Gloucester County College; there will be a variety of
assignments to be completed between then and the time the class
reconvenes at Disney World in early May; the class will then use
Disney World as a fieldsite to explore multi-dimensional children's
literature; and students will submit final projects based on their
Disney World research after returning to New Jersey. Classes will
meet daily during the five-day stay at Disney World.
Evaluation will be based on book and
multi-media evaluations, in-class writings and quizzes, and a final
paper/project.
Tentative Course
Schedule
Saturday, April 15, 2006, and Saturday,
April 22, 2006, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, at Gloucester County College in
Sewell, NJ.
Thursday afternoon, May 18, 2006, through
Tuesday morning, May 23, 2006, at Walt Disney World in Orlando,
FL.
Course
Costs
Because Gloucester County College is a
state- and county-supported school, costs vary somewhat depending on
residency; however, the estimated total cost for the course,
including registration and fees, lodging, and passes to the four
Disney World theme parks will be approximately $1,240. This does not
include airfare, books, or food. Food costs at Disney World vary
widely. Dinners at the Food Court at Port Orleans Riverside run about
$10, and one easily can dine on $25 a day if one avoids the more
expensive restaurants. Airfares vary widely, but this is not a heavy
travel time to Florida so there are many bargains to be
found.
For more exact cost information, please
contact Dr. John Baer
<baer@rider.edu>
or Dr. Sylvia Baer
<sbaer@gccnj.edu>.
Information about Our Stay at
Disney World
We will visit all four theme parks (The
Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, Disney-MGM Studios, and Disney's Animal
Kingdom), and we will spend five nights on Disney property at one of
Disney's most beautiful resorts, Port Orleans Riverside (formerly
known as Dixie Landings). The resort has several swimming pools, a
large food court and a restaurant, bike and walking trails, and many
beautiful gardens. Port Orleans is situated on the Sassagoula River,
and boats leave for Downtown Disney every 20 minutes. Buses will take
us to each of the four Disney theme parks. We will also ride the
monorail to visit The Magic Kingdom and Epcot Center and some of the
Magic Kingdom resorts. All transportation on Disney property is free
to us as guests at Port Orleans.
All rooms at Port Orleans have two double
beds, a bathroom, double sinks, and a dressing area. Two students
will share each room.
The weather at Disney World in May is
generally quite warm, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. Students
should come prepared for occasional wet weather. We will be going to
the parks each day, rain or shine.
About the
Professors
Dr. Sylvia Baer is a Professor of English
at Gloucester County College. She has been teaching children's
literature for many years, and she has won several prestigious awards
for her teaching. She is also an Emily Dickinson scholar, a poet, and
a playwright.
Dr. John Baer is a Professor of Education
at Rider University. His books on creativity are widely read by both
psychologists and educators. His research on the development of
creativity and his teaching have both won national
awards.
For More
Information
For additional information or to
pre-register for the course, please contact Dr. John
Baer <baer@rider.edu>
or Dr. Sylvia
Baer <sbaer@gccnj.edu>.
Enrollment is limited.
Below are some photos of our last class at
Disney World.
