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
High Anxiety
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 2000
- Description: The cartoon shows a circus tent with a high wire stretched across the center. On one end of the wire is a platform with a sign on it with the word, "Vision" in big letters. On the other end of the wire is another platform with two men standing there. One man is holding a balancing pole with a bag of money on each end (he is nervous and says, "gulp" the other man standing behind him on the ladder says, "That's the plan. Now go for it." The Ring Master on the ground says, "...And without a net..." The tag line reads, "Unless you have the skills, it's high anxiety."
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks
Confusion Reigns
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- Creator: Giangreco, Michael F., 1956-.
- Date Created: 2000
- Description: The cartoon shows a group of five educators standing out in the pouring rain. From left to right they are doing and saying the following: The first person is holding rolled up diplomas and says, "We've got the skills!" The is holding a bunch of carrots and says, "We've got the incentives." The man in the middle is holding a bag of money and says, "We've got the resources!" The next is holding a piece of paper and says, "We've got the plan!" The person on the far right is throwing his hands up in the air while saying, "But where are we headed?" The tag line reads, "Without a vision confusion reigns!"
- Parent Collections: Absurdities and Realities of Special Education, Teaching Old Logs New Tricks