Absurdities and Realities of Special Education
Collection Overview
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...
Show moreAbsurdities 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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Pages
- Title
- Quick Guide!
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows an old western scene in a desert landscape dotted with cactus plants. A stage coach off in the distance headed west toward the setting un. Two cowboys on horseback are racing on the road to catch up with it. The cowboy on the left says, "Quick, Guide! Catch up with that coach on...
Show moreThe cartoon shows an old western scene in a desert landscape dotted with cactus plants. A stage coach off in the distance headed west toward the setting un. Two cowboys on horseback are racing on the road to catch up with it. The cowboy on the left says, "Quick, Guide! Catch up with that coach on the vista!" The cowboy on the right replies, "What's the hurry?? Have you got ants in your pants?" The tag lines reads,"Harvey follows the coach on the path toward Inclusionville."
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- Title
- Raw Data
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a man and woman in a room with an oven. The woman is taking a baking dish full of papers out of the oven. The Man on the left side of the panel asks, "What are you doing with our student data?" The woman answers, "When I started, it was raw data. It's still not done." The tag...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a man and woman in a room with an oven. The woman is taking a baking dish full of papers out of the oven. The Man on the left side of the panel asks, "What are you doing with our student data?" The woman answers, "When I started, it was raw data. It's still not done." The tag line reads "Student data is extremely valuable-but not if it's half-baked."
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- Title
- The Real World
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
This cartoon has two panels stacked vertically. The upper panel shows the school principal saying, "Congratulations Larry! Again this year you have achieved all your IEP goals!" Larry says, "Thank You!" The lower panel shows Larry sitting across a desk from an employment specialist who says, "I'm...
Show moreThis cartoon has two panels stacked vertically. The upper panel shows the school principal saying, "Congratulations Larry! Again this year you have achieved all your IEP goals!" Larry says, "Thank You!" The lower panel shows Larry sitting across a desk from an employment specialist who says, "I'm sorry. You're not prepared for a real job." Larry is surprised and replies, "How can that be? I've achieved all of my IEP goals!" The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Larry learns the hard way that school and the real world don't always see success the same way."
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- Title
- Reasonable Affective Disorder
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a room of people sitting on chairs facing the front of the room where a panel of people sit behind a long table. A sign on the right of the frame says, "Welcome support Group Q & A." A man in the front row puts up his hand and asks, "At a meeting last February I encountered a...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a room of people sitting on chairs facing the front of the room where a panel of people sit behind a long table. A sign on the right of the frame says, "Welcome support Group Q & A." A man in the front row puts up his hand and asks, "At a meeting last February I encountered a person who was uncharacteristically sad, moody and unreasonable. How can I handle such a situations in the future?" A person on the panel replies, "Sounds like you encountered a variation on a common problem. For winter meetings, we suggest you bring one of these full spectrum lights." (which he has turned sending a light toward the audience). The tag line reads, "Consumers encounter staff with reasonable affective disorder."
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- Title
- Recycling
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
The cartoon shows two educators talking in front of a filing cabinet. The woman says "Tom's IEP is due soon. What should we do?" The man responds "No sweat. I've saved every IEP I've ever written over the past 15 years. Pick one and we'll go from there." The tag line reads, "Recycling Gone Bad."
- Title
- Remodeling
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
The cartoon shows six men all doing different tasks trying to remodel a bathroom and all of them are getting in each others way and making a mess of things. The tag line reads, "If we remodeled bathrooms the way we delivered support services using a specialist-reliant model..."
- Title
- Reptilian Responses
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
A snake, lizzard, and toad are talking to each other. The snake says, "Let's attack it!". The lizzard says, "Let's eat it!". The toad says, "Let's run. Away from it!". The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Reptilian Responses to Diversity".
- Title
- Rock and a Hard Place
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows an administrator, dressed in a suit, being squished between a brick wall and a giant boulder. There is a sign on the wall that says, "Board of Education" and three arms, coming in from the left side of the panel, pushing the boulder into the man. There is writing on each of the...
Show moreThe cartoon shows an administrator, dressed in a suit, being squished between a brick wall and a giant boulder. There is a sign on the wall that says, "Board of Education" and three arms, coming in from the left side of the panel, pushing the boulder into the man. There is writing on each of the three arms which read, "Parents," "Teachers," and "Advocates." The tag line reads, "School administrators often find themselves between a rock and a hard place."
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- Title
- Rocket Science
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
This cartoon shows a teacher at a chalkboard where he has written a long, complicated equation next to a drawing of a rocket. He says to his colleague, "Here's my plan to include James in a regular class -- it's based on a NASA model." His colleague replies, "It doesn't have to be so complicated....
Show moreThis cartoon shows a teacher at a chalkboard where he has written a long, complicated equation next to a drawing of a rocket. He says to his colleague, "Here's my plan to include James in a regular class -- it's based on a NASA model." His colleague replies, "It doesn't have to be so complicated." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Frank learns that inclusion doesn't have to be rocket science."
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- Title
- Roots of Special Education
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows Rita tending to her garden of root vegetables. The image depicts a cross-section so you can see the roots growing under ground. Each different type of vegetable has a different label: (a) "Access," (b) "Individualization," (c) "Quality Instruction," and (d) "Meaningful Outcomes....
Show moreThe cartoon shows Rita tending to her garden of root vegetables. The image depicts a cross-section so you can see the roots growing under ground. Each different type of vegetable has a different label: (a) "Access," (b) "Individualization," (c) "Quality Instruction," and (d) "Meaningful Outcomes." The tag line reads, "Rita returns to dig up the roots of special education."
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- Title
- Rubber Stamp
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
This cartoons shows document titled, IEP Program and Services along with a rubber stamp that says, "APPROVED" and the document has been stamped. The tag line under the cartoon says, Special Education Coordinator, Mr. Peters, use a low-tech solution to avoid confrontations and threats of due...
Show moreThis cartoons shows document titled, IEP Program and Services along with a rubber stamp that says, "APPROVED" and the document has been stamped. The tag line under the cartoon says, Special Education Coordinator, Mr. Peters, use a low-tech solution to avoid confrontations and threats of due process hearings."
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- Title
- School Lunch Atrocities
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
This cartoon shows a paraprofessional preparing lunch for a student with disabilities by dumping the entire school lunch into a blender, while saying, "Let's see, a cheeseburger, green beans, applesauce, and chocolate milk. Won't this be yummy? Into the blender it goes." In the foreground a...
Show moreThis cartoon shows a paraprofessional preparing lunch for a student with disabilities by dumping the entire school lunch into a blender, while saying, "Let's see, a cheeseburger, green beans, applesauce, and chocolate milk. Won't this be yummy? Into the blender it goes." In the foreground a student in a wheelchair looks very worried and classmate is bent over gagging while saying, "That's Gu-ross! You're not going to make him eat that?" The tag line below the cartoon reads, "School Lunch Atrocities."
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- Title
- School Psychologists
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a table with testing kits and fire extinguishers. Two women are in the panel and one person outside the panel says, "Hurry up! We've got a problem!" One woman rushes toward the voice carrying a fire extinguisher and testing kit saying, "I'm coming!" The women near the table...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a table with testing kits and fire extinguishers. Two women are in the panel and one person outside the panel says, "Hurry up! We've got a problem!" One woman rushes toward the voice carrying a fire extinguisher and testing kit saying, "I'm coming!" The women near the table calls out, "Next!" The tag line reads "All of the district's school psychologists are supplied with equipment to carry out their two most common functions."
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- Title
- Search Committee
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
Four search committee members are seated at a round table. The first person says, "Any other suggested criteria for hiring a candidate for the position?" The second person who is holding up a book to show them called Ants in His Pants Absurdities and Realities of Special Education says, "I think...
Show moreFour search committee members are seated at a round table. The first person says, "Any other suggested criteria for hiring a candidate for the position?" The second person who is holding up a book to show them called Ants in His Pants Absurdities and Realities of Special Education says, "I think we should show them a bunch of educational cartoons. If they laugh, they move on to the interview round; if not, it's ciao for now." The third person says, "O.K." The last persons says, "Sounds good." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Search committee members recognize that to be effective in schools it helps to have a good sense of humor."
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- Title
- Secret Ballot
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
This cartoon shows piece of paper labeled SECRET BALLOT. Under the heading it asks the question, "What Type of Team Do You Have?" Below that question are listed five options stacked vertically, each with a check box to the left. The options are "Ideal, Ambiguous Roles, Disorganized,...
Show moreThis cartoon shows piece of paper labeled SECRET BALLOT. Under the heading it asks the question, "What Type of Team Do You Have?" Below that question are listed five options stacked vertically, each with a check box to the left. The options are "Ideal, Ambiguous Roles, Disorganized, Underperforming, and Overstructured." A hand holding a pencil has checked the box next to Ambiguous Roles. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "After months of public agreement and private disagreement, the team decides to find out what everyone is thinking."
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- Title
- Secret Wish
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a woman sitting on Santa's lap with a Christmas tree gifts in the background. There are children waiting in line to sit on Santa's lap too. Santa says, "You're a bit old for this, but go ahead and tell me your secret wish." The woman responds, "I'd like my child to have a...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a woman sitting on Santa's lap with a Christmas tree gifts in the background. There are children waiting in line to sit on Santa's lap too. Santa says, "You're a bit old for this, but go ahead and tell me your secret wish." The woman responds, "I'd like my child to have a teacher who is welcoming, inspires a love of learning, and sees the value in every child." The tag line reads, "Mary Beth's secret wish is shared by parents the world over." The tag line on the left reads, "Inspired by Mary Beth Doyle."
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- Title
- Self-Reflection
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
This cartoon show a teacher looking at himself in a full length mirror. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "After spending 10 minutes each afternoon in front of a full-length mirror, Alan still isn't sure why self-reflection is so important to good teaching."
- Title
- Seven Habits
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a large numeral 7 in the middle surrounded by seven numbered white circles around it that are labeled as follows: 1. "Meetings: Arrive late leave early." 2. "Eat chocolate in front of others without sharing." 3. "Avoid collecting any information about what you are doing." 4. ...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a large numeral 7 in the middle surrounded by seven numbered white circles around it that are labeled as follows: 1. "Meetings: Arrive late leave early." 2. "Eat chocolate in front of others without sharing." 3. "Avoid collecting any information about what you are doing." 4. "Avoid planning at all costs!" 5. "If a plan sneaks by you, implement it infrequently enough that it will have no impact." 6. "Be prepared with at least 10 reasons proposed solutions won't work." 7. "Insist on maintaining separate goals and use a lots of jargon." The tag line reads. "Seven habit of ineffective team members."
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- Title
- Severely Dysfunctional Team
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
The cartoon shows three team members walking down three separate hallways from a common intersection -- each carrying a dismembered body part. The occupational therapist is carrying two arms; the speech-language pathologist is carrying a head; the physical therapist is carrying two legs. The tag...
Show moreThe cartoon shows three team members walking down three separate hallways from a common intersection -- each carrying a dismembered body part. The occupational therapist is carrying two arms; the speech-language pathologist is carrying a head; the physical therapist is carrying two legs. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Severely Dysfunctional Team."
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- Title
- Sex Therapy
- Date Created
- 2007
- Description
-
This cartoon has two panels stacked vertically. The top panel shows a man a woman talking to each other and the woman hold a phallic shaped object in her hand. The man asks, "What is that thing?" The woman replies, "This is a battery operated vibrator. I use it in therapy to provide sensory...
Show moreThis cartoon has two panels stacked vertically. The top panel shows a man a woman talking to each other and the woman hold a phallic shaped object in her hand. The man asks, "What is that thing?" The woman replies, "This is a battery operated vibrator. I use it in therapy to provide sensory stimulation." In the second panel with the same images the man says, "I didn't know sex therapy was a related service." The woman replies, "It's not. I'm talking about occupational therapy." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Fred continually struggles to understand the relevance of some therapeutic methods."
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