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 81 - 90 of 228 Records
Trick Question
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 2000
- Description: The cartoon shows Mr. Moody (a school principal) meeting with a mother. She is saying, "We're trying to decide which school district is best for our daughter. So we want to know what you have: Inclusion? Inclusive Education? Or Full Inclusion?" Mr. Moody replies, "Ohhhh...I get it! It's a trick question right?!?" The tag line reads, "Mr. Moody continues to be befuddled by the lack of clear definition."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks
Nix Narrowing Normal
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 2010-2013
- Description: This cartoon has two panels stacked vertically. The upper panel shows a large group of people positioned between two brick walls with plenty of space between them and the walls on either side. The group represents all manner of human diversity (e.g., age, race, gender identity, ability/disability) happily together with the word "NORMAL" under them with an arrowed line on each side pointing out toward the walls. One person seated in a wheelchair in the group says. "Keepin' it wide!" The lower panels shows the same group of people squished tightly and uncomfortably between the same two walls that have been pushed very close together by mechanical arms from both sides so that now the space available for "NORMAL" is so small that even the letters of the word are scrunched. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Nix Narrowing Normal."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Post CD
Part of: 5. Post CD
It's a Jungle Out There!
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 2000
- Description: The cartoon shows a sign in the front of a classroom room that says, "Welcome to first-year teacher orientation!" A group of first-year are teachers sitting at tables facing a man dressed in safari clothes, pith helmet, high boots, canteen on his shoulder, and a walking stick who is saying, "People, the jungle is a place of great beauty, but also presents many hazards for the uninitiated. You must learn to become one with the jungle and all its inhabitants." One of the new teachers is leaning over to the person next to him and saying, "Does he always dress in character and talk in metaphors?" The person replies, "I don't know, I'm just glad he didn't dress as Tarzan!" The tag line reads, "It's a jungle out there!"
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks
American Elvis Research Association
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 2000
- Description: The cartoon shows an Elvis Impersonator in a star-spangled jumpsuit on a stage talking to a crowd of people. On the back wall of the stage is a sign that reads, "American Elvis Research Association" stacked vertically so the first letter of each word creates the acronym AERA. Elvis impersonator is saying into a microphone "Since the King's death the number of Elvis impersonators has increased exponentially. By the year 2005, one in four school-aged children will be Elvis impersonators and over half by 2010. Schools must be prepared. Thank you. Thank you very much." The tag line reads, "Faulty Research Logic." A acknowledgement tag line the left reads, "Inspired by Michael Hock and Cathy Quinn."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks
Educational Jeopardy
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows the game show Jeopardy. The categories on the wall are "Grumpy People" "Big Battles, Little Battles" "You Did What?" "Can't Get There From Here." At the top of the panel it says "Your Child's in Educational Jeopardy." In the panel the game show host says "Janet, it's your turn." and Janet replies "I'll take Grumpy People for $100" the tag line reads "Parents find new ways to raise money for educationally related legal fees."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Hazards
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 2000
- Description: The cartoon shows a golf course with people playing in all different areas. A player is in a water hazard labeled "Staffing." Another player is a sand trap labeled, "Funding." A third player is stuck in a patch of tall grass labeled, "Service Coordinator." Another is stuck among the trees, labeled "Bureaucracy," and is trying to hit toward the 18th hole. The tag line reads, "The hazards of transition planning are par for the course."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks
5. Post CD
- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-
- Date Created: 2010-2021
- Description: This collection includes 7 color cartoon images that were created between 2010-2021, after the publication of the books and CD.
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education
Authentic Assessment
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows a wall with signs across the top and sides. There is a salesman pointing to the signs behind a counter and a woman in the foreground. The sign across the top of the panel reads "Test Publishers Inc." On the left side of the panel a sign reads "Our Moto: 'We'll sell you what-ever you're willing to buy regardless of quality or utility'." Other signs read "Authentic Assessments," "Counterfeit Assessments," "Culturally Biased Assessments," "Hypothetical Assessments," "Make-Believe Assessments," and "Verified, But Useless Assessments." The woman asks the salesman "What kind of assessment tools do you carry?" The salesman says, "We carry a full range!" The tag line reads, "Authentic Assessments: Consider the Alternatives."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
School Psychologists
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows a table with testing kits and fire extinguishers. Two women are in the panel and one person outside the panel says, "Hurry up! We've got a problem!" One woman rushes toward the voice carrying a fire extinguisher and testing kit saying, "I'm coming!" The women near the table calls out, "Next!" The tag line reads "All of the district's school psychologists are supplied with equipment to carry out their two most common functions."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Educating Roaches
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon is two panels in the top frame of the panel are a man and a woman. The man is a reporter and is interviewing the woman who is holding up a "Not Roaches" sign. He says "And now a commentary from Bertha Snippett." And Bertha says "Who are these 'Inclusive Education' people and why do they want to educate supportive roaches? I don't care how supportive the are! Roaches are nasty little bugs and furthermore..." In the lower frame the reporter interrupts and says "Excuse me, it's not "educating supportive roaches." It's "Educationally Supportive Approaches." Mrs. Snippett says, turning red in the face "Oh...never mind." The tag line reads "Inclusion mishap #13: Mrs. Snippett decides it's finally time to have her hearing tested."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants