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 - 7 of 7 Records

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4 1999 3 1998
Miniature of School Calendar
School Calendar
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    • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
    • Date Created: 1999
    • Description: The cartoon shows two people, a man and woman, looking at the school calendar. The man is pointing at the calendar and says to the woman "Have you seen the proposed school calendar? We have 10 days for teaching and 185 days for testing." The woman replies "Well, at least it's fewer lessons to plan." The tag line reads "Based on current political trends, within two decades 95% of the school year will be devoted to testing."
    • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your 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 Whine Cellar
      Whine Cellar
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        • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
        • Date Created: 1999
        • Description: The cartoon shows Mr. Moody and a woman going down the stairs into the cellar. There are wood barrels in the foreground of the frame and one of the barrels has a mouse and cheese on it. Mr. Moody says "Let's talk down here." The tag line reads "Mr. Moody escorts a disgruntled employee to the school's newly established Whine Cellar."
        • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
        Miniature of Eyes in the Back of the Head
        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
          Miniature of Power of Test Results
          Power of Test Results
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            • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
            • Date Created: 1998
            • Description: This cartoon has two panels with nearly identical images showing a teacher and occupational therapist talking about a student. In the upper frame the occupational therapist asks, "How have you found Sarah's handwriting?" The teacher replies, "Actually, it's quite good. In fact, it's as good or better than the other 2nd graders." In the lower frame the occupational therapist replies, "The results of my OT evaluation indicate substantial visual-perceptual-motor delays. She'll need special seating, a slant board, a special pencil grip, and an hour a week of direct therapy." The teacher seems surprised, but acquiesces and says, "She seems to be doing fine... but you're the expert!" The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Mrs. Baker questions her 20 years of experience as a second grade teacher and succumbs to the awesome power of test results."
            • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Ants in His Pants
            Miniature of Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
            Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
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              • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
              • Date Created: 1999
              • Description: The cartoon shows a man wearing wings strapped to his arms crashing into the side of a brick building. The tag line reads "After trying to fly by the seat of his pants, Fred learned that good teaching requires good planning."
              • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
              Miniature of Passing the Buck
              Passing the Buck
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                • Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
                • Date Created: 1998
                • Description: This cartoon shows a young student with disabilities wearing a deer mask (with antlers) while he is handed from a teacher to a paraprofessional. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "The professional staff resort to using props just so the teacher assistant is clear they are passing the buck."
                • Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Ants in His Pants