Absurdities and Realities of Special Education
Absurdities and Realities of Special Education: The University of Vermont Center for Digital Initiatives Collection is a complete set of all of the cartoons created by Michael Giangreco with the assistance of the artist Kevin Ruelle. This includes a total of 335 cartoons from four previously published books and searchable CD that went "out of print" in 2019 and a few newer cartoons. Michael Giangreco created the original ideas, text, and sketches for each cartoon and Kevin Ruelle redrew the sketches.
The cartoons in the first three books all were originally in black and white. That was a conscious decision, both for aesthetic and practical reasons. The cartoons were designed to be easily copied on to overhead transparencies for display in classes, workshops, and other learning environments. A group called Alliance for Inclusive Education (ALLFIE) requested permission to use one of the cartoons on the cover of their magazine and subsequently colorized it. Prompted by Giangreco’s colleagues associated with ALLFIE, Giangreco and Ruelle began to colorize the rest of the images. In this complete digital collection, we have included a total of 335 different digital images; including the 315 different cartoons from the four earlier books, 12 cartoons that were on the CD only, and eight that were not included in any of the previously published books or CD.
Cartoons from the early books have found their way on to the pages of many newsletters disseminated by schools, parent groups, disability advocacy organizations, and professional associations. They have appeared in books, manuals, and journals; a few were even published in a law journal. The cartoons have been used extensively as projected slides or within learning activities in college classes, at conferences, in workshops, and at other meetings. Parents have framed cartoons that closely reflected their own experiences and hung them in their homes or offices. Other parents have used them in meetings with professionals to help get their points across. They have been given as gifts to people who "get it" and handed out as door prizes. The Vermont Coalition for Disability Rights used them as part of "Disability Awareness Day" at the Vermont legislature. The cartoons can be used in innumerable creative ways.
Showing 61 - 70 of 106 Records
Oops!
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows two men on a sidewalk one in a wheelchair and one behind the wheelchair holding the handles no longer attached to the back of the wheelchair. As the wheelchair speeds away the man in the chair has his hands up in the air and a frightened look on his face. The man behind the wheelchair has a huge eyes and says "Oops!" The tag line reads "Harold regrets not attending the in-service on wheelchair safety."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Remodeling
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows six men all doing different tasks trying to remodel a bathroom and all of them are getting in each others way and making a mess of things. The tag line reads, "If we remodeled bathrooms the way we delivered support services using a specialist-reliant model..."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Whole Language
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows Mr. Moody sitting at a desk with papers and a phone on it. He is on the phone and says, "You're darn right I'm in favor of a whole language! Those partial language approaches are completely inadequate." The tag line reads "Mr. Moody left the district in-service on teaching reading before they discussed the importance of combining literature and phonics."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Lunacy
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows the full moon with stars in the dark sky and a dog sitting on the top of a hill howling at the moon. There is a building with a group of people that you can see through a window sitting around a table having a meeting. Someone in the room says "Are we in agreement? In order to teach our students with disabilities to function in our community we should send them away to learn some place else." The tag line reads "Lunacy!? After several bad experiences with the lunar cycle, school officials decide not to hold any more meetings during the full moon."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Three Musketeers
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows the Three Musketeers standing in a circle with their swords up in the air crossing tips. Each sword has something different written on it, Values, Logic and Research. The three musketeers are exclaiming "All for one and one for all!!" The tagline reads "The Three Musketeers of good practice: Values, Logic and Research (in that order)."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
False Rumors
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows Mr. Moody working under a sink with a wrench. Someone from out of the panel says "Mr. Moody, It's time for our meeting. Are you ready to join us?" and Mr. Moody replies "Almost, I just have to finish this last joint." The tag line reads "Communication Breakdown #21: False rumors are spread that Mr. Moody uses illegal substances."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Old Hat
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows a classroom table with children sitting around it working on papers together. Two teachers are in the left side of the frame chatting, one is wearing an old baseball hat. And one is wearing a hairband and glasses. The teacher with the hairband says "It's amazing how well you have adjusted your teaching now that students with severe disabilities are in your class." The teacher in the old hat says "Well, I just keep reminding myself that my students were each different before 'Inclusive Education' that hasn't changed, just expanded." The tag line reads "Mrs. King sports her worn softball cap as a reminder that individualizing to meet unique student needs is old hat to good teachers."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Her Own Shadow (ground hog)
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows a Groundhog sitting on a table talking to Mr. Moody. The Groundhog says "So here's the idea. During the interview, you just casually walk her outside. If she doesn't see her own shadow, you hire her for a six week probationary period." the tag line reads, "Mr. Moody considers the school district consultant's recommendation for hiring an instructional assistant who won't unnecessarily shadow students."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Raw Data
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows a man and woman in a room with an oven. The woman is taking a baking dish full of papers out of the oven. The Man on the left side of the panel asks, "What are you doing with our student data?" The woman answers, "When I started, it was raw data. It's still not done." The tag line reads "Student data is extremely valuable-but not if it's half-baked."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
General Ed
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows a General named Ed standing in front of an American flag saluting. The tag line reads, "Few people know that before he was 'General Ed' he was 'Special Ed.'"
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants