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
- Anatomy
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows an image of a person with labels for different places in their body. The labels start at top of the panel with a lightbulb above the head labeled, "great ideas" then comes the brain with the label pointing to a very small dot, "small ego." The next label pointing to a large part...
Show moreThe cartoon shows an image of a person with labels for different places in their body. The labels start at top of the panel with a lightbulb above the head labeled, "great ideas" then comes the brain with the label pointing to a very small dot, "small ego." The next label pointing to a large part of the brain, "willing learner." Next is the ear labeled, "good listener." The eye is labeled, "sees things for what they are." The nose is labeled, "able to sniff out trouble" and tip of the nose sports a round clown nose and is labeled, "sense of humor." The smiling mouth is labeled, "optimistic" and the flexed bicep muscle "strong will." The is heart labeled "big heart" and the stomach is labeled "strong stomach." The intestines are labeled "guts" and wiggly shaped right arm is labeled "flexible." The legs are labeled "legs to go the distance" and feet are labeled "feet firmly on the ground." The tag line reads, "Anatomy of an effective team member."
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- Title
- Building Blocks
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoons shows a Baby playing with large blocks, building a tower. The blocks have large letters on them, each with a word that begins with the corresponding letter. At the base of the tower, block "A" the word is for "Accountability" and "B" is "Belonging." The next layer of the tower "C" is...
Show moreThe cartoons shows a Baby playing with large blocks, building a tower. The blocks have large letters on them, each with a word that begins with the corresponding letter. At the base of the tower, block "A" the word is for "Accountability" and "B" is "Belonging." The next layer of the tower "C" is "Collaboration" and D and is "Determination." The third layer has the block "E" for "Equity and the is placing the block," F for "Fun" on the top. The tag line reads, "Building Blocks of Teamwork."
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- Title
- Collaboration Myths
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows two people in a room, one person is standing and the other is sitting at a table writing. The person standing is shocked by what he sees (the other person completing the IEP before the meeting with team has started) says, "What are you doing?! Don't you know doing that by...
Show moreThe cartoon shows two people in a room, one person is standing and the other is sitting at a table writing. The person standing is shocked by what he sees (the other person completing the IEP before the meeting with team has started) says, "What are you doing?! Don't you know doing that by yourself can make you go blind?!" The person seated at the table is turning red in he face (showing his embarrassment) and responds, "Really?! I was just trying to get some things taken care of before the team arrived." The tag line reads, "Disability myths spawn collaboration myths."
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- Title
- Confusion Reigns
- 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...
Show moreThe 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!"
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- Title
- Lone Ranger
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
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The cartoon shows a man dressed as a cowboy with a sheriff star on his shirt riding a hobby horse. He is saying, "Hi oh Silver, Away!" The tag line reads, "The Lone Ranger of Teamwork: A team of one gets a little done." A tag line on the left reads, "Inspired by Linda Backus."
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Wavelength
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a machine with knobs and a speaker that records and displays wavelengths. There are yellow waves crossing the monitor. On parallel (non-intersecting) waves displayed on the monitor are people trying to get to from their different wave lengths on to the same one. The tag line...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a machine with knobs and a speaker that records and displays wavelengths. There are yellow waves crossing the monitor. On parallel (non-intersecting) waves displayed on the monitor are people trying to get to from their different wave lengths on to the same one. The tag line reads, "Team effectiveness requires all the members to get on the same wavelength."
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