Education

Finding inspiration by deliberately not thinking – cartoon

November 17, 2016 by chrismadden

Cartoon - Person having good ideas while deliberately not thinking

A person finding that inspiration comes most easily by relaxing and not thinking too hard.

A person relaxing and musing “I have my best ideas when I’m not thinking.”
A cartoon about cognition, thought processes, the nature of creativity, inspiration, ideas, the creative process.

Cartoon reference number: a759

Student grievance cartoon

April 9, 2016 by chrismadden

student protest cartoon

A cartoon about hypercritical student attitudes.

A cartoon about the trend for students’ grievances and dissatisfactions to be translated into action, such as in the form no platforming or the demands for statues of out-of-favour people to be removed.

The action is often seen by some as self righteous, self indulgent, censorious and intolerant (ironically, as the students often think that they are acting for the greater benefit of others).
The cartoon shows the danger of the students adopting a feeling of over entitlement and thus taking their attitudes out into the wider world beyond their colleges.
The inspiration for this image was a news story about students disapproving of a sculpture by Henry Moore, and demanding that it wasn’t displayed on their university campus.

Drawn: 2016

Cartoon reference: a734

Modern metaphors: 3D printing metaphor used to explain how babies grow

November 24, 2015 by chrismadden

facts of life babies grow like 3d printing

Facts of life cartoon: babies grow like 3D printing

This cartoon, of a pregnant mother explaining the facts of life to her young child, illustrates the use of metaphors for contemporary technological processes. The idea is that young children are more likely to understand modern metaphors than older ones.

A cartoon about the facts of life, where babies come from, the birds and the bees, 3D printing technology.

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Thinking cap – a cartoon about cognition

May 14, 2013 by chrismadden

thinking cap illustration

Cognition cartoon

A cartoon showing a person putting on a ‘thinking cap’.
The thinking cap resembles a brain.

An image about thought processes, thinking, the nature of consciousness, studying, problem solving – illustrating the saying “Put on your thinking cap”

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Illustration: unlock your creativity: unlock your mind

May 9, 2013 by chrismadden

Padlock as head - unlocking it releases the imagination

Bizarre cartoon featuring a padlock as a person’s head or an imaginary creature’s head
An illustration about unlocking creativity

A bizarre or surrealist image showing a person or imaginary creature with a head in the form of a padlock.
The person is holding a key and is saying “Unlock your imagination!”.

The illustration is about freeing the imagination or liberating the mind to be creative. It is an image to convey the link between creativity and thought processes

The cartoon has uses as an illustration in art education or in areas of philosophy or psychology.
For a less bizarre, more child-friendly version of the same concept click here

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League tables cartoon

February 20, 2013 by chrismadden

league table cartoon

League tables cartoon
A government department creating a league table of league tables

A cartoon about society’s obsession with league tables.

League tables exist in education, with school league tables, hospitals and more

Cartoon reference number: a532

Cartoon. Holy books v factual books

January 9, 2013 by chrismadden

knowledge from holy books - cartoon

Cartoon – knowledge from holy books
The difference between religious books and scientific and factual books

A cartoon showing a child reading from a pile of books – and another child reading from only one holy or religious book

This cartoon illustrated the way that some religious groups think that all necessary knowledge can be found in their holy book.
It illustrates the sort of argument put forward by people such as Richard Dawkins in The God Delusion or Christopher Hitchens in God is not Great

Cartoon reference number: a498

Questioning authority – illustration

August 2, 2012 by chrismadden

questioning authority cartoon

Questioning authority – cartoon.
A student questioning the authority of a lecturer

Cartoon showing a lecture on politics authority

A joke about authority, questioning, totalitarianism, anarchy, anarchism, authority figures

The joke is that the student is questioning the authority of a lecturer who is telling the audience to question authority.
This illustration first appeared in BBC Knowledge magazine.

Cartoon reference number: a332

Science cartoon for the promotion of education in science

July 30, 2012 by chrismadden

Science cartoon or illustration to promote the understanding of science

An illustration showing a child studying science – in this case astronomy by looking through a telescope

The cartoon or illustration is intended as a logo or design to promote science education.

Cartoon reference number: a666

Cartoon about children’s art and child development

April 6, 2012 by chrismadden

Children's art cartoon - talented child drawing mummy

Cartoon about children’s art and children’s artistic development

Cartoon showing small children in a nursery class practicing drawing and painting (or colouring-in).
The teacher is helping the children to learn how to draw and paint.

The teacher is saying to a child:
“That’s a lovely drawing, Sophie. Now let’s do another one with Mummy’s head like a great big balloon.”
The cartoon is about child development and children’s artistic development. It is also about adults’ expectations of what children should achieve and about educational methods and standards.
The child in the cartoon is obviously very talented, drawing a very sophisticated likeness of a person (her mother), however the teacher is being very prescriptive in her teaching methods and is encouraging the child to conform to the lower expectations of the standard that children of her age normally attain – in other words drawing a stick person with a big round head.

Cartoon reference number: a155

Philosophy Cartoon

April 4, 2012 by chrismadden

Existentialism - philosophy cartoons

Existentialist philosophy cartoon: a child’s introduction to existentialism

A philosophy cartoon showing a child reading a book titled “My First Book of Existentialism”.
The philosophical theory of existentialism is usually associated with Jean Paul Sartre.

The humour in the illustration is that an elementary book at the level illustrated in the cartoon is far too basic to explain the theory underlying existentialism (or any other philosophical theory for that matter).
The cartoon also hints at the possibility that some philosophical concepts are more basic than is sometimes thought – and that some philosophies are probably flawed due to fundamental errors due to the limitations of the human brain to grasp concepts.
A cartoon about philosophy, existentialism, existentialist philosophy, philosophical theory.

Cartoon reference number: a131

See my book about life, the universe and everything.

Cartoon. Educational books for children: ‘ The Bumper Book of Wonder’ & ‘My First Book of Disillusionment’

January 21, 2012 by chrismadden

cartoon - my first book of disillusionment

Cartoon showing an eager child reading a book titled ‘The Bumper Book of Wonder’. Near the child is a book that will be read in the future, called ‘My First Book of Disillusionment’

Child development cartoon showing an eager child reading a book titled ‘The Bumper Book of Wonder’. Near the child is a book he will read in the future, called ‘My First Book of Disillusionment’

A cartoon about growing up and loss of innocence, acquisition of knowledge, epistomology, epistemology.

Cartoon reference number: a084

Punctuation mistakes – the grocer’s apostrophe cartoon

January 7, 2012 by chrismadden

language cartoon grocers apostrophe

A cartoon about mistakes in punctuation use. The so-called “grocer’s apostrophe” being use in a press article (as proof of the perceived degeneration of grammar in contemporary society)

The cartoon deals with a topic that is discussed in the book “Eats, Shoots and Leaves” by Lynne Truss.

A cartoon about linguistics, language, misuse of grammar, grammatical errors, punctuation mistakes.

Cartoon reference number: a061

Illustration – unlock your imagination

May 9, 2011 by chrismadden

Cartoon - unlock your imagination!

Cartoon featuring a person with a padlock as a head, jumping in the air and saying “Unlock your imagination!”
An illustration about creativity

An image for use in art education, classes or presentations on creativity

The illustration is about freeing the imagination or liberating the mind to be creative, or on unleashing creativity. It is an image to convey the link between creativity and thought processes.
The cartoon has uses as an illustration in art education or in areas of philosophy or psychology

Click here for a more bizarre and surreal version of the same idea

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A person finding that inspiration comes most easily by relaxing and not thinking too hard.

A person relaxing and musing “I have my best ideas when I’m not thinking.” A cartoon about cognition, thought processes, the nature of creativity, inspiration, ideas, the creative process.

Cartoon reference number: a759

A cartoon about hypercritical student attitudes.

A cartoon about the trend for students’ grievances and dissatisfactions to be translated into action, such as in the form no platforming or the demands for statues of out-of-favour people to be removed.

Cartoon reference: a734

“No platforming” – the movement to deny a debating voice to speakers who’s views may be offensive to some of the audience.

This cartoon is about the phenomenon of denying a platform in debates for speakers who’s views may be found offensive by some of the audience. The phenomenon is particularly prevalent in universities.

Facts of life cartoon: babies grow like 3D printing

This cartoon, of a pregnant mother explaining the facts of life to her young child, illustrates the use of metaphors for contemporary technological processes. The idea is that young children are more likely to understand modern metaphors than older ones.

A cartoon about the facts of life, where babies come from, the birds and the bees, 3D printing technology.

Cognition cartoon

A cartoon showing a person putting on a ‘thinking cap’. The thinking cap resembles a brain.

An image about thought processes, thinking, the nature of consciousness, studying, problem solving – illustrating the saying “Put on your thinking cap”

Bizarre cartoon featuring a padlock as a person’s head or an imaginary creature’s head An illustration about unlocking creativity

A bizarre or surrealist image showing a person or imaginary creature with a head in the form of a padlock. The person is holding a key and is saying “Unlock your imagination!”.

The illustration is about freeing the imagination or liberating the mind to be creative. It is an image to convey the link between creativity and thought processes

League tables cartoon A government department creating a league table of league tables

A cartoon about society’s obsession with league tables.

League tables exist in education, with school league tables, hospitals and more

Cartoon reference number: a532

Cartoon – knowledge from holy books The difference between religious books and scientific and factual books

A cartoon showing a child reading from a pile of books – and another child reading from only one holy or religious book

This cartoon illustrated the way that some religious groups think that all necessary knowledge can be found in their holy book. It illustrates the sort of argument put forward by people such as Richard Dawkins in The God Delusion or Christopher Hitchens in God is not Great

Cartoon reference number: a498

Students hugging when they get their exam results

A cartoon about the recent trend in television news coverage of exam results for students to be filmed hugging each other when they get their grades.

Questioning authority – cartoon. A student questioning the authority of a lecturer

Cartoon showing a lecture on politics authority

A joke about authority, questioning, totalitarianism, anarchy, anarchism, authority figures

Cartoon reference number: a332

Science cartoon or illustration to promote the understanding of science

An illustration showing a child studying science – in this case astronomy by looking through a telescope

Cartoon reference number: a666

Cartoon about children’s art and children’s artistic development

Cartoon showing small children in a nursery class practicing drawing and painting (or colouring-in). The teacher is helping the children to learn how to draw and paint.

Cartoon reference number: a155

Existentialist philosophy cartoon: a child’s introduction to existentialism

A philosophy cartoon showing a child reading a book titled “My First Book of Existentialism”. The philosophical theory of existentialism is usually associated with Jean Paul Sartre.

Cartoon reference number: a131

Cartoon showing an ambitious mother reading a book about how to raise the perfect child

Child development cartoon. An ambitious mother reading a book on child rearing called ‘How to Bring up the Perfect Child‘. The mother is saying to her child ‘Not now dear, I’m busy.’

A cartoon about child rearing, parenting skills, hothousing, developmental psychology, education, educational psychology, yummy mummy, yummy mummies, misdirected ambition, bad parenting.

Cartoon reference number: a085