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 1 - 2 of 2 Records
Sustained Silent Breathing
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 2000
- Description: The cartoon shows a group of educators having a meeting around a table. One of the men is saying, "We've identified an objective that will allow Davey to be included in all class activities." to which Mrs. Jones replies, "But this doesn't need to be a goal! He can already do this!" The tag line reads, " Mrs. Jones expresses her concern about the objective: 'During a variety of activities, Davey will demonstrate sustained silent breathing 100% of the time.'"
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks
Unaccustomed to Good News
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1998
- Description: This cartoon has two panels stacked vertically. The top panel shows two people talking on the phone to each other, a principal at school and a mother at home. The principal says, "Mrs. Blue, Byron broke and old record at school today." The mother replies, "I'm very sorry. We'll pay for it. I know the school doesn't have enough money for CDs." In the second frame, the principal says, "You don't understand. He broke a school record for the greatest flexibility in our P.E. program." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Mrs. Blue is woefully unaccustomed to good news."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Ants in His Pants