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
- Subtle Reminder
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a classroom with kids sitting at their desks and an Elephant in the corner of the room with a sign on its trunk that says "Remember to include my child!!" The teacher saying "I don't see an elephant in the room…do you?" and another person in the room says "No...I don't either......
Show moreThe cartoon shows a classroom with kids sitting at their desks and an Elephant in the corner of the room with a sign on its trunk that says "Remember to include my child!!" The teacher saying "I don't see an elephant in the room…do you?" and another person in the room says "No...I don't either..." The tag line reads "After meetings, phone calls, and letters had failed, one parent tried a subtle reminder."
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- Title
- Successful Inservice Training
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a room with a number of people at tables for a workshop. There is an overhead projector and screen at the front of the room. A box on the floor is labeled "Yummy Candy." There is a woman talking to the person who will be doing the workshop. She says, "Everything is set for the...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a room with a number of people at tables for a workshop. There is an overhead projector and screen at the front of the room. A box on the floor is labeled "Yummy Candy." There is a woman talking to the person who will be doing the workshop. She says, "Everything is set for the workshop as you requested. But why 50 pounds of candy?" The presenter replies, "Never underestimate the power of chocolate." The tag line reads, "The real key to successful inservice training." A tag line on side of the cartoon reads, "Inspired by my friends in Iceland."
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- Title
- Superwoman
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
This cartoon shows a teacher at her clothes closet and selecting a Superwoman costume (with the classic red S). The tag line under the cartoon reads, "After having successfully taught students with a wide range of characteristics, Ms. Miller decided to adjust her wardrobe to match her teaching...
Show moreThis cartoon shows a teacher at her clothes closet and selecting a Superwoman costume (with the classic red S). The tag line under the cartoon reads, "After having successfully taught students with a wide range of characteristics, Ms. Miller decided to adjust her wardrobe to match her teaching confidence."
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- Title
- Supplies
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
This cartoon has two panels stacked vertically. In the top panel a smiling teacher greets a student who is wearing a backpack and says, "Hi Jimmy, welcome to the first day of school. I'm glad you brought your backpack with your supplies." In the second panel the same teacher now with a worried...
Show moreThis cartoon has two panels stacked vertically. In the top panel a smiling teacher greets a student who is wearing a backpack and says, "Hi Jimmy, welcome to the first day of school. I'm glad you brought your backpack with your supplies." In the second panel the same teacher now with a worried expression on her face greets a student with a disability and her mother who is pulling a long wagon filled high with all kinds of special equipment. The teacher says, "Hi Janie, Welcome to the first day of school. I see you've brought your supplies." Her mother says, "We'll bring the rest tomorrow." The tag line for the cartoon reads, "Mrs. Fine wonders if it is too late to request a larger classroom."
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- Title
- Sustained Silent Breathing
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a group of educators having a meeting around a table. One of the men is saying, "We've identified an objective that will allow Davey to be included in all class activities." to which Mrs. Jones replies, "But this doesn't need to be a goal! He can already do this!" The tag line...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a group of educators having a meeting around a table. One of the men is saying, "We've identified an objective that will allow Davey to be included in all class activities." to which Mrs. Jones replies, "But this doesn't need to be a goal! He can already do this!" The tag line reads, " Mrs. Jones expresses her concern about the objective: 'During a variety of activities, Davey will demonstrate sustained silent breathing 100% of the time.'"
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- Title
- Sustained Silent Reading
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a man with very long gray hair and beard sitting in front of a class of students sleeping. All the students in the class appear old with gray hair and beards and are sleeping too. The teacher, Mr. Winkle is sleeping with a book open in front of him on the desk. The tag line...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a man with very long gray hair and beard sitting in front of a class of students sleeping. All the students in the class appear old with gray hair and beards and are sleeping too. The teacher, Mr. Winkle is sleeping with a book open in front of him on the desk. The tag line reads "Mr. Winkle's second grade class sets a new record for sustained silent reading."
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- Title
- Swimming Lessons
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
The cartoon shows three panels. The top panel shows kids playing in a pool with a ball and a man standing at the side of the pool talking to a small child. He is saying "Stop! You can't swim so you are not allowed in the pool!" A small caption in the lower right corner of the panel reads "Long...
Show moreThe cartoon shows three panels. The top panel shows kids playing in a pool with a ball and a man standing at the side of the pool talking to a small child. He is saying "Stop! You can't swim so you are not allowed in the pool!" A small caption in the lower right corner of the panel reads "Long Ago." The second panel shows two men throwing a child into a pool. The child is yelling, "AHHHH" The one man says "We'll throw you in. You'll either sink or swim." A small caption in the right corner of the panel reads "Not so long ago." The third panel shows two guys in a pool one has a inner tube on and the other one is helping him. The helper says "We'll start your swimming lessons with some fun activities and supports that we'll fade out later." A small caption in the right lower corner reads "Today" The tag line reads "The evolution of swimming lessons: surprisingly similar to the evolution of including students with disabilities in general education."
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- Title
- Swinging
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
This cartoon has two panels offset stepwise. In the upper panel shows three friends standing at a swing set in the park. One friend says, "There are only two swings, and three of us!" Another of the friends says, "I have an idea!" In the lower panel the three friends have found a way to combine...
Show moreThis cartoon has two panels offset stepwise. In the upper panel shows three friends standing at a swing set in the park. One friend says, "There are only two swings, and three of us!" Another of the friends says, "I have an idea!" In the lower panel the three friends have found a way to combine the two swings so all three are swinging as they are all smiling and saying, "WHEEEEE!!" The tag line reads, "Friends apply lessons of creative problem solving to everyday life."
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- Title
- A Tale of Two Schools
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
The cartoon has two panels, top and bottom. The top panel shows two people across a table from each other. The person to the right has two large stacks of books next to him. The person to the left says, "Are we ready to include students with more severe disabilities in regular class?." The second...
Show moreThe cartoon has two panels, top and bottom. The top panel shows two people across a table from each other. The person to the right has two large stacks of books next to him. The person to the left says, "Are we ready to include students with more severe disabilities in regular class?." The second person says, "As soon as I finish reading these books on inclusion and draft our long-range plan... We should be ready in 7 or 8 years." The bottom panel has two people facing each other, both holding a piece of paper. The person on the left says, "I'm sure glad we got started including and supporting all our students in regular classes." The person to the right says, "Me too! I know we'll learn things along the way from our success and mistakes." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "A tale of two schools."
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- Title
- Teacher Shortage
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a woman in a red dress standing in a spotlight with film crew around her. She is holding an apple and a script. In the lower left corner a director is holding a clapboard and saying, "Quiet on the set. Teacher Recruitment - Take 3. ACTION!" The woman says, "I'm not a teacher,...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a woman in a red dress standing in a spotlight with film crew around her. She is holding an apple and a script. In the lower left corner a director is holding a clapboard and saying, "Quiet on the set. Teacher Recruitment - Take 3. ACTION!" The woman says, "I'm not a teacher, but I play one at school, you can too." The tag line reads, "Unemployed actors are recruited to fill the national teacher shortage."
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- Title
- Teaching Old Logs
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows Mr. Moody standing outside with an old dog sitting to his left with a ball in it's mouth and a stack of logs in front of him. He has his hand up in the air and is exclaiming "Stay!" directed to the logs. The dog is looking at him with a question mark in a thought bubble above...
Show moreThe cartoon shows Mr. Moody standing outside with an old dog sitting to his left with a ball in it's mouth and a stack of logs in front of him. He has his hand up in the air and is exclaiming "Stay!" directed to the logs. The dog is looking at him with a question mark in a thought bubble above his head. The tag line reads, "Knowing how hard it is to effect meaningful change in people, Mr. Moody decides to work his way up to it by teaching old logs new tricks."
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- Title
- Teaching Spectrum Disorder
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows two parents sitting holding hands across a table from two educators, a man and a woman. The father is saying, "What have you learned from your evaluation? Why is Sam having such difficulty learning?" To which the woman educator says, "The good news is that Sam doesn't have...
Show moreThe cartoon shows two parents sitting holding hands across a table from two educators, a man and a woman. The father is saying, "What have you learned from your evaluation? Why is Sam having such difficulty learning?" To which the woman educator says, "The good news is that Sam doesn't have learning disabilities! The bad news is his teacher has "Pervasive Developmental Teaching Delays." The tag line reads, "Sam's teacher is diagnosed with a 'Teaching Spectrum Disorder'."
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- Title
- Team of One
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
This cartoon has four panels arranged in a square pattern. Each panel shows a table with four chairs, three are empty and one is occupied by Marty. In the first frame Marty has just moved from one seat to another as he says, "And that's my idea!" In the second panel he quickly moves to a...
Show moreThis cartoon has four panels arranged in a square pattern. Each panel shows a table with four chairs, three are empty and one is occupied by Marty. In the first frame Marty has just moved from one seat to another as he says, "And that's my idea!" In the second panel he quickly moves to a different chair and says, "That's a very interesting idea!" In the third panel he again quickly moves to a different empty seat and says, "What if we did that every day? In the fourth panel he again quickly moves to a different empty seat and says, "And we could use it in science too! The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Marty continues to think of himself as a team of one."
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- Title
- Teamwork on Steroids
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
This cartoon has two panels. In the upper panel three team members are hugging a person-sized smiling heart wearing sneakers with the label, "This is Collaborative Teamwork." In the lower panel the heart has been transformed into a menacing, muscular giant that dwarfs the three members in size as...
Show moreThis cartoon has two panels. In the upper panel three team members are hugging a person-sized smiling heart wearing sneakers with the label, "This is Collaborative Teamwork." In the lower panel the heart has been transformed into a menacing, muscular giant that dwarfs the three members in size as they ran away from it in fear. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "This is collaborative teamwork on steroids."
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- Title
- Tenacious Advocate
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
A parent, (Mrs. Green) is seated a cross a table from her child's IEP team. Her arm is reaching behind her, aimed toward a life-sized cardboard replica of an advocate, who is holding up a document labeled IDEA. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Mrs. Green resorts to bringing a life-sized...
Show moreA parent, (Mrs. Green) is seated a cross a table from her child's IEP team. Her arm is reaching behind her, aimed toward a life-sized cardboard replica of an advocate, who is holding up a document labeled IDEA. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Mrs. Green resorts to bringing a life-sized cardboard replica of the county's most tenacious advocate to her child's IEP meeting. "Inspired by Marilyn Wessels"
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- Title
- Terrorless Learning
- 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...
Show moreThe 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."
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- Title
- Theatre of the Absurd
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows two actors on a stage in a parody of Romeo & Juliet's iconic balcony scene. With Juliet in the balcony and Romeo below on one knee looking upward, Juliet says, "Romeo, Romeo. Wherefore art thou with the money to educate the children with special needs?" To which Romeo replies, ...
Show moreThe cartoon shows two actors on a stage in a parody of Romeo & Juliet's iconic balcony scene. With Juliet in the balcony and Romeo below on one knee looking upward, Juliet says, "Romeo, Romeo. Wherefore art thou with the money to educate the children with special needs?" To which Romeo replies, "Juliet, It is I. But I have only half of the money. The rest has been spent to assess, classify, label, sort and segregate." The tag line reads, "Theatre of the absurd."
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- Title
- Theory of Relativity
- Date Created
- 2010-2013
- Description
-
This cartoon has four panels arranged in a square pattern. Each square is labeled for a different School (A, B, C & D) and shows a different person speaking for each school. In the middle of the cartoon (where the interior corners of the squares meet) is a small rectangle overlapping a bit on to...
Show moreThis cartoon has four panels arranged in a square pattern. Each square is labeled for a different School (A, B, C & D) and shows a different person speaking for each school. In the middle of the cartoon (where the interior corners of the squares meet) is a small rectangle overlapping a bit on to all four squares that says, "Ratio of parapros to students with disabilities." In School A the ratio of parapros is 1:2, in School B it is 1:4, in School C it is 1:6, and School D it is 1:10. Despite the different ratios, the different people associated with each school all say the exact same thing (that is repeated in each of the four squares), "We are just getting by with the parapro resources we have. We couldn't possibly function with any less." The tag line under the cartoon. reads, "The Other Theory of Relativity."
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- Title
- Thick Skin
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a man, with a tattoo of a blue anchor on his arm. He is leaning his arm on a table and gritting his teeth, as another person pinches his bicep with calipers. The tag line reads "After a successful interview, Harry undergoes a final screening to see if his skin is thick enough to...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a man, with a tattoo of a blue anchor on his arm. He is leaning his arm on a table and gritting his teeth, as another person pinches his bicep with calipers. The tag line reads "After a successful interview, Harry undergoes a final screening to see if his skin is thick enough to be offered an administrative position."
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- Title
- Thin Ice
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a person skating while carrying two very large stack of papers, three feet higher than his head, one in each arm. The image shows the skater on thin, cracking ice with open water on one side where two small fish watch in fear. The tag line reads, "If your caseload is too big,...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a person skating while carrying two very large stack of papers, three feet higher than his head, one in each arm. The image shows the skater on thin, cracking ice with open water on one side where two small fish watch in fear. The tag line reads, "If your caseload is too big, you are skating on thin ice."
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