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.

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Showing 1 - 10 of 16 Records

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16 still image

6 1999 5 1998 5 2000
Miniature of Marriage of General and Special Education
Marriage of General and Special Education
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    • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
    • Date Created: 1998
    • Description: This cartoon shows two people getting married. They are holding hands as they move through a doorway together. Behind them in shadows are lots of luggage of various shapes and sizes. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "In the marriage of general and special education, both parties agree to leave their baggage at the door." The note on the side indicates, "Inspired by Mara Sapon-Shevin, Rich Villa, and Jacque Thousand."
    • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Ants in His Pants
    Miniature of Dry Heat
    Dry Heat
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      • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
      • Date Created: 1999
      • Description: The cartoon shows a large group of people sitting around a table all talking at once. One person looks to the guy beside him and says "Is it me, or is there a lot of hot air in this room?" The guy responds "Yes, but it's a dry heat." The tag line reads "Alan always looks for the positive in every situation."
      • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
      Miniature of Collaboration Myths
      Collaboration Myths
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        • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
        • Date Created: 2000
        • Description: The cartoon shows two people in a room, one person is standing and the other is sitting at a table writing. The person standing is shocked by what he sees (the other person completing the IEP before the meeting with team has started) says, "What are you doing?! Don't you know doing that by yourself can make you go blind?!" The person seated at the table is turning red in he face (showing his embarrassment) and responds, "Really?! I was just trying to get some things taken care of before the team arrived." The tag line reads, "Disability myths spawn collaboration myths."
        • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks
        Miniature of Meeting Mania
        Meeting Mania
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          • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
          • Date Created: 1999
          • Description: The cartoon shows educators sitting around a big table. One man is saying "Our agenda for today's meeting is to review the agenda from our last meeting, discuss why we don't get much accomplished at meetings, and set a date for our next meeting." The tag line reads "Meeting Mania."
          • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
          Miniature of Lone Ranger
          Lone Ranger
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            • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
            • Date Created: 2000
            • Description: The cartoon shows a man dressed as a cowboy with a sheriff star on his shirt riding a hobby horse. He is saying, "Hi oh Silver, Away!" The tag line reads, "The Lone Ranger of Teamwork: A team of one gets a little done." A tag line on the left reads, "Inspired by Linda Backus."
            • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks
            Miniature of Endangered Species
            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
              Miniature of You Actually Have to Teach
              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, "‚Ķ 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
                Miniature of Extreme Team & Dream Team
                Extreme Team & Dream Team
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                  • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
                  • Date Created: 1999
                  • Description: The cartoon shows two panels. The top panel is a group of educators sitting around a table with papers and pens in front of each person. A mans says, "Are we all here?" A woman at the table says, "Where do my goals go?" The man next to her says, "Are we ready to staple our parts together?" And then another woman at the table says, "Who's going to tell the parents what we decided?" The tag line for the top panel says, "Extreme Team." The lower panel has four people sitting at a table together. Each person has a piece of paper and a pen as well as pizza and drinks. One woman says, "Are we agreed on these common goals?" The man next to her says, "At our next meeting, let's continue with our adaptation planning." The next woman says, "Let's wrap it up by reviewing accomplishments and processing. Joan, thanks for bringing snacks!" The man next to her says, "I'll share this with the rest of my family!" The tag line for this panel reads "Dream Team."
                  • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
                  Miniature of Workable Team Size
                  Workable Team Size
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                    • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
                    • Date Created: 1999
                    • Description: The cartoon shows lots of people stuffed into a phone booth and a line of people waiting. Mr. Moody is holding up his hand and saying "OK that's enough." The tag line reads "In an effort to maintain a workable team size, Mr. Moody suggests limiting membership to the number of people that can fit into a phone booth."
                    • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
                    Miniature of Marking Territory
                    Marking Territory
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                      • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
                      • Date Created: 1999
                      • Description: The cartoon shows people sniffing around the area like dogs. One man is sniffing a tree another is sniffing a fire hydrant, another is peeing on a lamp post and another is sniffing a fence. The tag line reads "Marking Their Territory team members in experimental therapy learn to overcome primitive behavior."
                      • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants