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 - 10 of 13 Records
Terrorless Learning
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows three children sitting at a table working together. In the foreground are a man and a woman. The man says, "Max seems to be interacting with the other kids so much better lately." The woman replies, "We've begun to understand his behavior. He has responded well to positive behavioral supports." The tag line reads, "Terrorless Learning."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Student Judges
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows four students sitting at a long table with a banner on the front of the table that says "Student Judges." The student on the far left is holding a score card that reads "7.5" the other three students are not fully showing their cards. There is a teacher standing in front of the table with legs crossed, hand on his left hip right arm up in the air like he is doing a jig with an apple on his head. The tagline reads "After a full week of testing, students decide to turn the tables and judge their teachers."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Falling Through the Cracks
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 2000
- Description: The cartoon shows a bridge in the sky. There are boards missing across the bridge and the ones that are there have "Standards" written on them. There are children trying to cross the bridge. Some are easily able to get across, some are struggling to hang on, and some are falling through the cracks between the boards. The tag line reads, "How many students are falling through the cracks?"
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks
One in a Million
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 2000
- Description: The cartoon shows two women talking. The woman in the lower right side of the panel is asking the other woman, "Can you tell me about Jody's disabilities?" The other woman in the left side of the panel, Mrs. Smith, responds "Let's just say she's "One in a million, Literally." The tag line reads, "Mrs. Smith always looks for the positive ways to describe the uniqueness of each student."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks
Meet the Standards
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows Mr. Moody (administrator) standing with a line of students behind him and a couple with a baby, Mr. and Mrs. Standard, in front of them. Mr. Moody says "Suzy, I'd like you to meet Mr. Standard, his wife, Mrs. Standard and their little baby Standard- They're new in town." The tag line reads "Confused by a state education directive, Mr. Moody arranges for every student in his school to meet the Standards."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Eyes in the Back of the Head
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows a teacher writing on the blackboard in front of a class full of students. One of the students in the front row is making a goofy face at the rest of the class. Without looking behind her, the teacher says, "I saw that." The tag line reads "Students conduct a scientifically controlled experiment to verify that teachers really do have eyes in the back of their heads."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
Lesson League
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 2000
- Description: The cartoon shows a classroom with a teacher standing at the chalkboard in front of a class of kids. One of the kids in the front row is holding up a tape recorder and asks, "Mrs. Johnson, is it OK if I tape today's lesson?" Mrs. Johnson replies, "This lesson is intended for the private use of my class. Any rebroadcast or other use of this lesson without the express written consent of the national teacher lesson league is strictly prohibited." The tag line reads, "Simple accommodations in the age of litigation."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks
Achieve All the Standards
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 2000
- Description: The cartoon shows two school officials, a man on the left who is looking stressed and a woman to his right. The man is holding a huge stack of papers that rise from his waist to above his head. He is saying to the woman, "In order for students to achieve all the standards we'll have to extend the school day to 10 hours, the school year to 240 days, and the students will have to go to high school until age 24." The tag line reads, "School Officials Ponder Their Options: Adjust the standards, adjust the school program or adjust both."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks
Clearing the Path V2
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 2000
- Description: The cartoon shows a school with children waiting at the bottom of the stairs for a school custodian to shovel the snow so that they can get into the building. A student in a wheelchair asks the custodian, "Could you please shovel the ramp?" he replies, "All these other kids are waiting to use the stairs. When I get through shoveling them off then I will clear the ramp for you." The student in the wheelchair replies back, "But if you shovel the ramp we can all get in!" The tag line reads, "Clearing a path for everyone!"
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks
If You Can't Beat 'Em…
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 1999
- Description: The cartoon shows teachers and children playing at a play ground on a slide a swing set and playing frisbee. One teacher sliding down the slide with a child on his lap says to the other teacher on a swing, "You're right this is way better that what we used to do!" The teacher on the swing responds, "Way better!" The tag lines reads, "After the school district banned corporal punishment, staff decided on a new moto: 'If you can't beat 'em, Join 'em'."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants