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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- Title
- Endangered Species
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
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This cartoons shows two people in the foreground with binoculars (like bird watchers) looking at a group of people in the background. One of the two people says, "Look over there! A well-functioning team!" The second person says, "Isn't it beautiful?" The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Herb...
Show moreThis cartoons shows two people in the foreground with binoculars (like bird watchers) looking at a group of people in the background. One of the two people says, "Look over there! A well-functioning team!" The second person says, "Isn't it beautiful?" The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Herb and Sally add the elusive collaborative team to their life list of rare and endangered species."
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- Title
- Holding the Bag
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
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This cartoon shows a man looking distressed with his hand on his forehead and holding a bag, while off to the side four others are running away from him in different directions. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "After a unidirectional experience with role release, Henry feels like he is left...
Show moreThis cartoon shows a man looking distressed with his hand on his forehead and holding a bag, while off to the side four others are running away from him in different directions. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "After a unidirectional experience with role release, Henry feels like he is left holding the bag."
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- Title
- Pulling in Different Directions
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
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This cartoon shows a distressed looking students whose body parts are being pulled in different directions by ropes attached and labeled by various disciplines. A rope attached to his left leg (labeled PT) is pulling out. Another rope is attached to his right arm (labeled OT) is pulling in the...
Show moreThis cartoon shows a distressed looking students whose body parts are being pulled in different directions by ropes attached and labeled by various disciplines. A rope attached to his left leg (labeled PT) is pulling out. Another rope is attached to his right arm (labeled OT) is pulling in the opposite direction. A rope attached to his throat (labeled SLP) is pulling a different direction. A rope attached to his head (labeled Special Ed) is pulling in a different direction. The student being pulled in different directions says, "I'm not sure this is working for me!" The tag line under cartoon reads, Fred expresses concern after team members agree to all pull in different directions. "A tag line on the side reads, "With help from Dan Giangreco."
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- Title
- Secret Ballot
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
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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
- Severely Dysfunctional Team
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
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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
- Team of One
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
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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
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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
- Voting Regularities
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
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This cartoon has two panels stacked vertically, both showing the same image of team members sitting around a table at a meeting. In the top panel the facilitator says, "All in favor, raise your hand." as the majority raised their hands in agreement. In the lower panel a person who wasn't part of...
Show moreThis cartoon has two panels stacked vertically, both showing the same image of team members sitting around a table at a meeting. In the top panel the facilitator says, "All in favor, raise your hand." as the majority raised their hands in agreement. In the lower panel a person who wasn't part of the majority has the only raised hand while he says, "But what about my concerns?" The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Sometimes even VOTING REGULARITIES can be Problematic."
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- Title
- Who can help?
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
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This cartoon shows six educational team members seated at round table for meeting. The facilitator says, "OK, Amy's next goal has do with Making Requests. Who can help with that? All the members raise their hands. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Harvey continues to ask the wrong question...
Show moreThis cartoon shows six educational team members seated at round table for meeting. The facilitator says, "OK, Amy's next goal has do with Making Requests. Who can help with that? All the members raise their hands. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Harvey continues to ask the wrong question in a room full of helpers."
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- Title
- Zone of Proximal Confusion
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
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This cartoon shows a group of professionals from different disciplines in the foreground talking with other. The occupational therapist says, "I need to be involved because of the fine motor aspects." The special education teacher says, I need to task analyze the steps and plan the instruction."...
Show moreThis cartoon shows a group of professionals from different disciplines in the foreground talking with other. The occupational therapist says, "I need to be involved because of the fine motor aspects." The special education teacher says, I need to task analyze the steps and plan the instruction." The physical therapist says, "Body position and stability is critical." The orientation and mobility specialists says, "This is a skill I should really be involved in." The teacher says, "I think our classroom staff can take care of that." In the background are two young children. One says, "Thanks for helping me learn to zip up my coat Joey." The other child says, "No problem. I just learned myself." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Adventures in Zipping: Zone of Proximal Confusion."
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