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
- Wheel of Misfortune
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
This cartoon shows a game show host about to spin a wheel which is labeled, "Wheel of Misfortune: Severe Disabilities School Version), while his smiling assistant directs the audiences attention to the wheel. The pie-shaped sections on the wheel include 6 categories 3 of which take up a total of...
Show moreThis cartoon shows a game show host about to spin a wheel which is labeled, "Wheel of Misfortune: Severe Disabilities School Version), while his smiling assistant directs the audiences attention to the wheel. The pie-shaped sections on the wheel include 6 categories 3 of which take up a total of 75% of the wheel, 25% each (Special Education Class in District, Special Education Class Out of District, Special Education School). Two categories each take up 10% of the wheel (Home-Based Instruction & Special Education Class in Neighborhood School). The final category, Regular Class with Support, takes up only 5% of the wheel.
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- Title
- When I Grow Up…
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon is four panels arranged in two-by-two square. Each panel has a person on a television screen. In the top left panel is a boy saying, "When I grow up, I want to be a Special Educator so I can complete mountains of paperwork for my huge caseload of students." In the panel on the top...
Show moreThe cartoon is four panels arranged in two-by-two square. Each panel has a person on a television screen. In the top left panel is a boy saying, "When I grow up, I want to be a Special Educator so I can complete mountains of paperwork for my huge caseload of students." In the panel on the top right is a girl saying, "When I grow up, I want to be a School Principal so that people from different stakeholder groups can take turns getting mad at me." In the panel on the lower left side is a girl saying, "When I grow up, I want to be a Paraprofessional. So that I get paid minimum wages to do teacher work." In the lower right panel is a boy saying, "When I grow up, I want to be a School Psychologist so I can give lots of tests to kids." The tag line reads, "Who will want to do these jobs when they grow up?"
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- Title
- Which Path?
- Date Created
- 2021
- Description
-
This cartoon has two panels stacked vertically. The upper and lower panels are overlapped on the far left by the image of an infant in a cradle. The upper panel , labeled BIGGER LIFE, shows a bright, vibrantly colored scene of a path go up a hillside. Along this upward path are images of...
Show moreThis cartoon has two panels stacked vertically. The upper and lower panels are overlapped on the far left by the image of an infant in a cradle. The upper panel , labeled BIGGER LIFE, shows a bright, vibrantly colored scene of a path go up a hillside. Along this upward path are images of buildings that are labeled inclusive schooling, real (supported) work, and home in community. At the top of the hill it shows two people together labeled relationships and choices. The lower panel, labeled SMALLER LIFE, shows a dark and muted scene with few signs of life on a jagged descending pathways going down a hillside. Along the downward path are images of buildings that are labeled segregated schooling, sheltered employment or no work, and groiup home. At the bottom of the hill it showas a peron falling into an abyss labeled increasing isolation and limited choices. The tag line underneath the cartoon reads: Which Path Should We Pursue? To the left side of the cartoon there is an acknowledgement line that reads" Inspired by the Australian Alliance for Inclusive Education www.allmeansall.org.au.
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- Title
- Who can help?
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
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
- Whole Language
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
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The cartoon shows Mr. Moody sitting at a desk with papers and a phone on it. He is on the phone and says, "You're darn right I'm in favor of a whole language! Those partial language approaches are completely inadequate." The tag line reads "Mr. Moody left the district in-service on teaching...
Show moreThe cartoon shows Mr. Moody sitting at a desk with papers and a phone on it. He is on the phone and says, "You're darn right I'm in favor of a whole language! Those partial language approaches are completely inadequate." The tag line reads "Mr. Moody left the district in-service on teaching reading before they discussed the importance of combining literature and phonics."
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- Title
- Word Problems
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a document labeled, "Mediation Exam." It reads, "27. During a one-hour meeting, if a parent speaks about her child's educational needs at 120 words per minute and a professional listens to 83 of those words per minute while simultaneously scanning 6 pages of the students file,...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a document labeled, "Mediation Exam." It reads, "27. During a one-hour meeting, if a parent speaks about her child's educational needs at 120 words per minute and a professional listens to 83 of those words per minute while simultaneously scanning 6 pages of the students file, how many years will if take for them to understand each other?" There is a hand with a pencil coming from the right side of the panel getting ready to write in the answer. The tag line reads, "Word Problems."
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- Title
- Workable Team Size
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
The cartoon shows lots of people stuffed into a phone booth and a line of people waiting. Mr. Moody is holding up his hand and saying "OK that's enough." The tag line reads "In an effort to maintain a workable team size, Mr. Moody suggests limiting membership to the number of people that can fit...
Show moreThe cartoon shows lots of people stuffed into a phone booth and a line of people waiting. Mr. Moody is holding up his hand and saying "OK that's enough." The tag line reads "In an effort to maintain a workable team size, Mr. Moody suggests limiting membership to the number of people that can fit into a phone booth."
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- Title
- You Actually Have to Teach
- 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, "… 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....
Show moreThis cartoon shows a special educator and general education teacher talking with each other. The special educator hands the teacher a paper and says, "… 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."
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- Title
- Zone of Proximal Confusion
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
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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