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 - 5 of 5 Records

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Miniature of American Elvis Research Association
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
    Miniature of Method to the Madness
    Method to the Madness
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      • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
      • Date Created: 2000
      • Description: The cartoon shows a cluster of university buildings, one is a tall bell tower with a person at the top laughing, "Hee hee hee." There are three people in the foreground of the panel one man standing on the left says, "Is the rumor true about Dr. G?" The woman standing in the middle says, "I'm afraid so. After 20 years of conducting research he's regressed to a child-like state of writing cartoons." The man standing on the right says, "He won't get tenure that way!" The tag line reads, "Method to the madness: Unbeknownst to his learned colleagues, Dr G. got more people talking about important issues when they were cleverly disguised as corny cartoons."
      • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks
      Miniature of Three Musketeers
      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
        Miniature of Heavenly Times
        Heavenly Times
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          • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
          • Date Created: 2007
          • Description: This cartoon shows the front page of the newspaper Heavenly Times, each side of the title banner shows a winged angel trumpeting. The headline reads, "Scholar Turns Over in Grave, by C. U. Later." The story includes an image of the cemetery headstone of noted anthropologist, Margaret Mead, 1901-1978, R.I.P. The story reads as follows: "Dateline: Research Heaven. Since her death in 1978, world-renowned anthropologist, Margaret Mead, has been resting peacefully with the full knowledge that varied research methodologies have become increasingly utilized to better understand and improve the human condition. Mead's slumber was abruptly interrupted when federal legislation defined 'scientifically based research' in a manner that dramatically narrows the scope of educational inquiry. Sources close to Mead, report that she is so upset about the government's tampering with foundational research principles that she is organizing a purposeful sample of deceased researchers of various quantitative and qualitative methodological persuasions to peacefully protest this limiting definition by haunting government agencies that restrict or devalue diverse forms of research."
          • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, CD Only
          Miniature of Bridging the Gap
          Bridging the Gap
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            • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
            • Date Created: 2010-2013
            • Description: This cartoon shows a bridge under construction spanning a river. There are completed parts from both sides of the river, one labeled "Research" and the other labeled "Practices in Schools." The middle section is open, not yet completed. A crane is lifting the connecting piece into place, labeled "Service Delivery." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Bridging the Gap."
            • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Post CD