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 91 - 100 of 342 Records
Bill of Goods
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1998
- Description: This cartoon shows a teacher in the doorway of her classroom looking perplexed. In the hallway speaking to her is a man holding a large poster which says, "1. General Education Teachers can't teach students with disabilities. 2. You only have to be a host. 3. Everybody else is an expert." There are other items listed that are not readable. The man says to the teacher, "Excuse me Ma'am, you were sold a bill of goods. I am sorry to have to inform you that it has been recalled." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "After being sold a bill of goods, Mrs. Martin is surprised to learn it's defective."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Ants in His Pants
Island in the Mainstream
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1998
- Description: This cartoon shows a class filled with students seated at desks in rows facing a teacher in the front of the room. In the back of the room, separated by water, a student with a disability seated in a wheelchair is alone on a small desert island with one palm tree, sitting a table across from a white-haired paraprofessional -- neither are facing the teacher. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Island in the Mainstream. Mrs. Cooper and Mrs. Jones are still trying to figure out why Fred doesn't feel like part of the class." The note on the side indicates, "Inspired by Doug Biklen."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Ants in His Pants
Holding the Bag
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1998
- Description: This cartoon shows a man looking distressed with his hand on his forehead and holding a bag, while off to the side four others are running away from him in different directions. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "After a unidirectional experience with role release, Henry feels like he is left holding the bag."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Ants in His Pants
Snailville
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1998
- Description: This cartoon shows two giant snails sitting in chairs at a table with paperwork in front of each of them. The first snail says, "Those inclusive education radicals want everything yesterday. What do they expect?!" The second snail says, "I know what you mean, we've only had LRE provisions in the law since 1975!" The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Administrators at Snailville School lament the speed of change." A note on the side indicates, "Inspired by Alan Gartner and Dorothy Kerzner Lipsky with help from Melanie Giangreco."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Ants in His Pants
Cloning (Teacher)
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1998
- Description: This cartoon shows one educator talking to another who is holding a test tube. The first educator asks, "What's in the test tube?" The other educator replies, "A small skin sample from Mrs. Keegan, she's a great teacher." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Despite the bio-ethical controversies Maggie favors human cloning." A note on the side indicates, "Inspired by Adelle Keegan."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Ants in His Pants
On the Fence
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1998
- Description: This cartoon shows a man uncomfortably sitting astride and atop a white picket fence as he says, "Really! I can see both sides." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Roy has been sitting on the fence for so long that he has forgotten how to form his own opinion."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Ants in His Pants
Head in the Sand
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1998
- Description: In a desert a man has his head stuck in the sand while a nearby, upright ostrich looks at him with a question mark over his head. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Ignoring the need for inclusive education doesn't make it go way".
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Ants in His Pants
Endangered Species
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1998
- Description: This cartoons shows two people in the foreground with binoculars (like bird watchers) looking at a group of people in the background. One of the two people says, "Look over there! A well-functioning team!" The second person says, "Isn't it beautiful?" The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Herb and Sally add the elusive collaborative team to their life list of rare and endangered species."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Ants in His Pants
Cloning (Paraprofessional)
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1998
- Description: This cartoon shows one educator talking to another who is holding a test tube. The first educator asks, "What's in the test tube?" The other educator replies, "A small skin sample from Mrs. Keegan, she's a great paraprofessional." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Despite the bio-ethical controversies Maggie favors human cloning."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Ants in His Pants
You Actually Have to Teach
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1998
- Description: This cartoon shows a special educator and general education teacher talking with each other. The special educator hands the teacher a paper and says, "… and that's what needs to be done." As the teacher accepts the paper his eyes are wide and he looks surprised as he says, "Ohhhh! I get it now. You mean I actually have to teach this student." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Murray has spent too many years with students who learn regardless of what the teacher does."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Ants in His Pants